Gurudev, this week Art of Living is celebrating Peace and Health Week in honor of Gandhi Jayanti, could you please talk about the connection between peace and health.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It is so obvious, if you are healthy, you are more peaceful.
Health includes Peace. If you are not peaceful you cannot call yourself healthy. If mind is disturbed, body is disturbed.
Sickness is not just in the body, it could be in the mind, it could be in your intellect; it could be in the inhibitions of your intellect and sadness in your soul – all this is considered unhealthy. That is why the word Swastha has such a deep meaning.
Health includes Peace. If you are not peaceful you cannot call yourself healthy. If mind is disturbed, body is disturbed.
Sickness is not just in the body, it could be in the mind, it could be in your intellect; it could be in the inhibitions of your intellect and sadness in your soul – all this is considered unhealthy. That is why the word Swastha has such a deep meaning.
If you go to Bali, they greet you saying ‘Om Swasthi Rastu.’
It is like when we say, ‘Namaste’, or, ‘Hello’.
In Bali they say, ‘Om Swasthi Rastu’, which means may you be established in yourself.
If you are established in yourself that means you are peaceful, you have no inhibitions, you are clear in your mind, you have no negative feelings and your body is healthy.
All this together is called Swastha in Sanskrit; a healthy person.