Friday, November 13, 2009

A Strong Mind Means A Healthy Body

The functions of the body are deeply related to the functions of the mind. One's will or volition, though a mental function, causes an increase in a chemical within the brain known as noradernaline. Noradernaline promotes the smooth and lucid functioning of the brain. On the other hand, when one's will or motivation decreases, the brain noradernaline level also drops, producing a corresponding decrease in the brain function. If such a condition persists too long, the danger of decreased mental functions arises.

If a student is half hearted in preparing for an exam, his brain will not function at maximum efficiency, hampering his ability to understand and remember. An earnest and determined attitude in ones's studies will enhance his mental functions and the power to understand and digest the material.

When someone is nervous or afraid, his face may turn white or blue, and his body will tremble. When angry or excited, a person's face becomes bright red and his heart pounds violently. Almost everyone has experienced this at one time or another. In this sense, the functions of the body and the mind are intrinsically connected. Buddhism terms this as "the oneness of body and mind" (shiki shin funi).

Shiki is short for shikiho, which literally means "visible phenomenon" and refers to the physical aspect of existence. Shin short for shinpo or "spiritual phenomenon", indicates that which has no shape or form but which is mental or spiritual in nature.

If the mind or spirit is weak, then the body will grow weak. If the body is weak or sickly, the mental or spiritual state will be adversely affected. Therefore it is only natural that one's ichinen, or single minded determination, can have a profound effect on one's physical state, enabling one to summon forth the physical power or energy necessary to stay healthy or overcome illness. On the other hand, if the mind grows passive or weak, then the body, too, will become weak, making it more susceptible to illness and making that illness harder to cure. Illness that stems chiefly from a mental or spiritual condition is known as a psychosomatic disorder.

Ultimately, we could say, that such disorders begin as self depreciation or self hate. It is not uncommon for young people to try to escape, in one way or another, from the pain, suffering and problems that accompany growing from a child into an adult. In some cases, this escape may even take the form of criminal behavior, psychosomatic diseases or suicide. Needless to say, denying one's own existence or behaving in a way that denies the rights or happiness of others will solve nothing, even if one manages to avoid becoming ill.

Human beings are able to display their greatest power and ability when they are confronted by a great problem or difficulty and challenge themselves to overcome it. When we challenge ourselves, we can display 110 or 120 percent of what we had considered to be our best. On the other hand, if we allow ourselves to be defeated by suffering and grow spiritually weak, we can muster only 50 or as little as 30 percent of our normal ability. When the mind or will grows weak, the autonomic nervous system becomes less responsive and the secretion of important hormones decreases. We become tired easily, lose the desire to challenge even small problems, feel dissatisfied with our surroundings and tend to complain. When we are determined to challenge each of our difficulties, we find ourselves able to tap our inherent power and capability to a much greater degree.

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