"Inter alia you have said the following:
" 'No matter what the ailment from which a man may be suffering, recitation of
Ramanama from the heart is the sure cure.' (Harijan, 3- 3-1946)
" 'Man should seek out and be content to confine the means of cure to the five elements
of which the body is composed, i.e.. earth, water, akash. sun and air.' (Harijan,
3-3-1946)
" 'And my claim is that the recitation of Ramanama is a sovereign remedy for our physical
ailments also.' (Harijan, 7-4-1946)
"At first, when you introduced this new note in the system of nature cure, I thought you
were merely putting in other words a kind of psycho-therapy, or 'Christian
Science' based on faith. These have their place in every system of medicine. I
interpreted my first quotation above in that light. The second sentence quoted
above is difficult to grasp. After all, it is physically impossible for
medicines to be composed of anything but the five elements to which you refer,
and which you say must be the sole means of cure.
"If faith is what you insist on, I have no quarrel; it is necessary for the patient to
co-operate in getting well also by faith. But it is, difficult to accept that
faith alone would cure our physical ailments also. Two years ago, my little
daughter was struck by infantile paralysis: it was the most modern treatment
that saved the child from becoming a cripple for life. You would agree that it
would not avail to ask a two and a half year old child to recite Ramanama to be
rid of infantile paralysis: and I would like to see you persuade any mother to
do the recitation (and recitation alone) on her child's behalf.
"The authority from Charaka that you have quoted in the issue of March 24th. leaves
me cold; you have taught me not to accept anything, however ancient and however
authoritative it may be, if it does not appeal to my heart."
Thus writes a teacher of youth. Ramanama has the flavour of faith-healing and
Christian Science;1 yet, it is quite distinct from them. Recitation
of Ramanama is a mere symbol of the reality for which it stands. If one is
knowingly filled with the presence of God within, one is that moment free from
all ailment - physical, mental or moral. That we do not see the type in life is
not to disprove the truth of the statement. My argument is admittedly useless
for those who have no faith in God.
Christian Scientists, faith-healers and psycho-therapists may, if they will, bear witness
somewhat to the truth underlying Ramanama. I cannot take the reader a long way
with me through reason. How is one to prove to a person who has never tasted
sugar, that sugar is sweet, except by asking him to taste it?
I must not reiterate here the conditions attendant upon the heart recitation of the
sacred syllable.
The authority of Charaka is good for those who have some belief in Ramanama. Others
may dismiss the authority from their consideration.
Children are irresponsible. Ramanama is undoubtedly not for them. They are helpless
beings at the mercy of their parents. They show what tremendous responsibility
parents bear to them and society. I have known parents who have trifled with
their children's diseases even to the extent of trusting them to their (the
parents') recitation of Ramanama.
Lastly, the argument about everything, even medicines, being from pancha mahabhutas
betrays a hasty confusion of thought. I have only to point it out to remove it.
Harijan, 28-4-1946
[1] During Lord Lothian's talk on the last day he mentioned Christian Science and
asked for Gandhiji's opinion thereon. "Since man is inseparably related to God,"
he said, "in proportion as he recognizes the indissoluble relationship to God,
he is free from sin and from disease. That is how faith heals. God is Truth and
Health and Love."
"And He is Physician, too." said Gandhiji. "I have no quarrel with Christian Science. I
accept the doctrine in toto; but I do not believe in many Christian Scientists.
It is one thing to have an intellectual belief and another thing to have a
heart-grasp of the truth. I can quite endorse the statement that all illness is
sin, that when a man has even a cough it is due to sin. My blood pressure is the
result of strain and overwork. But why should 1 have overworked myself? All
overwork and hurry is sin. And I know only too well that it was perfectly
possible for me to avoid all doctors. What I do not understand about Christian
Scientists is that they make altogether too much of physical health and disease."
"So long as one recognizcs that disease is sin. it is all right," said Lord Lothian. "Even the
Gita says that one has to renounce the fruit of the five senses which is Life and Love and Health."
"I have put it somewhat differently," said Gandhiji. "God is Truth, which is the same thing as
God is Life. And, then, I have said that Truth and Love are faces of the same
coin, and Love is the means to find Truth which is the end."
- Harijan, 29-1-1938
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