Ethics as mental hygiene – hindu practices as mental-health supports
From the book – Chapter 24: Gita, Ramayana and Hindu Traditions on the Mind
Ethics as mental hygiene
Satya (truthfulness), ahimsa (non-harming), brahmacharya as moderation, asteya (not stealing), aparigraha (not grasping). Living in line with these can reduce guilt and shame from harmful actions; conflict in relationships; inner fragmentation ("I say one thing, do another"). Integrity and self-respect are protective.
Read the full chapter – Chapter 24: Gita, Ramayana and Hindu Traditions on the Mind
Stories from real life
- Arjuna in the Exam Hall – Rohan Deshmukh, nineteen, from Pune, was preparing for a competitive engineering exam. His family had spent years and savings on coaching. A week before the exam,…
- Dasharatha’s Grief, Rama’s Steadiness – When Gopal Iyengar, seventy-three, of Thanjavur lost his wife of fifty years, he stopped speaking at meals. His son Venkat found him staring at her chair,…
- Sita’s Courage and the Gentle Choice – Anjali Sharma, thirty-one, from Varanasi, left a harmful marriage after years of cruelty. She was physically safe now, living with her parents, but her body did…
- The Restless Mind of Mohan – Mohan Pillai, forty, a shopkeeper in Kozhikode, found his mind jumping like a monkey. He replayed an old quarrel with his brother, feared losing his business,…
Shloks
- Bhagavad Gita 2.48 – Established in yoga, perform action, abandoning attachment, equal in success and failure. Equanimity is called yoga.
- Bhagavad Gita 2.62 – Dwelling on objects, attachment arises. From attachment, desire; from desire, anger.
More on this topic: Bhagavad Gita, yoga and Indian wisdom for mental peace
More questions
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- What the physician and the family actually do?
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