Healthy, Hale, Whole, Holy!

Twenty years ago, I wrote an article for a local church magazine, entitled “Healthy, Hale, Whole and Holy”, which I thought would promote the idea of health being the process of becoming whole in oneself. The ultimate result of becoming totally whole and healthy would be a holy person, a Saint or Guru. Twenty years on, I now realise that this was not a frivolous article used to promote better health, but an expression of a fundamental truth. It takes time to wise up! I suppose if there are any benefits of growing old, that is one of them!

Who Are You Really?

I touched on this question in my book, published last year, entitled “Be Your Own Doctor of Health & Happiness – You Are a Miracle!” In chapter three entitled, “Who Are You Really?” having dismissed some of our preconceived ideas of what defines us as an individual I finished by deciding, perhaps the fundamental you or the fundamental me is somehow defined by our soul or our spirit or whatever the name you would like to give this centre of our being.

As a civilisation, Man today has not progressed very far; we are, by many measures, very uncivilised, and in many respects, primitive man could demonstrate to us a better way forward for mankind. Some years ago, I read a book entitled “The Last Days of Ancient Sunshine”, which discussed the transition from fossil fuel-based economies to a new economy based on renewable resources. Still, it also pointed out that if we wanted to learn how to improve our civilisation and our human condition, we should take lessons from the few remaining primitive societies that live healthily, happily, and in harmony with each other and nature. That message still rings true today.

Free Will

We all have free will, at least when it comes to our thoughts. Some still have freedom of speech, but this is being threatened in many societies. We also have a responsibility to ourselves to choose how we live our lives. A fundamental question is, what do we want to achieve in our lives? Finding the right path for ourselves is a challenge and a lifelong journey. But every action demonstrates who we are and where we are going. Every action begins with a thought, the thought may be expressed in words, and the words become manifest in our actions.

So, how has the thinking of modern man brought us to a world that is so divided and stricken with suffering, war, hunger and fear? At its simplest level, what Man has forgotten is that we are all part of a Universal Consciousness that unifies not only every human but all life on this planet and beyond. This universal centre has been the foundation of many creeds and religions for thousands of years, which have claimed that they represent God. Unfortunately, these very same creeds and religions, founded in good faith for the improvement of Man, have been a significant cause of war and the breakdown of the unity of mankind.

Over the centuries, we have been blessed with a few wise, highly spiritually developed souls who pointed the way forward. One of the common messages they have given is that this God, which has been claimed by a multitude of religions and used to govern its followers, is not something separate from ourselves. Each one of us is a potentially perfect representation of God, and the individual and God are connected!

How well we represent God depends on the choices we make with our free will, guided by our soul and wisdom. As individuals, when we make these decisions and choices, we will inevitably make mistakes. Some will be minor, some may be severe, and some will benefit others, while others may harm them. This is the consequence of being human and being given this incredible challenge.

A simple concept to help us on this journey is the recognition that “what we do to others we do to ourselves”. This is an adage from biblical times:” Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” and always be aware of our thoughts being formed by our highest aspirations for good. 

Now, who would have thought that the best advice on healthy living would lead to an Almighty ending?

Michael Lingard – BSc(Econ).DO

References:

  • Be Your Own Doctor of Health and Happiness   by Michael Lingard   ISBN 978-1-4710-9823-9
  • The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight    by Thom Hartmann   ISBN 978-0340822432
  • Conversation with God Book 2   by   Neale Donald Walsch   ISBN 978-0340765449
  • The Master and His Emissary   by Iain McGilchrist   ISBN 978-0300245929
  • Consciousness is All There Is   by Dr Tony Nader   ISBN 978-1837821723
  • Wholeness and Holiness   by I.D. Trotter   ISBN 0-9545730-0-5

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