Self Medication

Doctor Doctor,

I swallowed a pill

Cure my cold I thought it will

Three times a day was my dosage

Now my nose is like a big sausage.

Sitting in the crowded doctor's office in Bangalore, delirious with high fever, this rhyme pasted on the wall there, instantly brought a smile to my face. This rhyme sums up the effects of self medication in a light way. From a philosophical angle, it is a reminder of the disastrous effects of our own efforts to understand things in spiritual life. Just remembered this while listening to the pastimes of Lord Brahma by HH Bhakti Charu Swami, where Brahma is trying to trace his origins on his own, succeeding only after years of meditation. Thankfully for us, the prescription and prayers are already available. All we have to do is just follow the instructions and constantly flood our ears with the pastimes of the Lord morning, noon and night, from a bonafide source.

SB-1.3.29

janma guhyaḿ bhagavato
ya etat prayato naraḥ
sāyaḿ prātar gṛṇan bhaktyā
duḥkha-grāmād vimucyate

Whoever carefully recites the mysterious appearances of the Lord, with devotion in the morning and in the evening, gets relief from all miseries of life.

Our transcendental, family Psychiatrist!