The interplay of thoughts and health, and the wisdom of the Sufis

The power of thoughts can cause either illness or recovery, said Ibn Sina (980-1037), the great philosopher and physician. Commonly known in the West as Avicenna, Ibn Sina is often described as the father of early modern medicine.

With his deep knowledge of religion, science and mathematics, Ibn Sina wrote profound treatises on the interplay between thoughts and health. He drew from his vast knowledge of the human body and mind to write that “the soul and body are two ores which can contract diseases based on their characteristic traits.”

It is interesting to note that this wisdom has been echoed by the Sufi masters for centuries – that the depressive mental state of an individual can cause physical ailments, and a happy and content mental disposition can lead to recovery from disease. The transformative power of thought and the ability of man to direct his mind towards happiness and contentment have been part of the teachings of the Sufi saints across the world.

The Sufi saints encouraged their followers to remain anchored in the good that they see around them. Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti, one of the most revered Sufi saints of the Indian sub-continent, told his followers to live a life of simplicity, and practice purity of thought and action. One of his teachings to his followers was – see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, and think no evil.

This aligns with what modern medical research has established in the last few decades – that people who have a positive outlook and focus on what is ‘good’ and ‘happy’ are significantly likely to enjoy good health.

A research project at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that even among people with family history and high-risk factors for coronary artery disease, positive people were 13 percent less likely than their negative counterparts to have a heart attack or any other coronary event. The researchers determined “positive” versus “negative” outlook using a survey tool that assesses a person’s cheerfulness, energy level, anxiety levels and satisfaction with health and overall life.

The degree of satisfaction, contentment and gratitude in a person’s heart is a major marker of his good health and well-being. There is an old Sufi story about a merchant who was so petrified that he would lose his wealth that he used to worry about it day and night and finally contracted some serious illness. He sought the advice of many doctors, but none could give him relief. In desperation, he sought the advice of a Sufi saint who told him to constantly thank the Almighty for all that he had been blessed with rather than focusing on the fear of loss. The merchant obeyed the Sufi saint and thanked the Almighty with sincerity and devotion every day. In a few days, there was remarkable improvement in his health. This story illustrates how the mental makeup of a person significantly impacts his physical health.

Molana Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī (1207- 1273, the globally loved Sufi mystic and poet, wrote of the significance of keeping one’s temperament gentle, loving and accommodating. He wrote, “Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.” The emphasis of the mystic was on cultivating a calm inner self that is not shaken by the tribulations of the outside world.

Molana Rumi told of a story in which a chickpea cried out while it was being boiled in a pot. Rumi wrote that the cook calmed the pea down, telling it, “Do not cry. The boiling is for your own good. It shall make you delicious and nourishing, and those who relish you shall feel blessed.” Through this allegory, Rumi conveyed the message that even in pain, focusing the mind on positive thought and affirmative outcomes can calm the soul, and be the catalyst for inner healing and spiritual growth. In all situations, negative thoughts must be reframed into a constructive mindset to alter our reality and create positive outcomes.

Surrender to the Almighty and contentment with what one has been blessed with – these are key to finding peace and harmony within. The power of thought can make a man choose happiness, and the inability to control the monkey mind can make a man miserable.

It is said that a wealthy and influential man became envious of the bliss enjoyed by a Sufi and asked him, “What makes you so happy? In every way in this material world, I am more blessed than you are. I have immense wealth, and I enjoy great power and influence. Then how is it that I saw you content and blissful, while I know within that I am unhappy.”

The Sufi smiled. He reached down and picked up a handful of sand and asked the wealthy man, “I have gripped the sand in my hand, but it keeps slipping through. Why is it so?” The rich man was puzzled at the Sufi’s question. “You cannot hold on to sand. It is in the nature of sand to slip away,” he responded. The Sufi smiled, because the rich man would now understand the cause of his unhappiness. “Yes. And so it is in the nature of happiness to slip away when you try to hold onto things. The key to happiness isn’t having everything, but in being content with whatever you have.”

In this way, through stories, anecdotes and poetry, Sufis have constantly stressed upon the need to cultivate a positive mindset and keep the heart content and steady.

Molana Rumi’s instructions to his disciples on what they should do when he died spoke of a man whose mind was ecstatic in the love of God. He said, “For my funeral, call the drummers, timbal beaters, and tambourine players. Match toward my grave dancing thus, happy, intoxicated; with hands clapping, so that people would know that the friends of God, go happy and smiling towards the place of meeting.”