FOREWORD

We are passing through an age of paradox. We have built up magnificent cities and at the same time terrible weapons to destroy them; we have achieved great speed, still we have no time for relaxation; we have invented numerous devices to serve us, yet we suffer from anxiety and tension; we have elegant houses, but broken homes inside; we have achieved greater longevity, but old age is an unbearable burden; last but not the least, we have built up a wonderful medical network, yet hitherto unknown new diseases are stalking us.

Does somewhere in our being there remain hidden an undetected element of disharmony? It seems we have been too much conscious of our external life and have neglected the consciousness itself. We have not been alert enough about our inner life which alone, in the ultimate analysis, determines the degree of satisfaction we can derive from our activities and the degree of happiness we can experience. As a mystic said, one can build a cosy bedroom spending a million rupees, but that does not guarantee even one paisa worth of calm sleep.

Till today we have not entirely mastered all the complexities of our physical body. The body, apparently, is a form of matter which our consciousness or spirit is trying to use under its command. The other proposition is that matter itself is a form of consciousness. We may differ on this issue, but we cannot deny the fact that the subtle frontier where both (matter as body and the spirit that dwells in it) meet is the most important area of their coexistence. The ancient physicians of India who were Rishis - the Seers - had delved deep into the structure of our being and had discovered that vital link uniting matter and spirit to be our nervous system.

Shri Kalu Sarkar who has compiled this anthology from the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and has explained the justification of the

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compilation in his Introduction has been experimenting with several authentic alternative systems of Medicare and has evolved a method of treatment for certain maladies that has proved efficacious for patients both in India and abroad. He has inherited the idealism of his father, the late Shri Sudhir Sarkar, a unique person indeed - one who had the rare privilege of being a follower of Sri Aurobindo both in the revolutionary and Yogic phases of the Master's life. Shri Kalu Sarkar has continued to serve with love and dedication those in need of his care, as one in charge of the Physiotherapy department of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

No doubt the compilation will throw light on a number of issues psycho-physical in nature that surface in our mind from time to time and, along with the acupressure principles explained with illustrations, be a practical guide in our approach to our welfare.

Manoj Das

(Shri Manoj Das, Professor of English Literature at the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, Pondicherry, is a well-known writer. Awarded the Padma Shri for his distinguished contribution to literature, he is also the recipient of the Saraswati Samman and Sahitya Akademi awards.)

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