World Mental Health Day 2023: Spiritual Leader Gauranga Das Prabhu Joins The Dots Between Spirituality and Mental Health

The connection between spirituality and mental health has been a topic of discussion in both scientific and faith-based communities for a long time, exploring if such a connection exists.

Gauranga Das Prabhu ( Image Source :Instagram/ Gauranga Das )

Prior to the emergence of scientific explanations for mental disorders, individuals suffering from depression often received advice or prayed to God to seek solace. Mental disorders affect both devout individuals and non-believers alike. Similarly, while addressing spiritual concerns as part of treatment proves beneficial for some, but it may not hold the same value for others. Nevertheless, for many individuals, their spiritual beliefs and practices play a significant role as a coping mechanism during their journey to recovery.

The connection between spirituality and mental health has been a topic of discussion in both scientific and faith-based communities for a long time, exploring whether such a connection exists and how it can either hinder or assist in the recovery process.

In this regard, ABP Live had a conversation with spiritual guru Gauranga Das Prabhu who explained how spirituality plays a role in promoting mental well-being and also connected the dots between spirituality and mental health.

Here are some excerpts from the interview:

How does spirituality play a role in promoting mental well-being and emotional balance?

Spirituality transcends the material plane to striving to connect with the needs of the soul, from body (gross body) to mind (subtle body) to soul (transcendental). 

Yoga simply means to unite. To unite the body with nature is hatha–yoga. To create unity within the mind and the body is pranayama. To create unity within mind and the atma is jnana. To create unity between the soul and God is bhakti. 

These are the different paths to pursue spirituality. Why is spirituality important?

Spirituality is as important for us as water is for a fish. Water is the natural habitat for fishes. If it’s out of water, you know what happens? Likewise, we are spiritual souls trapped in material bodies. We need to transcend this body to find eternal happiness, wellbeing and emotional balance. As we transform the soul, the mind which is an intermediary between body and soul is also nurtured, to be in a state of emotional balance and well begin.  

Now, for us to begin the spiritual journey, let me share the 4 principles of spirituality so that your journey is successful.

The 4 Principles of Spirituality

Humility: 

• The 1st requirement for getting knowledge
• Without humility all spiritual efforts wasted
• You mean what you desire

Simplicity

• Reconnect to natural course of life
• Decrease artificial necessities
• Increase austerity to improve health

Humanity

• Avoid cheating propensity
• Embrace positive habits
• Stick to ancient values

Community

• Share knowledge with next generation
• Protect children from bad habits
• Inspire them by your example

Can you share some spiritual practices or techniques that individuals can incorporate into their daily lives to improve their mental health?

Let me share the ABCD of Spirituality:

Association: Share the company of like-minded souls in your spiritual journey who can inspire you, motivate you, lift you when you are down and see to it you lead a purposeful life.

Books: Invest time reading spiritual books that are replete with rich wisdom of our ancient texts. Bhagavad Gita is one such literature. Likewise, there are the multiple other bonafide texts like The Bible, The Quran, The Guru Grant Sahib. Choose your desired path, remain broadminded yet pursue it with sincerity.

Chanting: Spanning traditions, chanting the names of God is considered the most effective means to foster a strong relationship with God. 

Diet: Satvik diet producing no harm on other living beings. What you eat contributes to how you think and in turn, how you choose to act. So, in essence, what you eat shapes your thoughts too.

We can classify our thoughts into 4 categories

• Positive: Value based thoughts. Thoughts with no selfish intention.
• Necessary: Related with day to day routine, work, profession etc.
• Waste Thoughts: Mind keeps brooding over the unchangeable past or worrying about the unknown future.
• Negative Thoughts: Are based on weaknesses, vices, evils and complexes etc.
• To become distraction free let us maximize our positive & necessary thoughts and minimize the negative & waste thoughts.

Many people face stress and anxiety in their daily lives. How can spiritual teachings help individuals cope with and reduce these feelings?

Let’s first discuss what leads to stress. That’s the root of the problem.

In the phantasmagoria of egoistically driven success and fame, a person gets obsessed by 3 features:

• RUMBLE: They keep taking about their exploits and greatness
• GRUMBLE: Spoilt by success, when their plans fail, they grumble about the change and indulge in self-pity.
• TUMBLE: As Reality knocks them down with time, they tumble and become depressed.

Spirituality often emphasizes the importance of finding inner peace. How can someone begin their journey toward inner peace, and what benefits can they expect to see in their mental health?

Now, let’s discuss what comes in the way of inner peace and how can we tackle it. Old age, disease and the most horrific, death, are the main reasons for one not finding inner peace. The most impactful is death. Let’s have a spiritual understanding of death as a phenomenon. That can then shape our thinking to approach inner peace appropriately.

Death need not be seen as inconvenient truth but the ultimate meditation to reinstate clarity & perspective into every aspect of our life.

• Priority: Death reminds us of the critical things we have to pursue before time strips away our possessions, positions & profiles.
• Urgency: Death urges us to pursue our priorities now and the prospect of time killing us saves us from killing time.
• Humility: The utter powerlessness to control death helps us to realize our lack of control and accept the reality with freedom & peace of mind.
• Clarity: In presence, we fail to appreciate things & people and tend to focus on faults, but the prospect of impeding absence, makes us see significant value in them.
• Immunity: In front of the greatest fear in life i.e. death, all other life’s fear pale into insignificance and we take help of spiritual wisdom to build immunity to go from fear of death to embrace death.
• Opportunity: Death is not the end but it is a portal to opportunities beckoning us, a portal beyond which we are able to see our true existence and nature. It is hungry life offering.

Self-compassion is crucial for mental health. What advice do you have for individuals struggling with self-criticism and negative self-talk?

Research has shown that 3 top factors impact a better-quality experience of life in the long run

• POSITIVITY: the power to conquer disappointments
• PURPOSE: The power to serve and care for others in a selfless manner.
• PASSION: The power to identify one’s talent and skills and engage them effectively.

Let us dedicate ourselves for self-improvement, compassion and power of wisdom. Compassion is manifested by

• HUMILITY: to think oneself insignificant
• TOLERANCE: To be willing to endure difficulty and discomfort
• FORGIVENESS: To overlook others faults and offenses committed towards us.
• SELFLESS SERVICE: To be willing to selflessly serve to elevate others.

The stigma around mental health issues can prevent people from seeking help. How can spiritual communities and leaders contribute to reducing this stigma and promoting open discussions about mental health?

Community leaders need to create an environment where they are seen as open minded, approachable and caring. Such leaders should provide guidance to people by giving them

• Ability to understand
• Avoid Rejection
• Advance step by step

Leadership is based on the foundation of trust. Trust is a function of 2 things – Character & Competence. Character Includes

• Your integrity
• Your motive
• Your intent

Competence includes your

• Capabilities
• Skills 
• Results
• Track record

There are 5 waves of Trust

• Wave 1: Self Trust
• Wave 2: Relationship Trust
• Wave 3: Organizational Trust
• Wave 4: Market Trust
• Wave 5: Societal Trust
  

Loneliness and isolation are common mental health concerns. How can spiritual communities or teachings help individuals find a sense of belonging and connection?

Let’s discuss how to maintain balanced perspective in the midst of a conflicting situation or when things don’t go our way and we feel dejected/isolated.

• TOLERANCE: Avoid reacting immediately & exercise patience.
• CIRCUMSTANCE: try to understand the background to the events.
• ACCEPTANCE: Understand that such gaps / situations are natural.
• IMPORTANCE: Put the situation in perspective and see the big picture.
• TRANSCENDENCE: The real victory is to progress, not to win.

In times of crisis or trauma, how can individuals draw upon their spirituality to find resilience and healing for their mental health?

The fundamental nature of this material world is it is full of suffering.

Suffering is defined as follows – “To get what you don’t want and to not get what you want”

But suffering can transform us when we inculcate the mood of dependence on higher powers whose will defies our logic

Such dependence will transform us in the following 5 ways

• Our appreciation for what we have grows.
• Our kindness and compassion for others grow just as a person who has been pricked by a thorn can understand what another person pricked the same way goes through.
• We acknowledge every single moment. Knowing the unpredictability of the time factor.
• We don’t take anyone or anything for granted.
• We become energized with enthusiasm and an intensity of will realizing the rarity of available time and energy.

What message or guidance would you like to share with individuals on Mental Health Day regarding the importance of nurturing their mental and emotional well-being through spirituality?

While experiencing the anxieties of life, we can transform via 3 steps

Step 1: SENSE- We recognize the possibility of some reality beyond our current experience

Step 2: NONSENSE – We understand the futility of constant sense indulgence and its frustrating after-effects.

Step 3: TRANS-SENSE (The Transcendental Senses)

We explore the possibility of elevating our consciousness to a level beyond sensual, mental and intellectual. We thus harmonize our passion, pleasure and purpose in divinity.

Also, please demarcate the problems you face in life. They can be temporary or permanent.

Temporary problems are marked by 3 salient features

• Relative
• Beginning & End
• Interrupted by episodes of fleeting happiness

Permanent problems have 3 criteria

• Common to All
• No one wants it
• No one can avoid it

There are 7 types of permanent problems

1. Birth
2. Old age
3. Disease
4. Death
5. Problems caused by body & mind (adhyatmika)
6. Problems caused by other living entities (adhibhautika)
7. Problems caused by natural disturbances (adhidaivika)