A Chill Pill for Mental Wellness

The light of spiritual wisdom and joy can lessen the darkness of anxiety, frustration, failures and other problems...

In June 1985, tragedy struck when Air India Flight 182 exploded mid-air due to a terrorist bomb, killing all passengers and crew. Just weeks later, Pramukh Swami Maharaj was scheduled to fly to London on Air India. Understandably, devotees in Gondal urged him to avoid the airline. “Please cancel and take another carrier. It is not safe to fly Air India right now,” they pleaded.

But Pramukh Swami Maharaj responded calmly: “No. Bhagwan Swaminarayan is with us. What do we have to fear? When devotees face problems, we send them to Akshar Deri here in Gondal to pray. Should we not also have faith in the Akshar Deri? We will pray and fly with Air India. Nothing will happen. Bhagwan Swaminarayan is with us.”

That was his spiritual “chill pill”—a mindset of unshakable faith that left no room for anxiety or fear.

Swamishri once remarked, “People say they get headaches, but I have never had a headache. I do not even know what one feels like.” Even when his body endured severe illness later in life, his mind remained serene and cheerful. His mental wellness stemmed from spiritual wisdom. Just as the sun radiates light and clouds release rain, true mental health flows naturally from spiritual health.

The Upanishads affirm this truth: “Nānyaha panthā vidyate yanāya”—there is no other path. Bhagwan Swaminarayan also explained this in the Vachanamrut (Gadhada II-60). When asked by Muktanand Swami how one can remain happy despite life’s troubles, Maharaj replied:

“I will answer by describing how I live. I maintain three constant understandings:

1. My atma (soul) is distinct from my body.
2. Every physical object is perishable.
3. God’s greatness is infinite.

By holding onto these, no trouble disturbs me.”

These insights form the essence of spiritual mental health:

• When you realize that you are a spiritual being (atma), you will also realize that physical loss is not a great loss.
• When you realize that physical objects and people are inherently short-lived, you will also realize their destruction or death was not unexpected.
• When you experience the grandeur of God in your life and within your atma, you will also realize that you have won the highest lottery in the universe. You will enjoy spiritual self-esteem, gratitude, and amazement.

So, the next time anxiety or sadness weighs you down, take this “Chill pill.” Reflect for 30 seconds with devotion in your heart. Pair it with a glass of bhakti (devotion), and you will find relief. Best of all, this medicine has no side effects.

DISCLAIMER
Always consult your medical doctor before trying alternative methods of managing anxiety, depression, or despair such as those described in this article. This article does not provide medical advice or a cure for these conditions.

- Sanjay Patel
BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha