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CREATING HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS
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and inculcates in himself the highest order of humility. I have seen my father, mother, brothers, sisters performing namaz five times a day. When I ask myself, how this practice has contributed to human development, I realize that a mind which prays is close to God every hour and in every action, which enables the person to be stress free. The namaz has been the binding fibre of our joint family. Humility automatically enters a praying heart. The namaz gives us a direct communion with Allah through purity of heart and total submission to Him. Prophet Hazrat Mohammad once said this to signify the importance of namaz, ‘If there was a river at the door of your house and you bathed in it five times every day, would you say that any dirt would be left on you? Obviously, no dirt will be left on you'. A companion of the Prophet once asked him which deed was loved most by Allah. He said, 'Namaz which is performed at its time'.
CONTENTMENT Only that person can be healthy who feels happiness, and happiness can only be felt by the person who has peace of mind. Fulfilment of basic needs, peace and happiness are the three things desired by man. These can be prioritized. To regulate the journey of life, fulfilling basic needs are a priority. Happiness is a priority for the agreeable feelings it generates. And comforts cannot give happiness to a person unless he has peace.
Rather than seek the gratification of desires, the Indian ethos espouses its antithesis-contentment--as the source of happiness. Contentment in this context refers to a state of mind in which the potential psychic energy, known as libido in Western psychology, is transformed into a serene mental quality, rather than actualized as a desire that needs to be gratified or repressed.
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