When I once mentioned my intention to join a gym to improve my physical fitness, a friend who was driving at the time promptly dismissed the idea, suggesting it conflicted with spiritual pursuits. For a moment, I pondered whether there was any truth to his claim. Had he met my guru, he would have come to understand that true spirituality is about being honest. My friend embodies the common Indian belief that spirituality means wearing saffron, growing a beard, going on pilgrimages, giving up money, and wandering like a beggar. I can't expect more from such thinking.
Spirituality involves leading a righteous life, respecting the physical body as a gift, maintaining its cleanliness, wearing tidy clothing, and giving it proper care. At the beginning of my spiritual journey, the first master I met prescribed specific physical exercises for all new participants. These exercises were designed to ensure the uninterrupted flow of bio-magnetic energy and vital life force energy.
My interest leaned somewhat towards strength training, and I did not adhere strictly to the exercise recommendations of various masters. On one occasion, my guru invited a yoga teacher to our meditation class for an hour-long demonstration, which did not go as planned. I couldn't understand why, but I speculated it was due to the students' weak physiques, difficulty in sitting through prolonged meditation sessions, and a lack of proper diet.
We are pure consciousness; we are not merely our bodies,
which appear within our consciousness. The entire waking state is like a dream
constructed from our thoughts. However, there's nothing wrong with taking good
care of our physical body. It's possible to develop a habit of keeping fit and
strong by engaging in the type of exercise that suits one's inclinations.
The material world related to physical health is vast and
complex; the more time you spend exploring it, the more you realize how little
we actually know. My teacher used to say that we understand the best ways to
live only after spending a significant portion of our lives. How true that
is—he was a remarkable person.