Pain and Pain Killers

[Pratyatosa Dasa]

I haven't taken any pain pills (including aspirin) for years. Lately I've been using headache cure #2 (See: "Simple Cures For Common Ailments" - http://www.llbest.com/MedicalCures.htm ), with good results.

 

I figure, "If Krishna wants me to have a certain amount of pain, then I'm going to get it no matter what!", right? So, how can a pain killer possibly decrease our pain in the long run? All it can do is to delay the inevitable. Eventually, we'll receive the pain anyway, only with "interest" added.

 

Ultimately, only through becoming more Krishna conscious can our karmic allotment of pain and suffering be mitigated.

 

[This message has been edited by Pratyatosa Dasa (edited 05-11-2002).]

[JRdd]

Personally, I see no difference between being fortunate enough to find an effective and natural cure, and directly easing pain through acupressure (etc.), and taking a pain pill, or going to the doctor, as far as transcendence goes, or one's ranking in the eyes of God.

I have never been one to take pain pills, ever since childhood, I think most pain is endurable and it's healthier to ride it out instead of denying it or supressing the symptoms which are actually signals that something is wrong. Then learning about karma, this conviction deepened, in line with Pratyatosa's feelings about interfering with this.

But I also do not regard this as a religion of the body and as we were taught to do the needful, do what it takes to keep body and soul together, etc, there is much room for flexibility. Now, since recent bouts with extreme pain, I keep a bottle of vicodine around. I may only take half a tab every few weeks or months, and beats lying around in bed for hours moaning all night. I don't feel like Krsna holds this against me, any more than I feel expelled from the possibility of becoming a devotee just because i tell them to bring on the novocaine at the dentist's. I mean, we are not a society of ksatriyas, though some of us may have that nautre. It is actually a brahminical quality to not like the sight of blood, and all that other gross bodily stuff.

 

I think the main thing is to be moderate, and minimize artificial or extraneous impact on our bodies and the environment at large. We are, after all, making the best use of a bad bargain just being in these bodies. If we are awarded the Kingdom of God based on our ability to be a yogi then I stand no chance. I'm banking on sincerity for points. And praying to get just some of that.

[Gauracandra]

I have heard that massaging the point between the thumb and pointing finger helps alleviate headaches. Actually just the day before yesterday I had this massive headache, and a friend suggested this. He applied heaving pressure to this point, on both hands. It was really, REALLY painful, but I think after about 5 minutes of this painful massage my headache did seem much better. But it might have been something like hitting yourself on the foot with a hammer, and then no longer feeling the headache Actually I think it did work. Something with accupressure I guess.

[Avinash]

I do not accept the logic that if we are feeling pain, then we should think that Krsna wants us to suffer and therefore we should not try pain killers. If we go by this logic, then no disease should be tried to be cured. If we have got some disease, then we should feel that Krsna wants us to suffer and therefore we should not go to doctor. If somebody else in family is not well, then also we should think that Krsna wants that person to suffer and nothing should be done to cure him/her.

[theist]

I suffered with headaches for a couple of years and refused to take any"allopathic" pain relievers.That is until I learned that the active ingredient in aspirin was first found in White Willow bark.

 

This world brings enough austeries.Toerance is admirable but headaches keep me from reading chanting etc.

 

Pratytosa's points though on just masking the symptoms and ignoring the underlying cause is extremely important.Like the proverbial Ostrich hiding its head in the sand and pretending there is no Tiger preparing to pounce.

 

Pain is a heads up signal that we should not ignore.

 

No pain in Vaikuntha from what I hear.

[Gauracandra]

I don't see anything wrong with taking medication to reduce pain. But be careful not to get addicted. Aspirin I don't believe has any addictive qualities, and has been shown to cure headaches, and prevent heart attacks. I think its a good thing.

[Pratyatosa Dasa]

Originally posted by Gauracandra:

 

Aspirin I don't believe has any addictive qualities, and has been shown to cure headaches, and prevent heart attacks. I think its a good thing.

"Taking aspirin to ward off heart disease could be harmful for people at low risk, say researchers." ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1168000/1168850.stm )

 

Try using one of the following cures instead of aspirin. You may find that, in the future, you will get headaches less often. That's what I've experienced.

 

1. Try massaging your head and/or neck. If possible lie down and get some rest.

 

or...

 

2. Into a small (preferably disposable) bowl put a couple of handfuls of "Swad Chevdo" (A "spicy, crunchy mixture of rice, beans & nuts" - Available at East Indian stores - Call 800-800-SWAD to locate a dealer in your area). Eat plain or with yogurt in the morning or with sour cream in the afternoon or evening. Recommended yogurt: Dannon Plain (no sugar added) Natural (not "Fat-Free", "Light", "0% Fat", etc.).

 

or...

 

3. Exercise the jaw by talking a lot or by eating a bag of microwave popcorn.

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by Pratyatosa Dasa (edited 05-01-2002).]

[Pratyatosa Dasa]

Originally posted by Avinash:

 

I do not accept the logic that if we are feeling pain, then we should think that Krsna wants us to suffer and therefore we should not try pain killers.

Pain killers don't cure anything. All they do is cover up the pain caused by something which may need to be cured. Covering up the pain may even cause us to injure ourselves more, and thus cause even more pain in the future.

 

On a more subtle material level, if we are destined, by the law of karma, to receive a certain amount of suffering, then we're going to receive it no matter what.

 

I don't mean to imply that we shouldn't try to find a cure for a disease. Chanakya Pandit says that there are three things which must be taken care of immediately: debt, disease and fire. Pain is not a disease, but a symptom of a disease or injury.

 

"No pain; no gain."