Sunday Times 2
Is cost of living your problem?
View(s):We are compelled to talk about our country being sick physically and mentally. Sicknesses that at one time afflicted us at the age of 60-70 are now afflicting us even at 25. Why did we lose the treasure of good health? We need a public debate on this. It has become a problem to gauge whether the medication given by the doctor to the patient has been dispensed with necessary attention and kindness. The prices of medicinal drugs are sky high. Today the poor are begging not for their daily bread but for their daily medicine. In this situation, the theme of this article today will be the health of our society.
More than 2,500 years ago, the Lord Buddha preached ‘Arogya Parama Laabhaa’, that is, ‘health is wealth’. How true is this when we are called upon to buy medicinal drugs for our sicknesses? The eight children in our family were born at home. The midwives provided the services at child birth. The services provided at modern hospitals and medical labs today were provided by midwives about four or five decades ago. Some Caesarian cases today cost a few lakhs. This is the opposite of prosperity.
Those days, the mothers did not rush to the doctor as soon as a child was conceived. Even for the birth they did not run to the hospital. Today it is different? Even for slight cough or cold, a child is taken to hospital. The children as a practice are taken to hospital from birth. It is only in the estates that the midwives still help to deliver babies.
We need to realise that too much money is being spent on medicine by every family. This brings about a major increase in the cost of living. In addition to this, the amount spent on weddings, funerals and birthdays makes people get into more debt. Where are all these things leading us? Various expenses compete to confuse us more.
In Asian countries such as Myanmar and Thailand, no one has meals at funeral houses. If the death is of the bread winner of the family, it is a severe loss. The people there knowing the loss suffered make a donation in cash to the bereaved family to tide over the difficult period. This at least is a help to the family to make ends meet. We have to change our Sri Lankan society to have a similar mentality. If at death, the economy of the household also dies, then it is a very bad sign.
In countries like Dubai windows are located in such a way to keep them open for the wind to blow through. This way no matter from where the wind blows it goes through the house. This way they are able to cope up with the heat. But we do not allow this natural air to flow through our houses, or the natural light to come in and drive away the darkness. Some houses have windows all round but are not opened. In short, we do not know to get the maximum potential from the sun and the wind. Therefore, we cannot even get rid of germs naturally. When there is a lot of sunlight outside with the wind blowing, we close ourselves in — with lights on and the ACs working, wasting a lot of money.
There is a habit among the Indian, the Japanese and the Chinese to put a little hot water their plate after meals, mix it up and drink the water. We just throw whatever that remains in our plate. In the villages our elderly women drink water out of a clay pot. We shouldn’t be ashamed of these habits which are healthy. In most countries food is prepared for good health. Asians prepare a soup with cereals, fish, meat and vegetables. This is a tasty and nourishing meal.
Today we have thousands of kidney patients. One reason for the spread of this is because we are too lazy to boil the water before drinking. Today till we fall sick, we do not realise how harmful the water from the plastic bottle is. Those days no one spat on running water. No one emptied the bowel there. No one threw garbage. No one turned their drain water. They had good qualities to preserve and protect the natural habitat. Who has these qualities now? A lot of dirt is directed to our streams. People are reaping the consequences of their evil deeds. All are looking at the water coming out of the tap. They make use of this water for everything. But they will be surprised if they see the water that is at the entrance to the filtration plants. It is a miracle to process such dirty water for our use. Only if people know the truth will they respect the natural water resources and treat them as sacred.
Recently I wrote on how to maintain a balanced lifestyle. Take in small quantities of ingredients such as rice, green gram, dry fish, corn, some vegetables, if you prefer, a little fish, condiments, pepper, garlic, red onions, ginger, cinnamon, local yams, potatoes, home garden produce such as gotukola, sarana, mukunuvanna, add other ingredients that you like and make a porridge for your breakfast. Eat rice as usual for lunch. For dinner take a porridge like in the morning or have a soup of your choice. This will help to bring down the cost of living, good health and keep the dreaded diseases away. A good example for this is the porridge like drink that Muslims partake of when they break the fast during their holy month of Ramazan. This Kanji or porridge is somewhat like what I described. This sort of meal is taken by Asians such as Chinese and Japanese. If we get used to this it will help all of us. Instead of grumbling about the cost of living, we should turn to meals like kangi and make 2016 healthy and happy for all.
If we have the will to do so we can grow cinnamon, pepper, ginger, and cocoa on a small scale in small plots. As there is a great demand for these we could even sell the excess. We need to be aware that our country was invaded by foreign powers who came in search of these products. The arecanut has now reached the price of a coconut. If we have the will to do so, we can surely plant a coconut or an arecanut plant in the space available in our garden.
You may add your own views to these and contact me. I am always ready to give you advice and show you the way. Hotlines: 011406066, 0715199991, 0117917006
e mail: gt@gangaramaya.com