The question of health is related to life. For Bhagvan Mahavira, the soul was of the highest importance while the body was of secondary importance. The chetana or consciousness which revolves round the ahimsa from the beginning till the end can attribute value only to that health which has the innate memory of the soul in its every pore.
Bhagvan Mahavira did not promulgate any theory of health. In his teachings, the body has been viewed only as a factor that is helpful and useful for the soul. Hence, the theory of physical health never formed a part of his teachings. He talked a great deal about keeping the soul healthy and it become a spiritual scripture. Another name of the spiritual scripture is the scripture of health.
Man has always cherished the dream of attaining the state of arogya (health), bodhi (enlightenment) and samadhi (bliss). Man's foremost desire is to be healthy. A number of diverse systems relating to health and medical treatment have come into vogue. Mahavira's ideology is neither directly related to medical science nor to the science of health. But compartmentalization of knowledge is never acceptable to the Non-absolutism philosophy. Knowledge cannot be considered from the point of view of absolutism. Nor can it be divided. No watertight division or impregnable and adamantine line of demarcation can be drawn between two branches of knowledge and may be applicable to every field.
Mahavira fundamentally dealt with existence. Health cannot be attained if there is no purity of the soul. In the present context, I do not wish to discuss the problem of existence from the metaphysical point of view. Where the metaphysical view is taken into account, there is the discussion about the existence of soul and matter. The definition and exposition of existence will change in the context of health.
Our world is closely related with the sound, colour, taste, smell and touch. Every material object has its colour, taste, etc. The sound therapy, taste therapy, smell therapy, touch therapy and colour therapy are all ancient therapies. Mantras are used in the sound therapy. The smell therapy is related with the flowers. The taste therapy is given by using sweet, bitter and other tastes. The touch therapy is given by the transmission of the energy and electricity of the hands. The colour therapy is related to the treatment given by using the rays of the sun or the colours. The abhamandal (aura) of a person has not only the colour, but also the smell, taste and touch. If the colour and other things are good, then the abhamandal becomes the cause of good health. The distorted abhamandal leads to the diseases. The disease and health both are the reflections of the abhamandal.
In Bhagwan Mahavira's teachings the leshyas (psychic colours) or the abhamandal are the mirrors in which the reflection as well as the activities of that reflection can be seen .
