Q: What is meant by ‘well being’ of an individual?

Answer:

First, let us try to analyse what is ‘being’? Being refers to the state of manifestation. The manifestation has taken place at several stages/planes i.e. from subtlest level (spirit) to grossest level (matter). The stages of manifestation of a human being can be broadly classified as physical, mental, spiritual and also social because man is a unit of society.

  1. Physical being : It constitutes body parts and organs internal and external like five senses, legs, hand, head, heart, liver, lungs, intestine etc. When all of these function normally, man is said to be physically fit.
  2. Mental being: It constitutes sound and healthy mind.
  3. Social being: It constitutes man being an active unit of the civilised society.
  4. Spiritual being: It constitutes ‘soul’ or ‘spirit’ which is the unseen part.

Now let us look at the qualified aspect of ‘being’ i.e. ‘well-being’ and when does the ‘being’ become ‘well-being’ in the above classified aspects.

  1. Physical ‘well-being’: When the body parts internal and external (as it is mentioned earlier), cells, atoms and sub-atoms attains purity; it is said as physical well-being.
  2. Mental ‘well-being’: It is said as Mental well-being:
    • When mind is free from moha (attachment), madha (pride), matsara (jealousy) , lobha (greed). And when the Kama (passion) and Krodha (anger) which are God-given is regulated.
    • When mind transcends from individual to universal.
    • When mind is regulated, moderated and balanced.
    • When mind becomes pure, simple, subtle and still

Mind functions in several layers of consciousness varying from waking consciousness (grosser) to sub-consciousness (subtle) to super- consciousness (subtler). Unfolding of the layers of consciousness from grosser to subtler brings one nearer to Reality or nearer to well-being.

  1. Social ‘well-being’: A man living in the society has to be ‘Samadarshi’ and ‘Samavarti’. This is social well-being that leads to social harmony. ‘Samadarshi’ means considering everyone same or equal. No discrimination in the name of caste, creed, occupation etc. ‘Samavartin’ means treating every member of society as our own giving everybody his/her rightful due.
  2. Spiritual ‘well being’: Soul possesses consciousness as a result of God’s will to effect creation. Hence it became aware of it’s individual existence. Now if this awareness is lost by the help and support of capable Master/Guru then the individual soul merges in ‘ONE Existence’. This state of Being is said as spiritual well-being.

Our Malik-e- Kul demonstrated to us, having the physical life one could go even beyond ‘Consciousness’ itself. So here the ‘well-being’ gets transformed into ‘Ultimate Being’ (Zaat) which is the Real Goal of human life.