Guide to Inner Wellness

Technology has undeniably brought us much respite, comfort and convenience. It is almost impossible to imagine a world without technology. From the tiny paper clip to massive nuclear reactors, the influence of science and technology on our lives is all-pervasive.

But as we seek easier and faster ways of 'getting our work done, are we missing something? Have we been able to understand the true purpose of our lives, and where our ultimate happiness lies? Although we are conquering new heights, scaling new horizons, why does inner wellness and contentment elude us?

Guide to Inner Wellness addresses these questions by drawing upon the Shanti Karanam mantras from the Vedas to guide the reader on the way to attaining inner peace and harmony. Taking the strands of that Vedic knowledge, this book analyses the reasons behind high levels of stress today and suggests appropriate measures for its alleviation.

Human beings are imperfect. We have limited physical strength, limited sensory power and limited mental capacity. Our intellectual prowess-the capacity to understand and absorb-is also grossly limited. Our knowledge and understanding remain incomplete. That our knowledge level is too little is best exemplified by the fact that we hardly know who we are, where we came from and where we have to go. We are at a loss to understand these very basic and fundamental facts of life.

We harbour a multitude of desires, but are hamstrung by serious knowledge gaps that hinder the fulfilment of those desires. Life is uncertain and the future unpredictable. This makes us insecure. The pressures of modern living exacerbate our sense of insecurity and stress us even further. That is where comes the necessity and role of a higher beneficent power who is our creator. The creator knows his creation best. Only He can resolve the problems of the entities created by Him. Call Him by any conceivable name-God, the Almighty, Ishwar, Allah, et al. He remains the preceptor, the sustainer and the protector of the sentient living being. He is the source of life and energy and all beneficence. He is also the source of all knowledge. He is our true friend, philosopher and guide. He is in fact the emancipator of man. The relationship between man and his Creator God is all-encompassing and eternal, as both human soul and God are immortal and eternal entities. The big difference however is that the human soul is finite and has a local, terrestrial existence, whereas God is infinite, existing throughout the vast visible universe and beyond it.

Mr Atul Sehgal has been writing extensively on the subjects of religion and philosophy for many years. His long and intensive association with the Arya Samaj has developed in him a passion to delve deep into the meaning of the divine mantras of the Vedas and provide an intelligible exposition of these mantras for the masses.

This book deals with the most important subject of inner wellness. The author has rightly picked up the 28 Shanti Karanam mantras from the Vedas to guide the reader on the way to attaining internal peace. The present world is stricken with stress, which takes various forms. Technology has brought more comforts and convenience to humanity, but not really helped to alleviate stress. In some sections of the present global population, new types of peace-undermining issues have erupted. This definitely throws up the need to revisit the eternal guiding philosophy of the Vedas.

Mr Sehgal has done an excellent work in delineating and describing not only the plain meaning of the 28 Vedic mantras, but also charting the way to their application in our daily life. They are, no doubt, a perfect prescription for the ills of the modern society that have generated mental stress and undermined human happiness. This book addresses the matter of human peace rather comprehensively and serves as a useful practical guide to the establishment of inner peace and wellness for the common man.