Medical & Spiritual Terminology

In Medical terminology, there are three types of drugs:

1.⁠ ⁠Prophylactic, which prevent the occurence of the disease, for example, vaccines.

2.⁠ ⁠Palliative, which alleviate the symptoms, without actually curing the disease. These are usually prescribed for patients with terminal diseases.

3.⁠ ⁠Therapeutic, which can actually cure the disease.

In Hinduism, the world & family life is sometimes viewed as a terrible disease. "Samsara sagare ghore" says Radha Stuti, a devotional text. In early & medieval Christianity also the world was viewed as "A Vale of Tears." In John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress", Christian flees from "The City of Destruction", a metaphor for worldly life.

However, most have hankering for worldly life but not for the irksome parts of it. The temple runs, religious rituals & pilgrimages are believed to cater to these. These are similar to the palliative drugs which relieve some sufferings but do nothing to cure the underlying worldliness.

For those who have lost the attraction of this world, spiritual practices are recommended to get the grace of God. These are like the therapeutical drugs which actually try to cure the disease of worldliness.

Those who successfully pass the test of non-attachment to sensory objects, can be compared to those who have imbibed prophylactic drug which protects them from ever getting the virus of worldliness. The Hindus attain Mukti (liberation from the cycle of birth & death), the Buddhists "Nibbana" (Nirvana) & the Christians Salvation (The Celestial City in "The Pilgrim's Progress").