提问：西医对于创伤、忧鬱及躁鬱的治疗，您的看法是什麽？对生活的艺术的途径而言，它是自相矛盾的或是互补的呢？

古儒吉大师：我想说西医是一直不断在改变进步的。无论西方从数年前，便一直沿用的疗程是什麽，如今他们不再有效，他们已完全摒弃。我会一直致力于整体的解决方桉(译注1)。有些部分是好的，例如：诊断。但是对于创伤的纾解，古老的技术要有效多了，他们更强而有力、有效且经过时间的考验，而且成效也很快。

许多被称之为「现代化」的技术也是，我想说，剽窃自某些古老的技术。这种古老的技术被重新包装，并以某些崭新的技术呈现 -- 那是另一个我们要面对的问题。但就健康而言，我们不能武断地对待任何事物 -- 我们不能只接受某些事物，只因它是非常古老的，而且也不能摒弃某些事物，只因它是现代的，或者只因它是古老的。所以，我们需要运用我们的理智，并且用整体性的方式，採取中庸之道。

任何罹患癌症者，人们会立刻说，「化疗」！然而，我曾见过许多拒绝採用化疗的人，经历另一种医药被治癒并且摆脱问题。即便现今，还有人告诉我，他去看肿瘤科医生，他的医生是如何的讶异震惊并且问他：「你对它做了什麽？你的癌细胞已经减少了！你告诉我，你怎麽做的，我会告诉我所有病人也这麽做」。那个人告诉他：「好啊，我会带生活的艺术的老师来此，而且你可以进一步学习静心」。所以，静心及呼吸已帮助许许多多的人们。每一天，我收到数以百计的致谢函，人们告诉我，他们已从疾病及问题中脱身。如果你持续地收集纪录，这整个大厅都不够这些资料的堆放，有许多事发生在人们身上。所以，我们应该採取整体性的方法，而不是对任何事情狂热的盲从。以前有好的 --古老的智慧-- 而且我们不应该对它有偏见。

33年前，当生活的艺术才开始时，许多人认为，练习呼吸及瑜珈不是一件正常的事 – 对人们而言，它是脱离现实的。今天，你会看到许多大型跨国公司的广告，是如何运用某人的瑜珈体位姿势，来刻画放鬆。所以，人们看待事物的方式正在改变。所以，你不用担心其他人会怎麽看或怎麽说。大胆地，你继续对人们谈论，并且追求想为这个星球带来改变的梦想。我们所有人都必须共同努力！

译注1 : 古儒吉大师时常提及的整体性方桉或方法，指的是身心灵的整体性。任何的疾病，绝不会只是身体的层面。例如: 你的饮食习惯、生活习惯，甚至你的思维模式(或者说积习、惯性)。

Q: What are your thoughts on Western therapies for trauma, depression, and anxiety? Is it contradictory or complementary to The Art of Living path?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I would say Western therapies are constantly changing and progressing. Whatever therapy the West was using several years ago, they are no longer valid today, they have discarded it all. I would always go for a holistic solution. There are some aspects that are good; for example, diagnosis is good. But for trauma relief, the ancient techniques work so much better, they are much more powerful, effective, and time-tested, and give quick results as well.

Many of the so-called "modern" techniques are also, I would say, pirated from some ancient techniques. The ancient techniques are being repackaged and shown as some new techniques – that is another issue that we face. But as far as health is concerned, we cannot be dogmatic about anything – we cannot just accept something because it is very ancient, and we cannot discard something just because it is modern, or just because it is ancient. So, we need to use our intelligence and take that middle path, with a holistic approach.

Anybody has cancer, immediately people say, "Chemotherapy!" And I have seen many people who have refused to take chemotherapy and have gone for alternate medicine, and they have gotten cured and come out of the problem. Even today, someone was telling me how he went to his oncologist, who was surprised and shocked and asked him, "What is it that you have done? Your cancer cells have reduced! You tell me what you did and I will tell all my patients also to do that."

That person told him, "Yes, I will bring an Art of Living teacher here and you can learn more meditation." So, meditation and breathing has helped so many people.

Every day, I get hundreds of thank-you letters, people telling me that they have gotten out of illnesses and problems. If you go on collecting and documenting, this whole hall is not enough to pile them up. So many things are happening to people. So we should take a holistic approach, not be fanatic about anything. There are good things in the past—the ancient wisdom— and we should not have prejudice about it.

Thirty-three years ago, when The Art of Living started, many people thought it is not a normal thing to do breathing and yoga – it is for people out there. Today, you will see how the ads of large multinational companies use someone in yoga poses to portray relaxation. So, the way people see things is changing. So, you don't worry about what others think or say. Boldly, you keep talking to people and pursue the dream of wanting to bring a change in the planet. We all have to work together.

（转自生活的艺术Art Of Living)