The heart problem

A lady went to a doctor and told him, “My heart palpitates. I can’t climb up or even walk down stairs. I have children and grandchildren but I can’t do my housework properly, so I am miserable. I am very, very sick.”

The doctor said, “Tell me, do you drink?”

The lady said, “Oh, I never drink. I gave up drinking long ago.”

“Then do you smoke?” asked the doctor.

“Oh no,” said the lady. “Only on very rare occasions do I smoke.”

The doctor asked, “Is there anything that you do that might cause this? Do you drink tea?”

She said, “Oh no, no! Just on very rare occasions. Drinking I never do, and smoking and drinking tea and coffee I do only on very rare occasions.”

“Then do you drink Coke?” asked the doctor.

“Only rarely.”

“Do you drink diet soda?”

“Oh yes, that I drink occasionally, but not always, because I am not a diet fanatic.”

“What do you take every day? What is the thing that you like best?”

“Oh, I like french fries,” said the lady. “I eat lots of french fries.”

“Oh, I see,” said the doctor. “In that case, give up french fries. Then you will see that your heart will function well, and it will not palpitate any more. Whatever you like best, give up. Do you eat french fries every day?”

She said, “Oh no, I enjoy them very, very much, but of late my cook has not been coming, and I don’t cook anything myself because I have such a big family. So unfortunately I have not been able to have french fries.”

The doctor said, “You see, your problem is not actually a heart problem. It is a worry problem. You are very eager to have french fries every day. If you don’t get them, you become sad and mad. So, if you give up your greed for french fries, then your heart condition will end. There is nothing wrong with your heart. It is only worries. Give up french fries. Then you will be able to cure your heart.”

From:Sri Chinmoy,The mushroom and the umbrella, Agni Press, 1981
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/mu