mood and liver condition

In the early fifties of the last century, there was a Collector of Customs in the Madras, who was well known for the fairness of his decisions but at the same time for being very tough on discipline. Those days cargo by air was almost nil and air travel was very few, and that too by small aircrafts like Dakota or Skymaster. The collector was very powerful as he, an erstwhile member of the Imperial Customs Service, controlled all incoming and outgoing ships and aircrafts through which came every important commodity of daily use in the country, including, talcum powders, bicycles, pins, pencils, sewing machines, motor cars, and what not, which were all not yet manufactured in India. Passengers came to Madras mainly by two ships, the S.S. State of Madras and S.S.Rajula from Singapore and Malaysia. Influence with the customs was a prestigious matter to the whole populace of the city because the prosperity of the city depended on the activities of transit and trade in the port The customs officers were also very important and highly influential people, some of the middle and lower level officers, being members of the prestigious clubs of the city, and owning even race horses, by virtue of their ‘family background’.
Immediately after independence, one day the collector called all the officers of the Department for an immediate meeting. The hall was full. From the Preventive Officers at the lower level, Superintends, Appraisers and Principal Appraisers at the middle level to the Asst. Collectors at the senior level, over hundred officers were present. All were apprehensive of any possible disciplinary procedures that might be introduced restricting their freedom. But nothing of the sort actually happened. He said that he had received a letter from Delhi alleging rampant corruption in Madras Customs, especially among the preventive staff manning the customs clearance of passengers coming through the ships from Malaysia. The collector invited comments. Many officers spoke explaining how the allegation was false and why such complaints arose. The passengers wanted to bring in too many articles as baggage and luggage, and indulge in smuggling. When they got into trouble they complained to the Ministry at Delhi. Mostly it was the middle men and agents who promised help pretending to be close to the officers that were primarily responsible for bringing a bad name to the Customs.
After hearing all speeches patiently he said, “don’t irritate me with such talks. I know fully what is happening. What has been happening all along in the previous years is happening now also. Habits do not change immediately on the exit of the foreigners. Do not pretend to be saints. But now the blame is on me and I am to tighten the measures. Left to myself I would not bother to change any practice. I would like to let things lie as they are without troubling you. But when it comes to the question whether it is my blood or your blood that has to be let, I would rather prefer that it be yours. I can stomach neither your irritating talks nor digest the insulting remarks of somebody in Delhi who has never seen a harbor.”
It looked as if his stomach was responsible for summoning the meeting!
A few days later a leader of the newly formed Preventive Officer’s Association approached him and asked him what was the norm or criterion for transferring Preventive Officers to the then subordinate offices in ports like Cochin and Vizakhapatnam. There was a reason for his question. Nobody was willing to go out from the lucrative postings in Madras port. Very few opted for transfer. Therefore the convention was to send the junior-most or a newly promoted officer. The convention was broken in the case of the joint secretary of the Association and the secretary was agitated over it.
The collector, taking some time to look up from the file he was peering in, replied, “It depends on the condition of my liver. Now, get out!”! The officer was shocked into silence and had to pocket the insult. The association, which had just got recognition then, was not strong enough to react in any way.
The incident, leaked out through the stenographer, was quite a quote for years in Madras Customs. “That depends on the condition of my liver” became a joke or an answer to many a question among friends.
Looking back now I wonder what a profound statement it was that the collector made! Most of our thoughts, behavior and talk depend on the condition of our liver, stomach, kidney or any like organs. Thought and behavior depends on the health of the body. When I have an irritable bowel I am not able to think with any calm or balance of mind. Then I see disturbing dreams at night. Any little discomfort in the body affects our thoughts, actions and talks. Definitely, for a calm and quiet mind one needs a healthy, happy, body. When the body is in pain how can one be happy? It is impossible. Unhappiness will be lurking behind all through temporary feelings of happiness. Happiness is therefore as much a condition of the body’s health as the state of the mind. And, the state of the mind at a given time is determined by the emotions of the moment. Emotions again largely depend on the various secretions in the body. Although thoughts in the mind can reinforce the emotions, I find that they arise from emotions. Therefore body is always the culprit which creates unhappiness. It has to be kept healthy. Or one has to go beyond it. If one can be in a state of the mind beyond the condition of the body he may perhaps find equanimity of the mind including euphoria even while in pain. But is it possible? Is staying with the discomfort, staying with the pain, staying with the irritation, staying with the anger, without converting them into thoughts, going beyond emotions? Will emotions subside if not fed by thoughts? Possible.