Yoga of Perfect Sight

Superstition and Eye Education

Reading fine print is commonly supposed to be harmful to the eyes, and reading print of any kind in dim light and close to the eyes is regarded as a dangerous practice. Due to such a belief a student suffered a lot. He had pain in the eyes and pain in the head, he was in a state of agony and lost his peace of mind and his health. In the light of these superstitions, the facts contained in the following letter are particularly interesting:

"It happened frequently that I broke the glasses of my father when I was young. I was always scolded and punished. But one thing I used to ask my father, "Could you not do without glasses?" and my father always replied, "No." But how could my young mind be satisfied with my father's answer? My curiosity grew. I tried to get a satisfactory answer many times but in vain.

"I grew older and wiser and I was very strong in mathematics. I was fifteen, hale and hearty, and continued to study hard. But a time came when I could not study, my eyes were strained and I never knew the cause. I realised that the eyes were getting weak. I went to the doctor and he treated me with eyedrops for a few days and I became all right. But the state of comfort could not continue long and the strain in the eyes grew worse. This time I went to Madras and a famous optician prescribed a pair of glasses and said, "Your eyes are in such a state that you must wear glasses if you want to progress well." I gave the least importance to his advice. His instruction revived my past memory and I repeatedly asked myself, "Could I not do without glasses?" I grumbled, "Oh, I am only sixteen and now I have to wear glasses! No, I shall not." And from that day I started hating them. But this did not solve my problem. I suffered a lot.

"Many months passed. I studied with pain in the eyes and pain in the head. I grew weaker in mathematics and lost my health, many worries cropped up in my mind. The condition of my mind and eyes became worse and worse. There was unbearable headache and I could not concentrate on my studies at home or school. I could not play either. I had lost my peace of mind. I observed that the pain increased while reading, specially when I was solving the problems of geometry. It was at this time that I first learnt about Dr. Agarwal. I prayed to the Divine Mother for Her blessings and I got them. Next day at 8 o'clock I went to the School for Perfect Eyesight. Dr. Agarwal gave me a warm welcome. He asked some questions about my trouble and tested my eyesight on the Snellen test card and examined my eyes in the dark room. I observed more the doctor's great interest in each patient than the process of testing the eyes. He gave me a few eye-exercises to do for three days only. To my great surprise the pain in my eyes was chased away and I was relieved from headache.

"Now I know why there was pain in my eyes. I used to read under high-power electric light, so after a short time the glare reflected from the paper used to cause pain in the eyes and head. I realised how soothing and helpful it was to read by candlelight.
"The second thing which the doctor advised me was not to stare at a thing. Formerly I used to stare at my geometry figures constantly, I always thought that thus I was improving the power of concentration but it was not true. One should always blink gently every couple of seconds while studying or walking or doing anything else. In the beginning one has to do it consciously and wait until it becomes an unconscious habit. Thirdly, one should always be careful of the distance of the book from the eyes. One of my science-teachers told me to keep the book at about eighteen inches from the eyes but Dr. Agarwal instructed me to hold the book within twelve inches and he explained that the teacher must be over forty and so for him the greater distance suited.

"Lastly the doctor opened my eyes to an important point. We all think that we should always read large print and that our eyes will never be spoiled by it. But it is a wrong notion. We must read small print. It is soothing and extremely beneficial for the eyes. We must blink twice while we read each line. It will relax not only the eyes but also the mind. These little truths were disclosed to me by Dr. Agarwal and now I have a great pleasure in exercising the eyes after five minutes' "palming". Palming refreshes the mind too.

"After the third day, I was in a state of serenity. And now I have convinced my father that one can do without glasses if one knows the right use of the eyes."