# Medicine > [!summary] > *Medicine, disease, and healing provide powerful imagery for understanding the soul's conditioned state and the cure offered by devotional service.* ## Physician & Patient ### Spiritual Master Curing The spiritual master is like a physician who diagnoses the disease of material attachment and prescribes the medicine of devotional service. ![[sb/6/9/50#purport|physician]] —SB [[sb/6/9/50|6.9.50]] Purport See also: [[cc/madhya/20/90-91|Madhya 20.90-91]] ## Medicine and Diet ### Both Required for Cure Medicine alone is not enough; proper diet is also needed. Similarly, spiritual practice requires both positive engagement (devotion) and avoiding harmful association. ![[cc/madhya/24/161#purport|medicine diet]] —Cc. [[cc/madhya/24/161|Madhya 24.161]] Purport ## Disease of Material Existence ### Repeated Birth and Death The cycle of birth and death is compared to a chronic disease—it keeps recurring until properly treated at the root. ![[sb/5/14/1#purport|disease]] —SB [[sb/5/14/1|5.14.1]] Purport ## Cataracts Removed ### Clear Spiritual Vision Ignorance covering the soul is like cataracts covering the eyes. Devotional service removes these cataracts, restoring clear spiritual vision. ![[sb/3/25/25#purport|cataracts]] —SB [[sb/3/25/25|3.25.25]] Purport ## Healthy Body ### Natural Liberated State Health is the natural state of the body; disease is abnormal. Similarly, liberation is the natural state of the soul; bondage is abnormal. ![[sb/3/28/44#purport|health]] —SB [[sb/3/28/44|3.28.44]] Purport ## Bitter Medicine ### Difficult but Effective Some medicine is bitter but cures the disease. Austerities and disciplines may seem difficult but lead to spiritual health. ![[bg/18/37#purport|bitter]] —Bg. [[bg/18/37|18.37]] Purport ## Jaundice and Sweet Taste ### Diseased Perception A person with jaundice tastes sweetness as bitter. Similarly, one diseased by material consciousness cannot taste the sweetness of devotion. ![[cc/antya/1/193#purport|jaundice]] —Cc. [[cc/antya/1/193|Antya 1.193]] Purport ## Fever and Hallucination ### Māyā Causing Illusion A person with high fever may hallucinate. Similarly, under the influence of māyā, one sees things that are not real. ![[sb/3/27/4#purport|fever]] —SB [[sb/3/27/4|3.27.4]] Purport *Complete reference: [[index/entries/analogies|Analogies Index]]* *See also: [[wiki/analogies/guru-disciple|Guru & Disciple]], [[wiki/analogies/maya|Māyā]], [[wiki/analogies/liberation|Liberation]]*