A pious believer was very serious in his spiritual cultivation. He went to church every Sunday and never missed a ceremony or a baptism. One day, he went to see a doctor. The doctor checked his pulse and gave him a thorough medical checkup, but failed to diagnose anything. "You don't seem to be ill," the doctor said.
"If I were not ill, then why would I be here consulting you?" the man asked.
"Do you indulge in unhealthy pleasures?" the doctor inquired.
"No! I have three meals a day, at regular hours and in a fixed quantity; I don't take an extra grain."
"Then have you been drinking too much? You'd better stop drinking!"
"Of course not! I don't even drink a drop of alcohol; I drink only plain water."
"Do you often work late? Do you know that working late is bad for your health?"
"Never! I turn in at half-past nine every night and get up at six in the morning. This is my daily routine, without the slightest exception."
The doctor began to get confused. "Do you smoke or take drugs?"
"That is impossible! I get sick just seeing others smoke, let alone smoking myself!"
"Then do you indulge in carnal pleasure?" the doctor asked again.
"How can that be? I am still a bachelor, and I virtually do not know what a woman is."
The doctor could not think of anything else, so he gave it a last try. "Do you have a headache?"
"Yes, you are right! I have a severe headache, and no medicine can relieve my pain."
"But of course. The halo around your head is too tight!" the doctor said.