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多年前，我在無意中讀到一首詩：
恁多神祇，恁多教義，
恁多蹊徑，盤繞迂曲，
惟此良術，曰仁與慈
悲愴世界，實所必需。
在我最初探尋真理時，佛教對大悲的教導與強調，即令我難以抗拒地傾向它。
有著五千年歷史的《黃帝內經》中說：「神在則吉，神去則凶。」
傑森‧艾利斯是一名針灸師，他和凱瑟琳‧葛荃合著了一本書，書名：「中藥可大幅提高免疫力」。書中說：「我們需要集中精力，來創造一個具有正面療效的環境；基於此，即使不治之症，亦有治癒的可能。」
數年前，我姊姊還在這兒；當時，她病得很重，因此，我為她讀了兩個故事，以期振作她的精神。聽完之後，她覺得受到很大的鼓舞；所以要我將這兩個使她振奮的故事也跟大家分享，讓別人也能得到利益。今晚，我想先跟大家講這兩個故事，以圓滿我姊姊的心願。
下面這個伯納德‧隆恩醫生的故事，非常清楚地闡明一切如何唯心所造，亦顯示我們能運用心力來作自我殺害或治療。
第一則故事，說的是一位罹患心肌梗塞的中年婦女，她得此病已經超過十年，可是依然有體力，繼續在圖書館任職，並照顧孩子。她每星期都會去心臟科門診拿藥。有一天，內科大夫在診斷後，向其他醫生說道：「此婦人得了T.S. 。」
一聽之下，她心跳立刻加快，全身汗如雨下。醫生頗為訝異她的病情何以如此快速地急轉直下，便問她到底在擔心什麼。這名可憐的婦人答：「我知道T.S. 是什麼意思，它表示我的生命已經快到盡頭了。」雖然醫生拼命跟她解釋T.S.是tricuspid stenosis，不過是一個描述心臟狀態的醫學名詞。可是，來不及了，當她一聽到自己快完了，心念便將此絕望的訊息傳遍全身；就在當日，她死於心力衰竭。
下一則故事，是關於一名有嚴重心臟病男病患的故事。當時，醫生在跟醫護人員說話時，他正戴著氧氣罩。醫生翻了翻他的病歷，說此病人心跳有一種「強壯而有力的雜音」；這其實是說：此人不久將會罹患心臟衰竭。
出人意外的是，病人竟然情況好轉，不久就出院了。幾個月之後。醫生再見到他，問是什麼原因使他奇蹟性地康復。
病人說：「大夫，我不但知道是什麼原因使我身體好轉，還記得是什麼時候發生的哩！那時，我已心中有數，知道自己將不久於人世，而且你已經跟醫護人員都不對我抱任何希望了。但是打從那個星期四上午你們進來之後，一切就不一樣了。你聽了聽我的心跳，似乎覺得還可以，就跟站在床邊的醫護人員說我的心跳『強壯有力』。我雖然知道大夫會對個別病人淡化病情，可他不會撒謊的。我就認為我的心臟還可跳很久，可能命還不該絕。這是頭一回，我的心振作起來了，我知道自己不僅活得成，而且病會好！」
第一個故事告訴我們，患者如何因為對醫生診斷的誤解而導致死亡。第二個故事則顯示，病人如何以一種正面的態度因為誤解醫生關鍵性的診斷而恢復健康。
彌爾頓有言：「此心在此，自可成就地獄中的天堂, 亦可打造天堂裡的地獄。」說完這兩個故事，我總算圓滿了我姊姊想要利益他人的善願。
待續
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A verse I came across many years ago says:
So many gods, so many creeds,
So many paths that wind and wind,
When just the art of being kind,
Is all this sad world needs.
In my initial quest for the truth, I was drawn irresistibly towards Buddhism because of its teaching and emphasis on Great Compassion.
The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, which is a five-thousand year old C hinese text, says, “Where there is spirit, the prognosis is positive. When the spirit is gone, the condition is very grave.”
Jason Elias, an acupuncturist, and Katherine Ketcham wrote a book titled,
Chinese Medicine for Maximum Immunity, in which they said, “We must focus our energies on creating a positive healing environment in which curing is possible even when the disease itself is ‘incurable.’
”
A few years ago, my sister was here. At that time, she was very sick. So I read two stories to her to try and lift up her spirits. After she heard them, she felt greatly encouraged. She told me to tell these stories to the assembly because hearing them had helped to enliven her and she wanted others to benefit as well. Tonight I shall fulfill my sister’s wish by sharing these two stories with the assembly.
The following accounts by Dr. Bernard Lown illustrate so clearly how everything is made from the mind alone. It also shows how we can kill or heal ourselves with our own minds.
The first story is about a middle-aged woman with congestive heart failure. She had that disease for over a decade. She remained active, working as a librarian and taking care of her children. Every week she collected her medication from the cardiac outpatient clinic. One day, her physician greeted her and then announced to a group of doctors saying, “This woman has T.S.”
After hearing that, her pulse quickened and she was perspiring profusely. Her doctor was shocked to see her becoming seriously ill so rapidly and asked her what was the cause of her tremendous anxiety. The poor lady said, “I know what T.S. means. It means I’m a Terminal Situation.” The doctor explained to her that T.S. referred to tricuspid stenosis which is a medical term for her heart condition, but it was too late. Upon thinking that she was terminal, her mind communicated the message of total hopelessness to her body. She passed away on that same day from heart failure.
The next story is about a man who had a massive heart attack. He was breathing through an oxygen mask when he heard what the doctor told the staff. Upon reviewing the medical record, the doctor said that his patient had a wholesome, very loud third-sound gallop. That actually meant that he would be having heart failure soon.
But to everyone’s surprise, the patient’s condition improved and he was discharged from the hospital. When the doctor saw this patient again several months later, he asked him what had brought about this miraculous recovery.
The patient explained saying, “Doctor, I not only know what got me better, but even the exact moment when it happened. I was sure the end was near and that you and your staff had given up hope. However, Thursday morning, when you entered with your troops, something happened that changed everything. You listened to my heart; you seemed pleased by the findings and announced to all those standing about my bed that I had a ‘wholesome gallop.’ I knew that the doctors, in talking to each other, might try to soften things. But I knew they wouldn’t kid each other. So when I overheard you tell your colleagues I had a ‘wholesome gallop’, I figured I still had a lot of kick to my heart and could not be dying. My spirits were for the first time lifted, and I knew I would live and recover.”
The first story shows how a patient’s gross misinterpretation of the doctor’s diagnosis had resulted in her death. The second story illustrates how the patient cured himself just by misinterpreting a fatal diagnosis in a positive way.
Milton says, “The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make a heaven of hell and a hell of heaven.”
By relating those two stories, I have finally fulfilled my sister’s kind wish to benefit others.
To be continued
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