Chapter 35 medicine for the soul

Meditation requires fewer distracting thoughts, but it doesn't mean that you can't have any thoughts.How can a person never have a thought?Thoughts consume one's energy and soul, just like a flood of beasts, the more they chase and block them, the more they gallop, so there needs to be a way to channel them.This requires the use of the "visualization" mentioned by the health preservationists of the past dynasties. We should not think that this is some kind of profound "meditation" skill.To put it bluntly, "visualization" is imagination, seeing scenes in imagination.When we draw up a plan for work, we must imagine that the plan will be implemented and receive good results, and we will imagine the problems that arise during the implementation process and how to solve them.On the way to an interview in a handicraft workshop, young people will imagine that they pass the interview successfully, that they will do a particularly good job in the job, that they will be appreciated and reused by their boss, and that they will marry the boss’s daughter... These are all visualizations, and they have great influence on people. The effect of this is inconceivable. Often, when a person visualizes a certain situation with a particularly strong mind, the situation changes according to his mind, and the situation he visualized is very likely to become a reality.

Everyone can visualize, but some visualizations are positive, while others are negative.The visualizations of the health practitioners are all positive visualizations, even if it is a bad thing, they should think about the good, so as to maintain the peace and joy of the mind.This is not something that everyone can do, but once they understand this principle, it is not difficult for ordinary people to do it, and some people can even instinctively do this kind of completely positive visualization. When a person is sick, he visualizes the most.When taking medicine, he would imagine that the medicine will work in the body, and after taking it, it will repair the damage of the human body, improve the internal environment of the human body, or kill germs, and finally cure the disease.When I was young, I liked to imagine this kind of imagination: I took some cold medicine when I had a cold, and I imagined that these medicines would turn into countless particles after taking it, and they would form a huge army to search for cold viruses everywhere in the body. In some places, the virus is very powerful, relying on the superior terrain, deep ditches and high fortifications, it is not easy to eliminate, so our army attacked the city, a fierce battle, a lot of germs were wiped out, our army There were also a lot of casualties; the germs multiplied quickly, and the new germs would grow up in a few seconds and be ready for battle. Our troops also came from other parts of the body for reinforcements.The two sides fought fiercely for a whole morning. When people were tired and horses were exhausted, it happened to be time for me to take medicine. Haha, this time it’s better. Our army has added a huge and vigorous new force as a backup. The enemy was terrified and abandoned the city. .Our army takes advantage of the victory to pursue... When I think about it this way, I feel very happy in my heart. When I take the medicine, I feel like a marshal who is planning a strategy and dispatching troops, confident that he will win.I was ignorant at that time and just thought about it randomly, but now it seems that these visualizations are very positive for curing diseases.

Of course, the visualizations that are beneficial for healing are not limited to the ones above.In fact, everything around us, such as the sun, the moon, the earth, vegetation, rivers, etc., can be visualized as good medicine and medicine for curing diseases, or as the source of energy for healing and health.When the sun or moon shines on us, we can imagine that this light enters our body, and the environment in the body is like the earth and the sky. The heart fire rises, the spleen soil warms, the kidney water evaporates, and the liver The wood is stretched, and the lung gold is no longer rusted.The earth and rivers nourish us. They are not only material, but also spiritual. They provide us with material energy and invisible spiritual energy.The same is true for trees. When we are sick, we can get some vitality by visualizing them, which also gives people a lot of confidence.For Buddhist practitioners, the most spiritual strength is the visualization of Buddha.Buddha symbolizes the highest peace and joy in the universe.

In fact, no matter what we visualize, we use it as a tool to stimulate our inner spiritual power. The therapeutic effect depends on our inner wisdom, that is, confidence and openness.Under the power of visualization, we let go of our narrow and rigid attitudes and feelings, which are like the source of all diseases.When correct visualization and thoughts act on the body, we will naturally produce panacea for curing diseases, maintaining health, and prolonging life. But the sad thing is that the visualization of patients nowadays is often not so optimistic, and they are doing harmful visualizations.After receiving the laboratory test sheet, a cancer patient will imagine that he will undergo surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy in the future, and will eventually be incurable and die in pain. People around him are also helping to think this way, so this person lives in a desperate environment: everyone thought he was going to die.So, it won't be long before he really dies.Some people put forward "mind force medicine", emphasizing the healing power of human mind, and its practical use is the principle of visualization.

Mentioning "right view" may immediately alert some people.He asked, "Is there a standard for whether it is right or not? Why is your opinion right, but mine is not right and wrong?" The mentality of the person who asked this question is very problematic.what is this?This is disobedience, the Yin wood nature hurts the liver and spleen.What's more, the right view we are talking about now is not what he understood. Right view means to focus on the present moment, not thinking about the past, but also thinking about the future. "Live in the moment", don't many people say that?But what they mean is that living in the moment, I just want to enjoy myself in the moment, and I don't care about anything.This is wrong, because carpe diem can only be realized under certain conditions. For example, how can you enjoy yourself while walking on the road?How can you enjoy yourself when you are penniless?

Right view is a state of mind that must be maintained at all times: what we are doing at the moment, we should concentrate on doing it; what we feel at this moment, we should concentrate on experiencing it, and not think about other things.This is actually what we usually call "focus".It’s just that the word “concentration” is relatively broad, because it is also called “concentration” to think about the past and past things wholeheartedly, but it is not called “right view”. The past is troubles, and the future is delusions, all illusory; the only thing we can grasp is the present, which is real.And everything you do now is preparing for the future.Disciple Ji Lu asked Confucius his views on death, and Confucius said: "If you don't know life, how can you know death." In fact, this is also emphasizing a correct view.When you are alive, just do the present. Death is the future. Why worry about it now?

Right view is needed in daily life in order to be pure, happy and free from afflictions. In sickness, we need right views even more.I felt unwell, so I went to the hospital for an examination, and it turned out to be a terrible disease.What would you do if this happened to you?Many people immediately feel uneasy, mainly because of fear.He was afraid that the disease would worsen and cause more pain; he was afraid that he would die if he could not be cured; even if he did not die, he was afraid that the treatment would ruin his fortune.In fact, these are all delusions. With these delusions, people's minds are empty and they have no energy.Therefore, these troublesome thoughts make the patient focus all his remaining mental energy on his own pain. What he thinks in his heart is that the virus is devouring his healthy cells bit by bit, or the tumor is spreading mercilessly, step by step, unstoppable.He can become very, very sensitive, and the slightest change or pain can be exaggerated in his imagination.

The mental state of illness is very important.Anyone who keeps the precepts and practices knows that, just as you can use ten points of energy when you are awake, you can only use one part of energy in your sleep, you cannot guarantee that you will not do anything wrong in your dreams.Therefore, "Night Dreams Test Kung Fu", if you can avoid false thoughts in your dreams, and your words and deeds are in accordance with the law, then this person's practice is quite remarkable.Similarly, if you can use ten points of gong in normal times, you can only use one point when you are sick. The lack of energy in the sickness, coupled with the torment of the disease and the threat of death, all delusions arise.

At this time, what should people think?Human beings are really stupid, what's the use of you just being afraid and worrying all the time?The pain has been intensified, and the originally weak heart has been under the weight of fear and troubles. Where is the potential to overcome the disease?Isn't this giving yourself poison? The sages are happy when they hear about it. If we can maintain righteous views during illness, we will feel that illness is also a kind of joy and happiness: First, illness means that our hearts are clear, and we can respond immediately when there is a problem with the body.Some patients have never been sick, and once they get sick, they are seriously ill, and when they are found out, they are in the late stage of certain cancers. Why, it is because the heart is not clear, they can’t feel it, and the body can’t show the corresponding pathological features in time to remind people to pay attention.

Secondly, illness is a warning to the body and mind. At this time, we will think that there must be something wrong, otherwise we will not get sick.Either behavioral faults, or psychological misconduct, or unhealthy diet and daily life, they have caused the disease, I must repent, and I will never dare to do it again in the future.With this kind of repentance, the warning will be lifted.Buddhists say that sickness and suffering can "eliminate karma", that is, through suffering, they can eliminate the evil obstacles they have done before, and achieve physical and mental peace. Therefore, when they are sick, they are very happy. They will imagine that the disease is a broom that sweeps away all the dirt on their bodies , When those dirts are swept away, the body will be quiet and healthy again.

Again, being sick allows us to let go of worldly things. At this time, worldly things will no longer bother us, and our hearts can return to ourselves, learn to slow down the pace of life, and appreciate the beauty and preciousness of life.At this moment, life is still in full bloom like a flower, so that we can appreciate and comfort us. As for when the flowers wither, why bother? If we have this kind of joy in illness, how peaceful and peaceful our state of mind should be!Our current medical care pays great attention to alleviating the patient's physical pain. There is anesthesia for surgery, so it doesn't hurt.However, as for the psychological pain, they did not consider how to alleviate it, and even considered it unimportant.Think about it, what would a patient think if he had tubes inserted all over his body, and even the veins were simulated?Will you be afraid, will you be anxious?Whose heart can stand such torment?At this time, the doctor must enlighten him and let him bring up the right view. This is a good medicine to relieve the pain in the heart. We mentioned earlier that many intellectuals became weak and sick due to too much grievance, and even died young.But there are also some intellectuals who are not, they live a long life.Why?I have visited many such old gentlemen. They have a common characteristic, that is, they are open-minded and optimistic, and at the same time they are dedicated to academics. Concentration is also one of the methods used to extinguish thoughts and worries.When a person concentrates on one thing, other thoughts will be extinguished.Of course, the premise is that the thing worthy of our attention must have nothing to do with our own greed, and it is best to be a righteous and meaningful thing.Otherwise, if you focus on your own greed, not only will you not be able to extinguish your thoughts and afflictions, but it will make you fall into even greater afflictions and illnesses. Concentration is a good medicine for health preservation and a shortcut to cure diseases. When Qian Muchu, a famous Chinese scholar, came to Hong Kong, the conditions were very difficult and he was sick. He was lying on the floor of a classroom in New Asia College. His students came to see him. ".This was too unexpected for the students.But such patients are easy to get better. The ancients said that one must "make great vows" in life, forget about the ego, and make great wishes with a compassionate heart.At the very least, it takes the focus away from the disease itself.Major events stimulate people's own potential, compared with diseases, they are insignificant.It’s like we climb stairs, usually you need to climb to the sixth floor, you will feel a bit high, but if you want to go to the fifteenth floor, the elevator happens to be out of power again, you have to climb up, then the sixth floor is too much for you It was low, and it climbed up without knowing it.Self-healing from illness, for us, is at best equivalent to climbing the sixth floor, and many people have not climbed up because of this; if we have the determination to climb to the fifteenth floor in our hearts, this physical problem should not be ignored ? There are many examples of this.Several years ago, I saw a report in the newspaper that there was a man named Sun Wanpeng who was fond of philosophy.He believes that in epistemology, if what humans have recognized is "white" and what has not been recognized is "black", then the part between black and white is gray. He is determined to establish a new Philosophy, called "gray studies", specializes in this area.That's when he developed cancer, and doctors thought he would have just over a year to live.He was very desperate, and his last wish was to write out his previous conception of "Grey School" before he died.So he quit his job and devoted himself to writing.It is easy to conceive, but it is difficult to write it out. He overcame various difficulties, bought a lot of philosophy books, studied and thought carefully, and put all his thoughts on writing and research. Cancer was almost forgotten by him.After two years like this, he had already written two books, but he still felt that he couldn't get enough of what he said, so he started writing the third book.Three years later, the third book was completed, and he was not dead.He went to the hospital for an examination, and his health was actually good. Sometimes, a disease is like a naughty child. The more you focus on him and coax him, the more he will make trouble; if you ignore him, he will feel bored and stop making trouble.During the illness, if you never forget the illness, and the more you think about it, the more worried you become, and the more you think about it, the more helpless you become, then the illness will only aggravate your torment; Run away resentfully. As we mentioned earlier, bad words, bad thoughts, and viciousness can all damage certain functions of the body.For example, the phenomenon of swearing and vulgar language, modern people are obviously more than ancient people, they hurt themselves like this but they are not aware of it.In fact, swearing and foul language once is a bad thought, and it also plants a seed for more bad words, bad thoughts and viciousness.If it goes on for a long time, the evil things will multiply, and the person's mental outlook and living conditions will degenerate.Therefore, every time I uttered a bad word, although I vented my emotions, it added a bit of trouble. There are few kind thoughts in our hearts, especially when we are sick, the kind thoughts are even fewer. How can we arouse kind thoughts?I can only teach one method: chanting Buddha. Once when I went to a temple with a friend who knew nothing about Buddhism, he heard the Buddha's name "Namo Amitabha Buddha" repeated over and over again on the stereo, and he suddenly said, "It's strange, the same sentence and the same tone are repeated eight How come it doesn’t bother you after a hundred times? How come the more you listen to it, the better it sounds?” I’m really happy for him, what a man with virtuous roots!When we are on the street, if we hear a certain advertisement repeated over and over again in any store, we will be annoyed to death.We find a good pop song and listen to it over and over again, only to get bored after a few listens.But listening to the Buddha's name is not the case. Even a person who knows nothing about Buddhism and the merits of the Buddha will be very happy when he hears the Buddha's name. Why is this?Because there is something unspeakable deep in our hearts that fits and echoes with it, that is the Buddha nature, the root of goodness.Even if it is not explained in this way, at least it can be explained that when chanting the Buddha, the sounds produced by those words can vibrate the internal organs of a person very well and make people happy.This is the best medicine. Deep in everyone's heart, there is good and evil. Evil words call out the evil in the heart, while good words can call out the good in the heart.From this we know why Buddhists chant "Amitabha".Amitabha Buddha saves all sentient beings, with infinite compassion, he is the symbol of all goodness.We recite the name of Amitabha Buddha, praise the merits of the Buddha, experience the compassion of the Buddha, visualize the light of the Buddha, and feel infinite joy in our hearts.In this way, the goodness deep within us is called out.All living beings have Buddha-nature, goodness is the Buddha-nature deep in our hearts.The Buddha-nature of kindness and compassion can at least allow us to see through our troubles and gain freedom, which is the Hinayana; it can also allow us to abandon our ego, benefit all beings, and gain greater freedom and joy, which is the Mahayana.Therefore, when we chant the Buddha's name, we will feel pure.Every time a Buddha is recited, the good thoughts will increase a little, the evil thoughts will be eliminated a little, and the heart will be purer.Thinking of the Buddha who gave up everything about himself for the sake of all beings, what else can we not let go of?Thinking of the Buddha's tolerance and compassion, what else can we not think about?In this way, there will be fewer distracting thoughts and fewer worries.When we stay with the Buddha wholeheartedly and enjoy the purity brought by him, our hearts will be calmed down. Sickness is a demon, and Buddha can cast down demons.This is not to say that a certain Buddha fought with a certain devil for 300 rounds with swords and guns, but that the Buddha nature aroused in our hearts overcomes the demons in our hearts, overcomes our greed, anger and ignorance, and cuts off the root of our diseases , while stimulating the vitality of our body and mind to aid in recovery. Unfortunately, this method is not available to everyone.It's not because it doesn't work, but because many people are absolutely unable to say a simple sentence of "Amitabha". Even if they can barely say a sentence or two, their hearts are still full of rejection and doubt.Why?Because their hearts are not pure, they still focus on their illness and cannot let go.Some people recite the Buddha's name, but they still don't know what the Buddha is in their hearts, and they don't know how to visualize the Buddha's merit and compassion.Such a person keeps thinking about it, Buddha is Buddha, I am me, good thoughts are buried deep in the bottom of my heart, and I can't call them out.For these two kinds of people, think of another way.