After the near-death experience, Bodhi meditation not only helped me recover my health, but also gained a new understanding of life.
A Magazine That Brought Health Benefits
At the end of November, I saw a “Meditation and Health” magazine in the supermarket and was immediately attracted by the articles in it, so I started to go to San Francisco Bodhi Meditation center regularly.
I am an accountant, and for many years I sat at work all day and therefore suffered from back pain. In the beginning, I could only sit down to practice the “Meditation of Greater Illumination” because my back hurt so much. After meditating for a while, my back pain gradually improved and I was able to practice standing up, and in April 2012, I attended an 8.5-day Health and Happiness Retreat and a level 2 meditation class where I found myself standing for two consecutive hours doing the “Meditation of Greater Illumination”, something I never thought I could do before, and on the last day of the class, I also noticed that my back problems had disappeared! I have been in love with meditation ever since, and I feel very lucky to have found such an effective meditation method.
A Miracle From Near-Death Experience
On September 4, I was on my way to work as usual when I was hit by a truck and, as I was being swept underneath, I cried out in my heart, “Master, help me!”
When I was rushed to the hospital, my lungs were bleeding profusely, my trachea was broken and displaced, my ribs and scapula were broken in many places, and my right arm was crushed by the wheels of the truck. I was in critical condition.
It was very hard for me to accept this sudden tragedy, on my first day in the ICU, I was so stressed that I couldn’t sleep at night. My sister did a light offering for me at San Francisco Bodhi Meditation center and brought me a “Medicine Buddha Mantra” CD the next day. As it played continuously, I felt like a magical force was working on me. I began to relax, did not experience any physical pain, and started to have an appetite for food, and I was able to sleep through the night. My nurse was so amazed at my changes, saying, “I wished every room at the hospital could play this music, maybe more patients would be benefited.” Miraculously I recovered very well and three days later I was out of the ICU, and seven days later I was sent to the rehabilitation center.
I Am The Luckiest Person
At the rehabilitation center, the physiotherapists were amazed when they first met me because they assumed the worst of me based on the medical report.
At the beginning of my recovery, I had limited movement in my right shoulder and could only swing 30 degrees forward, not backward. My physical therapist told me that I could regain up to 70% mobility in my right shoulder which would take at least a year to achieve this result, and there was no hope for backward movement. One specialist also said because the nerves and muscles in my right shoulder were severely damaged, if I did not improve during my recovery, I would probably not be able to move it in the future. With this terrible news, surprisingly I was not the least bit worried, scared, or desperate. While I was actively cooperating with the physical therapy, I read the book “Buddhist Robes” written by the Grandmaster JinBodhi, and silently recited the “Medicine Buddha Mantra” whenever I had time, praying for Buddha’s blessing and help. Two months later, I could lift my right hand very high and move it backward, and I was able to move my right shoulder by more than 70%. The doctors and physical therapists said to me, “This is so incredibly amazing. You are the fastest recovery patient we’ve ever seen”.
On November 11, I attended the Medicine Buddha’s Birthday Blessing Ceremony. Two days later, something miraculously happened again: my right index and middle fingers, which were completely numb, not only had sensation, but they could move freely! I remember the doctor told me that the lack of sensation in these two fingers was due to the damage to the nerves and muscles in my right shoulder and that since the nerves recover very slowly and only grow two inches a year, it would take at least a few years for my two fingers to regain sensation.
One miracle after another gave me more and more confidence in Bodhi meditation, so I got back on my feet and practiced “The Meditation of Greater Illumination”. Within a month or so, my right hand regained as much strength as my left hand.
Also, after the car accident, my lungs and trachea were severely damaged, so I developed a terrible cough after the surgery. After my persistent meditation, this cough disappeared.
I am the luckiest person
After this near-death experience, I gained a new understanding of life: to accept adversity in the face of it and not blame others. During my time in the hospital and rehabilitation center, I saw many people suffering from pain worse than death, which made me realize how lucky I am. At the same time, the care and help I received from my friends and family helped me cherish and be grateful for my life, and to understand the meaning of compassion.