Every week my mission is renewed. Someone, from somewhere in the world finds me to get guidance on overcoming illness. I was very touched by a Buddhist woman who recently tracked me down through the organization. Many thanks to my SGI friends.
This powerfully practicing woman has an incredible spirit that penetrates the universe. She has carcinoid. I’ll save you the etiology and pathophysiology and tell you that she has tumors on her liver. Despite metastatic disease, 10-15 year survival times are not unusual. Ten years may look like a lifetime for someone up against the wall with a bullet, but to someone with a grand plan, it's not enough. From knowing the recovery of many people, I have long since concluded that desire is the mother of intention. Never believe the odds.
Desiring wellness is natural. Illness is often born of some subconscious cause. Nam(u) myoho-renge-kyo enables us to transcend ordinary consciousness, affecting the deepest levels of the unconscious. Often we must traverse an abyss of psychological quandaries that question the self, our past conduct, our imperfections, and the essence of our desire. This bardo-like process is the path of the hero and the warrior. Upon their return from the brink, they bring boons of inspiration and meaning to us.
Elimination of earthly desire is an alchemical allegory for understanding attachment. Survival is, perhaps, our deepest instinctual desire. If we can realize that cellular death is occurring within us at every moment, our attachment to the greater-life will come into focus. Our cells are funi – two, but not two. We have a shared consciousness that is two, but not two. Because we are Indra’s Net in all aspects, our mantra opens up the resources of boundless chi and the energies for perfect healing.
I remember in 1975, a legendary senior leader in Chicago told us not to promise anyone that chanting could cure illness. In one respect he was right, you can't promise a person that they will draw their next breath. What was being implied, though, was that giving people guidance that they could possibly overcome illnesses like cancer was an exercise in futility and perhaps harmful. Never mind that the Buddha told us it was possible! Our senior leader told us “Don’t give hope to the hopeless.”
Sorry, my now dearly-departed, senior-sir. That’s what my mission is all about. I have found that religion will frequently get in the way of healing and wisdom. That’s why I dwell in the place of independent, pure spirit in my healing meditations – a place that doesn’t need religion to negate, to limit, or control. You need nothing to lean on - No priests, No saviors, No heaven or nirvana. You're not a begger looking for a handout. As the Vedic wisdom states, "Thou art That!"
Each person is the temple, the essence, the ritual, and embodiment of perfection. Buddha transferred the truth of this boundless wonder to us in the treasure tower - a truth that has been with us from time without beginning. By all means, give hope to the hopeless. In reality, we're all travelers.
It is of great encouragement to me that this woman battling cancer had begun a study group with some other members with cancer and illness in an effort to gain perspective and reveal remission and wellness. Her actions are the therapy and medicine of the Lotus Sutra. Her healing is academic. All disease and affliction are mutable.