相約在禪修 最美不過夕陽紅

  騰福  騰禧   加拿大溫哥華   圖文由加拿大溫哥華藥師禪院提供

他們是一對年邁的老夫婦，一年前因為74歲的妻子騰福患上抑鬱症，80歲的丈夫騰禧陪同她一起走進菩提。走進菩提後，夫婦倆紛紛收穫著身心的健康和快樂，並將這份收穫傳遞給了更多的有緣人。在絢麗的夕陽裡，他們就這樣一起詮釋著感恩的真諦，執手共剪一段幸福的時光……

2013年3月份，騰禧的太太騰福患上了嚴重的抑鬱症，那段時間裡她終日夜不能寐，心情抑鬱痛苦，大腦裡總是無法控制地像放電影般一幕幕地出現負面的景象。不僅如此她還常覺得全身無力，走路時兩腿像棉花一樣軟綿綿的，坐立難安，茶飯不香。看過醫生吃了6個月的藥以後，也沒見一絲好轉。那時候面對每日飽受著病苦折磨的太太，騰禧是看在眼裡疼在心上，除了整天在身邊照顧她之外，也只是束手無策，唯有默默地嘆息…… 然而天無絕人之路，一個偶然的機會，騰禧在超市拿到了一本《禪修與健康》雜誌，這本雜誌深深地吸引了他。抱著一線希望，回到家後他說服了太太去試一試禪修。就這樣2013年8月底，他陪着太太一起來到禪堂參加了菩提禪修的能量調理。緊接著又參加了9月份的菩提禪修健身班。沒想到才初次體驗禪修，他的太太就驚喜地發現自己的身體竟然漸漸地輕鬆了很多，胃口變得好起來, 睡眠也有了改善！為了繼續康復身體，他們又繼續參加了多個健身班和念佛班。兩個月後，太太已從嚴重憂鬱症中完全解脫了出來！過去她每晚只能睡1個小時，而現在每天卻能睡 6小時，飯也吃得香，不僅如此她的心情變得快樂開朗了許多，經常與旁人有說又有笑。看著太太一天天的變化，騰禧也開心不已！ 在太太生病時，騰禧把注意力都放在了她身上，也從來沒有心思顧及自己的健康。然而沒想到來陪太太禪修這一年多，除了太太的抑鬱症得到康復，通過「大光明」及走「八卦」，他的身體狀況竟然也得到了改善。十多年來，由於血液不通暢，騰禧一直都有手冰凍的毛病，尤其是在冬天經常生凍瘡。不僅如此，他的鼻子過敏超過十年，經常打噴嚏流鼻水。禪修後，他發現自己過去手冰凍和鼻子的過敏竟然全部都好了！更神奇的是原先他有一頭的銀白髮，自從禪修後竟然開始漸生出黑髮來！現在的他每天的禪修時間都在2－3個小時之間，精力也越來越充沛。 對於他們夫婦而言，菩提禪修就好像是一道溫暖的陽光照進他們的世界裡。它不僅讓太太騰福從嚴重抑鬱症的痛苦中解脫出來，不再飽受病苦的折磨，而且也讓騰禧品嚐到健康的喜悅。他們的生活因禪修的出現再次回歸到幸福快樂的彼岸。為此，他們內心對金菩提宗師充滿了深深的感恩！ 除了帶給他們健康，禪修也讓他們的晚年生活充滿了無限的幸福。怀揣一份感恩之心，如今騰禧與太太騰福每天都來到禪堂做義工。在做義工的過程裡他們受益良多，感受到一種前所未有的充實和快樂。在這裡，他們希望自己可以永遠成為感恩的傳遞者，將宗師給予他們的健康和快樂，傳遞給與更多的有緣人！    

East Meets West

By Justin Porter

Illness Without Answers

I had my first panic attack in May of 2011 during a trip to Mexico.  To make matters worse, I also woke up with numbness in my leg and a bizarre tingling sensation down my left side.  By the time I hit the autumn, I was also suffering from repeated spikes in blood pressure and blood sugar, and extreme sensitivity to various foods.  Rice, for example, would send my blood pressure skyrocketing and make me feel terrible.  In fact, I felt terrible much of the time, which caused major stress for both me and my wife, Jade.  We had only recently begun our married life together, and my health challenges put a lot of pressure on us at a time when we should have been celebrating. 

When I talked to my doctor about the problem I was having with anxiety, he essentially told me it was “psychological,” meaning that it was all in my head and there was no real cause.  I went to many doctors but I wasn’t getting the help I needed from the Western approach, and my issues expanded to include numbness in my face and hands, severe skin dryness and psoriasis-type symptoms, and a heart that was only beating about forty times a minute.  With Jade’s support, I decided to begin taking matters into my own hands.  I connected with an acupuncturist who helped me tremendously.  I took a lot of vitamins.  And then I encountered Bodhi Meditation, which turned out to be an invaluable part of my journey to wellness.

Last summer I became friends with an architect named Cary Tsai – I’m a contractor and we met while constructing a house in West Vancouver.  When I eventually told him about the health challenges I was having, he said, “What you have to do, Justin, is meditate.”  He gave me Greater Illumination and The Meditation of Purity and told me that I would notice an improvement if I practiced them once a day. 

I didn’t get started on my practice immediately.  I eventually tried the meditations, and I attended a couple of drop-in classes at the Center in November.  In December I committed to meditating for an hour every day for a week, and at the end of that period I felt great.  But during the hectic Christmas season I neglected my practice and the unpleasant symptoms returned.  I had heard that a Meditation Retreat for English speakers was being offered in January, and made it my New Year’s resolution to attend. 

Letting My Body Guide Me

During the Retreat, I began spontaneous fasting.  On my first night without food, I had vivid nightmares which I believe were symptomatic of the detoxification process I was going through.  The following night I woke up about an hour after falling asleep with an intense sensation of heat in my arm.  After several minutes it went cold, and the next morning I awoke to discover that the numbness I had been experiencing in my hand was gone.  Before I finished fasting the feeling of burning heat returned again, this time concentrated in my stomach and head.  It was as though my body was fixing itself – energy was flowing properly.  Fasting was easy and happened naturally.  I never felt hungry, though I did drink a green juice one night because Jade was concerned about me.  In fact, several of my family and friends thought I was crazy, but I figured, why fill a gas tank that’s already full?  The nice thing about being at the Center is that you feel safe.  I felt supported throughout my process. 

From West to East

According to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I had been suffering from blocked qi in my liver, a damp spleen, poor circulation and a lack of oxygen in the blood.  When there is an issue with the liver, the thyroid is also affected and the thyroid has a significant influence on the heart.  Bodhi Meditation has been essential to unblocking my qi and opening the door to an unprecedented state of relaxation, thereby restoring my health.  Since attending the Retreat and making Bodhi a regular part of my life, my blood pressure and blood sugar have normalized, my heart rate has increased to sixty beats a minute, my skin problems have substantially improved, and the numbness has subsided along with the anxiety and indigestion.   I can now eat anything without suffering adverse effects.  However, even though I have the freedom to eat what I choose, Jade and I have made a commitment to eat organic, local food whenever possible.  We’ve transitioned to brown rice, which has been a bit of a hurdle for Jade – she is from Korea, where white rice is integral to cuisine and culture.  Although she didn’t believe in meditation at first, she has tried a class and experienced the resulting tranquility, and has been delighted by my positive transformation.  I’ve learned more about Oriental culture through this practice – there is no doubt that Bodhi has given our relationship a tremendous boost.  Jade no longer has to worry about my health, so we are free to move happily forward.

Transforming the Heart and Mind

The emotional benefits of Bodhi practice have been profound.  Not only have the panic attacks disappeared, but the angry outbursts that used to cause me and people around me grief have vanished as well.  Jade has noticed a big difference, going so far as to say that I no longer have a bad temper and describing me as “really calm.”  During the Retreat, Grandmaster JinBodhi said something that made a major impact on me, something that has helped transform the way that I approach life.  He talked about a dam in China that was constructed after a valley had flooded and everything was destroyed.  The Master used the story as a metaphor to illustrate the point that you can never block water – or energy – you can only direct it to where you want it to be.  So now, instead of hanging onto the energy of problems, I try to redirect it – in other words, go with the flow. 

The Giant Mudra in The Meditation of Greater Illumination was also particularly impactful.  Initially, I could only picture myself being as big as a house, but the instructors kept urging us to go bigger and pretty soon I was bumping my head on the moon. The idea that we are limitless was a breakthrough for me.

I wouldn’t say I’m a Buddhist but I’m definitely interested in learning more. It’s a philosophy that makes sense to me. I’ve always believed in cause and effect, in karma. I read a few books about Buddhism years ago and the presence of Bodhi in my life has really reinvigorated my interest.  I’ve been involved in helping to build an addition to a Buddhist monastery in Vancouver, so I’ve been able to ask questions of the nuns there on a daily basis.

Bodhi Meditation has helped me come to understand joy, which to me is a feeling of lightness and freedom.  Entering into joy through meditation has been fundamental to healing my heart problems.  I used to have a lot of anger and I now realize its impact on the liver.  I wasn’t giving my heart joy and I was feeding my liver anger and bitterness.  Practicing Bodhi allows me to peel back the layers of the self and gain new awareness.  I’ve learned to appreciate and enjoy life.

Taking It to the Next Level

I am planning to attend the Second Level Retreat.  After my friend Cary – the one who introduced me to Bodhi – alleviated my back pain using energy healing skills he learned in the Second Level, my interest in cultivating my own healing ability was stoked.  It would be wonderful to be able to help others restore their health and equilibrium. 

There is no doubt that Eastern wisdom has helped to transform my Western lifestyle. I’m so grateful to Bodhi for being a gateway to a joy I never knew possible – I will continue to combine East and West as I move through my life.  

 

 
 

   

相約在禪修 最美不過夕陽紅

  騰福  騰禧   加拿大溫哥華   圖文由加拿大溫哥華藥師禪院提供

他們是一對年邁的老夫婦，一年前因為74歲的妻子騰福患上抑鬱症，80歲的丈夫騰禧陪同她一起走進菩提。走進菩提後，夫婦倆紛紛收穫著身心的健康和快樂，並將這份收穫傳遞給了更多的有緣人。在絢麗的夕陽裡，他們就這樣一起詮釋著感恩的真諦，執手共剪一段幸福的時光……

2013年3月份，騰禧的太太騰福患上了嚴重的抑鬱症，那段時間裡她終日夜不能寐，心情抑鬱痛苦，大腦裡總是無法控制地像放電影般一幕幕地出現負面的景象。不僅如此她還常覺得全身無力，走路時兩腿像棉花一樣軟綿綿的，坐立難安，茶飯不香。看過醫生吃了6個月的藥以後，也沒見一絲好轉。那時候面對每日飽受著病苦折磨的太太，騰禧是看在眼裡疼在心上，除了整天在身邊照顧她之外，也只是束手無策，唯有默默地嘆息…… 然而天無絕人之路，一個偶然的機會，騰禧在超市拿到了一本《禪修與健康》雜誌，這本雜誌深深地吸引了他。抱著一線希望，回到家後他說服了太太去試一試禪修。就這樣2013年8月底，他陪着太太一起來到禪堂參加了菩提禪修的能量調理。緊接著又參加了9月份的菩提禪修健身班。沒想到才初次體驗禪修，他的太太就驚喜地發現自己的身體竟然漸漸地輕鬆了很多，胃口變得好起來, 睡眠也有了改善！為了繼續康復身體，他們又繼續參加了多個健身班和念佛班。兩個月後，太太已從嚴重憂鬱症中完全解脫了出來！過去她每晚只能睡1個小時，而現在每天卻能睡 6小時，飯也吃得香，不僅如此她的心情變得快樂開朗了許多，經常與旁人有說又有笑。看著太太一天天的變化，騰禧也開心不已！ 在太太生病時，騰禧把注意力都放在了她身上，也從來沒有心思顧及自己的健康。然而沒想到來陪太太禪修這一年多，除了太太的抑鬱症得到康復，通過「大光明」及走「八卦」，他的身體狀況竟然也得到了改善。十多年來，由於血液不通暢，騰禧一直都有手冰凍的毛病，尤其是在冬天經常生凍瘡。不僅如此，他的鼻子過敏超過十年，經常打噴嚏流鼻水。禪修後，他發現自己過去手冰凍和鼻子的過敏竟然全部都好了！更神奇的是原先他有一頭的銀白髮，自從禪修後竟然開始漸生出黑髮來！現在的他每天的禪修時間都在2－3個小時之間，精力也越來越充沛。 對於他們夫婦而言，菩提禪修就好像是一道溫暖的陽光照進他們的世界裡。它不僅讓太太騰福從嚴重抑鬱症的痛苦中解脫出來，不再飽受病苦的折磨，而且也讓騰禧品嚐到健康的喜悅。他們的生活因禪修的出現再次回歸到幸福快樂的彼岸。為此，他們內心對金菩提宗師充滿了深深的感恩！ 除了帶給他們健康，禪修也讓他們的晚年生活充滿了無限的幸福。怀揣一份感恩之心，如今騰禧與太太騰福每天都來到禪堂做義工。在做義工的過程裡他們受益良多，感受到一種前所未有的充實和快樂。在這裡，他們希望自己可以永遠成為感恩的傳遞者，將宗師給予他們的健康和快樂，傳遞給與更多的有緣人！