‧Written by Master Sheng-yen Lu‧
A student of mine got into a car accident and sustained a leg fracture. He was admitted to the hospital and had to remain bedridden while recuperating.
He was in a double-occupancy room, and the other patient was someone with upper and lower limb paralysis.
The two beds were separated only by a retractable curtain. When the curtain was sometimes open, the two patients would engage in conversation.
My student’s surname is Qian, and the paralyzed patient’s last name is Yu.
Yu had been paralyzed for over ten years. Because his older brother and sister were wealthy, they had initially paid huge sums of money sending for famous doctors to treat him. But all treatments failed. Finally, they sent him to convalesce in a hospital and spend his final years. He as well as his siblings had resigned themselves to hopelessness.
Although Yu could not move his limbs, his mind was still very lucid.
Student Qian had pasted a dharma picture of Grand Master Lu on the wall above his bed. Each day he chanted the High King Avalokitesvara Sutra and the Root Guru’s Heart Mantra.
Then a strange thing happened—
Ever since patient Qian’s admittance into the hospital, Yu would see every night a monk waltzing into the ward. Even though the door was closed, he could come in.
This monk extended his hand and placed it upon Qian’s leg fracture. After this laying of hands, he would glide away.
On one occasion, after the monk finished laying his hand on the patient with the fracture, he turned to look and smile at the paralyzed patient. Patient Yu also smiled back with goodwill.
The monk then walked over to Yu’s bed and laid his hand on his body from head to toe. When he was finished, he again left in a gliding fashion!
Soon after—
Student Qian’s bone fracture began to heal quickly, and he was soon to be discharged.
He took down the dharma picture of Grand Master Lu from above his bed to take home with him.
Patient Yu called out to him, “That dharma picture, may I have a look?”
Qian said, “This is my teacher, Grand Master Lu.”
Yu looked at the picture and said, “That was the monk who came every night to your bed to massage your fractured bone. He has also massaged my arms and legs. I saw it clearly. Take a look at my arms and legs. The cramps seem to be loosening up day by day. Please put that picture above the head of my bed, and teach me the sutra and mantra you have been chanting. I will appreciate it very much if you do that!”
Qian was a kind-hearted person. Not only did he paste the dharma picture above Yu’s bed, he also taught him the “heart mantra” and gave him a copy of the High King Avalokitesvara Sutra. Then he bade him goodbye.
Half a year later, Qian passed by the hospital, and he remembered this incident. He decided to pay a visit to the paralyzed Yu.
To his surprise, Yu also had been discharged.
The doctor told him, “That patient was a hopeless case, but his cramped legs and arms for some unknown reason started to loosen up. He chanted a mantra and sutra every day and eventually was able to move his upper and lower limbs. We could not explain it. But in the end, he actually was able to get out of bed and walk.”
So, he was discharged!
Qian asked, “Where is that dharma picture?”
The doctor replied, “He gave it to another patient!”
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