Severe Back Pain

Severe Back Pain

Date Posted:
October 2013

A student had a permanent injury to his lumbar vertebrae, that prevented him from working and leading a normal life. At times, the pain was so severe he couldn’t move and was bedridden. He asked Rinpoche whether he should have surgery or seek alternate therapy.

My very dear one,
I am sorry to hear about your difficult situation, I checked many times and it comes out best for you to have osteopathy. It does not come out well for you to have the operation.

I want to mention some advice for you. Your situation is due to the shortcomings of living in samara, and your experience of pain is the result of past negative karma. If you understand and accept this, you will have happiness in the future, therefore, rejoice in the suffering.

Geshe Kharag Gomchung said, “Even this present small suffering finishes your past negative karma, therefore, rejoice in the suffering.” Each piece of advice ends with the expression ang, [a request]; there are thirty of these altogether.

The Fourth Panchen Rinpoche said in Lama Chöpa, [verse 96]: “Even the container and the contents are both filled with the result of suffering, and this makes undesirable suffering fall like rain. Please bless me to be able to see these bad conditions as causes to cease the results of our negative karma, and to take them in the path to enlightenment.”

Learn the next verse if you can [verse 97]: “Whatever appearances, bad or good, that arise—all the Dharma, whatever we do in life—take the essence and practice the five powers to transform them into the path to increase the two bodhicittas (the all-obscuring truth bodhicitta and the absolute truth bodhicitta). The essence is to always keep the mind in happiness.”

So, ask for blessings for this. Who are you asking? The guru.

With much love and prayer...