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Saturday, September 23, 2023

Two recent (potential) life and death experiences

Three weeks ago, I dreamt that I was a quarterback. I fumbled the ball and attempting to get the ball I fell out of bed on my head suffering a concussion, severe laceration and severe dislocation of my 5th cervical vertebrae. For five minutes my left arm was completely dead. I was in the hospital four days with severe (9/10) pain in my neck, not relieved by pain killers. Three days later I was doing a medical marijuana license for a 72 year old patient. He was a retired chiropractor. He told me about his nephew who was "the best chiropractor and acupuncturist in Oklahoma".I saw his nephew a few days later.He had at least 30 patients waiting to be seen. He did a lateral neck xray and we both saw the severe dislocation of the fifth vertebrae which they all missed in the hospital despite having done both a CT scan and MRI of the neck, failing to do a plain lateral x-ray of the cervical spine, the cornerstone of a traumatic injury to the cervical spine. Thanks to gentle and kind chiropractor, I can get some relief from the severe pain in the neck though certain mild and not so mild symptoms persist, thanks to the Gohonzon and Namu Myoho renge kyo, I am neither a quadriplegic nor dead.

Then, this week, my son was visiting from Florida. My best friend, wife and I did a powerful gongyo (Buddhist practice of chanting Namu Myoho renge kyo and two of the most important chapters of the Lotus Sutra). After gongyo, my wife was answering a few questions that my friend had about the faith and practice of our Buddhism and then we talked with my son. I went to buy some charcoal for our dinner. I always park with my high beams facing the grill. My wife and son didn't realize that I returned but my friend, out of the blue, got up to help me if needed. He opened the passenger seat car door as I was just about to get out to begin grilling and beneath the grill were two copperheads that I failed to see. My friend however saw them. My son had then come out and my friend asked my son if he had a gun. My son passed my friend his handgun and he shot and he killed the snakes. If my friend had not come out, I would have been bitten and with my kidney failure, here too, I might have died, My friend acted as a Buddhist god, protecting me thanks to our strong gongyo and faith in Namu Myoho renge kyo and the Gohonzon.

2 comments:

  1. but Dude, did you recover that fumble and win the game?....don't leave us in such suspense! A few years ago, the 7 foot center for the Portland Trailblazers, Bill Walton, was promoting his book about years of living with severe back pain, until that is, like yourself, he got good advice.....he found a good doctor, which Nichiren likewise advises. His story was so gut wrenching, i had to ask myself the question; could I have weathered such sleeplessness from pain and boldly challenged my practice and faith - to live through and achieve victory, so that I could encourage others as you have - kidney disease to boot. I have always maintained that we can end the pain at anytime......I just don't know the profound implications of ending your own life. The book: Back from the Dead....by Bill Walton https://www.amazon.com/s?k=bill+walton&i=stripbooks&crid=3HSJEE0Q8Y8QW&sprefix=bill+walton%2Cstripbooks%2C172&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

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