The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.114).

TZU CHI 114 53 * This article is extracted from the book “Reminders under the Sala Trees – A Commentary on the Sutra of the Buddha’s Bequeathed Teachings”. REMINDERS UNDER THE SALA TREES ankle is completely smashed. I’ll figure out how to use other bones to take its place.” The patient was very grateful to the doctor for not amputating her foot and thus avoiding the threat of becoming disabled for life. Director Chen went to see her every day and changed her dressings for her. Her husband said, “I’ve never seen such a good doctor. Every day, when he changes dressings for her, he gently lifts up her foot and bends down to smell the wound in order to determine whether it is infected—if it becomes infected, it will smell bad. One day I went to the nurse’s station to ask Director Chen when the second surgery would be performed. The doctor stood in front of the x-ray plate looking at the image of my wife’s ankle bone; he was so fully focused on analysing the image that he looked like an old monk in Samadhi. I did not have the heart to disturb him. Half an hour later, he sighed and turned around, and when he saw me he said, ‘I keep analysing how to repair her foot.’” Not long after this, her husband wanted his wife to spend a few days away from the hospital and took her home. Upon arriving in the outpatient clinic, he again saw the doctor studying that x-ray image. The husband remarked, “He is truly putting in his utmost effort. Whether in the outpatient clinic or at the nurse station, he always carries that image with him and studies it intently.” Usually, when the patient is suffering physically, the family of the patient is suffering mentally, and the doctor who treats the patient is suffering due to the difficulty of the case. However, our doctors consider treating patients as the “Samadhi of treatment”. They believe that when they have a patient’s case in their hands, they must fully concentrate on curing the patient. This “Samadhi of treatment” also brings about the joy of meditation. When a patient has a good doctor, his or her physical suffering is reduced, and he or she will also feel emotionally comforted. Likewise, the patient’s family feels warm and happy. Such true affection is what brings life value, and it is truly touching to see. There are even patients who say, “It’s well worth having this injury!” This is what it means to turn the wheel of suffering around in their hearts. I often say that people and matters help us in our spiritual practice. When we have such a pure and refreshing state of mind, what is there in the world to take issue with? It is said, “Only when we understand the cause of suffering can we cut off the source of suffering.” We must turn the wheel of suffering before we can truly turn the wheel of the Dharma. (To be continued in the next issue)