I've discovered the true meaning of 'ki' in 'illness comes from the mind'
Once you pass 60, there isn't a day that goes by without thinking about your health. If I wake up with a sore lower back, I wonder, 'Is it because I replaced the screen door yesterday?' and if my stomach feels a bit off, the thought, 'I hope it's not some serious illness,' crosses my mind. Especially since I have experienced colon cancer. When I was young, health was like the air—something I took for granted—but as I've aged, I've come to deeply appreciate the value of that air. Thinking about such things yesterday, a Buddhist monk's sermon appeared on my social media feed. Today, I want to share the story of what I realized from that talk.
The true meaning of 'those who believe shall be saved'?
The theme of the sermon was,
'Those who believe shall be saved'
—a phrase everyone has heard at least once.
To be honest, I have always felt a bit bothered whenever I heard this phrase.
Are only those who believe saved, and those who don't, not?
It feels a bit unfair.
However, the monk's story was not that simple.
It was an episode about a conversation between a head priest and a doctor.
The doctor asks,
'Are even bad people who believe in neither God nor Buddha saved?'
Then the priest asked a question in return.
'If a patient is sick but won't take their medicine, won't stop overeating or drinking, and won't quit smoking, yet tells you, "You're a doctor, so cure me," what would you do, Doctor?'
The doctor replies,
'That's impossible. First, the person themselves must change their lifestyle.'
The priest reportedly said,
'Exactly. No matter how much of a helping hand is extended, it is meaningless if the person themselves does not realize it.'
I see.
I found myself frozen, still holding my smartphone.
'Ki' might actually mean 'awareness'
For a long time,
'Illness comes from the mind'
has been a common saying.
But what exactly is this 'mind' (ki)?
Spirit?
Energy?
Willpower?
That was the vague image I had of it.
However, while listening to a sermon yesterday, it suddenly occurred to me.
Perhaps,
'awareness'
is what that 'ki' refers to.
When you get sick, you listen to what the doctor says.
You review your lifestyle habits.
You change your diet.
You start exercising.
You improve your sleep.
That is how you begin to walk the path to recovery.
But what is needed before that is,
'I cannot go on like this'
realizing that.
If you do not realize it, your actions will not change.
If your actions do not change, the results will not change either.
It sounds like such an obvious thing, yet it strangely resonated with me.
I didn't realize it in the past either
Looking back, I was being quite reckless before I developed colon cancer.
I used being busy as an excuse to cut back on sleep.
I kept drinking beer as usual, and my diet was haphazard.
Exercise was always something I'd start 'tomorrow'.
And that tomorrow never seemed to come.
It was a lifestyle that felt like playing tag with the god of dieting.
And it was only after my body started screaming that I finally realized.
Ah, my body had been sending me signs all along.
Thinking about it that way, the illness itself wasn't the villain,
but perhaps it was a message saying,
'Please, it's time to take notice.'
Of course, it's better not to be ill.
But what you learn from it is surprisingly significant.
【Past Article Introduction】
I need to exercise for my health. I need to watch what I eat. I need to go to bed early. Even while thinking that, before I know it, another day has ended just like the last. Actually, the reason many people can't maintain healthy habits isn't because they have 'weak willpower.' Here are tips for healthy habits that are easy to keep up!
▶ Is effort the reason you can't get healthy? A doctor teaches fully automatic health techniques
Realization isn't just about health
Interestingly, this story isn't just about health.
It's the same with work.
It's the same with relationships.
It's the same with money.
Even if someone gives you advice, nothing will change unless you realize it yourself.
Books are the same way.
Even when reading the same book, it resonates with some people and not with others.
Perhaps the difference lies not in knowledge, but in whether one is prepared to notice.
Thinking of it that way, life is like a journey of collecting realizations.
And as we grow older, that journey becomes unexpectedly interesting.
Summary of today
I thought about this after listening to yesterday's sermon.
Perhaps the helping hand of the Buddha is not a special miracle.
It could be someone's words,
a passage in a book,
a word from family,
or even a physical ailment.
There are many hints for realization placed all around us.
But if we do not try to see, we cannot see them.
If we do not try to listen, we cannot hear them.
That is why,
'Illness comes from the mind'
the 'ki' (mind/spirit) in that phrase,
is the 'ki' of 'kizuki' (realization).
I thought that such an interpretation is not bad at all.
Today, I received another new realization.
Thank you.
With my hands pressed together in my heart, I ended the day.
Come to think of it, the 10-minute walk I started for my health.
I think I will at least walk properly for 10 minutes today.
……Maybe.