Illness and Purification

[RiverSnake]

I recently received a light flu and have coughing a bit and spitting up giant green louigies of phlegm a couple of times a day. I recently coughed up one that was about the size of my cell phone and thought too myself....."was this in my body before I was sick or after?".

 

Thus the question came to my mind.....can illness be a form of purification, can it help us get through stagnant phases in our practice, help relieve the body of toxins, and further our practice and possibly serve as a right of passage? Is there such a thing as holy illness?

 

Would like to hear others opinions and experiences on this?

 

My 2 cents, Peace

[GrandmasterP]

For sure.

Hence the Chinese are notorious spitters in public.

This latest virus doing the rounds ends up on the chest productively.

If you are getting rid of the lung oysters then you are on the mend.

[Flolfolil]

yeah pretty sure most if not all discomfort is the body doing something about it. That's why a lot of quick fix western medicine masks the symptoms instead of treating the root cause

[Harmonious Emptiness]

Some Native Americans say that you can come out a better person by overcoming an illness, I think one reason/way may be that the illness forces one to become more observant of their actions, talk less, conserve energy, avoid excess, and do things to boost the immune system or as some would say "raise the energy frequency" so that illness is no longer tolerated by the body.

 

It's quite amazing to see what goes on with a virus and how every body is like a planet with its functional species doing their part, unknowingly contributing to the health of the body they inhabit. From the earth perspective, I'm not sure how humans fit into this structure, but we seem to work like bacteria which is necessary to be in balance for proper health. What makes people good or bad bacteria though? Maybe, links to how when people are allowed free reign, they often become inconsiderate. As Confucius said "when trees grow up amongst other trees they grow straight and tall." Then being out of harmony with our environment, social or biological, we can get eliminated if we forget humility and virtue or doing our part within that environment. Purification of virtue raises the energy frequency and thus the immune system as well. Dao in action.

[RiverSnake]

yeah pretty sure most if not all discomfort is the body doing something about it. That's why a lot of quick fix western medicine masks the symptoms instead of treating the root cause

Indeed, this is one of the major differences between the medical paradigms of east and west. The way they approach treating is completely different. So many people in the west are knocked up on medical drugs In order to treat the symptoms erathe than the deeper causes.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

[C T]

Illness can be a good time to lessen fixations of ego, according to some teachers.

 

For example, instead of directing the focus on the desire to get well, use this phase to practice sending healing to those who are also ill, with the intent that you alone should bear the pains and discomfort on their behalf, that they may then enjoy the causes of good health without limitations.

 

This goes against the grain of ego fixations, and is a great practice to expand the heart. If one can practice in this way, then conventions, boundaries and contractive fears can all be dissolved. By gaining familiarity with this state, eventually the body no longer feels the need to get ill. It (the body) may get old in time, but this aging becomes a process of joyous refinement and appreciation, rather than compounded neuroticism which breeds loathing and fears.

 

Not saying to get ill on purpose. By all means, do the necessary to get well, but in the interim, can do the above as a practice.

 

The ego will scream and kick at first, "NOOOOO, this is wrong...", but who is the master?

[RiverSnake]

Illness can be a good time to lessen fixations of ego, according to some teachers.

 

For example, instead of directing the focus on the desire to get well, use this phase to practice sending healing to those who are also ill, with the intent that you alone should bear the pains and discomfort on their behalf, that they may then enjoy the causes of good health without limitations.

I remember in the book Magus of Strovolos the mystic would take on other people's illnesses/karma in order that it wouldn't kill them.

 

My 2 cents, Peace