Unifying Medicine and Spirituality... A Surgeon's Perspective!
Spirituality (Meditation) and healing (Medicine) are probably so ancient, its hard to exactly trace their origin. Maybe something so integral with our existence, exists since our inception. You may be familiar with Sushruta Samhita...or may be not. It was a treatise on surgery written by Sushruta, a great ancient Indian surgeon, who is also known as the "founding father of surgery". Its said some of the procedures of modern plastic surgery (e.g. Rhinoplasty) derive their principles from his work. In the same book, I read a wonderful quote "Surgery is the highest form of healing". It inspires my imagination to unknown heights when I visualize this ancient yogi practicing surgery on the banks of river Ganges around 600 B.C.E. Its amazing and wonderful...
Ok, coming back to meditation and medicine. Since my childhood, I was fascinated by miraculous stories of healing and of yogis of the himalayas with magical healing powers. Who knows how much of it was true, but there is never any smoke without a fire. Even as imitation needs some original to be copied.. I understood that God or divine is the actual source, with these elevated souls acting as a channel or an instrument. Thus my constant search for that source, that principle, that energy that connection. It inspired me, amazed me, fascinated me...
If you think what a doctor or surgeon is actually doing is nothing.... (I don't mean to disregard all our hard work...don't take it literally).....I mean the essence. As a surgeon, I just provide the right environment for the body to heal, but the ultimate secret lies in the body itself. We may stitch a huge skin laceration in the most beautiful manner, but whether it heals with a minimal scar or it forms an ugly keloid (type of scar!!)... who knows...I agree you may predict to a certain degree depending on the genotype and the phenotype, what the probability is of excellent healing, but we have to remember that ultimately we do nothing... Or do we do something? I believe if the person performing the procedure is of an elevated level (spiritually), then the healing will be better. it provides a better environment...For lack of a better word.
Imagine if the surgeon is of such a level that the healing process starts automatically.......Something to think about till we meet next time..... Have a great day...