Choi Jungmi | Busan, South Korea
I am Choi Jungmi from South Korea’s Haeundae Bodhi Meditation Center. I had my first experience with spontaneous fasting during this Health & Happiness Retreat. Initially, I did not know that I was fasting. I had some food and immediately felt bloated and uncomfortable, and I had the sensation that something was stuck in my chest. While practicing “The Meditation of Greater Illumination,” I recalled Grandmaster JinBodhi’s teachings about compassion and love. I realized that I should be compassionate and loving towards my karmic creditors and those whom I have hurt in the past, and that I should repent for the wrongs that I have done to them. I decided to make light offerings for them after the meditation. To my surprise, the discomfort in my chest disappeared immediately after I had these thoughts.
During the fasting period, I did not eat at night. To help me sleep better, I practiced “The Meditation of Bone Melting.” I started my practice at 2:40 a.m., and when I opened my eyes, it was already past 5 in the morning. Time flew by so fast while I was practicing.
Normally, if a person skips multiple meals, they might feel hungry or dizzy, but I did not feel that at all during my period of spontaneous fasting. I only had water the next day but was still full of energy. I felt healthier and happier during this period, more so than usual.
I recalled the experience shared previously by a fellow practitioner about how her toenails grew back after the retreat. At that time, I did not relate that to my athlete’s foot problem. It was only later, while I was putting on my socks, that I realized that the athlete’s foot that had plagued me for more than 30 years had disappeared! I had been taking medication and applying ointments daily all this time, but that had not helped much. Unexpectedly, the problem disappeared during this retreat!
I am truly grateful for Grandmaster’s compassion, which gave me a new life.
(Note: The effects of meditation vary from person to person.)
