Through more than two cathartic years of meditation, I became healthy and mended my relationship with my son.
Knee Pain
In 1986, I went abroad to pursue my dreams. After years of hard work, I finally had a stable life. In 2015, when I thought it was time to take life at a more leisurely pace, my knee suddenly started to hurt. My legs felt heavy when I walked. When I climbed the stairs, I had to hold on to the railings or someone’s hand for support. Often, I had to call a cab to get around.
Mother-Son Estrangement
However, nothing compares to the pain of the separation of mother and child. To realize my dream of going abroad, I put my son, who was less than a year old at the time, in the care of a friend until he was 17. Then I brought him to live with me in Canada. Due to our long periods of separation, we were not close. There seemed a thick barrier between us. I bought him expensive gifts in attempts to improve our relationship, but he coldly rejected all my expressions of affection.
After my son got married, I became the proud grandma of two children. However, my son would not allow me to get close to them. I bought snacks for them, but he would not let his children have them. When I called or texted him, he would not pick up the call nor reply me. I felt as if my heart were repeatedly stabbed by a knife. This must be the greatest pain in the world.
Obsessive Gambling
I had a dark secret – gambling. When I moved abroad, I pursued success and focused on getting ahead of the crowd. I reached my goal but lost my sense of purpose. With no sense of the direction of my life, I fell into gambling. My life was turned upside down. I was a mess.
Walking and Climbing With Ease
A former classmate introduced me to Bodhi Meditation. I was indeed fortunate to meet Grandmaster JinBodhi at Vancouver Bodhi Meditation Center in October 2017. I asked Grandmaster about my knee pain. He said that I might have rheumatoid arthritis and suggested that I practice Energy Bagua. Since then, I’ve practiced an hour a day. After a month, there were no feelings of heaviness in my legs as I walked.
The following month, I participated in the 8.5-Day Health & Happiness Retreat. On the second day, my whole body felt itchy, as if there were countless bugs crawling on me. I even dreamed of bugs crawling out of my body. However, upon waking, my body did not itch. Instead, I felt particularly comfortable. In the days that followed, I often found wet footprints under my feet during the closing exercises of the meditation practice. I believed this was one of the cleansing effects of meditation.
I continued practicing Energy Bagua and The Meditation of Greater Illumination. A year later, in November 2018, I returned to Hong Kong. My knees were no longer in pain. I could walk and climb stairs with ease and comfort.
An End to Gambling
In October 2017, I participated in a retreat in Toronto. Grandmaster JinBodhi said during class that diseases and pain come from greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt. Grandmaster’s profound words jolted me. Why had I become full of those negativities? Life is short, so why was I wasting my time on gambling instead of doing meaningful things?
Strangely, after the retreat I had no thoughts of gambling despite messages from friends asking me to join them at their casino sessions. I did not waver at all.
Son’s Change of Heart
After the retreat, what surprised me most was the transformation of my son. During the retreat, I got a blessed necklace for him. When I gave it to him, he accepted it and invited me to stay at his house for a few days. Words could not describe how happy I was.
From that day onward, our mother-son relationship was on the mend. Though there were conflicts occasionally, I understood the virtues of empathy and tolerance and tried hard to apply them to our relationship. Gradually, our relationship improved further. When I was busy with volunteer work at the center or meditation practices and did not contact him, he would take the initiative to call and show his care. I could finally be with my two grandchildren, whom I often bring to the center.
Serve With Gratitude
The changes I experienced were beyond my imagination. After more than two years of meditation practices, I am healthier and live a meaningful life. Most importantly, I’ve forged a precious relationship with my son. I express my heartfelt gratitude to Bodhi Meditation by serving with love and dedication.
The intent of the testimonial is to offer wellness information of a general nature. Individual results of practice may vary.
