Pinched Nerve
An old student had been experiencing great pain in her body, and lost feeling in her feet, because of a pinched nerve in her back. Rinpoche wrote this card for her.
My very dear Agnetha,
I am sorry about the other day. I meant to come down to speak to you, but I got distracted. Thank you very much for coming, I am very happy to have met with you again.
I am sorry about all the pain you have. As I said in the past, this is very powerful purification of negative karma that normally would be experienced in the hell realms for many years. Even this life’s pain, this little pain, is nothing compared to the suffering of what is experienced in the hell realms.
What I mentioned to you before is to use this to develop bodhicitta, loving kindness, and compassion toward others, who are so many in number. If you can do tong-len practice, the practice of taking and giving, then every time you experience pain it brings you closer to enlightenment. This is the way your sickness brings you to enlightenment. Each time you experience suffering for others, taking on the suffering of others and giving your merit and happiness to others, you are collecting so much merit. Try to think, “I am experiencing this pain on behalf of all sentient beings, so that they can have all happiness, up to enlightenment.”
Most of the time, think like this. That way, each time you will be experiencing pain for all other sentient beings, and through this you collect so much merit. So, use your pain to practice developing bodhicitta, as much as you can.
Thank you very much for making the beautiful garden, which you started. I dedicate all the merit from making offerings of all these flowers, and the results, to you. Here is a Lama Tsongkhapa statue for you, and a small Buddha.
With much love and prayer...