hrough spiritual practices, one can find strength to continue the journey of life
Always be associated with people who are good at heart. This is what Swami Vivekananda said.My mother shares her birthday with Swami Vivekananda who was born on 12th January 1863. Association, Sangha, and Satsang were her strong points. She nurtured strong bonds with all religious faiths and spiritually inclined people.She wanted to pursue medicine but life did not take that trajectory instead she became a qualified medical social worker.She used to tell patients and their children, ‘Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.’ Thus, patients afflicted with TB, but not bedridden, participated in the projects. This was what she called ‘Diversionary Therapy’.
The TB Hospital became a unique template for the methods adopted by doctors, para-medic staff, social workers, government bodies and NGOs, all to contribute to the rehabilitation of the patients.Climate changes, civilizations collapse, governments change political affiliations alter and even the best possible model collapses. This is inevitable. As Buddha says, ‘The only permanent thing in life is impermanence.’ The lofty objectives were not approved by a new set of hospital administrators and the beacon of hope collapsed but she tried hard with a robust mindset. This was extremely traumatic for my mother and she became a patient of Paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia (PAT). This is a type of arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat).