(Minghui.org) After almost three decades of practicing traditional Chinese medicine in China, Dr. Helen never imagined that she would be practicing medicine in the West, and much less did she imagine that traditional Chinese medicine would be so well-received in Western society.
Actually, in Northern Europe, traditional Chinese medicine is held in high regard, including its herbal and acupuncture treatments. Traditional Chinese medicine greatly differs from Western medicine in its philosophy – it is a dialectical therapy, and rather than focusing on treating symptoms it looks for the root cause of an illness. Dr. Helen always explains this difference to her new patients.
Popularity of Chinese Medicine in Northern Europe
In Europe, Chinese medicine is not covered by public healthcare, and patients must pay out of pocket for these services. Nevertheless, this does not deter people from seeking traditional Chinese treatments.
When Dr. Helen has a new patient, she introduces Chinese medicine culture to them. The premise of Chinese medicine is to safeguard the human body. Chinese medicine does not operate by killing germs or eliminating toxins, but by using herbs to balance the body’s innate life forces of yin and yang, with the objective of restoring the body’s natural state of health. Acupuncture directly opens up the flow of qi in the body, so that it moves freely without obstacles and follows the qi flow of Heaven and Earth, to achieve harmony between the human body and nature.
Most of Dr. Helen's patients are well off financially. When discussing the doctor-patient relationship, she shares that many of her patients have become her good friends. Some see her for traditional Chinese treatments, while others come to ultimately learn about the spiritual practice of Falun Dafa, which Dr. Helen has been practicing for many years.
I recently caught up with Dr. Helen, and she shared with me the story of her latest patient.
A European Patient's Health Improvement
Mr. Karlsson (not the patient's actual name), who is in his 40s, is a computer engineer in a Scandinavian company. He had eye pain for over three years, with the symptoms being worse in his left eye. In particular, looking at computer monitors would aggravate the pain. His eye doctor could not diagnose the problem, and despite trying various treatments for three years, Mr. Karlsson's condition failed to improve.
His eye doctor suggested that he see a traditional Chinese physician to try acupuncture, and recommended Dr. Helen. While Mr. Karlsson had heard of Chinese medicine’s efficacy in curing difficult and complex diseases, he did not know much about Chinese medicine. Nevertheless, he decided to give it a try.
During his first visit, he appeared anxious and depressed. As Dr. Helen learned about his eye condition and was provided a detailed health history, she gained a better idea of his medical problem.
His pulse reflected signs of emotional depression, and she assumed that he suffered from sleep deprivation. His tongue had a thick coating, which reflected stomach problems. When she told him her findings and deductions, he was amazed at her insights.
He acknowledged that he suffered from severe insomnia and depression, and no longer liked to socialize. He was married to a Thai woman and they had a 10-year-old son, and his only source of relaxation was playing ball with his son on weekends. In addition, his stomach was upset after meals.
Dr. Helen first performed acupuncture to stabilize and clear his meridian channels. Within 30 minutes of the first acupuncture session, Mr. Karlsson responded with greater muscle relaxation.
To help him understand his problems, she explained that his eye condition and depression arose from liver insufficiency and that his gastritis was due to inadequate secretion of gastric acid, which Western medicine terms atrophic gastritis. Given his current condition, she estimated it would take about three months of treatments before he would see notable improvement in his condition.
Mr. Karlsson was a good listener and would accept those explanations that made sense to him. Like many Northern Europeans, he was always respectful and well-mannered. Whenever he underwent his weekly acupuncture sessions, he would feel more relaxed and comfortable.
After four sessions of acupuncture, his health had significantly improved. His eyes became less painful, and he was more cheerful and talkative. He and Dr. Helen interacted like friends, and he was always happy to visit the clinic.
Introducing Falun Dafa and Applying Cultivation Standards in Daily Life
Over the course of his therapy, Dr. Helen introduced the book Zhuan Falun to Mr. Karlsson and suggested that he read it daily. She explained that this book was very helpful in improving the mind and body. He began to read it once he got home.
Thereafter, he would bring new topics to discuss with Dr. Helen at his follow-up visits. Many of them were related to cultivation practice.
Once, he called and asked if he could come to the clinic. On arrival, he explained that he was in a dilemma. His wife’s sister had asked to borrow some money and he wondered if he would not be compassionate if he did not lend it.
“Are you unwilling to lend her the money?” asked Dr. Helen, “Or are you worried that she won’t return it?”
He responded, “That’s right! She has borrowed money from me many times, and has not returned a single cent of it.”
Dr. Helen answered, “You can decide for yourself if you should lend her the money or not. If you want to, you can lend her the money. But if you decide not to, it’s not your fault either, because she has already lost your trust. Does that make sense?”
Mr. Karlsson looked very relieved and said, “I feel much better after listening to you. I always worry about whether I have reached the standard of compassion.”
Falun Dafa Restored Health
After three months of treatment, Dr. Helen examined Mr. Karlsson's tongue again. She was surprised to find that it looked normal. Generally, a condition like his would require two years of treatment to recover. It was incredible! She knew that he had recovered not as a result of her medical treatment but because of Falun Dafa.
She said, “Your health has been restored. You no longer need to see me. If you continue to study the Fa and practice the Falun Dafa exercises, your body will be restored to its very best state.”
While this was unexpected and great news, Mr. Karlsson seemed reluctant to cease the regular treatments, and continued to see Dr. Helen for “psychological counseling.”
Applying the Falun Dafa Standards
Later, Mr. Karlsson spoke of another issue that bothered him. His company had reassigned him to a different job that did not require long hours in front of a computer monitor, and his boss had also increased his wages. This made him feel uneasy; he thought it didn’t make sense for him to be paid more to do less work!
He wondered that if he was given something he did not deserve, would he accumulate karma, and if so, should he refuse the increase in wages.
Dr. Helen asked, “Do you have greater responsibility in your new job?” He responded in the affirmative.
She said, “In that case, haven’t you been promoted to a managerial position? If so, your boss trusts you because your new position is an important one. That’s why you were given a raise. It’s something that you deserve!”
He asked, “Do you think that Master Li [the founder of Falun Dafa] is looking after me?”
She replied without hesitation, “Of course! When Master Li sees that your thoughts are pure and that you constantly hold yourself to Dafa's principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, how can he not look after you?”
He told her that reading Zhuan Falun is something he does daily, and he thinks about the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in everything he does.
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