My right wrist was very sore, with its tendons feeling tight. It’s a reoccurring occupational hazard due to heavy mouse usage while forgetting to move the wrist enough to relax. The pain was agonising and unbearable. Massotherapy (推拿）didn’t work well the day before and I decided to try acupuncture. After a few minutes of examining my hand, the physician, like a worried mother explained why exercising and relaxing every now and then is important.
With precision and speed, she poked three needles onto the troubled areas after locating and disinfecting them. As the first needle penetrated into my skin, I felt a sharp pain, followed. As quickly as the soreness was literally pinpointed, it also gushed out like a massive flood and dissipated. That moment was liberating!
This experience reminded me of the Buddha’s teachings. With his perfect guidance and with our sincere and diligent practice, many were able to obtain Arhantship. Some were even liberated in mere moments. The Buddha, being the finest physician with acute precision, was able to offer the best possible ‘medicine’ to heal Samara’s ailments.
Although the Buddha had passed into Parinirvana about 2,500 years ago, we are the lucky few who are able to learn the Buddhadharma, with extensive exposure to its three main traditions. The choice is always ours. Either that we suffer on needlessly, or take the right medicine to be cured as soon as possible. Well… unless you think staying in Samara isn’t a problem. Or are you like me, not being able to see it as a problem until you experience pain… again?