Humility and Hospice

It occurs both in Medicine and in Reiki, that as we learn methods we have a tendency to think we have acquired "power." It is a special situation to work in Hospice, because here we have an awareness of our own lack of "power," and yet when we bring a sense of calm caring we find that those people who we cannot cure yet feel better from our presence.

Mrs Takata taught, it seems to me, a method of elegant simplicity, where we simply place our hands and let "Reiki" do the work.

If in some way we are capable of "connection" to a great source, (however we may name it), does it matter how much finite power, or energy, or vibrational level we ourselves have?

My Mom transitioned in April, and our tradition has us repeat on many occasions a "mourner's prayer." But the translation of this prayer (from the Hebrew to English) does not reflect at all on being in "mourning," it simply reflects praising and glorifying God's name, and giving thanks to the Creator of the Universe. This same prayer in a slightly differerent format is used almost as a "punctuation" to begin and end prayer services.

This is very much as a "doxology" in Christian faith, for example added to the "Lord's prayer" - "thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory." Some thought reflects this prayer as coming from Chronicles 1 - 29:11 and this specific prayer is utilized as well in the Jewish prayer sequence upon removal of the Torah Scrolls - the sheepskin scrolls upon which are written the 5 books of Moses - "Yours Lord is the greatness, the strength, the splendor, the triumph and the Glory."

In Chronicles, in context, what is occurring is that King David is dedicating the beginning of the building of the Temple in Jerusalem, and telling "the entire congregation" that all his successes and acts belong to the Creator. "For we are like sojourners before you."

Well - as physicians we are taught method, and in an evidence based way we use this method as best we can. With Reiki, we are taught a method, and we use this .....and in some places and in some times we can see incredible results and we can think that we accomplished something!

In Hospice we walk with much more humility. Our patient is with us because they have been "certified" as being beyond the scope of cure by evidence based medicine, and yet ...... we ..... and our patients, feel a positive benefit from our presence and our caring. Every so often - against all odds and for reasons we often do not understand, people rally and improve!!

When this happens, we may be wise to reflect that ours was not the power or the cure .........ours is a journey, and we strive to share the methods we have learned, and our caring and our presence. Sometimes we have the awesome joy and honor to be present when healing happens.