(Warm-hearted cherry blossoms)

Cherry blossoms in full bloom heal and warm up our hearts, especially when we feel down. As I passed under them today, I spontaneously uttered, “All of you are splendid doctors!” I cannot help mentioning especially the beautiful row of cherry trees near the
Kwansei Gakuin University campus in Nishinomiya.
It was recently introduced on TV that a Mr. Hayashi had planted the saplings about 40 years ago, which cost him a lot. So, these cherry trees tell us about Mr. Hayashi’s warm heart. I’m sure that is why these cherry trees strike a chord in our hearts.

(Mutual trust and warm heart)
I remember hearing somebody say some years ago, “Why do cherry blossoms bloom? It’s not only because of the arrival of the right season. Flowers bloom because they want to bloom and there are people who want them to bloom. Blooming comes from the meeting of hearts between the watched and the watchers.” From these words, I found the source of the Japanese heart that loves cherry trees. And it tells us about the relationship between patients and doctors, too. Patients want to get well and doctors want to help them get well. This mutual meeting of mind and heart between patients and doctors is the base of the healing process of any health problems. What would happen if this relationship were lost? Even the best medicines or cutting-edge medical technologies would lose their effect, and even curable diseases would not be cured. It should be added that language has a great influence on our heart and mind.

(Delicate balance)
These days I have come to realize the delicate balance of feelings between patient (who wants to be cured) and therapist (whose job it is to help to cure). Patients should not be too “dependent” on therapists; nor should the therapists be obsessed with their profession of “curing.” Curing comes from both sides. The balance between the two will be lost if either side gets obsessed with their own desires. It is born of the determination of the therapist to “cure” and the strong will of the patient to get well. Unfortunately, however, it is very difficult to expect this positive mindset, especially among patients who are an anorectic, excessive eater, sufferer of depression or severe victim of atopy. In this way, our mind plays big roles in causing or healing various medical problems. To be sure, those who suffer from sickness must learn patience in order to successfully cope with the problem. But, from the viewpoint of those who are on the curing side, stronger patience is required of them than of patients.

(My mother’s patience)
My late mother was an active therapist in the field of acupuncture and moxibustion for five decades. Actually, she was a rather impatient and quick-tempered person in general household work. But when it came to attending to her patients, she was an amazingly different person with tremendous patience. She even made us wonder which person was attending to which. Thus, the more serious the case is, the better care of health is required on both sides.
Attending only to the physical side of the patient demands nothing very complex. But the ability to deal with the physical and mental sides of the patient equally well is called for on the part of the therapist. If the therapist lacks this ability, the patient can hardly expect to be successfully cured. In this respect, I’m learning much from facing various patients, especially ones fighting against a serious case. Strong spiritual power is absolutely important to be a successful therapist. In other words, strong mental power is essential to achieve a victory over health problems. In this sense, my mother was an absolute winner against her own disease.

I would like to say to the people who have fought and died of sickness and also to those who are still struggling that they should feel proud of their hard experience, because this precious experience enables them to soothe the heart and mind of the people around them just like the lively cherry blossoms that have endured and prevailed over the severity of the cold winter.