When I think of a particular patient, he or she calls me soon later. Giving a thought to somebody invites an “accidental” encounter with that somebody. This occurs to us quite often in our daily lives. The word “telepathy” means supposed communication of thoughts or ideas by means other than the known senses. It is said to have derived from Zen Buddhism, referring to transmitting its teachings from the mind of mentor to that of disciple.

I received a phone call last month from somebody. Her name did not ring a bell at first. Listening to her voice helped me remember who she was. The caller was a close senior friend of my friend. The last time we had seen each other was when we and some others had dinner together about eight years ago. Then I stopped hearing from her. She obviously had no knowledge at all about what I was doing as acupuncturist and where. On the phone, she told me that when she was struggling at the nadir of her hard life, I came up in her mind. She had looked for and found my address and phone number to contact me.

This is what she told me. Her husband’s multiple liver cancer had metastasized to the sacrum and he now was unable to walk. His doctor had declared how much longer he was expected to live, and advised him to leave the hospital and go home. Upon hearing this, I lost no time in rushing to the hospital. After listening to me in the hospital bed for a while, he decided to return to his home and get my acupuncture treatment, which I am now giving him on the basis of the advice given by my mentor, Mr. Rempu Fujimoto.

She and her husband are pleased that the treatment seems to be working. They place absolute trust in me. So much so that I owe them absolute gratitude in return. For the patient as well as for myself, the fact that we have thus encountered has a significant meaning. We must fight on together, giving everything to overcome the difficult situation. Our battle has just started.