When one talks of spiritual healing many amazing stories come to mind. Who hasn’t heard of Jesus healing the sick, curing the lame and making them walk? You might of course turn around and say Jesus was God so he could do

anything. Not so long ago I happened to read the inspiring story of Pamban Swami (1848-1929), a scholar, poet and ardent devotee of Lord Karthikeya who attained samadhi in Chennai in the year 1929.
Six years before that Pamban Swami was run over by a tonga. His left ankle was very badly injured and he was admitted to the Government General Hospital in Chennai. The British surgeons saw very little hope in the bones healing and advised amputation.
Swami surrendered himself completely to his favourite God Karthikeya while the doctors went about the treatment. One of Swami’s devotees Chinna-swami who had unshakeable faith in the Shanmuga Kavacham (a powerful hymn composed by Pamban Swami for protection from illness and other dangers) read it nonstop. He had a vision of the spear of Lord Karthikeya entering Swa-mi’s ankle and healing it.
On the eleventh day Pam-ban Swami himself had a vision of two peacocks dan-cing (the vahan or mount of Lord Karthikeya) in front of him and the Lord as an infant lying by his side. Miraculously, the bones healed leaving even the British surgeons dumbfounded.
To what does one ascribe this miraculous healing? To faith, to prayer, to the divine spirit or divine grace as the British doctors put it?
Darwin Stephenson, contemporary spiritual teacher and author, recently recoun-ted his experience of tending to his mother who was critically ill and admitted to the ICU. While the doctors and nurses took care of her, for Darwin it was a moment of truth and the ultimate test of his faith. It left him wondering whether he was equal to the task.
Describing what happened he says, “As I held her hand, I felt a deep sensation move up my arm. Physically I would describe this feeling as a vibration but even that is too logical a description. Despite my mind’s though-ts, my body knew the truth. The truth is that we are all connected and the energy of “my body” and the energy of “my mother’s body” were only distinct and separate in my mind. In truth, we are one and this distinction is only a manifestation of the mind. I put my thoughts aside and instead focused on connecting to the energy that was flowing through my mother. I held her hand and I visualised the amazing things she would accomplish when she left the hospital. I drew energy from her and shared energy with her. I engaged her physical senses and I connected with her so I could heal her.” Though his mother still has a long road to traverse, Darwin reports that there has been improvement in his mother’s condition. The healing process had begun.
So to come back to where we started — from where do these great healers, these selfless souls, who can with a touch, glance or their very presence, facilitate miraculous cures, derive their power?
The answer is simple — from the Supreme of course, and their unwavering faith and the strength of their prayers. By remaining connected they have abundant positive energy flowing through them and around them. Besides, their minds are constantly refined by spiritual practices such as chanting, japa, meditation etc. The foods they eat, the ambience they live in, the company they keep, their personal habits — all contribute towards their evolution. Contrast this with some of our doctors. A friend recently complained that his surgeon chain-smoked!
One point to note is that the spiritually evolved know how not to dissipate their positive energy. Which is why they practice mouna (silence), speak less and listen more.
Can you and I also acquire powers to effect spiritual healing? Swami Parama-nanda has the answer, “There is only one ideal. That the divine can work wonders through us. Are we willing to give ourselves to that divine being? Are we willing to offer our hands, our mind, everything we possess, our every faculty and gift wholly without any thought of return? If we are, then even miracles of healing may be accomplished through us.”
If one is healing one’s self, it is worth bearing a couple of things in mind. Spiritual healing is a very powerful adjunct to medical treatment. In addition to unwavering faith, meditation is a great tool that one can use in spiritual healing. It calms the nerves and infuses one with a sense of peace and quiet. Which is crucial since many diseases originate in the mind. Equally important is breath control as the breath is the link between the mind and body.
The way an illness is borne makes a huge difference as well. My Reiki teacher always says that any pain or suffering is very cleansing. It is perhaps intended to prepare you for the next stage in your spiritual journey. If one learns to look upon an illness with this perspective and overcome one’s pre-occupation with the body, it perhaps makes it easier to cope with.
Finally, banish all negative thoughts. Like they say, faith begins where reason ends.