When the Lion Danced

One day a young woman came into the office for treatment and in the process of treatment told me the sad story of her life.  At a very young age her parents had abandoned her, and she was brought up by her grandmother.  She had met a young man, fell in love, and was looking forward to a future in the land of everlasting happiness.  But one day her boyfriend left her, and it was at this time that she developed physical symptoms accompanied by much pain.

            

 I was able to treat her physical symptoms, but she kept telling me she did not feel well.  Finally I told her I could do no more, and that perhaps her problem existed in the mind in which case she should be treated with ‘mind medicine.’  How can acupuncture help in a situation like that?   Yet I still wanted to help her.

            

 I remembered the Chinese adage: You think your kung fu is good, but if you travel in the mountains where the gangs who have stronger kung fu live, what will you do if you meet them?  Though you remember what your teacher taught you, it is not enough to serve you in that moment.  Suddenly you understand you must rise to the occasion and create something new, and in that moment of “something new” you surpass your teacher.

            

Thinking in this way, I pounded the table and told her, “Look! Now you are at the peak of your young life.  You are enjoying your golden days.  These are your best times!  So this guy gave you up – what if you had married him and had four or five kids and through hardship became unattractive to him?  Then he would have ended up leaving you anyway!”  She understood this point, her mind opened up, and she was able to let go of her painful past. She became better, and to celebrate her victory, I performed the Lion Dance.  She joined in just like a Kung Fu master beating out the sound of the gong and drum: ching, duck tung, ching…tung ching duck ching!