About a week after his stroke, Yoshio started the rehabilitation process. It was frustrating to not have control over his body. It was as if it was not his own. It made him realize how much of a blessing it had been to be able to move one’s own body. “I thought about what else I was taking for granted.”
At night, Yoshio listened to recordings of lectures by Master Ryuho Okawa over and over again.
“Everything will appear just as it is envisioned in our minds.Humans are spiritual beings and are able toeventually manifest what we think of in our minds.Therefore, is it important that we train ourselvesto strongly envision how and what we would like to becomein the future and paint pictures of our future in our minds.Through such discipline, these things will become possible in reality.” – by Master Ryuho Okawa Miraculous Ways to Conquer Cancer, pg35 Listening to Master Okawa’s lectures gave Yoshio the mystical feeling of his soul being raised up to a divine world of angels always watching over us. His mind was filled a sense of peace and hope. “I can do this. There will be a way,” he thought.
Supported by faith, he worked through the rehab program. At first, it was a struggle to even get up by himself. But day by day, the range of motion of his arms and legs increased. The rehab exercises were upgraded daily. The speed with which he was recovering surprised even his doctor. In just a month since he was hospitalized, he had recovered enough to be able to stand and walk on his own, so he was transferred out to a rehabilitation center. He felt blessed by El Cantare.
Yoshio right before he was transferred out to the rehabilitation center.
His right side had recovered quite to the point of both his left
and right side being able to hold the same pose.
“When we fall ill, we need to make an effort to fight against the illness itself.We need to give ourselves a period of recuperation to heal our body andmake other kinds of efforts too. But please do not fight the fact that you fell ill. When a problem arises in your life, please calmly accept it as one amongothers in your workbook of life — the one that is being given to you to face right now.” – by Master Ryuho Okawa Worry-free Living, pg161 Leading an orderly life at the rehab center made Yoshio reflect on how his life before the stroke consisted of a diet high in salt and calories. He had not been exercising much and was often surfing the internet late into the night, sometimes not getting to bed until 3am.
“How did I think I could keep living like that even in my sixties…?”
In his work, he had a bad habit of putting off projects until the last minute. In order to meet deadlines, he would get documents and other materials ready in a mad rush, often pulling all-nighters to do so. This had become his habit.
“Why was I working in that way…?”
As Yoshio delved deeper into his mind, he discovered “sloth” – a dislike of planning and being diligent. He discovered “conceit” – the belief that he can put it off and still get it done. He also found “pride” – feeling that being able to complete the job at the last minute proved that he was good at what he does, and feeling boastful about it.
“I’m nothing but a tengu, a long-nosed creature that only thinks of himself, his success, and of boasting of it… Master Okawa teaches us to correct such ways and try to make selfless efforts. I thought I was practicing his teachings, but it took getting a stroke to squarely see how I had been living…”
“You may now be feeling like you’re suffering in the crucible of hell,but this is often the work of a great compassion that is encouragingyour soul to grow stronger and to alchemize into pure gold” – by Master Ryuho Okawa Worry-free Living, pg161 Yoshio felt that illness was a chance to change the way he was living.
The deeper Yoshio’s self-reflection and gratitude became, the more he began to see the world around him differently.
For example, when he looked at the other patients at the center going through their rehab, he felt a surge of empathy. He felt a strong desire to see them succeed. He became very proactive in greeting them, asking about how they were, and talking to them.
“Even if it’s a brief exchange, it made me happy to see them smile. It gave me energy.”
During his stay at the rehab center, the doctors and various specialists began to talk to him about their personal issues at work and at home. Yoshio would use all the teachings he learned in his thirty years studying Happy Science to share what he could. It brought him joy to see them smiling again.
In just a month since transferring to the rehab center, Yoshio recovered to the point of being no different from an able-bodied person and was discharged from the center.
