226: Living Bodhisattva – the Story of My Son Zhang Boyao

“The great mercy and ability of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche saved my son.” I never knew the law of cause and effect, until I met Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. I opened my mind to the greatness of Buddhism, because Rinpoche saved my son at critical point between life and death. Thus I sought refuge beneath Rinpoche to learn and cultivate the Buddha’s teachings wholeheartedly.

My first meeting with Rinpoche was on September 2, 2006. In August of 2006 I asked a fortuneteller to name my new company, and, by the way, to predict my family luck of the year. Seeing the fate diagram of my son, he said, “your son had better be an adopted son of a deity, or he will come upon misfortunes.” I was in alarm by his words. This reminded me that when he was born 7 years ago, I asked two fortunetellers to name to him, they proposed several names. Since there happened to be one is identical, so I took it, Chang Boyao, as my son’s name. Coincidentally, both of them told me, “Do not let your son visit a temple to worship Buddha before 7 years old. When he is at the age of 7, you should implore a deity to be his adopted father, for blessing his life and growth.” (I did not quite believe what they said, so I didn’t tell it to my wife in detail. My mother-in-law took my son to temples from time to time. Recent years, they went to the temples of Yit-Kuan Tao.)

My son used to be feeble and got ill easily. He started to have nosebleed and nightmares very often after attending the Amitabha Consciousness Transmission Great Puja conducted by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in August, 2006. (He said that the White and Black messengers from underworld come to him. My son was so timid that we never tell him a ghost story. To our surprise, he had such ghastly dreams.) Besides, he often quarreled and fought with classmates. Being a trouble in class, his teacher seemed to hope my son to transfer to other schools. Everything seemed to go wrong at that time. After discussed with my father, I decided to pray at the temple of the Land God in Kuantzuling. But my wife disagreed that. One of her old schoolmate (Ms. Jiang) taking refuge in Buddha by the Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. She admired Rinpoche’s superior ability frequently about his merits and virtues to save many people from pain. And both of us attended “the Great Indiscriminated Amitabha’s Terma Puja for Transferring Consciousness” held and performed by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche last and this year, the great puja attended by 5 and 10 thousand people. My wife has great admiration and esteem for Rinpoche. She insisted going up north to beg for an interview with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Thus we came to the Jewelry Shop in Taipei where Rinpoche receiving people in distress. I saw crowded people as entering the shop – some in wheelchairs and some supported walking by others. Rinpoche answered queries and blessed everyone patiently. After a long waiting, it was our turn.

Kneeling down before Rinpoche, he asked kindly, “what do you come here for?” I said that I came for my son’s health. Rinpoche observed my son and said, “Your father and grandfather made a heavy karma of killing, especially killing frogs.” (I was astonished, for my father bragged about his childhood talent at catching frogs just a few days ago. He went to the stream to catch a bucket of frogs every day when he was a young boy. Sometimes he had just too many frogs, so he gave some to neighbors. He even enumerated five ways to cook and eat frogs, “they are good to eat and good for health.”) “Did you do this, too?” Rinpoche asked me. “I am poor in catching frogs. I got none of them,” I said in slightingly. Rinpoche instructed displeased, “To have an intention of killing is even more sinful than to do it.” It was silly of me to say so. (Later my wife told me that she was worried to see Rinpoche’s concerning expression.) Then he turned to my wife and said, “Enlighten your husband more. He does not believe in the law of cause and effect. Come to me after he knows it. Come to my pujas and your son would lead to good health naturally.” My wife was moved to tears and missed the words of attending pujas. I just thought about going to Land God the next day. Thus we did not register to join the next puja.

We felt hungry after leaving the Jewelry Shop, so we went to a buffet restaurant for a fest. My wife called schoolmates to reunion. My son and I were so hungry that we could eat a horse! But we were not feeling well and stopped eating after finished only a plate of food. So we left for hotel. My son had stomachache as soon as he entered the room. I gave him two tablets of medicine and went to bed in headache. When it was almost 9 o’clock, my son woke me up because he was vomiting. I called for the room service and spent some time cleaning it up. (My wife was worried about this and told Ms. Jiang every detail our meeting with Rinpoche by the gate of the hotel.) I went to sleep again when my wife returned.

At two o’clock in the morning, my wife woke me up. My son had stomachache again and started to have fever. I carried him right away to the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital nearby. At first, the diagnosis was “Gastroenteritis” and my son was given an intravenous drip and anti-inflammatory injection. My wife stayed there to take care of him. I went back to hotel again. I was fully prepared to return Tainan at dawn. My wife called me at 7 o’clock to tell me that my son restored and chattered pleasantly with the doctor on duty. (Now I recalled, the scene was fearful. It seemed to be the sudden spurt activity just before my son’s collapse.)

When it was about 8 o’clock, my son had high fever again, complaining of a stomachache. My wife sent a text message to Jiang and called me to go to hospital immediately. Three doctors were holding a consultation anxiously because the doctors were handing over to next shift at 8:30). My naughty and energetic son lost his wits all of a sudden. His face paled and he was staring at an “electric meter” in front of the bed. He had lost consciousness with a high fever of 40 degrees. The doctors diagnosed that the patient was critical. The first aid was given at once. Ice pillow, suppositoria, and any possible means to lower temperature were adopted, but all were in vain. Moreover, my son was seized with a cramp for 20 minutes. The doctors became nervous. Jiang came at this moment,. Stealthily, she put a nectar pill in my son’s mouth. Then the cramp stopped. The pediatrician called an internist and a neurologist to hold consultation. The initial judgment was made as “Acute Encephalitis” — the patient’s condition is critical. He needs to transfer to Chang Gung Medical Center or ICU and get better treatment. At the time of urgency, we decided to let him stay in ICU. Waiting outside the ICU, the clerk in Jewelry Shop Ms. Cui arrived with concern. She suggested that we asked for help from Rinpoche immediately. That day was Sunday, a regular puja was held.

At 11:30 in the morning, as nurse asked us to enter the ICU, the doctor explained the diagnosis and said, “Do you have any family history of epilepsia?” “No.” I said definitely. “Your son is in critical condition. He is unconscious with Increased Intracranial Pressure, high fever, and dilated pupils. The virus or bacteria might be invading his brain now. The ill is more serious than enterovirus infection. We have little experience about this kind of unusual illness. Besides, the persistent high fever will cause damage to the brain. He might become a vegetable or dementia even if he survived. Please sign the critical condition notice.” Hearing the words of doctor, my wife was melting in to tears and shivering. We looked at our fainting son in a helpless situation. His body was stuck with various Medical Sensors, both hands were also putting on intravenous drips. Holding his icy cold hands, how could I believe that he, a naughty and living boy, was dying? I can only pray to heaven. I would make my son come back to me at any cost. At 12 o’clock, visiting time was up. The nurse asked us to leave in comforting words.

Jiang, who waited outside the ICU, heard the critical situation about my son. She urged us to go to the puja in the afternoon and pray for the mercy of Rinpoche. Now we can only did whatever we can do in the hopeless position. We arrived at the downstairs of Bodhimandala at 1 o’clock. We could not go up because of no registering beforehand. Jiang went upstairs by herself to beg Rinpoche. About 2 o’clock, Jiang returned and hugged my wife in streaming tears. “With all my effort, I begged Rinpoche to help you. He said that your husband do not believe Buddhism, ‘If I can not save his son, he would blame it on the Buddha. They had better ask for help of doctors.’” Jiang begged desperately. Rinpoche gave us a way out: ‘The fruition depends on their repenting and sincerity. Let them prostrate in the venue before duddhas and bodhisativas and beg the forgiveness from the beings had been hurt by them, until the end of the puja.” Thus we entered the venue at 17th and joined the regular puja. What a great meeting of hundreds of people that made my eyes wide open. The puja proceeded in grandness and solemnness.

We prostrated behind the attendants. Rinpoche said in the beginning of the rite: “The young man in white, you do not believe the teachings of Buddha. If you can not believe, it is of no use to do the prostration. You need not do it. You many leave now.” The Rinpoche told all people, “That couple behind you came to me yesterday. I said that his father and grandfather hurt many frogs. He answered me regretlessly that he was clumsy in catching frogs. He who does not accept the law of cause and effect is an evil human. Now they come to me because their son is in critical….” I saw my wife prostrated herself and prayed piously. So did I. When it was nearly 5 o’clock, my knees bled because of the hard floor. My wife wavered and could hardly stand up. “Give him a microphone.” “Tell me your name and the name, birthpet, and birthday of your son.” I said them in detail through the microphone. Rinpoche started to do devotion and chanted mani for a while. “All is well. Your son is all right now…Get back to see your son. Give them blankets for them and help them to sit down for a rest.” My wife had been sat down weakly on the floor. We were helped to sit on chairs. Water and blankets were given. Though I was painful at that time, I felt touched by the mercy and consideration of Rinpoche.

After Rinpoche leaving under disciples escort, Xie (a doctor and disciple of Rinpoche) treated my wife by scraping her neck and back. She was overcome by fatigue. Xie and some other disciples of Rinpoche said, “what Rinpoche said is the truth. Your son will be Okay. Never be worried.” I call the hospital. The nurse said that my son had just woke up miraculously. His fever has come down, and he asked to go to toilet. We put diapers on him. Please buy some….” At this time, I realized the greatness of Buddhism. I hurried to the outside of Rinpoche’s lounge to kneel and kowtowed three times. I was so lucky to have the help of a “living bodhisattva” to save my son.

Going back to the hospital, we entered the ICU at 8 o’clock of the visit time. My son was lying in bed and murmuring to himself listlessly. He asked for food and to watch cartoon. He was not allowed to eat yet, before finding out the cause of ill. All the patients in the ICU were very sick, only my son was naughty and noisy. The nurses can not but make an exception to let my wife stay to calm him down. September 4th, my son sat in bed playing for the whole day, but he would be out of control if he was injected anti-epileptic drugs for its side effect. We came to the Jewelry Shop to Rinpoche to express our appreciation on the 5th of September. Rinpoche told us, “your son would leave hospital soon. Do not let him take the anti-epileptic drugs. Remember to join pujas.” I receive literally and made a registry right away. Gripping the permit, I was in fear of losing the chance to learn Buddhism again.

Thanks to Rinpoche’s blessings, my son transferred to a regular ward shortly. On the forth day of my son’s hospitalizing, my wife found my son translucent sticky dejection as frog spawn in the diaper. This made my wife confused and uneasy, “how can stools be like this?” Until that time, we realized truly the law of cause and effect, as well the fruition of evil karma.

Going through every check and examination, the causes of the ill were not found in any way. Doctors came to us to ask the same question, “Do you have a family history of illness?” My son cried and shouted whenever being injected, and kept quiet without it. The nurses were bothered a lot. I thought they would like my son to leave as soon as possible, because this “healthy patient” was so noisy. My son then looked normal and started to eat, however, the doctors insisted to find the cause of ill. My son went through all the laboratories, from brain-wave, computerized tomography, blood draw, and cerebrospinal fluid draw. Especially the last one, my son was in pain for three day and could only lie prone to sleep. I felt bad for that. We were allowed to leave hospital on Sunday, finally. I applied a written diagnosis, it recorded: unknown encephalitis, unknown Gastroenteritis, and unknown epilepsia. More than 20 examinations showed normal — no bacteria and virus infecting. The attending doctor insisted my son to take anti-epileptic drugs. He prescribed 30-days medicines for my son and repeatedly urged us to feed him every day, or the ill will come back. He also reminded him to have a subsequent visit monthly. We appreciated the doctor. But Rinpoche is the one we trust. The medicines remained intact, yet my son is all right till now.

We went to the Jewelry Shop to express our gratefulness as soon as my son left the hospital. Rinpoche embraced my son and blessed him for a long time. Then he had my son take 2 nectar pills. His kindness and loving movements were for more tender than I can make. Rinpoche turned to me afterwards and aware me to see a doctor because my liver is not very well. He showed us great consideration. We all felt the warmth of by his caring.

My wife’s sister was also there to appreciate Rinpoche’s kindness. She had suffered from constipation for many years. Sometimes she even went to stool only once in a week. She consulted every doctor, in western and Chinese medicine paid, but in vain. The stool passage had become regular since she attended the pujas. She, though a Christian, was pleasantly surprised and henceforth joined every puja. We spread the miracles made by Rinpoche to every friend and colleague. They begged for an interview with Rinpoche one after another. They received teaching at any question. Some of them got the answer before they said anything. Some of them dreamed that Rinpoche healed their diseases. The healed part was warm when they waked up from the dream. It was amazing. I think it must be the great power of Rinpoche’s compassion to make it.

Rinpoche retreats and cultivates laboriously to bless the sentient beings, to resolve difficult and complicated illness, to heal serious patients, and to transfer consciousness of the deceased. It is such a blessing that a living bodhisattva of infinitely merciful ability stay here in Taiwan. It’s our great luck to follow Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. We should learn and cultivate the teachings, make offerings, and sustain our Buddhist center with all our heart and strength.

We pray for Rinpoche’s long life and constantly remain in this world to rescue numerous beings from miseries.

By Chang Zhi Rong
Dec. 13, 2006

P.S.
Dear Brother Wang,
Here I have some more to add. We attended the both great pujas for two years, none the less, my son is still not fully recovered. I think the reason must be my husband’s not believing in the law of cause and effect. During the great puja, while I was visualizing under the instruction of Rinpoche, my husband was bored and killed time by counting the number of attendants. No wonder Rinpoche blamed him for not believing in Buddha’s teachings. I never knew the stories of his family catching frogs. Nevertheless, his attending the great pujas might form a connection for him to salve our son. I believe it must be Rinpoche who offers a chance for him to save his own son.

Zeng Liwen
Dec. 13, 2006

Updated on December 8, 2007