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submissions to | Home > Conditions > AIDS < Patient's Conditions |
The Root, Branch and Smell of AIDS |
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Treating AIDS is a symptomatic and systemic problem for the practitioner. But we have to extend the Chinese analogy of Ben and Biao, or Root and Branch to one more part of the tree, and that is "smell." I'm not referring to the smells that give the practitioner diagnostic information, but an ineffable cloud that hangs over a patient's life that the practitioner cannot fail to address, and that is the fear of death. AIDS has given way to the euphemism "HIV" for two reasons. One is that there is a class of asymptomatic patients with a T-cell count above 200 whom we describe as HIV positive, but not suffering from AIDS. But there's another reason we prefer to say "HIV" instead of AIDS. Because we have decided, collectively and unconsciously, that HIV is a condition, and AIDS is an incurable disease. AIDS is as much a medical differentiation as it is a thick dark cloud hanging over the most vulnerable place of the human psyche. Hence, when treating AIDS we have two jobs, one is to boost the immune system and provide symptomatic relief for specific manifestations of opportunistic infections, and the other service we provide is to poke a hole in that dark cloud of fear called AIDS. It requires not information found in a book, but confidence and compassion on the part of the practitioner. We are often in a position to provide hope to those who have none. But hope is not empty words of encouragement. The more real it is within our hearts, the more of it can be provided to the patient. Qi Gong teaches that the Qi follows the Shen or energy follows our conscious intent. When our Shen touches the heart of another, their body receives Qi through this interaction. This is why sincere encouragement of the practitioner will effect the patient. Western science might call this the placebo effect. TCM calls it external Qi Gong. Some Western religions call it the Power of Love. The placebo effect is compassion made manifest. Guan Yin, the Buddha of compassion is sometimes shown with her hands held in a specific mudra, or meditative posture. It is interesting to note the energetic effect of this position which has the tips of the middle and ring fingers touching the tip of the thumb. The index and little fingers are extended outward. The central energetic point to this mudra is that Qi is circulated back toward yourself, and extended out at the same time. In this way, we are reminded that Compassion is loving yourself, and recognizing yourself in another. This is why, in order to adequately treat the fears of another, we must create an honest and courageous relationship with our own mortality. Clearing away the dark cloud of the fear of death that looms above the AIDS patient must first be cleared away within the mind of the practitioner. We must all die and we must all accept the divine timing inherent within our lives. It is difficult to say who is taken from us too early and who sticks around longer than is necessary. From the Oriental philosophical outlook, we all come at exactly the perfect moment and leave with that same perfection. AIDS, the dark cloud, is too big for any one of us to treat, not because of its size, but because of its lack of substance. It is added to everytime we turn on the television. AIDS is fear. Fear causes the Qi to descend, weakens the kidneys and saps the Wei Qi. Certainly before AIDS was an official medical syndrome, there were opportunistic infections, and that is what we as practitioners can fight with acupuncture and herbs, however it is the fear that this little retro-virus has spawned that we must also confront. I have heard that pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. In this case, pain comes from the physical condition. The suffering comes from the fear. The needles and herbs can take away the pain, but it is up to us to remove the suffering. And we begin with ourselves. |
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