Aiming to be a doctor who can convey "Why do people live?" 【Miraculous Experience】

In 2018, at the age of 64, Mr. M opened his own clinic. He smiles and says, "I want to contribute to society as a lifelong active member," but his life has been a series of hardships, including the accidental death of his biological father, divorce, and his children's school refusal. The encounter with the Science of Happiness changed Mr. M's way of life and opened his destiny.

"The Evangelism" No. 236 open_in_newReprinted and edited

The girlhood dream of wearing a white coat

In 1953, eight years after the end of the war, I was born as the eldest daughter of three siblings in Okayama Prefecture.

Near my home was Okayama University, and I could peek into the campus from the top of the embankment. There, I could see young men who seemed to be medical students walking in white coats. Their appearance shone brightly even in my childish heart, and before long, I began to think, "I want to become a doctor in a white coat in the future."

That thought never faded and continued to live in my heart. When I became a teenager and researched the work of doctors, I learned that there were physicians working in developing countries.

(Being a doctor is a wonderful job that saves people. I want to help suffering people all over the world!)

I studied hard and passed the entrance exam for Okayama University Medical School. I began to walk towards my dream.

The death of my father, divorce, and my children's school refusal...

It was during my second year in medical school. A phone call came to my home, and my mother answered.

"Ma'am, your husband has been in a traffic accident—"

My father had been hit by a car. He died instantly. During the war, my father was a special attack squad instructor. After the war, he worked as a court clerk, but when he returned home from work, he would cry like a man, saying, "I almost died. I feel sorry for my students," and drowned himself in alcohol. I had always looked down on my father.

(He was a hopeless parent. Still, I realize that my father's existence was significant.)

I felt ashamed of not being able to show filial piety while my father was alive, and I became so depressed that I couldn't even attend the funeral.

(What happens to people when they die?)

I began to think about life and death, read religious and philosophical books, and attended church. However, I couldn't find a satisfactory answer, and time passed while I carried vague anxieties about life and society.

After graduating from university, I worked as a pediatrician at the age of 25, married a man who also worked as a doctor, and was blessed with three children.

I wished for a harmonious family life and hoped this happiness would continue. However, harsh realities awaited. All three of my children could no longer go to school. The reasons were different for each, but as their mother, I blamed my own inadequacies.

(Maybe it's because both my husband and I work, and the children feel lonely...)

I then sought solace in "Adlerian psychology." Encouraging my children based on psychology had a certain effect, and they began to show brighter expressions. However, this time, the differences in our views on parenting deepened the rift with my husband.

(Why does my life only consist of hardships...?)

Eventually, after 17 years of marriage, divorce was decided, and I became a single mother. I supported myself as a doctor and raised my three children.

The answer to the question I had been searching for

When my children grew up and I turned 47, I was introduced to the Science of Happiness branch through someone I met at a self-development seminar. I was raised in a family that valued traditional Buddhism, so I had distrust towards new religions. However, that person said, "The branch of the Science of Happiness is a very healing place, so please come," so I reluctantly decided to go.

The atmosphere inside the branch was very bright. The members were kind and "good people," which reassured me.

(This religion might not be so bad...)

I entered the worship room and stood in front of the main deity, putting my hands together. At that moment, unexpectedly, tears began to flow, unrelated to my will. At the same time, a mysterious feeling arose within me, saying, "I have always wanted to come here."

On the "surface" of my heart, I was rejecting it, but deep down, I think I was seeking the teachings of Buddha.

Having decided to become a member of the Science of Happiness, I immediately began reading books by President Okawa, such as "Be Incredibly Kind" open_in_new.

President Okawa taught that people grow their souls through reincarnation in this world and the next, and that all suffering is a whetstone to polish oneself, explaining "What is the meaning of life?" I felt as if I had finally found the "answer" I had been searching for since the day I lost my father.

Moreover, President Okawa spoke extensively about how being dominated by negative feelings like anger and resentment can lead to physical illness, and how a bright heart can heal illness, which greatly moved me.

(I want to know more and more about the teachings of the heart!)

Wanting to learn further, I decided to participate in the Science of Happiness's "Senior Plan 21" to engage in "lifetime reflection" on my past life.

During the reflection training, I recalled my childhood, my father's death, marriage, parenting... and I re-examined the conflicts and setbacks I had experienced in my relationships.

Then, I discovered my heart competing with the thought, "I don't want to lose to men." Furthermore, I realized that this rivalry towards men stemmed from the distrust I had towards my deceased father. I had a vague sense that my "emotional wound" was related to the "conflict with my father." However, I had not been able to heal or overcome that wound.

(My father must have struggled to find a way to live after the war. I regret looking down on him when I was a child...)

I decided to offer prayers to my father in heaven in the style of the Science of Happiness and express my gratitude.

Since then, little by little, my heart has become lighter and softer. My distrust towards men disappeared, and I was able to remarry someone I met through the activities of the Science of Happiness.

*1: A Buddhist truth dojo of the Science of Happiness aiming for active participation throughout life through lifetime reflection.

The door to my "second life" opened

Then in 2007, a turning point came. It was when I participated in the "Management Koan Special Edition" (P.F. Drucker's Spirit Guide) training at the headquarters, Seishinkan. In this training, there was time to think about what kind of life to lead and how to contribute to society. I calmed my mind and contemplated my future life. At that moment, the thought of "I want to open my own clinic" came to me.

(I want to be a doctor who can heal both the mind and body. To practice the medicine I truly want to do, I want to create a hospital.)

In this training, I grasped my unwavering "true intention" and made my decision. At that time, I was 54 years old. I was not exactly young. However, for me, who was learning the importance of "contributing to society as an active member throughout life" through the "Senior Plan 21," age did not matter. I truly believed that "life can be changed at any age."

The day after I descended from Seishinkan, fate began to move. Until then, I had been working as a resident doctor, but I had a light-hearted attitude like that of a part-time job, and I lacked confidence in my skills and knowledge. I had been thinking, "If possible, I want to study medicine again," when I was approached by a hospital that offered to let me work while receiving training. I worked there for several years, studying alongside young doctors in their twenties.

(If I am going to open a clinic, I want to study not only medical knowledge but also management.)

While thinking that, I was introduced to a clinic in Chiba Prefecture that was looking for a substitute director, and I decided to take it on. Every day was trial and error, but thanks to everyone, including the head nurse and the chairman, I was able to manage the hospital.

While learning about the management philosophy taught by President Okawa, I was deeply engaged in thinking about how to make patients happy and putting that into practice every day.

After training as the director of that hospital for about five years, I passed the baton to the next director and finally began preparing for my independence. I had heard from an acquaintance living in Chōsei Village, Chiba Prefecture, that "there aren't enough hospitals in this village," so I decided to open a hospital in Chōsei Village to protect the health of the local people.

Then in 2018, my long-held dream came true, and I opened the "Motoi Happy Clinic." I was 64 years old.

In my consultations, I listen to each person's story as much as possible, not just their medical condition, and provide mental care as well. Recently, a young woman came in with a hurt big toe. I was a bit concerned about her condition, so I decided to talk to her.

"Your big toe hurts, doesn't it? By the way, how is your family doing?"

I had heard in psychology that the "big toe" symbolizes "parents." I intuitively felt that this person might have some conflict regarding her parents. When I mentioned this, she slowly opened up about her struggles with her relationship with her mother.

"That sounds tough. But please muster the courage to say 'thank you' to your mother in your heart. Try to be grateful for this big toe as well. Then it might heal faster."

"I understand! I'll give it a try!"

When that woman left my clinic, her expression was bright and refreshed.

A 65-year-old university student

Before opening my clinic, I started attending Happy Science's "Happy Science University (HSU)" in 2017. HSU is a higher religious research institution located in Chōsei Village, Chiba Prefecture, where my clinic is. I had a desire to study again, so I enrolled as a student in the short-term advanced research course of the Faculty of Future Industries at HSU. Even now that I have opened my clinic, I attend classes and participate in research and experiments on "plasma" on my days off.

"Plasma" is known for its use in home appliances like air purifiers, but it is also expected to be applied in medicine as cutting-edge science and technology worldwide.

I am working on clinical research by using plasma instead of disinfectants in my clinic. Studying alongside students in their 20s has been a great stimulus for me. Additionally, I am part of a choir group, where I sing with people over 30 and younger, deepening our friendships. Perhaps because of that, I feel like I am becoming more energetic and rejuvenated every day.

I want to become a doctor who can answer the question, "What is life?"

During my 20s, when I was studying to become a doctor, I faced my father's death and repeatedly asked myself, "Why do humans live?"

The essence of humanity is the soul, and the body is the vehicle for the soul. And even though the body dies, the soul is eternal—. After learning this truth, my perspective on life changed 180 degrees. I came to sincerely believe that "nothing in life is wasted, and everything becomes material for learning." As a result, all the suffering I had experienced, including my father's death and the struggles of raising children, began to feel like invaluable treasures.

Doctors constantly confront life and death. A single word from a doctor to a patient suffering from a serious illness and facing a limited lifespan can influence their mental state and condition. I feel that doctors need to learn this "true perspective on life." Otherwise, I believe they cannot provide "true end-of-life care."

In the Western medical community, spiritual matters such as "the power of prayer" and "the relationship between the mind and illness" are already being researched. The human body is said to be a microcosm and is very mysterious. There are still many unresolved mysteries, so I feel that if we are bound by the current medical "common sense," we might overlook truly important things. I hope that the Japanese medical community will also begin to pay attention to spirituality.

I am already 65 years old. But I still feel like I'm 20. Now that we live in an era called the "100-year life," the real challenge is just beginning. Until this life burns out, I want to contribute to society, and if possible, I want to keep working as a doctor.