PRESCRIPTIoNforLIVING
by Bernie Siegel, MD
Sur
&
viving
THRIVING
T
oday in an e-mail one of those Both of them are alive today because cannot understand; and if one does not
spontaneous bits of advice I sent they chose to love. That is not an easy understand, one is afraid; and if one is
to someone, that comes from God decision for a member of the human afraid, one hates; and if one hates, one
knows where, enlightened me. My mes- race to make while we expect it of our cannot love; and if one cannot love, no
sage was, "There are no answers, only animals. new beginning is possible. The first step
choices." When you realize that you can Mark Twain inspired by the nine- towards love must be forgiveness. Un-
go on asking questions for an eternity teenth century animosity amongst derstand he had the freedom to choose
and still have no answers to the uncer- Christian denominations wrote about another prayer that would have led to
tainties we all must live with, you stop being upset by the worldwide discord hatred and more wars.
questioning why and start making deci- amongst God's creatures. He decided to We must remember we are all the
sions about what you will do with your take the matter in hand and built a cage same color inside, one family, and heal
life. We all have choices. into which he put a dog and a cat. After from the inside out. Rabbi Shlomo Car-
Several years ago a young man I a little training they lived in peace. En- lebach wrote that when all the Cains of
know was sexually and psychologically couraged, he added a pig, a goat, a kan- the world lie down next to the Abels they
abused by his parents and others. He garoo, and a bird etc. and they learned killed and cry and beg for forgiveness,
contemplated suicide when he learned to live in peace and harmony. He was so miracles will happen. Abel will open his
he had AIDS. I asked him why he didn’t encouraged he added an Irish Catholic, eyes and all the creatures of the world
decide to kill his parents instead. The a Scotch Presbyterian, a Methodist from will begin to dance.
boy said, “I never wanted to be like my Arkansas, a Salvation Army Colonel, Remember the Beatles’ song, Imag-
parents.” He chose to love. What would a Jew from Jerusalem, a Muslim from ine? “Imagine, no countries and no re-
your answer be? Turkistan, a Hindu from Benares, a Bud-
I asked a survivor, who was seven dhist from China and a Baptist Mission-
at the time of the atomic bombing of ary he met along the way. After a very
Hiroshima, why the Japanese didn’t try short period of time there wasn't a living
to get even with the United States for thing left in the cage.
what we did to them. When you listen Laurens van der Post, a citizen of
to what this child went through you have South Africa and a Japanese prisoner of
to wonder why he and others don’t hate war, wrote about the solution in A Far
us. This survivor of Hiroshima said, “The Off Place. The essence of what he said
Japanese choose the upward path, not was that we must pray that all the bitter-
the downward way. That is our nature.” ness be taken from us so we may start
What would your choice have been? again without hatred. From our suffer-
Both of the above examples are ing we must learn that life cannot be-
people who had choices and chose the gin for the better without our forgiving
uplifting path that can lead to healing. one another. If one does not forgive, one
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April 2009 11
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