“Doctor, can you help?”
T he humility I feel when I hear this question is indescribable.
Therapeutic and Mindful
Yes, the clinic is only open three days a week, but I’m on-call all the time. I’ll be lying in bed being lazy and spending an off afternoon reading when there is a knock on my door. Sometimes there isn’t even a need for words, “just show me where it hurts.” Sometimes I’ll be sitting in the canteen having a cup of tea when a monk walks up to me and points to his shoulders. Sometimes I’ll be walking back from lunch and a student in the school asks for a session. Sometimes the evening is rolling in and Lama tells me that someone is having trouble with pain and is coming to the clinic to see me.
Each time this happens I am filled with a sense of humility, responsibility, and honor. Whenever a monk asks for my help it’s always respectfully and sometimes bashfully. What they don’t understand is that I would work with them day and night if given the opportunity. The trust that they have in me and the friendship that they have extended to me has made me feel like a part of their family.
Western/Eastern Massage and Bodywork
By Dr. Joe
NPR’s 500 / 45 minutes
Time: 4:00 – 6:00 PM
All the funds go to
Thrangu Free Clinic
This is a sign that hangs in the canteen and is in the guest houses at the monastery. With the clinic only officially open three days per week with the services directed toward the villagers, I thought that it might be a good idea to extend my practice to visitors and travellers. The clinic, like the school and the rest of the monastery, operates on the generosity of sponsors and donators. The medicine for the villagers, the treatment of the monks, and my board and housing are all made possible through a network of compassionate and kind givers throughout the world. Already on an extremely tight budget, I wanted to find another way to contribute and repay the kindness and generosity that has been extended to me. Humbly, I asked Jamyang if offering my practice to western visitors for a fee would be allowed outside the operating hours of the clinic. Like me, he thought it would be a great opportunity for the clinic and for my practice and created the sign.
So now I work with villagers three days, visitors in the evenings, and the monks whenever and wherever they could catch me. It has taken a little while, but finally my practice has become well interwoven with my daily life. I’ve learned that the two are not exclusive of each other. I cannot treat patients effectively unless I work on and improve my practice of mindfulness and compassion each waking moment. It’s with a complete sense of gratitude that I’m able to practice and grow in this wonderful place.
Peace and Namaste!!!
