Blackie is a very old and ponderous but loyal
dog. In the early days when the CARE (Coexistence of Animal Rights
on Earth) Center, Korea's largest refuge for abandoned animals, was
a deserted, rundown house at the foot of a mountain in Gapyeong-gun,
he would always sit at the entrance guarding the staff and his animal
friends in any weather.
Over time, Blackie began to develop a terrible
cough during the winter season. So the Center's other workers and
I took him to an animal hospital where he was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Then his coughing worsened with each winter until early 2005, when
we discovered a severe tumor in his esophagus. The growth had caused
Blackie's cough to deteriorate so much that listening to it was painful.
Then in January, 2005, the vet informed us
that Blackie had only a short time to live. So I took him to another
hospital for a second opinion, hoping that a different vet would give
a more positive diagnosis. However, the second vet's staff told me
that Blackie's condition was even more serious than we thought. So
it seemed that his fate was sealed. Drawing the large, pitiful Blackie
close to me, I insisted on treating him to delicious food and having
him sleep in a warm place. However, I did not know whether it would
improve his health or whether I was simply acting this way to console
my unhappy mind.
That night, Blackie's cough worsened and I
felt that keeping him one more day would be torture to him. So with
a heavy heart I decided to take him to the hospital at the crack of
dawn, praying to God to bless the poor creature so he could go in
peace, and in his next life return in a human body.
Around seven in the morning I began meditating
in front of Blackie, and as I started doing the Sound meditation I
noticed that his coughing had suddenly eased up. On the previous night,
he had coughed for about two minutes each time, and the coughing recurred
every ten minutes. But during my Sound meditation, Blackie's formerly
terrible cough became much less intense and more sporadic, lasting
only a second or two. Observing this change, I meditated with more
concentration.
Then when I unintentionally opened my eyes
during meditation and found Blackie lying flat on his stomach, staring
at me silently with clear eyes, I felt an extraordinary feeling as
if he and I were connected and that he knew what I was doing.
After I finished meditating, CARE staff member
Anusha and I were about to help Blackie into our car to go to hospital
when he suddenly began to struggle, as if to say that he did not want
to be taken away. Feeling that I had no alternative, I grabbed him
forcefully and pushed him into the car, with Anusha crying behind
me.
As soon as we arrived at the hospital, however,
Blackie made his getaway. Not wanting to leave us completely, the
big dog ran only a short distance and kept circling around us. Finally,
Anusha and I managed to catch him and lead him through the hospital
door.
A staff veterinarian saw what was happening,
and as we stepped into the examining room he wondered how such an
ailing animal could run around so energetically. Then, as part of
the normal procedure, the doctor examined him for the last time and
suddenly, while he was checking Blackie's lump, he exclaimed in surprise,
"How can this be? The lump has become very small!"
The embarrassed vet then decided to take another
x-ray, and at that moment I had a flashback of Blackie's tranquil
eyes watching me while I was meditating, and thought of Master. That
was it! While I was meditating Her blessing power was working for
the sake of innocent, pure-hearted Blackie.
After examining the X-ray, the doctor was astounded
and said, "This can't possibly happen! How could the dog's condition
change overnight without any treatment?"
The previous day's X-ray had shown Blackie's
tumor winding around his esophagus, almost completely blocking his
airway and lungs. But the image taken that morning revealed that both
his throat and lungs were normal, as the tumorous tissue had completely
disappeared. Then the doctor compared the two X-rays saying, "That
was a mistaken diagnosis. I'm so sorry that I almost put him down.
However, I'm confused as to how this miracle occurred."
On our way back home with Blackie, only Master
could know how we were feeling and Anusha said wholeheartedly, "So-Yeon,
I think it's because of your prayers that Blackie was healed. I want
to do meditation, too." So I explained, "Anusha, it wasn't
me. It was God who did it. God always answers our sincere prayers
no matter what." Then she nodded and seemed to understand.
I thank God for relieving Blackie of his suffering,
and also for giving the kind Anusha new hope in her life. One month
after Blackie's miraculous recovery Anusha joined the Ocean of Love
and learned the Convenient Method. Now I know a bit more about God's
wise love, and that the divine protection is always with us.