A Mother's Miracle: Overcoming an Unknown Illness through Love of her son.
A Sudden Call from Mother
In March 2016, amidst work, I received an unexpected call from my hometown, where I had grown distant from my mother. She was sobbing uncontrollably.
"Listen, I've been diagnosed with a disease called collagen disease..."
"Collagen disease? I'm at work right now."
Unable to grasp the essence of my mother's words and being occupied with work, I quickly ended the call. Later, when I called my sister, who lived near our family home, she, being a nurse, explained that collagen disease is an autoimmune condition with little hope of recovery.
"It's going to be a long battle. You might have to prepare yourself."
My mother, having been told by the doctor that the disease was incurable, was enduring joint pain in despair.
(Probably won't be cured with medication...)
Having learned in Happy Science that the cause of illness lies in the mind, I believed that for my mother to fundamentally heal, she needed to learn this teaching and change her mindset.
However, conveying this teaching to my mother was a daunting task because she vehemently opposed my beliefs.
Back in university, I had read books by Master Ryuho Okawa and, moved by them, became a believer. As I delved into the teachings, I became more humble, less prone to anger, found the life I had been seeking, and secured a genuine sense of happiness.
When I tried sharing the teachings of Happy Science with my parents...
"Believing in that stuff is pointless!" "You're brainwashed!"
Both my father and mother vehemently opposed, refusing to lend an ear. Even when I decided to marry M, who shared the same faith, they opposed it.
(Well, whatever. They probably won't understand.)
Growing weary of my relationship with my parents, I distanced myself from my hometown.
Learning "Love" but...
However, upon hearing about my mother's illness, I felt compelled to try again and called her.
"Mom, the illness can be cured. Through the power of the mind..."
"That's impossible."
My mother, as usual, wouldn't listen and continued crying while expressing the pain of her illness.
(If only she would listen...)
To my mother, my wife wrote letters of encouragement, sent tickets for Master Okawa's books and Happy Science movies.
"Your mother's illness might become the turning point for healing."
Despite the persistent denial, witnessing my wife's actions for my mother's sake made me feel ashamed. Despite learning the importance of "Love" in Happy Science, I had been indifferent and disinterested in my own parents.
(Come to think of it, I've always avoided interacting with my parents and been indifferent to family matters. Our relationship has grown cold...)
For me, memories of my childhood home were not happy ones. Since I was young, when my father drank, he would hurl insults at my mother, throwing ashtrays and bowls. My parents, constantly arguing, struggled financially, always claiming, "We have no money."
(I shouldn't have to be stuck in such a dysfunctional home. It angered me.)
(But M is working hard, so I should try to communicate without giving up.)
Together with my wife, I prayed for my mother's recovery at the Happy Science branch. Fellow believers, the Happy Science practitioners, also prayed for my mother.
Unexpectedly, one day my mother called to tell me that she had watched the Happy Science movie.
"In the movie, there was a scene where a woman was throwing a tantrum, and I realized I was doing the same at work. I hadn't been grateful to those around me..."
These were unexpected words coming from my mother. It seemed like she had opened up a little, and a glimmer of hope emerged.
However, despite this, my mother's health did not improve as expected. There were days when joint pain made walking difficult, and her hair was falling out due to the side effects of medication.
Two Women Overcoming Collagen Disease
Over the summer, six months after my mother was diagnosed with collagen disease, I contacted two individuals who had shared their experiences of overcoming collagen disease through the power of faith, as featured in the Happy Science missionary magazine. One was in their 20s, and the other in their 50s. I met with them to learn about their journeys to recovery.
The person in their 20s had harbored resentment towards their violent father. However, as they learned to be grateful to their father, their symptoms improved.
The person in their 50s had felt suffocated by their overprotective mother. Through training and resolving conflicts with their mother, their illness subsided.
The commonality between these two individuals was that the cause of their illness lay in "conflict within the family," and once they overcame these conflicts, recovery ensued.
Upon hearing this, I was deeply moved.
(If family conflict is the cause, then I bear responsibility too. Perhaps my indifference to my parents has contributed to the distortion in the family...)
Instead of trying to change my mother, who had been my focus until now, I realized I needed to change myself first. I started introspecting my own heart through training at the temple.
Remembering "Mother's Love" during seminar
One day, during a meditation session at the temple's "The Guide of the mind " seminar, childhood memories suddenly resurfaced.
During my time in preschool, my mother would ride a bike every morning, taking me up a steep hill before dropping me off. If I requested a specific dish, she would always prepare it, and it would be delicious.
During summer nights, when I said, "I want to do fireworks," despite saying, "We don't have money," she would buy sparklers for me.
When I was in middle and high school, my mother would wake up at 5 am every day to make me a bento.
Even when I started living alone in university, she would send rice and letters every three months.
"Are you doing well? Make sure to eat your vegetables. If you ever need money, let me know."
The letters from my mother, written in this way, used to annoy me at the time. Instead of expressing gratitude, I would dismissively read and discard them.
(Mom, I'm sorry...)
I realized that I had overlooked the love my mother poured into me, focusing only on the family discord and financial struggles.
(From now on, I'll repay her kindness...)
Having changed my heart, I made a conscious effort to frequently contact my mother through calls and emails. While inquiring about her health, I expressed feelings of gratitude. As a result, my mother gradually started listening to discussions about faith and even began reading the books I sent her.
"I read the book you gave me. It had advice for dealing with illness, and I felt grateful."
She shared such feedback, and in our email exchanges, she conveyed realizations she had from learning the teachings, such as, "I also need to practice 'giving love.'"
Within a few months, my mother, who used to cry incessantly, began to brighten up unbelievably. Even while on leave due to illness, she started studying to become a care manager because she wanted to do something helpful for others.
(Mom truly is a "person of love" after all—)
Unexpected Turn of EventsOne day, unexpectedly, my mother called, excited.
"A real miracle happened!"
When my mother went to the hospital for tests, the doctor, who had previously insisted her illness was incurable, looked at her blood test results and said:
"You're healed. You don't need medication anymore."
Overjoyed, my mother exclaimed, "Miracles really do happen!" She quickly resumed work and embraced a positive outlook on life.
The joy didn't stop there. Due to my mother's illness, my once stern father became kinder. He also started recommending Happy Science books to my mother. Furthermore, my sister became a believer, supporting my parents nearby.
We are sincerely grateful to the guiding force of El Cantare, the main deity in Happy Science. Our heartfelt thanks also go to the fellow practitioners and my supportive wife.
Through Master Okawa's teachings, I discovered the love of my parents, and my mother's miraculous recovery unfolded. In the future, I intend to repay my parents and spread the teachings of "Love" to people around the world.