Lotus in the Fire: The Healing Power of Zen

This is an inspiring, moving and painful book. It is about the author's battle against Leukemia; at the beginning of the book he is given 10 days to live. Bedard's descriptions of his fight to live are hair-raising and sometimes painful to read, as when, without any anesthetic, a doctor hammers a thick needle through his back, his liver and into his gallbladder. Here is his description: "He placed a long, thick needle on the right of my abdomen about an inch or so below my ribs and began to hammer it through the liver. Several times I brought my legs and head up from the intense pain. Each time I moved he told me to lie still, my movements were making his work more difficult. But the contractions were uncontrollable...I was crying out in pain and no longer cared what anyone thought of my pleas to hasten the procedure and get it over with."Bedard had been a Zen student for 15 years, and used the "healing power of Zen" to survive his ordeal, during which he was several times told he only had a few hours to live. What kept him on the planet was the love he had for his wife and children, and the assistance he received from them, his family or origin and the sangha to which he belonged, as well as the encouragement of his teacher and his deep, sincere belief in Zen. His story is notable for his sheer grit and determination to survive regardless of the odds, as well as his courage to endure the unendurable. He narrates several eerie experiences which seem inexplicable, and which give his story an air of magic and mystery. He does survive, and his teacher asks him to write this book as a way of "giving back" to the community.Bedard's primary thesis is that it was Zen practice that enabled him to overcome his disease. Despite this conviction, however, the book could have been written by someone of almost any faith. Christians, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs and many other believers could have undergone what he did and lived due to their powerful belief in their religion. Indeed, there are similar books from many traditions. In the final analysis, it was Bedard's stubborn faith, allied with his will to live, that fueled his recovery. From this perspective, the book seems a little parochial or naïve, in that Bedard attributes his survival to the healing power of Zen specifically. Nevertheless, the book is gripping if grisly reading. It is not for the squeamish, however.

I had high hopes for this book, particularly because I am acquainted with a number of individuals who have, like Mr. Bedard, suffered through Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). His day to day description of what he went through after his diagnosis would make compelling reading for anyone who wishes to know more about the personal toll taken by this disease.My suspicion, however, is that the title of this work will cause many prospective readers to expect information on Zen's "healing power"; they are unlikely to find it. Mr. Bedard repeatedly makes the point in this book that he had studied Zen for fifteen years when he got AML, and there is no reason to doubt his assertion. But the writer did not remain a Zen Buddhist. According to the 2016 Choosing Buddhism: The Life Stories of Eight Canadians, shortly after his recovery Mr. Bedard left his Zen practice, and went on to a different form of Buddhism.Those familiar with both Zen Buddhism and this book would not be surprised to learn of Mr. Bedard's departure, since his writings lead one to believe that he had a great deal more interest in the peripheral (and very optional) side trappings of Zen Buddhism - chanting and supernaturalism - then in Zen itself, an area in which his understanding is shown to be somewhat superficial.One example will suffice. Regarding the question of why he (and presumably others) got AML, Mr. Bedard has an unequivocal one-word answer: karma. Really? Should we, then, walk down the hallways of cancer wards happily telling patients that they are somehow at fault for their disease? Mr. Bedard goes further on this topic, reporting that when (presumably Christian) clergy members came to his room and started to say that no one knows why God allows some to get seriously ill he interrupted them, telling them that he knew exactly why some people got seriously ill. Even if he was entirely correct - and he wasn't - such interruptions would be regarded by Buddhists of any sect as unhelpful, and therefore not in keeping with the principle of Right Speech.Zen won't magically heal anyone; it's not meant to. Those who practice Zen do so in order to see the true nature of reality. Bad things are still bad things, and Zen practitioners recognize that. It's just that, with Zen, we learn that we don't have to pile on a lot of other stuff (that exists only in our heads) that causes more suffering than is necessary. To learn more on that subject, my recommendation would be to skip this book in favor of something like Domyo Sater Burk's Idiot's Guide: Zen Living.

I found Jim's story to be very touching, especially after my father's recent death from cancer. It was a lesson to us all. Spirituality isn't just for the good days, it's when the challenges happen we realise just how good our practice really is. I cried in places with regards to his honesty. A very honest look at life and death.

I kept wanting him to quit this brutal fight. Something for me to look at. Well written. Shone fresh light on the concept of Karma in action for me. Had borrowed a friends copy for my first reading and decided I needed to buy it so I could spend mor time with this real story.