Stroke is a cruel disease. It is something I don’t wish for anyone. Once it hits, if it is not fatal, the recovery time is long, or the patient is disabled for life. Either way, the psycho-social and economic impact is huge on individuals and families, leading to depression and despair.

Post-stroke care and recovery is the key, and it is where the Foundation will have a new area of focus. We at the foundation are open to and are on the lookout for any solution to help our patients. And in this way, in Bhutan we are fortunate. Besides the medical services, we have traditional medicines, plus powerful Vajrayana rituals, and, finally, the blessings of our lamas and rimpoches.

Hence, one of the initiatives I proposed in the foundation was to request some of our rinpoches to be our spiritual patrons. Their role would be to bestow long life and medicine Buddha blessings regularly on our patients and the caregivers and the staff of the foundation.

Why Spiritual Patrons?

The Foundation is basically an organization that puts compassion into practice, and compassion and loving kindness are the core practices in Mahayana Buddhism. And who is the epitome of such practices? For me these three Rimpoches embody these values.

Furthermore, from my experience, when people are down, when all hope seems to be lost, and when desperation sets in, that’s when people turn to spirituality. Only our spiritual masters can lift them up. I can’t do that, and the doctors can’t do much either. And yet, the psychological effect is huge and leads to positive outcomes. A westerner, for whom I arranged a blessing, had his T cell miraculously increase and eventually recover from an almost fatal disease. Others even recovered from late-stage cancers after blessings, rituals, and prayers were conducted on their behalf.

Where science stops, spirituality will take over and help us find our way back to health, happiness, and hope.

Hence, we are super excited that all three rimpoches we approached—His Eminence Zuri Rinpoche, His Eminence Kathok Situ Rimpoche, and Her Eminence Dorje Phagmo Rimpoche—have accepted our request. Their compassion and blessings will go a long way in helping our patients and caregivers to wade through the challenges in the post-stroke period.

We are also hopeful that through their prayers, concerns, and blessings, there would be fewer people affected by this terrible disease.

This is the beauty of Bhutan.

Deepest gratitude to all three Rimpoches. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

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(Be involved. Be informed.)

Approximately 80% of strokes are preventable through lifestyle changes and management of risk factors.

Invite the team from BSF to do a professional risk assessment of your school, office, business, monastery, workplace, and family. Contact our office.