Sanjeevini:
The Interface Between Healing And Metaphysics
In recent
years, there has been a broadening acceptance of alternatives in the
field of healing, even by conventional healers. Techniques such as acupuncture,
acupressure and homeopathy are no longer dismissed out of hand as being
pure quackery. They have become accepted by many as modalities in the
blossoming field of "energy medicine" -- healing which works
upon the vital energy system of the body(mind).
Less acceptable, though returning to popularity after many decades of
hiatus, are other methods which have absolutely no logical basis for
their occasionally-undeniable efficacy (though some would argue that
homeopathy falls into that category). These would include (but not be
limited to) psychic (or "spiritual") healing and "radionics"
or "radiesthesia."
Psychic healers each have their own, unique style of healing but mostly
always it requires the intention of the healer. With radionics or radiesthesia,
a "black box" with a variety of dials and other gizmos --
usually quite expensive -- is said to somehow "transmit healing
energy" to one whose photograph, bodily fluid or other personal
artifact is placed within that box.
But there is another metaphysical method for healing, and this may be
done by anyone -- lay or professional -- and requires no special skill,
mystical power or costly mechanical device. It is called "Sanjeevini"
(san-JEE-vih-nee).
Sanjeevini is a spiritually-based healing system which combines the
power of heartfelt prayer with peculiar "sacred diagrams,"
to "infuse" virtually any substance with a surprisingly effective
healing potential. More subtle than homeopathy, and even further into
the ethers than radionics or radiesthesia, Sanjeevini would be laughably
easy to dismiss ... except for its results.
In India, where I was first introduced to it, Sanjeevini is being used
to treat virtually every ailment known to humankind. Even the noxious
ones -- cancer, AIDS, tuberculosis, etc. -- are said to respond surprisingly
well to this simple, free system of healing.
Here is the story of how I received this remarkable healing system.
In November, 1995, I and a group of friends and staff members from The
G-Jo Institute, a natural health educational organization which I head
and co-founded, traveled to India to visit the renowned saint and sage,
Sathya Sai Baba (the so-called "Man of Miracles").
While enroute from Bangalore to Sai Baba's home city of Puttaparthi,
I noticed that virtually every town and village through which we drove
had signs or placards along the roadway announcing "free Sanjeevini
clinic." Each was a white sign with a large, red cross -- almost
identical to the Red Cross' symbol -- so it seemed obvious to me that
these "clinics" must offer first-aid or health treatment.
Beyond that, however, I was lost.
Several days after arriving in Puttaparthi, one of our group reported
that someone had told her something about this unique healing system,
and that a class was being offered in it nearby. Four of us, each staff
members of the Institute, became immediately excited. This was the stuff
upon which we thrived -- a new, Oriental healing and self-health system
we could learn, use and hopefully share!
The "class" (which was simply a small group of us sitting
around the walkway of an apartment complex) was presented by an Indian
doctor from Germany. He was originally a homeopath; but since having
learned Sanjeevini, he was using this method exclusively. This was exciting
-- for a successful physician to completely exchange his longstanding
healing practice for an entirely different modality bespoke a great
deal.
As luck (or misfortune) would have it, several of our staff had wolfed
down oily avocado sandwiches for breakfast as they rushed to reach the
class. By the time they arrived, they were both feeling nauseous. Normally,
they would have used G-Jo Acupressure to relieve this malady, or even
had a small swig of Fernet Branca (the almost miraculous Italian herbal
aperitif and digestive tincture that we always carry when traveling).
But the doctor's assistant -- another former homeopath from Germany
-- instead offered them each several tiny pills. We immediately recognized
the pills as being the lactose pellets used by homeopaths to prepare
remedies. They took them, as directed, and almost instantly felt well,
again! That caught the attention of the whole group.
The pills our friends took were not homeopathically prepared, we were
told. Instead, a bottle of such pills had some time earlier been placed
upon a small, peculiar-looking diagram -- one designated for "Digestion"
-- and the physician had then prayed over these pills for some ten or
fifteen seconds. That completed, the "medicine" was ready
to dispense.
We were informed that virtually any substance could be used as
the "remedy": Water ... food ... even a piece of favorite
jewelry could be infused with the Divine, specific healing power he
claimed now belonged to these pills.
He went on to explain that the diagrams (now, nearly 300 in all) had
been received in a series of dreams associated with Sathya Sai Baba.
These diagrams were actually a modernization of ancient, sacred geograms,
called "yantras" in India, which, it is claimed, can
manifest a variety of phenomena (not just healing) when properly combined
with mantras or other sounds.
While somewhat offput by the mystical overtones, I decided to keep a
wide-open mind. After all, it had worked for our staff members.
Later that day, I was finally able to purchase a book on the subject
in one of the local bookstalls (they were selling like literal hotcakes
and almost impossible to find). That night, I read it completely and
began the remarkably simple process of "making my own medicine."
The method taught to us called for the healer (whom I think of as the
"operator") to begin by making a careful diagnosis of the
sufferer. This diagnosis is based both upon questioning by the healer/operator
as well as the operator's own, intuitive insight.
Several of the Sanjeevini cards are always "added" to the
"prescription" as a matter of course -- a kind of "insurance,"
you could say. These include the diagrams for shakti (the Sanskrit
word for "power"), shanti (or "peace") and
several others, which are detailed in the reference manual.
A medical "medium" is selected -- one good one is plain water
in a jar, with a little brandy mixed in to prevent mold (especially
if a large quantity is going to be "infused"). The operator
looks at his or her diagnostic list and, one by one, repeats the following
steps.
For each ailing bodily part or symptom "diagnosed," the operator
takes the filled bottle (for example) and places it upon the appropriate
Sanjeevini diagram or card. As mentioned, there are hundreds of such
bodily part and symptom or disease diagrams from which to choose. The
bottle or other medium is let stand upon the diagram for a maximum of
15 or 20 seconds, as the operator repeats his/her favorite prayer. The
same process may then be repeated for any number of cards, using the
same water or other medium, and the same prayer.
At the end of the prayer session, the "medicine" is ready.
There are no limits to the number of diagrams which may be selected,
nor is there any risk of "wrong" diagnosis. The sufferer then
takes a few drops of the "prescription" several times a day,
for as long as is needed.
A second (and my preferred) method is to have the sufferer, him- or
herself, both diagnose the malady(ies) and prepare the remedy. The same
steps are followed; and both operator-prepared and sufferer-prepared
remedies seem to be equally effective.
That, in a nutshell, describes Sanjeevini.
As I have mentioned, this system is free for all to use. The original
manual, complete with the "healing fragrance" diagrams, may
be downloaded by anyone with Internet capabilities. It is found at www.saisanjeevini.org
. However, this book was produced by Drs. Vinod and Poonam Goswami,
in India, and much of the supplementary material may be unfamiliar to
a Western reader. (Because of this, The G-Jo Institute has produced
its own Sanjeevini instructional manual, the Sanjeevini Healing Prayer
Program, complete with the same diagrams and essential information,
but written for the Westerner. This report may be found on the G-Jo
Institute website: www.g-jo.com.)
I have since taught and used this method on numerous occasions with
varying degrees of effectiveness. But none has been more dramatically
successful than for the poor sufferer who phoned me at home one evening
not long ago. I still have no idea how he discovered me or my number.
But when he spoke to me, his voice was soft -- weak, really -- and sounded
strange when he talked. Not surprising: He had suffered from hiccupping
every three or four seconds -- non-stop! -- for the prior six months,
since waking up from the open heart surgery that had split him from
navel to throat.
Hiccups are a not-uncommon side-effect when nerves near the diaphragm
are cut or injured, I'm told. But usually they heal themselves in a
far shorter time than the half-year my caller had suffered. Even "sleep"
(of a sort) brought him no relief, and my senses told me this poor fellow
was beyond desperation -- suicides have been caused by less.
Deeply touched by his plight, I offered him several of our organization's
"best" remedies for hiccups. G-Jo Acupressure has a number
of massage-triggered acupuncture points which can be helpful, and we
tried each of them. I described the points to the caller (who identified
himself as "Richard") as I have so often done on the radio
shows where I've appeared. He followed along and seemed to find the
acupressure points I described; but he received no relief.
G-Jo Acupressure tends to work almost instantly, when the right point
is triggered deeply by the sufferer; so feedback would have been immediate.
The fact that he received no relief was not heartening, for G-Jo is
generally our most "foolproof" technique. I confessed to him
that I was stumped.
As he thanked me and was about to hang up, I had a flash of intuitive
insight. Amongst the various "Sanjeevini" diagrams, I remembered
there was one for "hiccups."
There's even a more subtle method of using this remarkable technique
than that which I've described above. And this is what I tried for Richard.
I wrote the name and address he gave me on a scrap piece of paper. I
folded this and placed it upon the diagram, said my own, short prayer,
and we hung up our phones. Then I went out for my evening stroll, leaving
the folded paper on the diagram to "broadcast its message"
for the rest of that night and all the next day.
Naturally, I had hoped to hear from Richard with news of immediate success.
But there was no return call that night, nor in the days that followed.
Frankly, I forgot about the incident within a few days, for receiving
such calls from suffering souls is not that unusual for me. Sometimes
I'm able to help; sometimes not.
Then, two weeks to the day, I returned home from my nightly walk to
discover a message on my phone machine. It was Richard. In a much different
voice -- stronger, happier -- he told me that the hiccups had totally
stopped within an hour after he had first spoken with me! But he had
not called me back ... for fear, almost superstitiously, that his hiccups
might start again! Now he was thrilled to report that during that time,
they had not returned!
By all rights, this method should not work. Obviously. It is bizarre
even for our organization (which researches and shares only natural
and alternative "self-health" methods and techniques). Nonetheless,
our efforts have met with success too often to simply dismiss this unique
healing modality as "luck."
In yoga -- my pathway -- it is taught that s/he who is destined to heal
will heal by whatever means it occurs, while s/he who will die is doomed.
It is inevitable, says yoga (see The MISAHA Newsletter, January - June,
1998).
To my mind, this is the reason that Sanjeevini works for so many people
(in the same way that just walking into the doctor's office "works"
for more than half the patients most doctors see). By whatever means
it works, I have adopted this method as essentially my only "healthinsurance,"
along with G-Jo Acupressure. To date, I have not been disappointed.
