Categories: Other Meditation Teachings
May the blessings of the Triple Gem, the Buddha, the Dhamma (his teachings), and the Sangha (the community of noble disciples), be with you all!
Today, we will explore a question that many people ask: Can the energy developed through meditation, known as bhāvanā, actually heal sickness in others? Some claim to have gained this ability, promising complete cures for any ailment. This article aims to bring you clarity on this topic, helping you understand who can genuinely perform such acts, whether these cures are real, and how to recognize if someone is deluded by their own perceived power. Through this understanding, you can navigate these claims with wisdom and discernment.
The Reality of Meditation Healing: A True Story
So, let’s address the main question directly: Is it possible to heal another person’s illness through the power of meditation? The short answer is yes, it is possible for a truly sincere and dedicated practitioner. I have chosen my words carefully, because our modern world is complex and filled with people of all intentions. There are authentic individuals who have developed this capacity for meditation healing.
Let me share a story from our own experience in Sri Lanka. There was a powerful meditation practitioner, a layman, who now practices in the Himalayas, deeply engaged in Samatha bhāvanā, a practice focused on developing deep states of tranquility and concentration.
These practitioners are incredibly disciplined. A person suffering from a cancer that doctors had deemed incurable was brought to this yogi. The practitioner made a promise to the five people who brought the patient: ‘I will help heal this illness, but you must make a promise in return.’ The condition was that the patient must commit to upholding the Five Precepts, the foundational ethical commitments in Buddhism, such as abstaining from harming living beings, stealing, and sexual misconduct.
After the promise was made, the yogi simply had the patient lie down and moved his hands over the person’s body. The onlookers were skeptical. Yet, when they returned for medical tests, the scans showed the cancer was gone. They rushed back to thank the yogi, but he had already departed for the Himalayas.
The purpose of this story isn’t to prove or disprove this specific event, but to illustrate that such people do exist in the world, though they are exceptionally rare. They are not performing for show; they are deeply committed practitioners, often living in solitude in forests or remote mountains, dedicated not to worldly engagement but to purifying their minds.
How Healing Abilities Arise, and Why They Fade
Such abilities are not limited to reclusive yogis. Even ordinary laypeople living secular lives can sometimes develop these capacities. This often arises from the ripening of past good deeds, or what we call kusala kamma, wholesome, intentional actions from previous lives.
We have witnessed instances where someone, through their dedicated meditation practice, develops an ability where simply placing a hand on a person’s head can alleviate a headache or other bodily pains. The mind-body connection is profound. When the mind becomes calm and purified through meditation healing practice, it can have a powerful, positive effect on the physical body, leading to the natural subsiding of many illnesses. This is one of the natural fruits of dedicated meditation.
The problem, however, is that for many lay practitioners, this power is not stable. Why? Because they are still immersed in worldly life. If they are not observing celibacy (brahmacharya) or if they engage in sexual misconduct, the energy of lust and craving grows. Because greed and desire (lobha) are not subdued in their minds, this special ability begins to decay and eventually vanishes. The very forces that the meditation was meant to pacify end up destroying the fruits of the practice.
The Spiritual Trap: How Ego Corrupts Healing Power
The decline doesn’t stop there. If the person begins to chase after money or fame, their power will deteriorate rapidly. The greatest danger is the arising of ego, or māna in Pali, which is a subtle form of conceit. This is a common and predictable trap. It begins subtly. A practitioner might get an intuition, a sign in their mind, telling them, ‘Place your hand on that person and wish for their healing.’ They do so, and the person’s headache genuinely disappears. The person is overjoyed and thanks them profusely. At this moment, a dangerous thought can arise: ‘Ah, so I have the power of meditation healing. I must develop this further.’
They might continue to meditate, but soon they start trying to heal everyone, indiscriminately. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Before long, a sign goes up: ‘Healing through Cosmic Energy.’ They start advertising on social media and in newspapers, perhaps giving out blessed water, and it turns into a business. This person may have only received a small spark of ability from their meditation, not a profound power, because they are not a deep yogi. They get so busy with their ‘healing’ work that they no longer have time to meditate. Their practice collapses.
Worse still, they develop a strong, fixed view: ‘I can heal people. I am a healer.’ This view feeds their pride. They start to think, ‘Western doctors, Ayurvedic physicians, and traditional healers can’t fix this, but I can.’ This is an extreme form of arrogance. This very pride, this māna, is poison to tranquility meditation and can even corrupt clairvoyant abilities like the ‘divine eye.’ The ego itself becomes the source of the power’s destruction.
The Buddha’s View on Psychic Powers and the True Goal
As the practitioner’s ego grows and their practice wanes, the negative feedback begins. People come for healing but find no relief. They start to say, ‘I went to that cosmic energy healer, but I’m still not well.’ We hear these stories often. When the ‘healer’ hears these complaints, instead of reflecting on their own state, they can become filled with anger and resentment (dosa), thinking, ‘These people are lying just so they don’t have to show me gratitude!’ Their entire demeanor changes, becoming defensive and hostile. Their mind becomes polluted.
This is why you must never limit your spiritual journey to such a narrow, childish goal. The Buddha himself never praised the display of such powers. In fact, he discouraged the performance of miracles and psychic feats (known as iddhi), even forbidding monks from displaying them. The goal of the Buddha’s path is not to become a healer but to achieve liberation from suffering, or Nibbāna.
The Wise Path: Prioritizing Liberation Over Abilities
If you find you have such an ability for meditation healing, use it with great care. It’s not wrong to offer a blessing to someone who is gravely ill and has no other hope, wishing ‘May you be well.’ But do not turn it into a grand performance or a profession. You will fall into decline because you are not yet a powerful, unshakable yogi. Understand this clearly.
The priority must always be the Buddha’s teachings. Strive to practice the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Satippaṭṭhāna) to escape the cycle of rebirth (samsāra). Engage in insight meditation (Vipassanā). We have shared many teachings on how to practice this. If you are developing concentration states (jhāna) or higher knowledges (abhiññā), continue to train, but do not become fixated on demonstrating them.
Any spiritual ability deteriorates for one primary reason: the ego that arises from it and the desire to show off. When you constantly think and say, ‘I am such a person, I am a master of jhāna, I have higher knowledge,’ the pride that grows in your own mind, not the actions of others, destroys your progress. This pride fuels sensual desire (kāmacchanda), a key mental hindrance, and your abilities will wither away.
Kamma, Sickness, and the Unshakeable Mind
It’s also crucial to remember the law of kamma, the universal principle of cause and effect tied to our intentional actions. Even the Buddha, a fully enlightened being, experienced the results of past negative kamma. He endured nine such karmic effects, including persistent headaches and back pain that lasted until his final passing into parinibbāna. So, remember, no matter how powerful we become in meditation, this physical body is subject to illness. This is its nature. Not every disease can be healed.
The true measure of spiritual progress is not a disease-free body, but a mind that does not crumble when sickness arises. Most people break down mentally when they get sick, and this mental suffering is often worse than the physical pain. However, the Buddha, Paccekabuddhas, Arahants, and other advanced practitioners experience physical pain, but their minds are not shaken. Their minds abide on a higher, more stable plane.
The so-called ‘cosmic energy healers’ are operating on a much, much lower level. They too get sick, and they cannot heal everything. Let me repeat that: they cannot heal everything completely. If you are a person with such abilities, my first piece of advice is this: abandon your pride. Be humble. Do not try to heal everyone. You will only destroy your own gift.
Conclusion: A Final Word of Advice for Seekers and Practitioners
I trust this teaching has provided guidance for both those seeking healing and those who believe they have the ability to heal. If you seek healing from someone claiming to use ‘cosmic energy,’ you must now understand the importance of carefully investigating that person’s authenticity and humility. And if you are the one who feels you can heal, you must look at your own ethical conduct (sīla). Do you have deep craving for this ability? Understand that this very craving will lead to your spiritual decline and the ruin of your meditation practice. By acting with this awareness, you can walk the path correctly and truly develop your spiritual potential.
This is why we chose the topic, ‘Can Sickness Be Healed Through the Power of Meditation?’ Reflect on these points and may the power of the Triple Gem help you to understand them well.
We invite you to walk this path with us. Read our teachings, and most importantly, apply them practically in your own life. as you practice, questions will naturally arise. Please feel free to share your experiences and questions in the comments below, via email or contact form. I will do my best to offer guidance in future talks based on your progress. For now, begin this practice with an open heart and a mind free from expectation. Cultivate it correctly, and may you find the clarity and peace you seek.
Thank you for joining us. We hope this blog will be of great benefit to your spiritual journey.
May you all be well and happy.
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!.
