Nosocomephobia is the extreme fear of hospitals. It is a fairly common phobia; many people (including US President Richard Nixon) are known to suffer from it. I also never liked(in fact I hated and feared) to go to hospitals because of it's particular atmosphere and medicinal stink. But somehow or other due to circumstances I had to forcefully get hospitalised. During resting on hospital bed I have made few observation and drawn some lessons from it. 

1)Ward doesn't matter, disease and it's treatment matters

When I was about to get admitted I was asked that which ward would you like to have? Special? Semi-special? General? I realised that ward won't change my disease nor pain that I am going through, I opted for general.

World is like a hospital, we share similar disease 'Bhava Roga' but with different intensity. Someone want to suffer from it by being in most opulent house or someone opt to suffer by being in hut but everyone has to suffer. One who takes proper treatment even by being in meagre facilities get relieved from 'Bhavasagara'.

2)Hospital is not a home 

Hospital is an institution providing medical and surgical treatment and nursing care for sick or injured people. The definition clearly states that it's an institution for sick and injured and not for normal people. As soon as one is cured gets shifted to home. But sometimes patient forgets the home and gets accustomed to lifestyle of hospital, I saw there were some patients who were enjoying their days in hospital as if they were at picnic spot. They were watching movies, enjoying food and gossiping at other times etc.

As we discussed earlier hospital is similar to this material world. We the patient starts loving this world so much due to its facilities and comforts that we forget about our real eternal home which is much more better than temporary home.

3)One who follows faithfully gets freed 

I saw a patient who was there from a month or may be more, he was diabetic. He had a injury on wrist which wasn't getting cured from a year or so. I came to know from nurses that he hardly follows the doctor, he eats what he wants, whenever he wants. She told till he listens and follows doctor faithfully he won't get cured in other words won't be freed from here.

Similarly we need to have faith in the words of spiritual authorities. When we follow their words we will get cured and will be freed.

4)Sympathising with others makes pain lighter

Yes absolutely I was in pain but when I saw others, especially a very young boy who just had a surgery on his abdomen, I felt my pain is nothing in front of his.

When we think of me, mine and my comforts we certainly go through distress and misery but when we see others, help them to sort out their problems our problems become insignificant.

5)Hospitals shows the real face of the world 

Real world is not in the movie theatres nor in malls nor in hotels but it's in hospitals, where truth of life is highlighted and that is birth, old age, disease and death. Scriptures tells us again and again about that but one can experience it here.

6)After all you are alone, care for yourself 

Throughout the day parents or friends would be there with a patient, but during treatment or any surgery you are all alone with doctors. Also during night most of the time parents or closed ones would be requested not to be with patient. 

Similarly in life we ourselves will have to handle most crucial moments. However close our near and dear ones may be to us but remember We have come alone and will be departing alone from here. Better learn to care for yourself physically, mentally and spiritually. Don't depend upon other so much.

7)Tolerate some pain to eradicate bigger pain

When needle of syringe(injections) goes inside the body, however experienced and mature you are in taking it, it really pains. But doctor or nurses are not intentionally doing it, even they also don't like to trouble us by injecting medicines again and again into our body. But it's necessary for us to protect us from bigger pain.

Similarly we may find spiritual practices to be a bit austere and we need to sacrifice many things but this helps us to deal with greater material miseries.

8)Our mischief has only led us here

If we introspect carefully we can find out that for most of the times it's our mischief and frivolous nature which have made us diseased or hospitalised. In my case it was self advised change in food habits which reduced my immunity to very great extent. The patient who was on next bed he also was the victim of same nature, he, disobeying his mother, went with his friend, on a drive who didn't know how to drive properly thus car toppled down and he came under it leading to fracturing of his bones.

We come to this material world due to our independent nature. We also got allured by some so called cheap enjoyment thus we left spiritual world. When we give up that frivolous nature and obey God we get elevated to his realm. 

9)Hospitals are meant to cure us not to kill us

Hospital is a good place for fast recovery, recovery from our diseased condition. They are not meant to trouble us or kill us ultimately..no.

Similarly God has not created this world to make us suffer he has created this facility so that we can get cured of our enjoying attitude and turn it into servitude.

10)Restrictions are made for freedom

While giving the discharge card I was shocked when asked to follow so many regulations for at least six months. But I don't have any choice apart from it if I want to get cured earliest.

Similarly in material world we have to follow so many restrictions for practically everything according to scriptures but we need to understand that it's there for my future betterment only. One should be sure enough to know that if I follow regulations, which we may find troublesome sometimes, properly I will be cured of my material disease.

An intelligent doesn't  take this world to be the place of only enjoyment but he values the life here and learns the crucial life lessons from each and every situation happening around, which can help him to transcend the miseries and cheap pleasures.

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Comments

  • very inspiring, ethical, spiritual and life-making lessons!
    graceful and so kind of you !!

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