The Inner Preparation of a Homoeopath - Amit Sahani

The Inner Preparation of a Homoeopath

- Amit Sahani 

 

When a person graduates in this unique system of medicine, and comes out in the field of practice, the problem he comes across is lack of experience. The tough examinations that he has gone through and the amount of preparation and efforts he has put into for getting that degree seems to go down to the drains.

The preparation that he undergoes and the knowledge is all useless if he cannot take up the challenge of relieving the suffering humanity of all its pains. And yet the person is not ready to accept his failure, because keeping in consideration the amount of hard work that is involved, he cannot believe in his failures. So, what are the causes of his failure? Is it there any fault in the education system that has to do anything with his failures? Well it is a stage too early to arrive at such a conclusion. Reforms in the educational system are always welcome but it is not the only thing to be blamed. The attitude of the physician has also a role to play in this. The conceptual portion of this healing art must be first understood and this is the sole guide to preparation of a good Homoeopath. Going through the Materia Medica and being well versed with the symptoms of the medicines is not enough to be confident prescriber. He must understand the conceptual aspect and the other guidelines required for correct prescription. And these guidelines will only guide him in the prognosis of the disease and the way it should be handled at its different stages. Then he can unearth the disease and understand the hidden causes and only then the knowledge of medicines will help him cure. Medicines are only the tools or instruments of cure and consist of the practical part of the therapeutic art. It too has been constructed only with the guidelines laid down in the conceptual part of this system. So, can we ever dream of prescribing without the knowledge of this conceptual part of Homoeopathy. The prescription should also hold on the golden rule of considering the unity of body and mind. In the 4th edition of his Organon of Medicine, Hahnemann writes “The organism is indeed the material machine to the life, but it is not conceivable without the animation imparted to it by the instinctively perceiving and regulating vital force, and the vital force is not conceivable without the organism, consequently the two together constitute a unity, although in thought our mind separates this unity into two distinct ideas, for the sake of facilitating the apprehension of it.” When these principles of homoeopathy are not inculcated by its practitioners then it is the system as a whole which suffers the brunt of these unqualified physicians and result in what is called emasculated homoeopathy by Stuart Close. According to him, “An emasculated homoeopathy is an impotent homoeopathy, without the virility necessary to maintain or reproduce itself. Some short sighted, superficial and weak kneed individuals, actuated by their prejudices, or through their failure to comprehend the subject as a whole, have adopted an emasculated homoeopathy for themselves and attempted to support their crippled eunuch as a candidate for general acceptance. Within its sphere homoeopathy is entirely adequate to meet all its own problems in its own way, when it is practiced in its purity and entirety. But homoeopathy will fail if it is forced outside or beyond its real sphere, or if it is perverted and emasculated.”

Homoeopathy is not a philosophy, but a method: yet it has a philosophy, and it is important that it should be clear and sound, and in harmony with the best thought of our time. So, it is the meeting of the idealism with the reality. There should not be any conflict of idealism and reality, because if there is such a state of chaos then there cannot be harmony in the practice. But how can one expect such a state of harmony? Such a state of harmony can be there if the person keeps all other motives, other than the motive of healing at a distance and do not let it affect them. This requires healing of the physician themselves of their perverted thoughts and idealism before they set out to actually cure their patient. A Spartan mindset should be there in accordance with the philosophy of Homoeopathy. The indoctrination of the thoughts and principles of the system should be done for the disciples who want to practice a system, which is a novice in itself.

First and foremost, the determination, which should be reflected in the attitude of the physician, should be there. They should be able to take up with ease the most trouble some of the cases and create confidence among their patient. They should also be able to realize that the ideas and philosophy of our masters were not churned out in a day. It required the tolls of their sweat and heavy work, which could not be attained in a short span of time without much effort. They should come up to terms that this divine healing art require the sole attention of the person who wants to adopt it. According to H. A. Roberts, “One of the first essentials, now that we are convinced of his unselfish desire to serve, is to determine that he has stability. If he mercurial in temperament, easily influenced, and finds it difficult to hold a straight course, always seeking the easiest way, do not encourage him to study Homoeopathy.”

He should be detached from all the success and failures that come in his way of his career. He should treat both of them equally and never carried away with the emotions that come in way. He should approach each new case without prejudice from his experience of success and failures. His prescription should be solely based on his knowledge of the subject,

The physician should be modest in his approach to the patient so that he gains the confidence of his physician and should be able to yield to him all his problems without any inhibitions. The patient should be able to reveal the dark side of him that is bothering him and should be able to submit himself to knowledge of his physician. But this is not always the case. The patient should feel the warmth of his doctor on his first visit itself and this cannot be made to feel by external appearance of the physician or the bigger clinics. This warmth is reflected in the confidence of the physician but, this should never be overconfidence. The physician should never be rejuvenated by his success or depressed by his failures. He should leave his success behind and not let it speak it over his knowledge. Such things can be very fatal for a physician. This will inflate the ego of the physician and deflate his knowledge and wisdom. There has to be a sense of detachment from all these events and then only he can strive for better results in his practice.

If his success influences him, he will strive for it and may get misled on the path of momentary relief to seek instant recognition at the level of those elite physicians. But this practice will be detrimental to him in the course of his career and will be branded a failure. H. A. Roberts writes “The decision lies with the individual, and what he is determined to secure from his life work. If it is financial ambition, he had better not take up homoeopathy. Homoeopathy is a principle, and principles brook no division of loyalty. If he has at the heart the desire to serve, he may find fame and riches at his door as well as that keen satisfaction of knowing that he has brought to his clientele the gift of healing in the safest, gentlest and most rapid manner.”