For over a quarter century as a cardiologist, I dealt with life and death circumstances on a daily basis. I ultimately came to appreciate how precious and tenuous life can be; it can change in an instant. Such a dramatic shift occurred with our family in June of 2009 when our son, Tyler, was involved in an automobile accident, sustaining a severe spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed.

As John Lennon once said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” In a Nano-second, our entire family was thrust into the midst of the fiercest storm imaginable.

Why do disruptive, terrible things like this happen? Why must there be such anguish? Does it serve any purpose? These were questions that had answers . . . but it would take quite some time for me to sift through the quagmire in order to uncover them.

What I ultimately came to appreciate was that this human realm represents a perfect circumstance in which one can approach what we all seek — transforming enlightenment. I learned that all the pain and turmoil of this existence, those things that cause us to suffer are beautifully balanced and coupled with those things that bring us pleasure. It is because of that symbiotic relationship that we are not overly burdened with the negative aspects of any experience.

In the midst of profound sadness, if you allow yourself to look around, you can focus on the beauty before your eyes; it’s there . . . right alongside the suffering. There must be this maintenance of equilibrium in our lives, a balance that is manifested in the apparent dualities of life. The monsoon is countered by a calm, sunny day; perfect health is balanced by life-threatening disease, good by evil, and darkness by illumination. These perceived opposites are in truth conjoined with one another and must be embraced as one in the same.

It is much like the radical metamorphosis a caterpillar must undergo while in the darkness of its cocoon. It must endure such a significant transformation in its quest of becoming a magnificently beautiful butterfly. In fact, the caterpillar and butterfly are one.

Along my journey through this abyss, I have been gently coaxed onto a spiritual path that has awakened in me a long forgotten Truth: There is no duality in life.

As related in the 2nd verse of the Tao Te Ching, Lao tzu teaches us: “Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty, only because there is ugliness.
All can know good as good only because there is evil.
Being and non-being produce each other.
The difficult is born in the easy. Long is defined by short, the high by the low.
So the sage lives openly with apparent duality and paradoxical unity.”

Leading my family through the experience, this journey has resulted in a spiritual awakening to a clearer understanding of life and the healing truths nature in its marvelous splendor has to offer. My book, No Storm Lasts Forever was published by Hay House on July 17th, which by the way is Tyler’s birthday. This date was chosen by the publishers without them knowing the significance of the day. Hmmmmm?