Spiritual teachers and their pains
Surprise, surprise: even famous (and sometimes controversial) spiritual teachers face physical challenges, age, disease, and death...
Despite their physical challenges they often leave behind teachings that continue to inspire and guide people on their spiritual journeys. Many of them view pain as a path to deeper understanding, acceptance, and transcendence. Their perseverance in the face of such challenges can serve as an inspiration to others.
Some examples:
- Adi Da Samraj = Da Free John = Franklin Jones: cardiac arrest (69).
- Adyashanti: Bell's Palsy (caused by a particular virus that causes not only facial paralysis but also nerve pain and fatigue) + stroke, pains caused by an anti-allergy medication.
- Alan Watts: depression, congestive heart failure caused by a mixture of exhaustion and alcoholism (58).
- Charles Webster Leadbeater: congestive heart failure, oedema (then referred to as 'dropsy') and diabetes (80).
- Chögyam Trungpa: many of the classic health problems that develop from heavy drinking, diabetes and high blood pressure that led to abnormal blood sugar levels and then cardiac arrest, after which his condition deteriorated. Chronic liver disease related to his alcohol intake over many years. Dying of terminal alcoholism, even when he lay incontinent in his bedroom, belly distended and skin discolored, hallucinating and suffering from varicose veins, gastritis and esophageal varices, a swelling of veins in the esophagus caused almost exclusively by cirrhosis of the liver (47).
- Culadasa = John Yates: lung cancer (76).
- Elizabeth Clare Prophet: Alzheimer (70).
- George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: liver cancer (77 or 83).
- Gopi Krishna: pneumonia (81).
- Helena Blavatsky: influenza (59).
- Jeff Foster: Lime disease.
- Jiddu Krishnamurti: chronic back pain, headaches, Parkinson's disease, cancer of the pancreas (90).
- Jikai Dainin Katagiri Roshi = Hojo-san Katagiri: cancer (62).
- John Conaway: brain tumor.
- Ken Wilber: chronic fatigue syndrome and immune dysfunction syndrome, possibly caused by RNase Enzyme Efficiency Disease CFIDS/REDD/M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis).
- Lester Levinson: creator of the Sedona Method (84) His journey to develop the Sedona Method began after he faced serious health challenges in the late 1950s. He was told he only had a short time to live after experiencing a second major heart attack, along with other health problems including kidney stones, ulcers, and depression. It was during his time of introspection and self-examination, in his quest for better health and happiness, that he formulated the basis for what would later become the Sedona Method.
- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: once had severe abdominal pain and inflammation of the pancreas, along with kidney failure followed by a heart attack, poisoning was suspected. Anemia. Died of natural causes (91). https://bit.ly/34HcpAI]
- Michael Brown of The Presence Process: Horton's syndrome/cluster headaches.
- Michael Stone: suicide (43).
- Muktananda: diabetes, seizures, stroke, angina, ongoing, persistent cardiovascular issues, impotence, died from heart attack (74).
- Nisargadatta Maharaj: throat cancer (84).
- Osho = Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh: pain killers (?), laughing gas (?), myocardial infarction and/or poisoned by drug overdose (58).
- Ösel Tendzin = Vajra Regent Ösel Tendzin: aids/hiv related complications (47).
- Papaji = H. W. L. Poonja: bronchitis (86).
- Ram Dass = Richard Alpert: stroke/cerabral hemorrhage, paralysis (88).
- Pema Chödrön: chronic fatigue syndrome.
- Rama = Frederick Philip Lenz, III = Atmananda: liver cancer (48).
- Ramana Maharshi: cancer (sarcoma) left arm, sychoma (70).
- Richard (Rick) Linchitz: lung cancer (66).
- Richard Rose: Alzheimer (88).
- Robert Adams: Parkinson's disease (69).
- Robert Vaughn Abrams = Maharishi Sadashiva Isham (founder of Ascension meditation): throat cancer (48).
- Rudi = Albert Rudolph = Swami Rudrananda: obese, plane crash (45).
- Satya Sai Baba: kidney, heart failure, dementia? (84).
- Shinzen Young: severe sciatica.
- Sri Aurobindo: kidney infection caused by prostate enlargement http://savitri.in/blogs/light-of-supreme/god-departs-or-passing-away-of-sri-aurobindo-by-nirodbaran (78).
- Sri Ramakrishna: throat cancer (50).
- Sivaya Subramuniyaswami: advanced metastasized intestinal cancer (78).
- Sögyal Rinpoche: colorectal cancer, pulmonary embolism (72).
- St. Francis of Assisi: stigmata (wounds resembling those of Christ) and various ailments.
- St. John of the Cross: imprisoned, leading to physical hardships.
- St. Padre Pio: stigmata which caused him physical pain and suffering.
- St. Teresa of Ávila: various health problems, including severe migraines.
- Suzanne Segal: malignant brain tumor (42).
- Suzuki Roshi: cancer.
- Swami Bhaktivedanta = A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: poisoned? (81)
- Swami Nityananda: arthritis, obesity, diarrhea, pus from ears (82).
- Swami Paramahansa Yogananda: congestic heart failure (59).
- Swami Rama: heart condition (69 or 71).
- Swami Rama Tirtha: accidental drowning ? (33).
- Swami Satchidananda: high blood pressure, died in intensive care due to internal bleeding (thoracic aneurysm) (87).
- Swami Sivananda Saraswati: (75).
- Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri: (81).
- Swami Vivekananda: migraines, tonsillitis, diphtheria, asthma, diabetes, typhoid, malaria, other persistent fevers, liver problems, indigestion, gastroenteritis, bloating, dysentery and diarrhea, dyspepsia and abdominal pain, gallstone, lumbago, neck pain, Bright’s disease (acute nephritis), kidney problem, dropsy, albuminuria, bloodshot eyes, loss of vision in his right eye, chronic insomnia, prematurely grey hair, neurasthenia, excessive fatigue, seasickness, sunstroke, diabetes and heart problems (39).
- Taizan Maezumi Roshi: drowned in bathtub under the influence of alcohol (64).
- Trailanga Swami = Tailang Swami = Telang Swami = Swami Ganapati Saraswati (280...).
- Terry Patten: diminished pulmonary function, with a very rare cancer (some kind of soft-tissue sarcoma) that had metastasized through his lungs to the point that he was told it is “very aggressive, Stage IV, inoperable, incurable, and very hard to treat.” a rare, aggressive, Stage IV, widely metastasized (in lungs, perhaps with a couple of other centers, but that was not clear) incurable form of cancer. It had pervaded the lungs too much to be surgically removed, and too much to be radiated either. It was categorized as an “undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma.” (60) https://www.terrypatten.com/appreciating-your-care-help-and-a-personal-update/.
- The 5th Shri Sengdrak Rinpoche = Senge Drakpa Rinpoche = Ngawang Gyurme Chökyi Gyaltsen (one of the Matthieu Ricard's most inspiring spiritual masters) of the Drukpa Kargyü school of Tibetan Buddhism: leukemia (62).
- Thich Nhat Hanh: severe brain haemorrhage, which affected his ability to speak (95).
- U.G. Krishnamurti: cardio-spasm (achalasia) (88).
- Wayne Dyer: chronic lymphocytic leukemia & heart attack (75).
- Yogi Bhajan: complications from heart failure (75).