Long, but enduring, month

It has been a very long month… Many things have happened since the beginning of the process of making the medicine factory.

My group members have been working very hard in preparing the factory with proper infrastructure and equipment needed. As well as going out into the fields, collecting herbs and plants, for the necessary ingredients. Because some of the doctors are not skillfully prepared to go out farther into the mountains and caves to grab more ingredients, they have asked some of the members pertaining to the expeditions to grab what they needed. As for me, I unfortunate could not be as much help, as I really wanted to be.

My uncle, who I was working with as a trader, died unexpectedly. He was away, in another village, where he has second business, and caught an illness that made him very sick very quickly. I am still grieving his death, as it is still very recent. I believe he is in a state of bardo. Bardo is the state of existence between two different lives. He has just died, and is about to enter into a new life. However, one’s who enter that state develop scary hallucinations from their past unskillful actions, because of karma. This could mean that his next life may be worse… I really hope this isn’t happening to my uncle.

Anyhow, I started to take on his second job, commuting between the villages. I was still working on the medicine factory, so it delayed me from completing the tasks he was supposed to do. I started to work twice as much, even when the cold weather arrived.

I really wish I did not work as hard as I did. I have fallen ill with a cold. One of the doctors involved in our project, Dr. King, had recently returned from collecting herbs. He felt sympathy for my situation, and wanted to do whatever he could to help me. Unfortunately, while he was gathering the herbs, he accidentally was collecting ones that were poisonous. He tried to treat me, but he, unknowingly, gave me the poisonous herbs. That night, I started to feel feverish and had the stomach flu. I could not get a hold of Dr. King, so I called another doctor working with us, and she came along with her other fellow doctors. With the very limited resources they had on such short notice, they were unable to treat me themselves, and took me to a nunnery hospital. I was given Rhodiola extract, which helped in neutralizing the poison.

Rhodiola is used commonly to prevent colds and flus. Dr. King only gave me a little bit of the herbs, that I was not greatly poisoned. I also went to the hospital fairly quickly so the Rhodiola was able to treat me fully.

I returned home the next morning, and Dr. King came to visit me to apologize for what he did. I told him there was no need to apologize, it was a simple mistake and could’ve happened to any one of us. The best thing was that now the doctors have made the differentiation between the different poisons and can now prevent that from happening again, or even entering into the medicine that will be made. He gave me red ginseng tea, to fully recover me to my normal energetic state. I love ginseng tea! It truly helps in diminishing fatigue, and helps regulate blood sugar levels as well. Having red ginseng tea can even improve the body’s immune system. Hmm… I should probably have this tea more regularly!

My involvement in the project has been so little, since I’ve been working double shifts and then was bed ridden for a week. I am fully recovered now, and I met with my group to update me on all that has happened.

The building of the factory was successful, and all the ingredients necessary were attained and were ready for producing. However, I was made aware that the factory was quite possibly haunted. Part of the building almost collapsed a week before opening it up for business; consequently delaying the opening. There was negative energy floating around the factory, most likely because of having bad karma. The ritualist in our group burned incense and we chanted mantras. She performed multiple necessary rituals, and in the end it seemed as though the haunting had ended.

I am so delighted to say that the factory is now perfect! I look forward to continual projects for the factory and the community. I want to do as much as I can!!

Bye for now!