Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by markedly impaired social interaction, impaired communication, and restricted/repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. Maladaptive behaviors such as aggression can be associated with ASD and can further disrupt functioning and quality of life [1]. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2016, the prevalence of ASD among eight-year-old children in the United States was 1.85%, representing a 27% increase from 2012 estimates (1.45%). The behavioral and community interventions, as well as pharmacologic and electroconvulsive therapy, are all helpful for reducing the incidence and frequency of aggressive behavior, but none are capable of helping patients to restore mental order [1]. From the Dharma point of view, ASD is caused by spirits that usually occupy the patient’s brain and control the patient’s behavior. Once spirits are gone, recovery of mental order is just around the corner. The following case describes how a mother recklessly exerted her utmost strength practicing Buddhism to finally help her son walk out of the shadow of ASD as well an attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Patient L11, male, 2 (2008), Guangdong, China
When I was a child, my family raised chickens, ducks and pigs. My husband loved eating sea animals and always ordered them when treating his friends in restaurants. When we got married, I was already pregnant with my son. At the wedding ceremony, both families invited many guests to a banquet dinner consisting of many live sea animals. My son was born in 2006. When he was a month old, to celebrate, we invited numerous guests for dinner again.
In 2008, I realized that my two-year-old son was different from children of his same age in many ways. He did not communicate with others, did not look at others, walked on the balls of his feet, kept talking to himself, often made all kinds of strange movements, and kept pressing the TV and light switches, causing several to break. His stereotyped mechanical language and actions were continuously repetitive, over and over again. He liked rotating appliances, like electric fans and air conditioning units, and would stare at them all the time. He did not respond when we talked to him. He had no sense of safety. He had a hard time falling asleep. While he was awake, he was super energetic. Except for bedtime, he did not stop behaving for a minute.
The doctor said he was developmentally delayed. His long journey to recovery began at the age of 2, hoping he would be able to return to behave like a normal kid. I ran between the hospital and the training center every day for 4 to 5 years. In the hospital he was receiving various medical treatments. In the training center, he received sensory integration training, took Chinese herbal medicines, received acupuncture, etc. We did not dare to get behind with any of the treatments that could possibly be helpful for children with mental disorders. Whenever I learned of a new treatment, I would try it on him like grabbing a life-saving straw. I was afraid that my child would miss out on the best treatment available.
All the above treatments and rehabilitation brought little progress to him. He simply could not learn through his perception of the outside world, nor did he have the ability to comprehend. Whenever we tried to teach him something, he didn’t remember anything we had just finished teaching.
In 2011, he was 5 years old, and I took him to see Dr. Zou, a well-known autism specialist at Sun Yat-sen University. Dr. Zou said that he was moderately autistic, had ADHD, and needed long-term intervention and guidance training at home. In fact, he was not only autistic and hyperactive, but also acquired fevers, colds and coughs quite often. A slight cough could develop into pneumonia. His treatment, training, and illness resulted in great economic pressure and mental stress for my family. At that time, we would spend more than ten thousand CNY ($1500-$1600) per month just for his health care costs alone.
On December 22, 2011, results of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children indicated: his verbal IQ score 61, which was <99.5% of the population; operational IQ score 89, which was <76.1% of the population; and overall IQ <96.7% of the population.
He had to change kindergartens five times because his ADHD affected other children. His doctor prescribed Tomoxetine hydrochloride in order to keep him quiet in kindergarten. This medication treats the symptoms but not the root cause. As soon as the medication was stopped, the hyperactivity started again. Side effects of this medication were lack of appetite, weakness and weight loss.
In 2012, he turned 6 years old. The doctor said he was already so old and I should consider stopping these treatments because it would be useless to treat him again. After he started elementary school, I had to accompany him and sit next to him in class because he didn’t have any sense of rules or self-control. He was particularly fierce, never stopped for a minute, stood up at any time in class to get something from his classmates, talked and screamed, made a lot of noise, danced and made all kinds of weird motions with his hands. I couldn’t control his behavior at all. I had to face the strange looks from the teacher and his classmates. I felt I could find no place to hide myself.
After studying Buddhism, I realized that this is a spiritual disease, a medical incurable disease.
In 2014, I heard people say that ASD and ADHD are karmic diseases, so I started looking for information online to study Buddhism. I recited whichever sutra people on the internet said was good. Although I made these efforts, my child remained unchanged. However, through studying Buddhism I understood the truth of the previous, present, and future lives, which substantially eased my mind.
In early 2016, I inadvertently clicked on a WeChat group link (WeChat is the social media known as Weixin in China). It happened to be a video program about ASD and ADHD sponsored by Master Lu, who is watching totems for patients. After watching it in detail, I was shocked. I immediately started to practice the three Golden Buddhist Practices of making vows, reciting Buddhist scriptures, and performing life liberation, to treat my child. Then, I made the following 2 vows:
1. Become a vegetarian for the sake of my son for the rest of my life; to transfer my son all my merits and virtues of being a vegetarian to help him to eliminate his karma.
2. Keep releasing the life for my child every month.
My assignments were Great Compassion Mantra, Heart Sutra, Mantra to Untie Karmic Knots, Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra 49 times each, and Eighty-eight Buddhas Great Repentance 5 times per day.
When I started to recite the Little Houses, I often dreamed of being chased, and constrained by spirits in bed. Whenever this happened, Master Lu’s Dharmakaya would appear in the dream to save me. After reciting approximately 200 Little Houses for my son’s creditors, his behavior improved substantially. His eyes were able to settle, sometimes he would look at people, his verbal skills improved, and he was able to have a simple conversation with others for two or three rounds. This gave me a lot of confidence and motivation. I tried my best to recite Buddhist scriptures every day; I even wanted to spare all my sleeping time and recite instead.
In 2018, after two years of practicing Buddhism, all his skills had improved tremendously, especially behavior control. I did not have to chaperone him at school anymore and I was finally relieved.
On February 5, 2021, the results of the Wechsler-IV test showed that he had an overall IQ score of 100. The doctor told me that his intelligence was completely normal. At that moment, tears fell from my eyes, and I could not express my gratitude to Master Lu and Guan Yin Bodhisattva.
I am grateful to the great and compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva for the blessings She has bestowed on me and my son, who had deep and heavy karmic obstacles. Buddha is the great healer! From 2016 to 2021, the five years I have steadily implemented the four Golden Buddhist Practices into my daily life, I have been cultivating my mind and my behavior; making wows and recycling performing vows. In sum, I have recited over 6,000 Little Houses and released 60,000 to 70,000 fish for my son. I have finally witnessed the magic and supremacy of Buddhism.
If there is anything that is not rational or in line with the truth in the presentation, I’d like to seek forgiveness from the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Dharma protectors, and Master Jun Hong Lu.
I’d also like to seek forgiveness from my fellow Buddhist practitioners.
I, not my fellow practitioners, will be responsible for my own karma!
Presenter: Dharma Practitioner Liao, Gratitude and Namaste!
Translator: Frank
Statement by Translator
1. The story was translated from Chinese into English by meaning, not word by word. If there is anything that is not rational or in line with the true meaning of the Chinese version, I’d like to seek forgiveness from the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Dharma protectors and Master Jun Hong Lu.
2. Author Liao was interviewed by Frank during the translation for the detailed information.
Comments: In a ceremony of celebrating marriage, the killing karma will be all recorded under the names of the new couple. During pregnancy, if killing live sea animals to eat, her child will easily acquire skin diseases after birth. While celebrating the child’s first month, the killing karma in the banquet will be all recorded under the name of the child.
Such a small child may have already passively produced that much karma, which may serve as the fuse to trigger the predestined karma from his previous life to flare, resulting in ASD and ADHD.
The mother is willing to bear her son’s karma. Her vow power supersedes her son’s karma power. Thus, she finally succeeds.
REFERENCES
[1] David S. Im, MD 2021. Treatment of Aggression in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2021:29(1): 35–80.
Please kindly forward this article to those under sufferance of autism
Forward this article to anyone, no matter he/she is suffering autism or not, you will accumulate immeasurable merits and virtues.
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原文如下：
学佛念经让我的自闭儿子完全康复
小时候，我家里养鸡、养鸭、养猪。先生爱吃海鲜，请客吃饭必点海鲜。我们结婚时，我已经已怀上了儿子。婚宴上，双方家族都摆酒请客吃饭，宴席上有很多活杀的生猛海鲜。我的儿子2006年出生。儿子满月时，我们又请客吃饭，又造下了很重的杀业。
2008年，我发现两岁多的儿子跟同龄孩子很多地方不一样，不跟人交流，没有眼神对视，掂着脚走路，不停地自言自语，经常做各种怪动作，不停地按电视和电灯的开关，导致好几个开关坏掉了。他那刻板机械的语言和动作会一直不停地重复。他喜欢旋转的家电，如电风扇和空调外机，会一直盯着看。跟他讲话，他没有反应。他没有任何的安全意识。他很难入睡。除了睡觉时间，在他醒着的时候没有一分钟停下来过，精力超级旺盛。
医生说，孩子发育迟缓。为了能够恢复到像正常孩子一样，年仅两岁的孩子开始了漫长的康复之路。我每天奔波在医院和训练机构之间，在医院做各种治疗，在训练机构做感觉统合训练；同时还给孩子吃中药调理，以及针灸疏通经络等等。所有脑病孩子能做的治疗，我们一样都没敢落下。每每得知一种新疗法，我就象抓到救命稻草一般，赶快在他身上试用，生怕孩子错过了最佳的治疗时期。就这样，我们一直坚持了4-5年。
所有以上的治疗和康复训练给孩子带来的进步微乎其微。他根本不能通过对外界的感知去学习知识，也没有理解能力。每当我们费尽心思灌输给他一些知识，教完后他又什么都不知道了。
期间，在2011年那年，孩子5岁多了，我领他去看了国内知名的自闭症专家中山大学邹小兵主任医师。邹医生说，孩子是中度自闭症和多动症，需要家长期的干预和引导训练。其实，孩子不单自闭、多动，还经常发烧、感冒、咳嗽，一次小小的咳嗽都能发展成肺炎，给我们造成了巨大的经济压力和精神压力。那时，他一个月光治疗费就高达上万元。
2011年12月22日，韦氏幼儿智力量表（Wechsler）测验结果分析与报告是：他的言语智商61分，比99.5%的人差；操作智商89分， 比76.1%的人差。总智力比96.7%的人差。
因为多动症影响其他小朋友，他先后被迫换了五所幼儿园。在幼儿园时，为了能够让他安静一点，医生给他开了盐酸托莫西汀。这种药物治标不治本，一停药马上就又开始多动。而且，药物带来的副作用是没有食欲、体质弱、人变瘦。
2012年，孩子6岁了。医生说他都已经这么大了，这些治疗可以考虑停一下，再治也没多大用。孩子上小学后，因为他没有任何规则意识和自控能力，我不得不跟着他陪读，上课时就坐在他边上。他是特别武的，一分钟没有的停过，在课堂上随时站起来去拿同学的东西，讲话尖叫，大声吵闹，手舞足蹈地做各种鬼脸怪动作。我根本控制不了他的行为，只能面对老师和同学们异样的眼光，无地自容。
学佛后，我才知道这种病就是灵性病，一种医学上的不治之症。
2014年，听人家说自闭症和多动症是业障病，要诵经放生。于是，我就开始在网上找资料学习佛法。网上的人说哪个经文好我就念哪个经文。虽然我做了这些努力，但孩子依旧没有变化。不过，通过学习佛法我明白了三世因果的道理，让我的心态好了很多。
2016年初，我无意当中点开了微信群里的一个链接，刚好是关于自闭症、多动症这类师父看图腾的视频节目。详详细细地看了后，我很震撼。于是，我开始运用三大法宝许愿、念经、放生给孩子治疗。当时，我就许愿：
- 终身为我的儿子吃全素；将我终身吃全素的功德给儿子消业障。
- 每个月坚持给孩子放生。
我的功课是《大悲咒》，《心经》，《往生咒》和《解结咒》各49遍，《礼佛大忏悔文》5遍。
开始做功课念小房子的时候，我经常梦到被人追，鬼压床等等。这时，师父的法身就会在梦里出现救我。当我给儿子的要经者念到大概200多张小房子的时候，他的行为就有了明显的进步：眼神能够定下来，有时还会跟人对视，语言表达能力有所提高，也能跟人简单地对话两三个回合。这给了我非常大的信心和动力。我每天拼了命地念经，恨不得把睡觉时间都省出来念经。
2018年，我学佛念经两年后，孩子各方面能力有了极大的提高，特别行为控制能力有了巨大的进步。我不用再跟着他去陪读了，终于解脱了。
2021年2月5日，韦氏幼儿智力量表（Wechsler-IV）测试结果显示：孩子总智商达到100分。医生告诉我，孩子智力完全恢复正常。听到这个消息，我眼泪都掉下来了，心中对师父和菩萨的感恩之情无以言表。
感恩大慈大悲观世音菩萨慈悲加持业障深重的我和孩子。佛是大医王！从2016到2021年这五年来，我踏踏实实将四大法宝落实到每天的修心修行当中，一点一滴的积累，阶段性地许愿、还愿如此循环，合计念了6千多张组合给孩子的要经者，放生鱼6-7万条，终于量变达到质变，见证了佛法的神奇与殊胜。
您想改变命运吗？
我们手把手传授您观世音菩萨的心灵法门五大法宝：“许愿”、“放生”、“念经”、“看《白话佛法》”、”大忏悔”。您将亲自见证如何通过佛法让自己及家人获得身心安定、病苦解除、冤结化解、智慧增长、学业进步、事业提升、家庭幸福。
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