Faith (in chiropractic)

It has always puzzled me how people would make comments like, “I believe in chiropractic” or “I don’t believe in chiropractic” as if faith or a belief system was necessary in order to have a positive experience in chiropractic or that lack of belief would negate the possibility of chiropractic “working”. It is as if faith is wholly or partly responsible for chiropractic doing what it is intended to do. Healing in the Bible for example, had an element of faith involved in it. However, chiropractors are quick and correct to point out that infants, people with diminished cognitive skills, and animals experience the benefits of a chiropractic adjustment regardless of the presence or the absence of any faith. There is a degree of faith necessary for chiropractic to work but there is also a difference between chiropractic working and what one might scribe as a positive experience in chiropractic. Faith in chiropractic is a matter of confidence in the validity of the principles of chiropractic, Do you really believe that there is a “universal intelligence in all matter and continually giving to it all its properties and actions thus maintaining it in existence”? If you believe that, if you have faith that major premise(principle number one) is true and accept the authority and validity of next 32 principles that constitutes the entire necessary faith in chiropractic. Our faith must be in the principle of life, the expression of intelligence through matter and that that expression is a little better without the vertebral subluxation. But that is entirely different than having a positive experience in chiropractic. The only positive experience we can be assured of is that the body is working better after we have been adjusted. Anything else, actually everything else, depends upon the matter of our body and its limitations. Whether we get well, get better, or get worse is not a reflection upon the innate intelligence is always 100%. It is a reflection upon the matter of our body with all its numerous genetic, congenital and other limitations and the time in which its material response is able to take place. That is the only faith that we need or that we can have in chiropractic.

17 thoughts on “Faith (in chiropractic)”

  1. In practice, it is important to let go of my finite educated intelligence, which means, to understand the 33 principles of chiropractics basic’s science and to trust totally in infinite innate intelligence (pri20, 21, 22)… with openness. With openness to what? To what is, to what’s going on right now in my body (pri23, 24), in the trust that what is going on is what I am a part of as a chiropractic member (pri28, 31)… and what will harmonize the action of the parts of my body, moment by moment (pri32). Only moment by moment. There are no grand visions promised here. Just a mindful trusting of each moment as it comes, with what it contains, with its confusion or inspiration, with its joy or horror, with its bliss or pain, with its health or sickness, with its hope or despair. To delve deeply into the cauldron of contradiction, trusting that without the presence of vertebral subluxation, whatever is there is normal (pri27). This normality of infinite innate intelligence is suchness right now. It is the maintaining of the material of my body in active organization, which mean that it sustains my aliveness (pri21). It is the power of the universal cycle of life (pri26), the connectedness of emptiness (which is the letting go of the imagined supremacy of my educated intelligence) . . . . The suchness of each moment is the infinite wisdom of major premise (pri1).

    Reply
    • I thought ii was finite and ui was infinite? Or is ii infinite relative to itself, it’s normalcy, it’s 100%, but finite relative to an infinite ui?
      Putting that aside Claude, what a wonderful assessment,
      Putting into context MP with educated intelligence with p24, etc.
      What a positive view of Chiropractic view point and
      P24 as apposed to always seeing Life in the perspective of limitations of matter, and a non descript, better than not at all existential
      Glass half full or half empty?
      You certainly present at least a glowing, forward thinking, purposeful, optimistic perspective.
      Thank You

      Reply
    • MP defines (notice the reference to the law of universal truth)
      TY for referring to suchness, as Chiropractic applies it in the 33Ps.
      WIKIPEDIA: The ten suchnesses, or categories, are what led the sixth century Chinese Buddhist philosopher Zhiyi to establish the doctrine of the “three thousand [worlds] in one thought.”[3] Nichiren regarded the doctrine of “three thousand [worlds] in one thought” (ichinen-sanzen) as the very essence of the Buddha’s teachings.[4] He wrote in his work Kaimoku-shō (Essay on the Eye-opener) concerning ichinen-sanzen:

      The very doctrine of the Three Thousand Realms in One Mind of the Tendai sect appears to be the way to lead man to buddhahood.[4]
      The principle of the Reality of All Existence not only analyzes what modern science would analyze in physical substances to the extent of subatomic particles, but also extends to mental state.[5] Accordingly, everyone’s mind has existing within it the ten realms of existence which are said to be found within one another.[6] The suchnesses reveal the deepest reality inherent within all things, and, consequently, innumerable embodied substances existing in the universe are interrelated with all things.

      The doctrine consists of ten words that are preceded by the words “such a” or “such an”:[7]

      Such a Form (phenomenon)
      Such a Nature (character)
      Such an Embodiment (entity)
      Such a Potency (ability)
      Such a Function (activity)
      Such a Primary Cause (direct cause)
      Such a Secondary Cause (occasion or condition)
      Such an Effect (result)
      Such a Recompense (reward or retribution)
      Such a Complete Fundamental Whole
      The suchnesses, one through nine, operate according to the law of the universal truth, namely from the “complete fundamental whole” under which no one, no thing, and no function can depart. All things, including man, along with their relations with everything else are formed from the Reality of All Existence that is the Ten Suchnesses.[8]

      Definitions Edit

      The following definitions are given by Soka Gakkai English Buddhist Dictionary Committee (2002) and describe what each suchness means in more detail:

      Appearance (Form): the attributes of everything that is discernible, such as color, shape, or behavior.
      Nature (Nature): the inherent disposition or quality of a person or thing that cannot be discerned from the outward appearance.
      Entity (Embodiment): the substance of life that permeates as well as integrates both appearance and nature.
      The above three suchnesses describe the reality of life itself. The next six suchnesses, from the fourth through the ninth, explain the functions and workings of life.
      Power (Potency): life’s potential energy.
      Influence (Function): the activity produced when life’s inherent power or potential energy is activated.
      Internal cause (Primary Cause): the potential cause in life that produces an effect of the same quality as itself, i.e., good, evil, or neutral.
      Relation (Secondary Cause): the relationship of secondary, indirect causes to the internal cause. Secondary causes are various conditions, both internal and external, that help the internal cause produce an effect.
      Latent effect (Effect): the dormant effect produced in life when an internal cause is activated through its related conditions.
      Manifest effect (Recompense): the tangible, perceivable effect that emerges in time as an expression of a dormant effect and therefore of a potential cause, again through its related conditions.
      Consistency from beginning to end (Complete Fundamental Whole): the unifying factor among the ten suchnesses. It indicates that all of the other nine suchnesses from Appearance to Manifest Effect are consistently interrelated. All nine suchnesses thus harmoniously express the same condition of existence at any given moment.

      Reply
        • Joe,
          It’s not the practice of the religion that stood out but the similarity of terms.
          Ie. 1. The principle of the Reality of All Existence not only analyzes what modern science would analyze in physical substances to the extent of subatomic particles
          2. The suchnesses, one through nine, operate according to the law of the universal truth, namely from the “complete fundamental whole” under which no one, no thing, and no function can depart.
          The list of suchnesses that seem to embody a metaphysical model
          For existence that contains properties and actions, cause and effect, time.
          True it is not a deduction process like the 33Ps, but as I stated it seems to be a similar composite of what we observe and call P1, the MP
          True, it does not present a Triune, or a relationship of this “suchness” or existence of matter that is labelled an intelligence and which poses a relationship between a ui and an ii (p26), but I always look up terms that are referenced by you (eg. Speculation, faith, etc. ) or Claude (spelled correctly) in Wik, just to learn and see what educated has done or will do with the terms, premises, ideas we have educatedly discussed.
          If we weren’t full of our educated, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
          So maybe educated intelligence is like the question to Dorothy.
          Are you a good witch or a bad witch? Why, I’m not a witch at all!
          (Yes yes I know. Off topic)
          Seriously Joe. This blog crawls so slowly sometimes, I’m glad to raise the Ire, at least to get 3 posts within 3 minutes. YES, THE VIEWERS ARE ALIVE AND THINKING. 🙂

          Reply
      • David,

        Since I do not know Buddhism, I did not use the word “suchness” as they meant in Wikipedia. What I meant is that: principle 27 is the reality of every moment for my body without VS. Chiiropractic has nothing to do with religion at all, the same way that it has nothing to with therapeutics. Chiropractic is SEPARATE and DISTINCT from EVERYTHING ELSE and INCLUSIVE of EVERY ONE!

        Reply
        • Claude,
          I understand. P27 is our glass half full. THE glass half full.
          You’re the one who spoke of Intuition some time back
          And you did say in closing:
          The suchness of each moment is the infinite wisdom of major premise (pri1).
          So I was merely comparing that “in conclusion” statement and wikis
          Reference on ‘suchness’.

          Reply
          • David,

            I take responsibility for my posts. I did not know that the term “suchness” was a Buddhist term and would confuse you and perhaps others. I’m sorry for that. The last sentence of my post should read: What is going on in my body moment by moment without VS is the wisdom of the major premise (pri1). You may ask WHY and you will find the answer on past threads where, together without condemnation, we concluded that the material of the living body is in flux, continually being given its properties and actions by universal intelligence (pri1) and maintained alive by innate intelligence (pri21) which ALWAYS has normal functions (pri27) without breaking a universal law (pri24). This literally means that there isnno permanence in the living body. Therefore It is me WHO choose to state again: What is going on in my body moment by moment, without VS, is the wisdom of the major premise (pri1). It is my sincere hope that it clarifies what I posted before.

        • Claude,
          Certainly you put the clarification now, in a different moment, on the concept .::moment by moment… Versus the word ‘suchness’,
          Which I understand completely, now. And agree with but struggle with. Personally, When to use educated and not.
          A paradoxical situation none the less which I am aware of and seek to the best of my abilities to hold on to as I tell the story over and over.
          Interesting though that you used That word, suchness?
          Amazing it is 🙂

          Reply
          • David,

            You posted: “Personally, When to use educated and not.” All I can say is. take chiropractic seriously as you care deeply for others… and tell the story over and over and over and over and over again in as many creative ways as doable… and PLEASE don’t take yourself seriously. 😉

            When you’re in the middle of the forest, stay put… relax, love a lot, laugh a lot… look deeply into yourself and see the truth of WHO you are that you can choose to be. Seize the moment for what it is… a NEW moment… ALWAYS… in flux. The past is gone FOREVER! Don’t bring it back to that NEW moment. It won’t fit. Do YOU know WHY? A moment is a NEW container that is ONLY you WHO can choose to fill it with whatever you choose. Since it is a NEW container, it is you WHO can choose to fill it with the NEW… instead of the old. It is the chiropractic path pointing to the chiropractic objective. Robert Fulgrum said it rather eloquently: “Everything I ever needed to know, I learned in kindergarten” 😉

  2. Claude,
    Doesn’t the container, as you say, have a shape to it, as determined by matter? So how can one fill it with whatever you choose?
    Doesn’t the LOM prevent or restrict what educated deems as needed to fulfill?
    You speak of moment by moment. Does the philosophy imply those workings? Isn’t this concept of, the moment, an implication of of how Time P6 presents itself, And spoken about in numerous meditation, zen, new age concepts?
    Are we mixing or extracting from the 33Ps, concepts and ideas that are being filtered thru an educated intelligence, individualistic understanding?
    Is normality of innate intelligence maximal expressing of its intelligent forces in the unique matter of each individual.actualizing a combination of the wishes of innate intelligence plus the unique capacity for we, as human beings to make choices, within the LOM, The Big Idea?
    Does staying in the center of the forest require educated discipline, story telling, AND A COMMITMENT TO HIGHER SPIRITUAL VALUES, being cause in the cosmic living, human experience.
    Is feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place a mere passage right to big decisions, in order to remain centered in the forest, being in tune with the ADIO viewpoint (humble)?
    Is pleasure necessary for fulfillment, for change?
    What comes first, thought, perception or feeling, and who or what controls that and should control that?
    Is this exploration right now my way of staying centered in the forest, yet unfullfilled and feeling controlled, but centered, ii directed, in flux, but as it is and should be?
    Big questions. Big choices. And living in quiet desperation.
    I wish that innate THOTS, that something or someone would reveal The Truth and I could make those choices, GLADLY.
    On this Jewish new year 5776, let me and all of us be in that center and empowered, peaceful, on purpose, humble, grateful and expressing our normalcy to the max.

    Reply
    • David

      David,

      Stuckness sucks! It’s really you WHO chose to stay stuck in your stuff of the past. It is you at this moment WHO choose excuses to NOT move forward. I feel for you brother. You’ve been on this blog long enough now… to choose to let go of your educated and it is you WHO can choose “unstuckness” and keep throwing as many starfish back in the ocean as doable. Focus on the chiropractic objective and the rest… 😉

      Reply

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