Being Mindful Stories

Story · Ajahn Brahm

Edgar Cayce and the medicine on the third shelf

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Contentment | Ajahn Brahm | 11 Mar 2016

2 min read

Content note: paranormal claim; unverified medical claims

The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

There was a medium, in United States between the 1st and 2nd World War called Edgar Cayce C A Y C E Many people claim all sorts of stuff but he was investigated a lot. He was a real deal. Cayce. Amazing stuff if you read some of his books. But he was a Baptists I think, a very devout Christian. This was 1930s. A very devout Christian and once he'd go in trance, and then he'd be able to diagnose all sorts of incredible treatments which were true. OK I will tell this one story which really blew my mind. People would come to him and say my grandma, she is very very sick He would go on trance first of all what can we help her with. Sometimes he says... you can't she is going to die. Other times, take this medicine. And this was not normal treatment it was weird medicines or weird combinations and doses which were not usual at all. So one day somebody took their son or somebody to see him when he was in a trance he said "Oh yeah that can be cured with this medicine" - gave the name. And then came out of trance, and when they went to the drug store drug stores in those days, United States. They said "we have never heard of that medicine". So they put him back in trance again. He said "oh you will find it in (this was in Virginia somewhere) "You will find it in a drug store in St. Louis, in Missouri I think is it in Missouri any way St. Louis on the Mississippi. So they didn't have email then and had telegram, telegraph. So they sent a telegraph, half an hour later the telegraph came back. We don't know that medicine anywhere in that drug store. Put him in trance again and he said: you'll find it in that drug store in the second room in the back third shelf from the left in the back--whatever it was. So they sent that telegraph. The telegraph came back half an hour later Found it! Incredible stuff this guy was up to. But one day they asked him in a trance "What is the most important law in the universe?" This was about 1932 or something. A devout Christian. And he said Kamma, the law of kamma. When he came out afterwards, that devastated him! I am a Christian I don't believe in Kamma but that's what he said in trance.

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 53:44 (to 56:26)

A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Ajahn Brahm tells of Edgar Cayce, a devout Christian medium who named karma as the universe's key law in trance, to his own dismay. Believe the story or not. The lesson is practical. If someone cheats you, learn and protect yourself, then stop replaying it. Don't let them steal your peace as well.

In brief (our summary)

Edgar Cayce, a devout Christian medium in 1930s America, would diagnose and prescribe in trance. Once he named a medicine no local drug store had heard of; back in trance he said it was in a drug store in St. Louis. A telegram came back: not there. In trance again he said: second room at the back, third shelf from the left. The reply came half an hour later: 'Found it!' When asked in trance what the most important law in the universe was, he said kamma — which devastated him afterwards, as a Christian who didn't believe in it.

Teaching point

Kamma works whether or not you believe in it.

When this story may help

  • being cheated
  • doubting kamma

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Contentment | Ajahn Brahm | 11 Mar 2016 · 2016-03-11 · ▶ watch from 53:44 to 56:26 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Caption notes: Manual (volunteer) captions; occasional misspellings kept as is.

The narrative is Ajahn Brahm's own telling, quoted from the talk captions. The summary and reflection are Being Mindful Stories's editorial notes. Please credit the teacher and link the original talk. Markdown version

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