Healing Lazarus: A Buddhist's Journey from Near Death to New Life [Hardcover]

Lewis Richmond (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 26, 2002

"Lazarus lies in his bed, helpless to move. But he sees now that he is not alone. His beloved wife is with him, all of his relatives and closest friends. They mop his brow; they change his clothes and linen. They stroke his limbs and speak soothing words into his ear. For so many years Lazarus had been the master, the authority, the one who made decisions and told others what to do. And now, for the first time, the roles were reversed, and he found his heart filled with such gratitude, even over the simplest things -- the light streaming in from the window, the warmth of the fire in the fireplace. How wonderful it was to be alive."

For Lewis Richmond, overcoming a swift and devastating brain injury -- one that left him unable to sit up or speak -- was only the beginning of a journey to recovery. As the 52-year-old Buddhist teacher soon discovered, regaining his health would be the most difficult thing he could ever imagine. But love, courage, and the Buddhist teachings that sustained him throughout his adult life would help guide him not only back to wellness, but to rebirth and transformation.

Richmond's timely, compassionate memoir can help anyone on the road back to health -- be it from illness, life crisis, or other catastrophe. In sharing this experience, as well as many others, Richmond offers insightful information about the struggles, setbacks, and frustrations of getting well -- and tells of the lessons learned and rewards gained.

Illuminating from the first page to the last, "Healing Lazarus" is one man's affirmation of life, as well as a steadfast companion for those who may face days that are physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Richmond had it all: loving wife, great address in the San Francisco Bay area and a successful multifaceted career as software designer, Buddhist teacher, musician and author. He'd even beaten cancer once. Then viral encephalitis a rare disease attacked his brain and sent him into a coma for 10 days. While recovering, he experienced an acute neuropsychiatric complication from a therapeutic drug that posed a second life-threatening challenge. This page-turning account of his slow and spotty recovery is a vivid, affecting and painfully honest Buddhist dharma (teaching) story. This overachieving California-style corporate executive and former Buddhist priest whose previous book was Work as a Spiritual Practice: A Practical Buddhist Approach to Inner Growth and Satisfaction on the Job here learns that the central Buddhist teaching of life as suffering and impermanence has literal as well as spiritual meaning. Providing additional depth to his archetypal story of near-death and recovery, the author portrays the deeply rooted fears and anxieties that became his companions on the healing journey. The book may make a more valuable contribution to the literature about brain injury than to the well-stocked shelf of Buddhist titles; little non-technical or narrative writing is available on the medical frontier of brain trauma and the light it sheds on the relationship between body and mind. Richmond made a descent to the inner underworld, and returned a sadder, wiser man. His psychic excavations will enrich all who read this gripping account. (Apr. 2)Forecast: Richmond will be touring New York, Seattle, Portland and San Francisco to promote this title, which should cross over easily between the markets for Buddhist, New Age and illness books. The initial print run is 30,000 copies.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A Buddhist teacher, software entrepreneur, and author of the best-selling Work as a Spiritual Practice, Richmond here writes about his near-fatal bout with viral encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and subsequent lengthy recuperation. Inspired by the biblical character Lazarus, who died and was brought back to life, the book is divided into chapters dedicated to aspects of the healing process (e.g., fear and gratitude). Richmond is most compelling when detailing his struggles with the mental and emotional effects of the disease, such as distorted perception, hypersensitivity, and confusion. His story's strength lies in the depiction of the arduousness and pain of recovery; the Buddhist elements of the book feel like an overlay and are not explored in depth. Richmond seems to have been especially fortunate in his medical care because he does not include a single unpleasant encounter with a medical institution or caregiver something often depicted in other healing memoirs. For public libraries. Stephen Joseph, Butler Cty. Community Coll., PA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Atria; First Edition edition (March 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743422600
• ISBN-13: 978-0743422604
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,461,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am Lewis Richmond, Buddhist teacher and author of four books, including the national bestseller WORK AS A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE (1999) which was re-issued as an e-book in June, 2011. My latest book, Aging As A Spiritual Practice, was published by Gotham Books in January, 2012.

My home website is WWW.LEWISRICHMOND.COM

My home Buddhist meditation group is in Mill Valley/Tiburon, CA and is called The Vimala Sangha (http://www.VimalaSangha.org). I also teach workshops through the San Francisco Bay area. You can find me on face book at

http://www.facebook.com/lewisrichmondauthor

I blog on the Huffington Post at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lewis-richmond

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As a survivor of encephalitis . . ., March 22, 2002

By 

Ingrid R. Guerci (Tarrytown, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Healing Lazarus: A Buddhist's Journey from Near Death to New Life (Hardcover)

I have to say this is the BEST book I've read so far. I am only on page 59 but . . . Mr. Richmond has, so far, explained what it is like to go through (and survive) encephalitis (any type). I plan on having everyone I know read it. I can't seem to explain encephalitis to them as well as he does in this book. ...

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars raising life, April 30, 2002

By 

Daniel M. Kaplan "mountain light" (San Francisco, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Healing Lazarus: A Buddhist's Journey from Near Death to New Life (Hardcover)

This new work by Lewis Richmond is moving, touching beyond measure as the chronicle of his journey from a relatively healthy buddhist teacher turned businessman to falling deathly ill with a rare disease, to his slow, but sure recovery, not just of body, but of spirit and mind. I cried unashamedly as I read of his psychic pain and suffering, his rediscovered love for and by his wife, the openning of his heart. This is an inspiring story of the redemption of a psyche. The power of his experiences and the beauty and honesty with which he conveys them will have you crying, laughing, and moved beyond words. It did for me!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Journey!, September 28, 2003

By 

Sherry D. (Worcester, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Healing Lazarus: A Buddhist's Journey from Near Death to New Life (Paperback)

An exceptional book! Lewis Richmond touches your heart as he writes of a rare disease, encephalitis, that transforms his mind, body, and soul. As a survivor, I truly appreciate the depth he goes to explain this devastating ordeal. Highly recommended.