Buddhist Medicine

Sumanapal Bhikkhu

 

Good day ladies and gentlemen. At the outset I would like to thank Mr Ujjal Ray Director and all the staffs of Historical Studies for giving me this opportunity to chair this talk on Buddhist Medicine and healing techniques and to Professor Nupur Dasgupta for her scholarly article which showed her deep understanding of the topic. Last but not the least I am also grateful to the the audience for coming here and making this gathering a success. 

Buddhism and medical science have very intimate relationship where the Buddha can be seen as the doctor, the Sangha can be seen as the nurse, the Dhamna can be seen as the healing techniques and the laity can be seen as the patient. 

Buddhist Sangha has a long history of medical treatment which tells us about a great and glorious tradition. Medical knowledge was probably common in all the wandering fraternities of India from 6th century B.C. but it became codified for the first time by the Buddhist monks who started living in the monasteries. The Jainas also had a system of medical care of their own but that was not properly developed because of their belief that suffering was an integral part of spiritual practice. That is why the Jains did not codify medicine in their monastic tradition. 

The life of the monks in the Sangha was guided by the principle that one should treat oneself well enough so that hunger does not distract one from spiritual life and moderately enough so that over indulgence does not distract one from the spiritual path. The objective of medical care in the monasteries was to get rid of the pain and suffering. Medicine for the sick was obtained from the laity. At first the monks were confined to the treatment of their fellow monks only. To aid the monks and in nursing their brethren the Mahavagga has chalked out the qualities of easy and difficult patients and efficient and inefficient care givers. The easy patients are those who do what is beneficial, know moderation in what is beneficial, take his medicine at the appropriate hour, make his affliction clear to the nurse or care giver. The characteristics of a difficult patient are its opposite. The characteristics of an efficient nurse are as follows: he is competent to provide medicine, he knows what is beneficial and what is  harmful for the patient, he offers to the patient what is beneficial for him, and takes away what is harmful, he cares for the sick out of love and not out of greed, he willingly removes feces, urine, mucus and vomit of the patient, and he would gladden the patient from time to time with stories from the Dhamna. The qualities of an incompetent care giver is exactly the opposite.  That nursing a fellow monk was considered important can be seen from the fact that the bowl of a monk after his death passed on to the monk who nursed him rather than becoming a property of the Sangha. 

This system of medical care is based on the Buddhist principle of Karuna or compassion and on the visualisation of the Buddha as the greatest physician. This tradition had its beginning in the use of herbal medicines and the practice of various healthful habits by the monks to maintain their fitness.  As time passed hospitals and infirmaries were established to take care of the sick monks and gradually the monasteries became a Centre for healing in which the general public also received medical attention. In this healing system  Ayurveda took a prominent part. 

The Four Noble Truths which is the basis of Buddhism is structured in the form of a medical prescription. At first it recognizes suffering as the symptom or disease, Then its cause is identified and then it was ascertained that the disease was curable and then the path leading to its cure is prescribed. The Pali sources often refer to the Buddha as 'a great and incomparable physician.' 

The Buddha gave physical health paramount importance because he rightly  believed that sickness was a hindrance in the path of spiritual awakening. Keeping this aim in view the Buddha created an elaborate  health care in the monasteries which was based on his own words" Whoever would tend me should tend  the sick " The Buddha said that taking care of an inmate  who was sick was the duty of every member of the sangha. 

In many early Buddhist texts we find recommendation of strict rules for maintaining personal hygiene as well as use of diets such as various gruels, milk, honey and garlic to combat various ailments.  Apart from diet the Buddhist monks and physicians elaborately used plant and mineral based medicines for curing headache, jaundice, eye diseases etc. Turmeric,, ginger, , and various animal products were also extensively used as and when necessary.

While it was not mandatory to study medicine for a Buddhist monk some of them out of compassion for their brethren studied medicine and herbs. The most famous physician during the age of the Buddha was Jivaka Kumaravacha. He was the personal physician as well as a follower of the Buddha.

In ancient Indian society the Buddhist monasteries served the purpose of hospitals where monks could receive medical attention. The role of Emperor Asoka is noteworthy in this respect. After being converted to Buddhism he established hospitals and made other arrangements for providing medical care both to men and animals. He also planted medicinal herbs to be used as medicine. 

Monasteries served as places where food, lodging and health care facilities were available especially for the ill and the travelers. Monks collected and prepared medicines with the help of medicinal plants. In this way the Buddhist healing system developed to be a living tradition which combined the expertise of the monk and indigenous culture. Apart from India it made great progress in China and Tibet as well. In Tibet a very advanced system of treatment evolved which blended Ayurvedic concepts with local knowledge. Diet and spiritual practices formed an important part of the system. It represented a complex system where shamanistic, Indian Chinese and Buddhist elements were incorporated. It underscored the importance of balancing energies (wind, bike, phlegm) with the help of herb, diet and spiritual practices. In China Chinese medical theories and practices were also used. Gradually Buddhist method of treatment became influential in Asian medicine and retained its position for centuries. 

Thus we may say that Buddhist medicine does not represent a single system. On the contrary local tradition and that incorporated medical knowledge across Asia became a part of it. In the modern age interaction between Buddhist healing techniques and Western science has produced many hybrid forms. Various organizations like Taiwan's Tzu Chi Foundation applied modern techniques within a compassionate Buddhist structure.