Abstract
Buddhist Paradigm on Health and Healing in Thai SocietyThe aims of this study try to consider Buddhism as a paradigm and to investigate its capability to deal with health problems especially in Thailand by using documentary and field research. Documentary research is applied as a method for studying the Tipitaka—the three divisions of the Buddhist cannon—and other Buddhist important texts to identify its paradigm. A field research is used for gathering lives experiences of some Buddhists to know the significance of Buddhist paradigm on their lives and health behavior. The report composes of 8 chapters. The first chapter gives the outline of research methodology. Chapter 2 presents the concept of paradigm, which starts by showing that all of our global crisis including economical, environmental, social, and health crisis originate by the same foundation that is the misunderstanding of nature of our life and the world. I demonstrate that limitations of knowledge and technologies in health come from its scientific or, more specifically, biomedical paradigm. Another concept of health paradigm, holistic medicine, is described in this chapter as well.Chapter 3 is results from the literature review about history of Buddhism in the region what is now Thailand. Archeologists found that Buddhism was brought into this area since the third century. Around the 6th century, Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism as well as Hinduism were accepted through the entire region. During the 13th century, the first Thai kingdom—Sukhothai—Theravada Buddhism from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) was selected to be the only religion of native Tai-speaking people. After that, Buddhist worldview has been gradually integrated with local belief systems and then became the basic Thai culture and worldview. Buddhist beliefs incorporate in all parts of Thai culture while Lord Buddha always places at the top level of all refuges.Chapter 4 focuses on Buddhist-related health culture. I show the impacts of Buddhist paradigm on the ways of practicing health and healing in Thailand. Buddhist temples used to be centers of all local wisdom in each community. They were places where traditional healing techniques have been studied and practiced. Most of Thai traditional healers get their knowledge and experiences while they were monks. Thus, some sacred Bali words and rituals were normally used in the processes of their practices. Some rituals relating to Buddhist monks, moreover, such as Parita Sutta and Pojchong chanting, or the offering dedicated to the Sangha (Sańghadana) are sometime specifically used for health proposes. Chapter 5 contains the essences of Buddhist paradigm extracted from the Tipitaka. Meanings of the world, nature, and all creatures including humankind in Buddhist view quite differ from those of scientific understandings. For Buddhism, the ultimate goal of humankind is nirvana—the extinction of all defilements and suffering. Therefore, all of Buddhadhama—the Buddha teachings—gears to this goal while mention very few about the origins of the earth or the universe. The condition of all things, in Buddhadhamma, is seen as an integrated form. They are composed of and depending on various elements and their features. In general, the composition of human can be divided in many different ways depending on a specific goal, but the most common way is separated into the physical aspect and, the more important part, mental aspect or mind. The common characteristics of all beings are Tilakkhaņa: impermanence, suffering, and non-self.Buddhist perspectives on health and healing are presented in chapter 6. The perfect health in Buddhist paradigm is the state of free from all mind sufferings, nirvana. From this point, the meanings of disease, illness, or sickness include all kinds of suffering in both mind and body. Meanwhile, aging, illness, and death are seen as commonly inescapable events for everyone. When people have some health problems, they should not add on more mental sufferings. Everyone has a responsibility to take care him/herself not only for plays or happiness, but also for the ultimate goal of complete health. Many items in Vinaya Tipitaka—the codes of Buddhist monastic disciplines—were set for a comfortableness of sick monks while protecting the others from diseases. The Buddha has never refused any healing techniques those are not harmful to the Noble Eightfold Path (Magga). Chapter 7 presents results of my field works. Seven people who applied Buddhist paradigm in their ways of lives were interviewed about their lives and health experiences. I found that Buddhist paradigm has gradually changed their lives and worldviews. Their lifestyles are easier as well as less suffering than those of people who studies and practices less in Buddhism. Although all of them still have physical health problems as others, their attitudes on living or coping with diseases were differed. In their views, health problems are not necessary to get rid of immediately. They looked for appropriate ways to cure the diseases with peaceful minds while concerned nature of lives. Their methods of healing seem to be more in natural ways and less depending on expensive technologies. In addition, I present another case of a small hospice to severe Aids patients. It runs by 2 monks and a few staffs. They have applied Buddhadhamma, rituals, and some modern medicines to treat the patients. This case shows another aspect of Buddhism on health and healing in Thai society. The last chapter, I try to conclude that Buddhism can be seen as a paradigm. This paradigm has its own realities about life and the world differed from scientific and holistic paradigms. By comparing with other paradigms, people who apply Buddhist paradigm into their lives seem to have less suffering when they get health problems. In this chapter I also make an effort to show that Buddhist paradigm is still suitable, valuable, and possible to solve health problems in Thailand. It is useful and reasonable to re-implement Buddhist paradigm to Thai society. The strategies for re-implementation are discussed as well.
