Lessons for the Health-care Practitioner from Buddhism.
Indian journal of endocrinology and metabolism January 1, 2018 Sanjay Kalra, Gagan Priya, Emmy Grewal et al. 41 citations
Buddhism and medicine have been linked since Buddhism's earliest days, both aiming to alleviate human suffering. While this connection is acknowledged, little literature exists on how Buddhist philosophy can guide health-care practitioners professionally and personally. The sutras analogize the Buddha as a doctor, Dharma as treatment, and lay people as patients. Disease relates to mental, physical, spiritual, social, cultural, and environmental factors; medicine should not merely eradicate symptoms but address psychosocial causes. Holistic care harmonizes these elements, and Buddhist philosophy offers insight. Buddhist medical literature provides moral guidelines paralleling medical ethics—nonmaleficence, benevolence, justice, autonomy—and emphasizes loving-kindness, compassion, empathy, and equanimity as key physician attributes. Physician burnout is a neglected problem; mindfulness meditation can help practitioners cope and improve patient and self-care.