Buddhism in Modern Medicine

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RESPONSE:

1. Please write 400-500 words about role of the Buddhist in Health and Wellness (Buddhism in Modern Medicine). Preferably use the following link: http://www.changesurfer.com/Bud/BudBioEth.html

The objective of medicine and the Buddhist has the same aim, that of eliminating suffering. The Buddhist emphasis on compassion finds natural expression in the care of the sick. Buddhism's holistic understanding of human nature plays a role as it encourages a psychosomatic approach to the pathology of disease (Soni, 1976, as cited in Howes & Keown, 1995), which Western medicine is now increasingly embracing. And, as a diagnostic model and a philosophy, the Buddhist philosophy of origination in dependence encourages a preventive approach to healthcare. The Buddhist perspective on certain aspects of medical treatment is already beginning to appear, such as the integration of Buddhist meditation into medical practice (Epstein,1993; Kabat-Zinn's, 1990, 1994, as cited in Howes & Keown, 1995), and the growing literature on Buddhism and social justice (Jones, 1989; Swearer,1993, as cited in Howes & Keown, 1995, http://www.changesurfer.com/Bud/BudBioEth.html).

Buddhism philosophy also plays a role in defining accepted (or not) ethical practices related to issues such as of moral personhood (the question of who is and who is not entitled to moral respect), abortion, embryo experimentation, genetic engineering, consent to treatment, resource allocation, defining death, organ transplantation, living wills, the persistent vegetative state, and euthanasia. However, Buddhist practitioners or scholars, give more attention to some issues than others, which are reflected in Modern medicine. in ...