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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Buddhism, the status of women and the spread of HIV/AIDS in Thailand.

The common-sense construction of Buddhism is that of a general power for good; the less positive aspects of Buddhism's power, especially when reinforced by folklore and ancient superstition, is infrequently recognised. In this article we make explicit Buddhism's less positive power, particularly as it relates to the status of women and, by implication, its role in the human immunodeficiency (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic in Thailand. The Buddhist, folklore, and superstitious bases of Thai misogyny are explored, together with its expression in the differential gender roles of women and men. In addition, the attitudes of both women and men to commercial sex workers (CSWs) and condom use is discussed. The implications of these attitudinal analyses to the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in Thailand is outlined. We argue that the current spread of HIV/AIDS in Thailand is primarily a function of the inferior status of women, which, in turn, is a function of Buddhism and Thai cultural beliefs. In light of this, some realistic strategies to address the problem also are discussed.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The relevance of zen-buddhism for dialectic-behavioral therapy].

Dialectic-Behavioral Therapy is a specific psychotherapeutic approach to answer the needs of patients with Borderline Personality Disorder. It uses concepts and techniques of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and of Humanistic Psychotherapies. For a deeper understanding, it is necessary to include also its Zen-Buddhistic background. The experience of Zen-meditation and the basic philosophy of Zen-Buddhism will be explained. In the context of the historical relation between Zen-Buddhism and Psychotherapy, the position of the DBT will be specified. Finally it will be demonstrated how Zen-Buddhism inspired the practice of DBT and what kinds of problems arise when a modern psychotherapy uses the concept of a premodern conception of the world and human existence.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1989

[Interrelations of Buddhism and classical Indian medicine].

In ancient India, two branches of knowledge are concerned with human suffering, trying to theoretically explain as well as to practically overcome its reasons: (practical) philosophy and medicine. In spite of being concerned with the same problem, both rest on different premises: philosophy on highly abstract insights into the core of the phenomenal world, the atman, which is a priori free from suffering; and classical (- classical as opposed to modern, westernized -) medicine on concrete daily manifestations of suffering. Both kinds of occupation with human suffering implicitly follow a common method, the abstract, i.e. structural investigation and expression of which we call methodology. This methodology being explicitly stated in medical texts, we speak of medical methodology, regardless of the (most probably inanswerable) question in what branch of knowledge this methodology has been originally developed. The article is divided into two parts. In the first part, the Buddha's denial of a transcendent atman is investigated with regard to its implications concerning the problem of human suffering. Not being able to accept the solution proposed in the Upanisads, the Buddha conceives a new explanation and solution of the problem. For that purpose, he explicitly reiterates the medical methodology, thus attaining a fourfold progressive method which consists in: (1) experience of suffering, (2) diagnosis, (3) prognosis, (4) solution. In account of this method's isomorphy to the medical method, Buddhism was regarded as a medical discipline. The second part of the article is focussed on the third step of the methodology, the prognosis. According to medical texts, the physician has to decide in advance whether an illness is curable or not; in the latter case, he is advised to refrain from treating it. Although this position might be justified from a pragmatic point of view, it remains unsatisfying when considered with regard to a categorial system of ethics as it is expounded by Buddhism. But Buddhism does not only challenge this attitude, it enhances a solution which integrates prognosis and universal, categorial ethics. The final paragraph of the article shows how this solution influences later medical texts.

Buddhism↗
PubMed2006

Shadow of Buddhism and Shintoism in neurosurgical practice in Japan.

BACKGROUND: In Japan, almost all culture and civilization were introduced from abroad; in the past from China and now from U.S. and European countries, owing to her geographical features circumscribed by oceans and separated from the continents. Neurosurgical science and practice have been received in the same way as other activities. However, there are some exceptions such as organ transplantation from the brain dead and brain-dock, which means a brain check-up system of asymptomatic brain diseases. Reasons why these are practised or not in Japan are considered from the viewpoint of Buddhism and Shintoism. If our special practises could appeal to people in other countries, our neurosurgical philosophy might become widespread and welcome worldwide. FINDINGS: Organ transplantations from brain dead have routinely been performed in many countries, while only 37 cases have been executed in Japan, after the Japanese government accepted its application in 1997. In contrast, brain-dock is widely practised without any national insurance systems, while this is rarely practised in other countries. It seems to me that Buddhism and Shintoism have influenced on these special situations, due to extreme fear and impurity of the dead body and a way of comprehending the oneness of body and mind, and also deep concern for the impact of their diseases to their families rather than for themselves. SUMMARY: We neurosurgeons should realize that our profession is directly related to ultimate human sufferings such as aging, disease, and death, as pointed out by Gautama Buddha. We are in fact in a position to study the real way for resolution of the human sufferings, mentally and physically. Based on our experiences, the foundation of a new academic discipline like "cultural medical science" should urgently be considered in all parts of the world and in light of individual cultural, economical, geographical, and population problems.

Attitude to Death↗
PubMed2005

Choosing Buddhism in Australia: towards a traditional style of reflexive spiritual engagement.

There has been little dedicated sociological research on the appeal Buddhism holds for many individuals in the West. It is suggested that this absence reflects a current tendency within the discipline to highlight a new age approach to spiritual involvement and to overlook other optional styles of engagement. Such a pattern of study is concerning because the propensity to privilege the new age style would seem to be less an outcome of a coherent research agenda than a result of the currency that the idea of postmodern religion has come to assume in theoretical accounts of spiritual transformation in contemporary societies. Using data from a modest quantitative survey, the study investigates spiritual style among a sample of Australians who have developed an interest in Buddhist practice and belief. The results point to the prevalence of a traditional approach to involvement, whereby the individual decides to engage solely with Buddhism for the long duration. Given its possession of these qualities, the research goes on to examine the social patterning of spiritual commitment. The findings suggest that comprehending the social restrictions to any kind of involvement is a more pressing sociological question than explaining social divergences among the engaged.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Buddhism, euthanasia and the sanctity of life.

Damien and John Keown claim that there is important common ground between Buddhism and Christianity on the issue of euthanasia and that both traditions oppose it for similar reasons in order to espouse a "sanctity of life" position. I argue that the appearance of consensus is partly created by their failure to specify clearly enough certain key notions in the argument: particularly Buddhism, euthanasia and the sanctity of life. Once this is done, the Keowns' central claims can be seen to be either false or only restrictedly true.

Buddhism↗
PubMed1986

[Union of the male and female--in partnership. Illustrated by interpretations and demonstrations from Hinduism and Tantric Buddhism].

Following the originally dominant matriarchate, patriarchy took over and still reigns in present-day society, although we are now in the midst of a period of transition towards a man/woman relationship on partnership basis. This principle of "two units combining to form one", this unification of two opposing and complementary principles has been depicted in a model manner in the iconography of Hinduism and Tantric Buddhism. The attributes of these religions are described with the help of characteristic pictures and sculptures.

Buddhism↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Tibetan Buddhism and the resolution of grief: the Bardo-thodol for the dying and the grieving.

This article is a contribution to the cross-cultural study of grief. The Bardo-thodol (sometimes translated the Tibetan Book of the Dead) and the ritual associated with it provides a way to understand how Buddhism in Tibetan culture manages the issues associated with what is called grief in Western psychology. The resolution of grief in the survivors is intertwined with the journey to rebirth of the deceased. The present article describes (a) the progression of the deceased, (b) the rituals by which survivors separate from the physical incarnation of the deceased, (c) how, by channeling the feelings of grief to support the progress of the deceased, grief is brought to a positive resolution, and (d) the continuing bond survivors maintain with the dead even though the dead has moved on to the next life.

Attitude to Death↗
PubMed1999

Integrating Buddhism and HIV prevention in U.S. southeast Asian communities.

Asian Pacific Islander communities in the United States have experienced an alarming increase in HIV infection over the past few years, possibly due to a lack of knowledge and the relative absence of appropriate educational interventions. The authors propose a new approach to the development of HIV prevention programs in U.S. southeast Asian communities. This article reviews the cultural and economic factors that may facilitate HIV transmission within these communities. Relying on the basic precepts of Buddhism, the dominant religion of many southeast Asian populations in the United States, the health belief model is utilized to demonstrate how recognizable, acceptable religious constructs can be integrated into the content of HIV prevention messages. This integration of religious concepts with HIV prevention messages may increase the likelihood that the message audience will accept the prevention messages as relevant. This nuanced approach to HIV prevention must be validated and refined through field research.

Asia, Southeastern↗
PubMed2006

[Influences of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism on Chinese Medical Formulas in Jin-Tang Dynasties].

In the Jin-Tang Dynasties, when Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism contended, conflicted and well blent, forming a state of mingled thoughts of the three sects. It exerted profound influences on Chinese Medical Formulas and promoted the academic fashion of compiling books about medical formulas characterized by collecting various formulas especially the simple and proved recipes. This plays a role in the formation of the formulas used in the Jin-Tang Dynasties, featuring simplicity, convenience, cheapness, and effectiveness, different from those of other periods.

Buddhism↗
PubMed2006

Buddhism and psychoanalysis: a personal reflection.

Around 600 BC Siddhartha Gotama practiced intensive meditation for several years and found a way for people to cultivate a sense of equanimity, wisdom, and compassion in their lives. Around 1900 AD Sigmund Freud undertook several years of intensive self-analysis and developed theories and therapeutic techniques for understanding how the unconscious operates in our lives to perpetuate neurotic suffering, and how we might gain insight and relief from that suffering and be more free to move toward our potential in this life. This article gives an overview of Buddhist theory and practice, gives an account of the author's personal journey through both disciplines, and then point outs the similarities and differences in them, leading to an integration of elements of these two paths of exploration of the psyche, for the purpose of mutual enrichment.

Attitude↗
PubMed2005

Medicinal efficacy of plants utilized as temple food in traditional Korean Buddhism.

We investigated the medicinal efficacies of plants used as food in 27 Korean Buddhist temples from 1997 to 2002. We studied 161 species of plants belonging to 135 genera in 65 families. Twenty-one plant parts were utilized as food in 42 different preparations. Approximately 82% of the plants studied had medicinal effects, with a wide range of efficacies (126 types). Of the medicinal plants, 52% were used for digestive problems, circulatory illnesses, and respiratory diseases. These results demonstrate that a high proportion of the food consumed in Korean temples is medicinal, and is used for a wide variety of diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The gap between: being and knowing in Zen Buddhism and psychoanalysis.

The author discusses various relationships derived from the image of gap, precipice, and abyss with specific emphasis on interacting dynamics between being and knowing as explicated in the Zen Buddhist teachings of Hui-neng and in the psychoanalytic writings of Wilfred Bion. While of significant value to psychoanalysis, it is argued that symbolic meanings can occlude the actuality of the analysand's or of the spiritual seeker's affective experiencing, particularly concerning the human tendency to concretize experiential states engendered through meditation and/or the psychoanalytic encounter. The author draws from Matte-Blanco's explication of symmetrical and asymmetrical perceptual modalities to discuss the fluid nature of spiritual experiencing, paradoxical coexistence of ultimate and relative realities and reciprocal dynamics and identities between states of experiencing that might otherwise appear opposed. The primacy of experiencing for both disciplines, particularly concerning the experiencing subject's momentary state of consciousness, forms a central theme for both Zen and psychoanalysis. Brief clinical vignettes support and illuminate the author's points.

Buddhism↗