Buddhism is more than an Eastern religion: it is a healthy
longevity promoter.
Buddhism focuses on the balanced interaction between the
mind and the body as a prerequisite for healthy longevity;
disease is a result of their imbalance and disharmony. The
Buddhist approach to health and wellness is its emphasis on
spiritual strength of the mind to overcome illness and
disease. Concurring with Hippocrates, the father of
medicine, who believed in the innate healing power in
humans, Buddha also believed that you could seek cure
through a drastic change in lifestyle and healthy attitudes
towards the real meaning of life and existence.
Healing begins with the mind first, not the body. The
reason is that disease originates from the disharmony of
the mind and the spirit, leading to their imbalance with
the physical body, resulting in disease. Optimal health for
longevity is achieved when the mind and the body are
functioning and interacting together as one entity.
One of the most damaging factors to the mind is stress.
Nowadays, stress comes in many forms. Stress adversely
affects your physical, mental, and spiritual health. In the
Buddhist world, there is no stress, and you create your own
stress through your ego-self, which is essentially your
"no-self" because it simply does not exist, except in your
own mind. Buddhism focuses on "emptiness" ' which is not
self-denial, but rather the wisdom of knowing the
impermanence of materials things and therefore the
abandonment of the futile pursuit of these elusive and
evasive goals in life. With enlightenment, you will change
your perception of what you really are, and more
importantly, the insignificance of your attachment to all
materials things, including success and love of money.
Buddha said, "Craving is the fountainhead of all human
miseries." Once your craving ceases, your stress
dissipates, and you are filled with composure, which
constitutes wellness in your body and mind.
Even if there are remnants of stress, they can be dispelled
through Buddhist meditation. According to Buddha, everyone
has a "light" within him or her. To find that "light", you
need to practice meditation. Through meditation, you are
awakened to self-knowledge, which opens the door to
ultimate wisdom: you see who you are, and what is important
to you in life. In other words, you begin to see the
realities of things around you; you begin to prioritize
your life; and you begin to perceive the true meaning of
your existence.
Natural healing of the mind, body, and spirit begins with a
healthy love relationship in which Buddhist compassion and
loving kindness naturally thrive. In Chinese, the word
"compassion" means "removing suffering and giving
happiness." From Buddha's view, true compassion has the
power to root out the cause of misery in people's lives and
direct them to the true cause of happiness.
Loving kindness, closely connected with compassion, is also
a prominent feature of the Buddhist way of live. Compassion
and loving kindness complement each other. Extending good
will, care and consideration to all beings is critical to
mental and spiritual health of an individual.
If you are truly committed to altruistic compassion and
loving kindness, you will be armed with inner strength to
face any health adversity in your life, thereby
instrumental in inspiring hope in others, and by doing so,
helping relieve their own suffering. Aging and illness
simply provide an opportunity for you to inspire others
through your own example.
Healing is a natural blend of science and philosophy of
living. Buddhism certainly plays a pivotal role in the
philosophy of living for healthy longevity.
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Stephen Lau is a researcher, writing synopses of medical
research for scientists. His publications include "NO
MIRACLE CURES" a book on healing and wellness. He has also
created several websites on health and healing.
http://www.longevityforyou.com
http://www.zenhealthylifestyle.com
http://www.chinesenaturalhealing.com
http://www.rethinkyourdepression.com
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