The Buddhist Philosophy of Disease Treatment at Wat Na Duea, Na Duea Village, Na Kaeo Subdistrict, Phon Na Kaeo District, Sakon Nakhon Province

Abstract

This research aims to 1) study the principles of Theravada Buddhist philosophy in treating diseases, 2) explore the disease treatment practices at Wat Na Duea, Na Duea Village, Na Kaeo Subdistrict, Phon Na Kaeo District, Sakon Nakhon Province, and 3) analyze the Buddhist philosophical approach to disease treatment at Wat Na Duea, Na Duea
Village, Na Kaeo Subdistrict, Phon Na Kaeo District, Sakon Nakhon Province. This qualitative research examines primary data from the Tripitaka and secondary data from academic documents and related research, with 20 in-depth interviews for obtaining the necessary information. The analysis is conducted using inductive reasoning.
The research results were as follows:
1. The principles of Theravada Buddhist philosophy in treating diseases include Dhamma principles, teachings, or practices used as Dhamma medicine for mental illnesses caused by greed, anger, delusion, and karma. The Dhamma medicine used for treatment includes the Four Bhavana, Anapanasati.
2. The disease treatment practices at Wat Na Duea involve two types of patient care: 1) Physical patient care, where traditional Thai medicine and herbal remedies are used to treat conditions like fatigue, sprains, and muscle pain, and 2) Mental patient care, for conditions like depression and lack of mindfulness, treated with Dhamma medicine through Dhamma teachings, chanting, meditation, and spreading loving-kindness to
overcome greed, anger, delusion, and karma.
3. The Buddhist philosophical approach to disease treatment at Wat Na Duea involves a holistic method of treating both physical and mental diseases simultaneously. According to Buddhist philosophy, humans are composed of body and mind, which
operate in interrelation; illness in the body affects the mind, and vice versa. Diseases are categorized into physical and mental, where physical illnesses are treated with herbal medicines, and mental illnesses are addressed with Dhamma medicine.