Buddhist advice for good physical health

 

The Buddha, through his sermons on various occasions, pointed out the importance of building a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, among all the benefits in the world, Buddhism considers health as the greatest benefit. The Buddha has stated in the Maha Assapura Sutra of the Majjima sect.

"A certain man is afflicted with an infirmity, the sufferings arising from it, he swallows hard, he has no appetite for food, and the strength of his body is not strong, so he has such an idea. , I am very ill, I do not like rice, I have lost strength in my body, it is me, now I have got rid of the disease, I like rice, I have strength in my body, he is happy because of that."Comes to happiness” Here the Buddha has stated the inconveniences that a person has to suffer due to illness and the benefits that can be obtained by getting rid of it.

What is true health has been preached by the Buddha with reference to the Magandi Sutra. One day the Buddha met Magandiya Bamuna and said, "Arogya Parama Labha, Nibbana Paramam Sukham". Magandhiyya Bamuna, who appreciated that idea, and his teachers had said this before the Buddha.

There, the Buddha asked Magandi Brahmin a question, "Brahmin, what do you mean by health?" where Magandhi Brahmin replied, "He rubs his own body parts with his hands. Blessed ones, this is what health is all about. That Nirvana is this, Lord Gautama, I now live in health and well, no disease afflicts me.” declares.There the Buddha preached that the idea was false. He explained what Arya Vinya's health is. "Magandhi, this body has become a disease and destruction. 

This body, which was a disease, a destruction, a disease, getting rid of it is healthy. Nirvana said". Thus, it is clear that the idea of ​​health in Buddhism has a very superficial meaning. In Buddhism, it is stated that a sick person should constantly remember not about the illness but about the health. Accordingly, there is no way to get rid of that disease due to the thought that one is constantly sick.

One should try to meditate on wholesomeness. It is to try. The Buddha preached in the Roga Sutra of the Anguttara Sect that although some people in this world are capable of living for many years without physical ailments, there is no one who spends even a single moment without mental ailments. Health is one of the things that many people in the world like, prefer, but are rare. Various ideas about health are described in Buddhism.

Buddha's sermons on matters to be followed for good physical health can be divided into three parts. That is fulfilling the basic needs, avoiding unnecessary things, following favourable behaviours. Man is able to maintain his existence healthy only if he has basic needs like food, clothing, medicine, housing etc. Therefore, it is very important to fulfil these basic needs in improving physical health.

The Buddha's philosophy says "Sabbe Satta Aharatttika" that every creature in the world depends on food. Because of this, medicines alone are not enough for a place that lacks basic needs such as food, housing, clothing, etc. Because of this, Buddhism recommends that it is important to focus on fulfilling those basic needs first.

A person who wants to protect his physical health should always stay away from unhealthy habits and unhealthy environments. What suits him, what doesn't suit him should be understood. If one knowingly consumes improper food and drink, travels to improper places, associates with improper sinful friends, and commits vile acts, not only his physical health but also his life is ruined.Because of this, the Buddha pointed out that one should avoid harmful things, harmful people, and harmful places that hinder one's existence.

The Lord Buddha pointed out in his sermon that following appropriate behaviour patterns is also the reason for improving one's physical well-being. Thus, as taught in Buddhism, one should avoid the behaviours that should be avoided and follow the behaviours that should be practised. Keeping the body clean is the most important thing to follow in order to maintain good physical health. Cleanliness greatly affects the health of the body.

It is important to keep skin, nose, mouth, hair etc. as well as outer clothing clean. There is an appreciation in Buddhist thought that one's moral impurity is reflected in that person's external physical impurity. In this way, Buddhism sees a significant connection between moral impurity and physical impurity. Therefore, it is possible to come to a certain conclusion about the moral impurity of that person through the impurity displayed by someone externally.

However, it cannot be concluded that a person is moral just because he is outwardly clean. Thus, a person who aspires to live a healthy life should understand which are the beneficial behaviours that are suitable for his existence. Adopting practices that are mostly based on ethical principles leads to wellness. Many health practices introduced by Buddhism are mentioned in Vinaya Pitaka and Sutra Pitaka.

In focusing on the above points, it is clear that Buddhism has provided good guidance for the preservation of health. When looking closely at these things taught in Buddhist ethics about disease prevention, it is understood that although Buddhism is not a medical system, it has presented many teachings from the behavioural aspect, similar to a medical system.