Most health programs focus on what is wrong with the body and where the pain is coming from but Buddhism focuses on something very different, the mind. By focusing on the mind many ailments can be eliminated, as stated in "Buddhism, Medicine, and Health", "With a healthy body as a tool, we can cultivate a compassionate heart and a clear mind. With a cultivated mind, we are able to examine ourselves, clearly see the nature of our problems, and then work to resolve them". Knowing this it is made clear that the mind has a major impact on our health and because the Buddhist faith is so focused on the mind they tend to have a healthier lifestyle. Buddhist belief is that the body is composed of the four elements air, water, earth, and fire, which are all connected to specific organs in the body. If these four elements are in balance then the organs are doing their jobs efficiently. Another Buddhist belief is that people become sick due to negative thoughts or the "three poisons" greed, anger, and ignorance. So people of the Buddhist faith practice healthy diet habits, mediation, repentance, paying respects to Buddha, and many other things to have a healthy fulfilling lifestyle.
Citations
Hsing, Y. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.blia.org/english/publications/booklet/pages/37.htm
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