4. “Would you say a bit about the benefits of practicing loving-kindness during the dying process, both for the one who is dying as well as for the caregiver?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Goodwill] [Death] [Health care] // [Gladdening the mind] [Fear] [Clear comprehension] [Energy] [Community]
Quote: “These bodies are really high maintenance when they don’t work.” [Sickness] [Health care]
Recollection: Ajahn Chah was unable to look after himself for the last nine years of his life. [Ajahn Chah] [Health care] [Respect for elders] [Wat Pah Pong] [Gratitude]
13. “What is the view on medical or pharmaceutical professions?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Health care] [Medicinal requisites] [Right Livelihood]
15. “Is there any instruction from the Buddha about how to deal with profit-motivated pharmaceutical research decisions?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha] [Health care] [Commerce/economics] [Right Livelihood]
16. “Some people want to help but find themselves in situations in which profit dictates the priorities. How can they protect their integrity in such situations?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Compassion] [Health care] [Commerce/economics] [Right Intention] [Right Livelihood ] // [Education] [Idealism] [Requisites] [Happiness]
Story: Ajahn Karuṇiko studies engineering, then quits a job in the arms industry to become a monk. [Military] [Monastic life/Motivation]
5. “Thank you for the wonderful dhamma talk on the 5 reflections! Could you please talk about compassion in caregiving for themselves and for others.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Recollection] [Compassion] [Health care] // [Sickness]
Vinaya: Mahāvagga 8.26.5: Good patients and caregivers.
17. “Is there anything in the teachings/scriptures that would relate to the idea of organ donation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Health care] [Body/form] [Generosity] // [Culture/Thailand] [Merit] [Christianity]
4. “How do monks treat intestinal worms?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Health care] [Sickness] [Killing]
15. “Living in the West, chances are most of us will die in a hospital, which could be quite chaotic. Any advice?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/West] [Health care] [Death] // [Spiritual friendship] [Community] [Saṅgha]
Story: The Abhayagiri community attends to a dying lay supporter. [Abhayagiri]
Comments about hospitals contributed by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Health care]
1. “Isn’t desire needed for lay life, starting a family, a business etc? And what about polio? Would there be things like a vaccine for polio without desire? Did the Buddha have something else in mind?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Desire ] [Health care] [Lay life] // [Cause of Suffering] [Craving] [Aids to Awakening] [Bases of Success] [Hindrances] [Sensual desire] [Language]
13. “I remember reading some stories of Ajahn Chah teaching lay people about herbal medicines. I know some Tibetan monks practice medicine. Is there such a tradition in Thailand? Are there any stores of Ajahn Chah healing people physically with traditional medicines?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Health care] [Medicinal requisites ] [Culture/Thailand] [Healing] // [Thai Forest Tradition] [History/Thai Buddhism] [Vinaya] [Right Livelihood] [Almsfood]
Recollection: Walking around the forest with Ajahn Chah. [Culture/Natural environment]
Story: Bung Wai villagers walk to Wat Pah Pong to practice meditation all night on Wan Phra. [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Wat Pah Pong] [Lunar observance days] [Monastic routine] [Meditation]
Story: Por Am argues with Ajahn Chah for three days. [Doubt] [Precepts]
Story: Ajahn Chah teaches Por Am to be a herbal doctor so he can keep the precepts. [Health care]
Recollection: The hunter-gatherer culture of Northeast Thailand. [Food] [Agriculture] [Killing] [Geography/Thailand]
5. Comment: It’s important for the Saṅgha to look after all members in terms of sickness and ageing. [Sickness] [Ageing] [Health care ] [Death] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha ]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
Vinaya: Mahāvagga 8.26.1-8: The Monk with Dysentery [Buddha/Biography]
Recollections of Saṅgha members who have died. [Saṅgha ] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism]
1. “In Canada, medical assistance in death is legal. As an old person who will be sick and dying not too far off, it raises the question: If I got to the point where I felt even with good palliative and hospice care, I couldn’t withstand the pain any longer, it’s an option. But what about the first precept of not taking life?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sickness] [Pain] [Death] [Health care ] [Euthanasia] [Killing] // [Relinquishment] [Self-identity view] [Idealism]
Quote: “Being present for the falling apart of the body opens doorways to release that don’t really happen with, ‘I just want to be done with this. This totally sucks.’” [Present moment awareness] [Mindfulness of body] [Release] [Aversion] [Fear] [Clinging] [Saṃsāra]
2. “For some people, death comes with extreme pain. Part of being able to navigate through the dissolution of self requires clarity of mind. My understanding is that a lot of pain management involves morphine or other mind-numbing drugs. How does one navigate the pain?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Death] [Pain] [Relinquishment] [Self-identity view] [Clear comprehension] [Health care] [Intoxicants] // [Fear]
5. “Years ago I considered the Buddha someone who practiced harm reduction. But having worked in the field, I’ve started to have a lot of conflict around when people request paraphernalia to help them use [drugs]. The idea is to keep them alive, but now it’s become very complicated because people are still dying. Is this a violation of right livelihood? Could you speak about wisdom and compassion?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Intoxicants] [Health care] [Death] [Right Livelihood] [Discernment] [Compassion] [Gratitude] // [Right Intention] [Crime] [Politics and society]
Quote: “As a person who is trying to help, you have to learn harm reduction to yourself.” [Health care] [Depression]
7. “If one were to become a Buddhist nun or monk and use indigenous shamanic practices to heal self and others rather than pharmaceuticals and modern-day Western medical advice and procedures, would that be permitted in a Buddhist monastery? I read that original Buddhist medicine, just as with shamanic healing, was based on the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water. Also that alchemy and spirit guides such as Guan Yin were used to help heal. This is the same way with shamanism also. Do modern-day Buddhist monastic communities in the West only use pharmaceuticals and Western medical practices, and are there understandings and restrictions in place in regard to how the monastic community take care of their health and how they can support each other with health matters?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Monastic life] [Healing] [Health care] [Elements] [Medicinal requisites] // [Vinaya] [Intoxicants] [Contentment]
6. “What about a serious practitioner who refuses machines and procedures to extend life?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Health care] [Suicide] [Aversion] // [Relinquishment]