Buddhism and the health professions

[quiethumir]

“When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky” ~Buddha

How do you reconcile this with those who work in health care such as doctors, nurses, therapists, etc. If a patient is perfect, then they don't need fixing.

[Keiju]

I like this Buddha guy

Part of the perfection includes health care... yes, even the doctors/nurses/therapists

Originally Posted by quiethumir

“When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky” ~Buddha

How do you reconcile this with those who work in health care such as doctors, nurses, therapists, etc. If a patient is perfect, then they don't need fixing.

[ButterflyWoman]

The perfection of which Buddha speaks is not the kind of perfection that means that you don't get injuries or become unwell in other ways. This perfection is beyond the material, a kind of "overview" wherein it is seen that perfection is the inherent nature of the universe. It's all perfectly balanced, perfectly unfolding, fluidly and without hinderence, all the "good" and "bad" and "splendid" and "grotesque" and everything else you care to name. But it's not "perfection" in the way the material mind would describe it, because it's above things like judgement and context (what makes a broken ankle "bad"? only judgement and context). There is no need to reconcile being a doctor with seeing the perfection. There is no need to reconcile anything else with the perfection. It is what it is, you can do what you want within it. Perfect.

[quiethumir]

Originally Posted by ButterflyWoman

The perfection of which Buddha speaks is not the kind of perfection that means that you don't get injuries or become unwell in other ways. This perfection is beyond the material, a kind of "overview" wherein it is seen that perfection is the inherent nature of the universe. It's all perfectly balanced, perfectly unfolding, fluidly and without hinderence, all the "good" and "bad" and "splendid" and "grotesque" and everything else you care to name. But it's not "perfection" in the way the material mind would describe it, because it's above things like judgement and context (what makes a broken ankle "bad"? only judgement and context). There is no need to reconcile being a doctor with seeing the perfection. There is no need to reconcile anything else with the perfection. It is what it is, you can do what you want within it. Perfect.

I might not have articulated my question clearly.

If everything is perfect then why care for, treat, help patients/clients?

Let's say an injured person walks into the ER and you're the buddhist doctor. How do you reconcile the quote with the fact that you have to administer meds/treatments etc. If he is perfect as it is (not physically), then why treat him. If you did treat him, it would be perfect. If you did not treat him, it would still be perfect. If he dies, there is no reason to be sad over it because it's perfect that he died. Am I making more sense?

[Acting Like Godot]

This is a fake Buddha quote.

You will not find it in any Buddhist scriptures.

If you google, you will see that the quote is mostly mentioned in people's Facebook posts, or personal blogs, on general "famous quotations" websites that just gather as many quotes as they can, from anywhere.

You will not find any Buddhist monks discussing it etc etc.

[ButterflyWoman]

Originally Posted by quiethumir

If everything is perfect then why care for, treat, help patients/clients?

Why not? It'll still be perfect if you help or if you don't help, so do what you want.

I do have the experience of seeing/knowing the absolute perfection that is the All, for lack of better words to express it. It really is beyond the material context. Therefore, the realisation of perfection doesn't conflict with nor does it require reconciliation with the context of the material idea of "helping people".

I understood your question. I also understand the place from which it's asked. I'm not surprised you didn't understand my answer.

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

This is a fake Buddha quote.

You will not find it in any Buddhist scriptures.

Well, there you go. Shows I'm not a Buddhist.

[Arz Sra]

Originally Posted by quiethumir

“When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky” ~Buddha

How do you reconcile this with those who work in health care such as doctors, nurses, therapists, etc. If a patient is perfect, then they don't need fixing.

The quotes just says " when you realize... ". Its not that you read the quote and try to apply it to your life. It refers to an event where suddenly you have this deep realization of everything being perfect. After that, whether you help the patient or not does not make a difference. The realization is not so weak as to be challenged by a mere action that does not conform to it. Its not something to be intellectually understood and then implications of it to be figured out. It refers to an event of realization.

And , 'everything is perfect' means that even helping patients is also perfect. Nothing is there , neither action nor word, that can be said to be lacking in any way. All is perfect.

[ButterflyWoman]

Originally Posted by Arz Sra

It refers to an event where suddenly you have this deep realization of everything being perfect. After that, whether you help the patient or not does not make a difference.

Exactly.

Also, and I know nobody brought this up, but I think it bears writing down, this realisation of perfection is not a "belief". It's not that you "believe" that everything is "already perfect" and then act according to that belief. Once you realise the perfection, you know that no matter what happens, what you do or do not do, it's still perfect. Nothing you do can or will change that.

[Cantando]

Originally Posted by quiethumir

“When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky” ~Buddha

How do you reconcile this with those who work in health care such as doctors, nurses, therapists, etc. If a patient is perfect, then they don't need fixing.

The (enlightened) Buddhist doctor would experience reality directly (symbolically as perfection), even amongst the (symbolically imperfect) phenomena of working on the ward, helping to heal others.

In the phenomenal world, sentient beings still suffer.

Many enlightened Buddhas promise to return and help others awaken, out of compassion. They don't have to, but they do it.

It's an interesting question, and leads me to ask, if Buddhas no longer suffer, how can they show compassion?

Perhaps, they are able to demonstrate compassion without attachment, and without having the heart-tugging feeling that is normally associated with it.

But, can compassion be objective and detached?

Can one feel compassion without feeling some of the suffering of the other person? The word, itself, means 'suffering with' or 'suffering together'.

Perhaps, the enlightened Buddhist doctor is only experiencing unconditional love, but at the phenomenal, physical level, this love is stepped down and experienced by him/her as compassion.