A Study on the Ways of Attendance the Buddhist Patient Monks

Abstract

This academic article had proposed to illustrate the importance of patient’s care as delivered by the Buddha ‘Bhikkhus whoever want to takes care of Tathagata, he would look after the patient Bhikkhus.’ The Buddha compared the patients as himself, had commanded Sangha to look after, to care, to help the patients, with the best. If one was in carelessness of such, then he must be punished as ‘Misconduct’ called Dukkaṭa. The process to taking care the patients was assigned by the Buddha into 7 virtues; 1) Upajjhāyavatta or Bhikkhus must take care the patient until death or recovering from sickness, 2) Saddhivihārikavatta, 3) Ācariyavatta, 4) Antevāsikavatta, 5) Duties of Bhikkhus who live under the same preceptor, 6) Duties of Bhikkhus who live under the same master, 7) Sangha signifying that Bhikkhus with more than 4 who live in the same monastery must take care of patient Bhikkhus until he recovered. The qualification of Upaṭṭhākavatta or duty of nursing laid down by the Buddha consisting of 5 knowledge, 1) knowing how to make medicine, 2) knowing the incriminating of deceases, 3) containing loving-kindness, 4) never mind the dirt, 5) know how to give description of medicine to the patients. Those who want to follow Upaṭṭhākavatta must contain these knowledges.