Individual Health care and vinaya regulations in Buddhism

Abstract

This paper draws attention on individual health and vinaya regulations. The medicine is one of the essential parts of the basic human needs. According to Buddhism basic needs can be divided in to four parts. They are Cīvara(Cloths), Pindapāta (food), Senāsana(Shelter), Gilānapaccaya(Medicine).Medicine is the science that deals with preventing, curing, and treating diseases. Vinaya also takes higher place in Buddhist order. Dhamma and Vinaya can be taken as the master of Buddhist followers. According to Besajjakkhandaka of Mahāvaggapāli pointed out there are some medicine for diseases. Buddha admires the use of natural things as medicine. This paper will discuss about some exceptions of Vinaya. Though Vinaya is considered as important, in case of a sick person, he is allowed not to fallow not to follow strict regulation because of his illness. The main reason for the health diseases is the unethical behavior of the human beings. Today with commercialization and modernization people pollute the environment. As a result of that some kind of dangerous problems arise due to the greed of human beings. To conclude that medicine is the most essential part of monks and nuns. So according to Buddhist teachings, when someone ill Vinaya rules are not applicable to the particular person as a special case.