Health as Buddhist Practice

Subject Overview

Health as Buddhist Practice examines areas of convergence, tension and potential integration between modern scientific and Buddhist approaches to health and wellbeing. The subject traces the evolution of Buddhism’s relationship with medical systems from the early Pali canon, through the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, alongside evolving definitions and attitudes to health in modern medical science and frameworks such as those of the World Health Organization.

Students explore the opportunities and obstacles for collaboration between these two distinct approaches to health and wellbeing, including the promises and challenges of researching traditional medical approaches with modern research methods. Time is devoted to mental health, and how Buddhist practices and frameworks are increasingly adopted in the field, including the growing area of spiritual care in prevention, treatment and palliative contexts.

Learning Outcomes

1. Analyse the historical development of modern and Buddhist conceptions of health, including the philosophical and cultural factors that shaped their contemporary forms.
2. Critically compare biomedical and Buddhist models of health, illness and healing, identifying points of convergence, divergence, and implications for integrative approaches.
3. Evaluate the theoretical and empirical basis for contemplative practices such as mindfulness and compassion in relation to mental health, chronic illness, trauma, and broader global health challenges.
4.  Assess the capacities and limitations of modern healthcare systems, including burnout of practitioners, inequities in access and delivery, systemic pressures, and the emergent role of spiritual and holistic care approaches.
5. Identify and evaluate areas where Buddhist principles and medical science can be combined to create community-based, ethically grounded approaches to individual, clinical or societal wellbeing.

Assessments

• Assessment 1: Analysis of health experience (15% due week 2)
• Assessment 2: Report on comparative analysis of health systems (35%, due week 6)
• Assessment 3: Integrative health proposal (50%, due week 10)