View Tendai Meditation And Study Disease

Meditation is an essential part of Buddhist practice. In order for practitioners to achieve enlightenment, one must practice Chan meditation through proper Buddhist guidance. It is believe that meditation can clear one’s mind and heart and help achieve an inner state of peace and calm. Thus meditation is often referred by psychologist as a practice for patients to keep a healthy state of mind. Furthermore, Chan is believed to be able to cure health problems related issues. According to the Chinese medicine theories listed by the Yellow emperor’s inner classic, it is believed that by keeping the mind at a state of calm and peacefulness, the body will eventually become healthier. Since the body and mind is closely related and reflective of each other, the best way to attain good health would be keeping both in good state. Chan practice is presumably one of the most suitable practices for both the mind and body.Moreover, Buddhism actually has theories regarding medicine related issues. Thus this makes Chan practice even more closely related to medicine. Buddhism meditation begun since Hinayana, it already paid much attention to health issues. Mahayana, which came after Hinayana also developed much theories related to health and meditations. As Buddhism extended to China, its meditation was further adopted by the Chinese, but was also influenced by the Chinese meditation, notably by the Taoist methods. Such traces can be found through the doctrines and writing works of Zhi-Yi from the Tiantai Buddhist sects.The Tiantai Buddhist sect was known to be the first Buddhist sect ever found in Chinese history. Their teaching and theories greatly impacted Buddhism in China. Zhi-Yi, who is known as the founder of Tiantai Buddhism had contributed greatly on the practice of meditation known as the Samatha-vipasyan a (止観), although such practice was not his original theory, but he had helped clarify and explained the procedures of the meditation. He further on composed works such as Mah a-samatha-vipasyan a(摩诃止観) and the Six Subtle Dharma Gates (六妙法门), as a further explanation regarding the practice of Samatha-vipasyan a. These works eventually became the main teachings of Tiantai Buddhist sect in China, and they later on became the mean focus of Tiantai teachings. His work featured many medicine related theories in coordination with the meditation theories of Samatha-vipasyan a. His emphasis on mindfulness of breathing (as known as a n a p a nasmrti) in accordance with the principles of Samatha-vipasyana, shown great similarities with the classic Chinese meditation. Zhi-Yi classifies breathing into four primary categories; Panting, Unhurried breathing, Deep and quiet breathing, and Stillness or rest. According to Zhi-Yi, only Stillness/rest should be considered the only correct method in comparison with the other three categories. Similar with most meditation teachings of the Chinese, breathing should be still and calm, it should rest the body and energize it.Thus Tiantai Buddhist sect and Zhi-Yi had created a great influence to Buddhist medical theories, and it contributed a great deal on mediation as well, by understanding their theory of meditation could allow us to understand bodily health at the same time. The Tiantai classic of Maha-s amatha-vipasyan a and the Six Subtle Dharma Gates should never be missed in Buddhist meditation or Buddhist medical related researches.The purpose of this thesis is to verify the medical opinion of Tiantai Buddhism and find its connections with Buddhist medical knowledge and Chinese medical knowledge and also to clarify the concept of disease from venerable Zhi-Yi. The medical knowledge demonstrated in Tiantai Buddhism is a big achievement for both the religion and the medical world. Venerable Zhi-Yi composed a few works regarding Chan meditation, and within these works, there are large traces of medical component found. Most of these medicals related information relates to disease caused by improper method of meditation. Zhi-Yi used the fundamentals of Chinese medicine and breathing meditation techniques to treat such disease. Combined with medical and religious aspects, his work provides a new understanding in mediation. In his works of Mah a-samatha-vipasyan a, there are terminologies that are used inChinesemedicine. Furthermore, Venerable Zhi-Yi’s work also used religious aspects to classify the different causes of disease. By understanding the concept of Samatha-vipasyan a meditation stated by the master, we can understand his medical theories of treating different types of diseases.