In the weeks just following midterms there is time to roam and good fortune brings me roaming to Ayya Khema's talks. Once upon a time Hirosan listened to Ajahn Brahm when we went out but these days she listens to Ayya Khema, so she is often in my heart and after midterms I replaced lectures and questions from classes with her talks on meditation in my MP3 player. What a pleasure. Paralleling that, the next monastic gathering of western buddhists has been on my mind. I would dearly like to go and make some friends among the monastic community, because there is a chance of some common ground and mutual support. Venerable continuously reminds me that I am a monastic, that the similarities outweigh the differences within the Sangha, and reassures me that I am doing well. We focus on practical daily events withing the context of Dhamma and work is done within where ever you go, it would not be different had we managed to find a monastery to live in. In doing research for the previous post's paper I came across another reassuring tidbit, and am grateful to Ven. Master Hsing Yun for bringing it to light and Ven Kusula Bhikshu for posting it.
From Buddhism, Medicine, and Health ...Ven. Master Hsing Yun
http://www.blia.org/english/publications/booklet/pages/37.htm
“VI. The Contribution of Monastics to Medicine:
In India, most monastics are well educated in
the five sciences, especially in medicine, which they are required to
study. Because knowledge of medicine is
mandatory for monastics, throughout Buddhist history there are many well-known
monastic physicians, medical scholars, and medical texts. For example, in the Buddhist sutras, we find
countless references to and discussions about medicine. Evidence also demonstrates that Buddhism has
made a significant contribution to the world of medicine not only through the
development of respectable health theories and principles but also through
actual practice. While by no means an
exhaustive list, the following are brief accounts of Buddhist masters who have
stood out in the history of Buddhist medicine.”
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