Buddhist Ethics for Improving Health and Well-Being during Pandemics Like COVID-19 with Special References to Modern Scientific Experiments
Religions April 26, 2024 Pathompong Bodhiprasiddhinand
Buddhist ethical practices, including chanting, mindfulness, concentration, meditation, and insight (vipassanā), can improve both physical and mental health for practitioners during pandemics such as COVID-19. The paper argues that the core Buddhist ethics of morality, meditation, and wisdom, when perfectly practiced, can eliminate mental defilements believed to be root causes of illness and lead to nibbāna, a state beyond suffering. It highlights a set of practices called the four bhāvanās (types of development) as a means to enhance well-being during any pandemic.