The Intersection of Spirituality and Medicine in Buddhist India: A Comprehensive Analysis of Traditional Healing Systems and Contemporary Healthcare Integration
Ayushi Deora
International Journal of Advanced Research in Science, Communication and Technology August 20, 2025 DOI: 10.48175/ijarsct-28671 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based interventions are highly effective for managing anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and stress-related diagnoses, but mechanistic insights, standard procedures, and clinical trial scale remain unaddressed. |
Abstract
Background: The interplay of spirituality and medicine in Buddhist India can be used as a paradigm platform that has been guiding the healing activities more than 2000 years. Understanding the ancient Ayurveda and combining it with Buddhism spiritual values have been the study of this research work toward their applicability in the contemporary field of healthcare.
Aim: Examine the history of the development, theoretical and practical use of Buddhist spirituality of the Indian medical tradition, with the analysis of research gaps and further perspectives of the development of integrative healthcare methods.
Materials and Methods: The study employed a systematic literature search with the inclusion of peer-reviewed articles (2020-2025) in literature reviews concerning the integration of spirituality and medicine, Buddhist medicine, Ayurveda practices in India, and mindfulness-based intervention in medicine.
Results: Buddhist medical philosophy focuses on mind-body-spirit relationship where meditation and mindfulness are core forms of therapy. The latest studies prove a high effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in managing anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and stress-related diagnoses. Combining the original practice of Buddhist healing with Ayurveda holds potential in personalized medicine practices with possible standardization issues.
Conclusions: The Buddhist philosophy on medicine can serve as a meaningful critique of the contemporary integrative medical practice, especially regarding the treatment of psychosomatic diseases and the maintenance of the whole-bodied health. Nevertheless, questions in relation to mechanistic insights, standard procedures, and clinical trial scale remain considerably unaddressed in terms of research..
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zen Meditation: An Integration of Current Evidence | 2009 | Systematic review | |
| Wisdom-Based Buddhist-Derived Meditation Practices for Prosocial Behaviour: A Systematic Review Participants in mindfulness-based interventions incorporating Buddhist wisdom practices | 2024 | Systematic review | n = 2,185 |
| A systematic review and activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of fMRI studies on arousing or wake-promoting effects in Buddhist meditation | 2023 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| Effects of Buddhist Walking Meditation, Walking Meditation or Mindful Walking on the Health of Adults and Older Adults: A Systematic Review Adults and older adults | 2025 | Systematic review | |
| A meta-analysis on the effectiveness of Buddhist meditation intervention programs Participants in Buddhist meditation intervention studies from KCI-indexed or... | 2026 | Meta-analysis | n = 6,366 |
Citations in the library
Cites 6
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- The Mindful Brain: A Systematic Review of the Neural Correlates of Trait Mindfulness. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience November 1, 2024
- Effect of a mindfulness program on stress, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, social support, and life satisfaction: a quasi-experimental study in college students. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
- Deconstructing the self and reshaping perceptions: An intensive whole-brain 7T MRI case study of the stages of insight during advanced investigative insight meditation. Neuroimage 2025
- Evaluating the Meditation Practices and Barriers to Adopting Mindful Medicine Among Physicians. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine March 12, 2025
and 1 more in the library