| Copyright (c) 2007 Stephen Lau | | | | you are filled with composure, which constitutes |
| Buddhism is more than an Eastern religion: it is a | | | | wellness in your body and mind. |
| healthy longevity promoter. | | | | Even if there are remnants of stress, they can be |
| Buddhism focuses on the balanced interaction | | | | dispelled through Buddhist meditation. According to |
| between the mind and the body as a prerequisite for | | | | Buddha, everyone has a "light" within him or her. To |
| healthy longevity; disease is a result of their imbalance | | | | find that "light", you need to practice meditation. |
| and disharmony. The Buddhist approach to health and | | | | Through meditation, you are awakened to |
| wellness is its emphasis on spiritual strength of the | | | | self-knowledge, which opens the door to ultimate |
| mind to overcome illness and disease. Concurring with | | | | wisdom: you see who you are, and what is important |
| Hippocrates, the father of medicine, who believed in | | | | to you in life. In other words, you begin to see the |
| the innate healing power in humans, Buddha also | | | | realities of things around you; you begin to prioritize |
| believed that you could seek cure through a drastic | | | | your life; and you begin to perceive the true meaning |
| change in lifestyle and healthy attitudes towards the | | | | of your existence. |
| real meaning of life and existence. | | | | Natural healing of the mind, body, and spirit begins with |
| Healing begins with the mind first, not the body. The | | | | a healthy love relationship in which Buddhist |
| reason is that disease originates from the disharmony | | | | compassion and loving kindness naturally thrive. In |
| of the mind and the spirit, leading to their imbalance | | | | Chinese, the word "compassion" means "removing |
| with the physical body, resulting in disease. Optimal | | | | suffering and giving happiness." From Buddha's view, |
| health for longevity is achieved when the mind and the | | | | true compassion has the power to root out the cause |
| body are functioning and interacting together as one | | | | of misery in people's lives and direct them to the true |
| entity. | | | | cause of happiness. |
| One of the most damaging factors to the mind is | | | | Loving kindness, closely connected with compassion, is |
| stress. Nowadays, stress comes in many forms. | | | | also a prominent feature of the Buddhist way of live. |
| Stress adversely affects your physical, mental, and | | | | Compassion and loving kindness complement each |
| spiritual health. In the Buddhist world, there is no stress, | | | | other. Extending good will, care and consideration to all |
| and you create your own stress through your ego-self, | | | | beings is critical to mental and spiritual health of an |
| which is essentially your "no-self" because it simply | | | | individual. |
| does not exist, except in your own mind. Buddhism | | | | If you are truly committed to altruistic compassion and |
| focuses on "emptiness" ' which is not self-denial, but | | | | loving kindness, you will be armed with inner strength to |
| rather the wisdom of knowing the impermanence of | | | | face any health adversity in your life, thereby |
| materials things and therefore the abandonment of the | | | | instrumental in inspiring hope in others, and by doing so, |
| futile pursuit of these elusive and evasive goals in life. | | | | helping relieve their own suffering. Aging and illness |
| With enlightenment, you will change your perception of | | | | simply provide an opportunity for you to inspire others |
| what you really are, and more importantly, the | | | | through your own example. |
| insignificance of your attachment to all materials things, | | | | Healing is a natural blend of science and philosophy of |
| including success and love of money. Buddha said, | | | | living. Buddhism certainly plays a pivotal role in the |
| "Craving is the fountainhead of all human miseries." | | | | philosophy of living for healthy longevity. |
| Once your craving ceases, your stress dissipates, and | | | | |