The aims of this research were: 1) to study the approach for promoting health of Buddhist monks in the time of the Buddha; 2) to study the model for promoting the holistic health of Buddhist monks according to Buddhism. This qualitative research was carried out by means of documentary research and fieldwork study in ChaturaphakPhiman district, Roi Et province. The gathered data were interpreted by the descriptive analysis. The research results were as follows:

The study of the approach for promoting health of Buddhist monks in the time of the Buddha revealed that in the Buddha era, health management, especially among monks focuses on managing both physical and mental health. There were many ways of treatment, both by medical means, Dharma and preventing diseases with hygiene practices in the routine.

In general, most of the monks are elderly people. Some have a chronic disease caused by smoking and drinking energy drinks. When they are sick, they tend to buy medicine themselves. The food they got from alms offering is a type of starch, sugar, coconut milk and fat. The monks exercise by walking, doing construction and cleaning their temples. The problems are that there is a lack of the campaign activity for giving knowledge to change behaviors and exercise promotion, a lack of continuous follow-up care between the temples, organizations and people in the community, promotion to monks and the temples to implement health promotion activities, establishment of a health care fund for monks at the temple, and the implementation of ‘5S’ activities to promote and support the monks to do health care and to be healthy in daily life.

The holistic treatment model of monks according to Buddhism can be made by consuming foods that are free from starch, sugar, including spicy foods or suitable consumption. It can be said that the principles of Buddhism is food consumption for health benefits. The good exercise of the monks is to walk and sweep the temple yard. In addition, the body and mind are rested and relaxed naturally by practicing meditation. The regular medical examination as well as getting health counseling is an improvement of the health of the monks.

 Download