HEALTH CARE USING CERTAIN BUDDHIST PRINCIPLES

HOW TO IMPROVE HEALTH CARE IN THE USA USING BUDDHIST PRINCIPLES.  A NOTE TO THE DOCTORS

The Four Noble Truths

Buddha was preaching to the Monks

The contemplation of Mental Objects

Sathipathana Sutra

The Foundation of Mindfulness

The original in Pali, the sacred language

Buddha said

A monk knows

This is suffering, according to reality

He knows. This is the origin of suffering according to reality

He knows

This is the cessation of suffering, according to reality, he knows

This is the road leading to the cessation of suffering, according to reality

In the modern medical care, exemplified by the piecemeal, body as a machine model of USA, now exported widely to the rest of the world, SYMPTOMS feature predominantly in the ILLNESS the patient feels, that is translated by the doctor according to his intelligence and knowledge into a DISEASE

Illness is what the patient feels, Illness is not a physiological explanation

But Disease is objectification, bringing what is in the mind and the emotions of the patient into the body of the patient.

Thus, symptoms are treated and the reality is forgotten for a moment. Once the treatment is administered, very seldom do the doctor or even the patient enquire about what caused the symptoms.

To cease suffering, one has to know the origins of suffering and the path to the suffering. (the emotional and social aspects of ILLNESS) and then know the road to the cessation of that suffering (which is omitted in western medicine, but includes emotional and spiritual counselling)

In Lakota Language, the world for HEALING is wa pi yah , meaning bring together (much like the meaning of YOGA), to heal the patient, bring him back to the reality of his emotional and social world, most importantly to re integrate him or her into that reality.

A case to explain

A 29-year-old woman has pain in the right side of her “stomach” (My good friend and teacher Dr Cecil Helman had published an article about how ignorant the patients in his Family Practice were about the location of organs). The pain increased day by day, she travelled from the eastern part of the country to the capital. She was seen by a General Practitioner who said, you have gastritis and let us do an ultrasound, which was done. The patient left with no diagnosis, no treatment and no follow up.

The pain continued, she could hardly breathe, difficult to walk and she ended up in the emergency room of a teaching hospital, seen by a resident in Internal Medicine. He also suspected gastritis and did not alleviate her concern because she was feeling referred pain on her right shoulder. The area of pain was mostly over the gallbladder. The doctor did some blood tests, mainly to make sure that she did not have pancreatitis. She left still with no diagnosis and no treatment, with a note to call to make a follow up appointment.

Needless to say, no one had asked her about emotional and social and work situation.

She came to my house, limping and with a stomach very tender to touch.

I was with my sister who talked to her extensively, and found out the origin of her symptoms. I felt that she probably had a small ulcer or severe gastritis due to the reasons my sister had delineated.

So, we did the Cuban approach to Primary Care

Physical.  Diagnosis Severe Gastritis. Symptomatic treatment. Proton Pump Inhibitors such as Omeprazole or Pantoprazole (I had a bunch of them in my bag bought in India, the best source for reliable and cheap medications)

In the meantime, my sister had counselled her about the path to her suffering and was able to offer some good advice.

What was left for us to do was the spiritual aspect of healing or bringing her back to her reality: her work, her social relations, her love for her country.

A little cleansing ceremony was held in my house. She felt very good.

Day by day she called to report that her symptoms were being alleviated, we advised her on what to eat and what to avoid. She was emotionally feeling better having a taken a decision based on the path to her suffering and the spiritual cleansing had given her a sense of wellness and confidence.

All is well.

OH MIGHTY AMERICA .. YOUR BLOCKADE DOES NOT AFFECT THE MIGHTY, BUT AFFECT THE HUMBLE POOR MARGINALIZED MIDDLE CLASS AND POOR PEOPLE

I am writing this from my flat in Vedado, Havana, Cuba while listening to Iranian music.

I have been thinking a lot about Iran and thanks to my friends inside Iran, I can feel the empathy for this land I have always loved, even though I have never visited it, having flown over it hundreds of times on Qatar Airways.

Why don’t you visit Iran? My friends inside and outside Iran ask me. My friends in Israel and USA would ask, are you mad even considering a trip to Iran, pointing out to the number of people jailed for being “spy” for CIA or Israel.. I have strong attachment to both USA and Israel; the two enemies Iran has sworn to destroy but their ageing technology like their ageing leaders would never be able to.

The frustration of the people, such a nice group of educated people, in my opinion the most educated and well prepared and westernized Muslim country, had to suffer under this backward vision of a theocracy which the entire world would decry. Not even the other many autocratic Muslim countries are so theocratic. Separation of the STATE and RELIGION occurred in the civilized nations about five hundred years ago, argued by philosophers such as Rene Descartes, I think therefore I am….

In the Muslim world we are still waiting for the world of a Descartes! The country that is ready to meet the Renaissance is IRAN.. and each day I am proud of my love for this country, so caught in the web of political intrigue and religious orthodoxy and liberal minded people.

A country which gave the world HAFEZ FERDOWSi KHAYYAM and the thousands of classic writers and philosophers and giants such as SHAMLOO and SHEGOYAN who could speak both German and Sanskrit!  Not to mention Makhmalbouf, Panahi, and films such as the Seperation..

IRAN would join the rest of us in the world stage but this is not the time to travel there and be falsely be accused of being an Israeli spy.

I began to write about IRAN and got carried away by the sadness I felt but I wanted to mention the effects of the BLOCKADE, I am sure the IRANIANS would feel it, not the Guards or the Mullahs or the Theocrats but the average IRANI.

That is the case here in CUBA. Which has withstood 60 years of blockade. The apologists for this draconian action by the USA including the Miami Cuban Americans would ask: but they can trade with others.. they do not know what an American Embargo or Blockade means. Right now, there are Gas for cooking for the population, Petroleum for the buses for the population are waiting in ports to be shipped to Cuba but USA has completely blockaded their arrival until Cuba gets its own ships at which time USA cannot stop the ships in the high seas.

These things are at a macrolevel, very soon, flights from the USA to Cuban towns outside of Havana including the popular charter flights would stop. Cruise ships cannot dock in Cuba if their itinerary includes a USA port even if it is a colonial one such as San Juan, Puerto Rico or US Virgin Island ports such as St John or St Croix. This has affected simple artisans who made a living selling handcrafts reminding the visitors of their short sojourn in Havana, whose trade was devastating, plunging them into further poverty.

Do you think the Government Officials are impacted? Do you think that people who receive millions of dollars from family members in the very same USA are affected? No..

Average Cuban, who gets up to go to work and has a family and has to see his children do well at school and those receiving pensions and are unable to work are affected. It is the unfortunate and the unluckiest ones are affected.

I am amazed that neither the politicians in the USA (whose sanity one questions) nor the average American cannot understand the devastating effects of this blockade…just simple, you cannot cook because the cooking gas containers have been blocked from entering Cuba by their government.

Those of us who love this country for intellectual and philosophical reasons rather than the political or ideological ones, the blockade is felt in a different fashion. I will give some examples

NEJM or the NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE is a prestigious medical journal read by all erudite doctors around the world. Every week they send something called NEJM Knowledge in which they present a case and give four possible answers. After brooding about the clinical presentation, you can click on one of the answers and it would open in another screen and give the explanation why your answer is right or wrong. It is truly a wonderful way to keep your medical wits about you.

Just guess what happened when I read the case of an 82-year-old woman who became incoherent after being put on Amitriptyline by her Family Practitioner, I clicked on my choice from the four possible answers: exchange Amitriptyline for Sertraline, another group affecting other parts of the brain.

This note appeared on the screen.

The country that you are accessing this from is not authorized to receive

I have an Amazon.com account with a USA based credit card and an USA address to ship to.

I wanted to buy a book, order it from Cuba, to be shipped to the USA address

When I clicked order now (it took me through the other steps)

You are not allowed to use this service.

Same story with apple.com or app store if you want to download an app. I have SPOTIFY music streaming but cannot stream it while I am in Cuba.

Cuba while being a Communist state, does not block any websites, unlike IRAN or many other countries including the friend of USA, CHINA.

If you think BLOCKADE of a nation such as CUBA and now IRAN affects only the sales of BOEING Planes or Refrigerators or big price tag items, you are wrong. It enters everywhere, makes the life of an average Cuban more difficult from Medications, trying to buy an airline ticket from here, the list goes on and on

So please do not be condescending of the 80 million citizens of Iran or the 11 million Cubans in the island

Listen to this proverb from the wisdom of the Native people of USA

Never criticize a man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins. He who is present at a wrongdoing and does not lift a hand to prevent it, is as guilty as the wrong doers. Great Spirit, help me never to judge another until I have walked in his moccasins. Listen or thy tongue will keep thee deaf.

This is attributed to the OMAHA (UmoNhoN) tribe with whom I have a long-standing relationship

CONTENT IN HAVANA . FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY 2020

I had a trip planned to South East Asia, and anyone who has read the News would admit that this is not the time for frivolous travel to the East. I was able to cancel my flight and then i headed south to Cuba.
This morning my good friend MYC from KL had sent me an article from the Davos Economic Forum about the Rabbit Effect, something that had been known for a long time. In this quantitative world that we live in, where the belief in proof is taken as truth, it was refreshing to read the author emphasizing the need for a greater social context for Health and a better understanding of What exactly is HEALTH.. Long ago we had understood that Health is not absence of Disease, but a wholistic well being including your standing in the society and how well you are treated by people around you.
Since the buddhist Tibetan monk appeared at the breakfast at Bristows Bungalow on October 5th, after close encounters with emotions from Iran, there has been subtle changes in my life, as if I am climbing up some steps. I will never forget what the American Indians have taught me : Be humble, Be Grateful and be compassionate.. all of which sound very Buddhist anyway..

I have decided that I would just let things happen here in Havana rather than plan my days and activities. Long walks but mindful walks along the Malecon and an open door for friends to drop by.
I am happy that my Cuban sister helps me in this quasi euphoric attitude in that there is always food, there is always wine and the Internet is on... all of these are not small feats in Cuba.. thank you 

Days have been pleasant with no stress whatsoever, Lots of medical consultations and some psychological counselling on line from around the world, chats with friends who dropped by.
In Cuba, one appreciates the genuine friendships,, the value of the sincerity of ones friends .. nothing expected but only genuine desire to be with each other..

I had a lovely Sunday.. the malecon drenched by furious waves following the thunderstorms, a lovely conversation with a new friend from the Alps, an effervescence of Tatarstan.. no memories but pleasant sense of living..
afer all I am in Havana Cuba..

What unexpected pleasures are waiting on this Monday?