The Healing Heuristic of the Medicine Buddha in Bhutan

Abstract

This paper examines the role of the Medicine Buddha in the healthcare system in Bhutan, a bipartite system where allopathic and Bhutanese Traditional Medicine co-exist. Discussion is informed by a wider study that explored the use of mindfulness practices by nurses across both sectors. An emergent theme from this narrative inquiry is that health practitioners across the sectors spoke of the importance of the Medicine Buddha in their professional practice. To better understand this centrality, we provide a historical overview of the long-standing presence of the Medicine Buddha in Bhutanese society and the materiality and spirituality of Medicine Buddha practice, and review how this healing aspect of Awakened Mind (Buddha) is integrated into nurse training. We then explore how this unique holistic education is integrated into the lives and practices of nurses and their workplaces. While recognizing that empirical proofs remain elusive, this paper is also informed by our own reflective practice and individual experience with the Medicine Buddha in affirming a healing heuristic in our own lived experiences. To wit, we can see value in the pivotal role of Medicine Buddha in the Bhutanese health system, and, more broadly, the health of Bhutanese society.