CHAPTER 3

INSTRUCTION ON HEALTH MATTERS

3:1 The Importance of Health
Health is as important as economic prosperity, because an unhealthy person
cannot enjoy his economic prosperity to the fullest extent. His wealth will not prosper
any longer and his mental health will also deteriorate. Surely, he is deficient in holy as
well as secular merits due to his bad health. Nor can he do anything for the good of
present and future existences. He is hopeless in every respect. His education, economy,
and meritorious deeds are all abound to decline.
No matter how educated and wealthy he may be, an unhealthy person is not
entitled to his wealth and education. A healthy person can work and learn education. As
long as he is healthy, he can work his businesses, educational pursues, and religious
services.
n the Lokaniti, the importance of health is highlighted as follows!
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#$ive persons are declared to be %dead&, though still alive ' and these persons are
a poverty(stricken person, a diseased person, a fool, a person in debt and a king&s
servant.)
*he second person, namely a diseased person, is an unhealthy person who is
regarded to be %dead&, although he is still alive, just because he is deficient in every
benefit + economic, social and educational. *herefore, health is of paramount importance
to living beings. *he importance attached to health is described in the sayings as well,
one of which runs, %Aroja parama labha ,Health is a blessing-.&
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Health is important not only for the secular benefits but also for the holy benefits.
$or one who aspires for the /aths, the $ruitions and Nibbana, he has to fulfill the
padhaniyanga or %elements of efforts& which are the following five 0ualities!
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". faith ,in the 2uddha-,
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3okaniti 4"5"
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.. health,
1. sincerity,
5. energy, and
8. wisdom ,in seeing the phenomena of mind and matter-.
Since a person can aspire for the /aths and $ruitions only when he is healthy and
free of diseases, one can imagine the importance of health for human beings.
Naturally, valuable things are difficult to obtain in this world. Health is also
difficult to be possessed because it is a valuable thing. A person who is hundred percent
healthy is very rare. 9ith respect to this, the 2uddha pointed out, in the Kutthadhamma
Sutta, the ten things that are difficult to obtain but desirable.
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*hey are as follows!
". 9ealth
.. :ood looks
1. Health
5. ;irtue
8. :ood conduct
<. :ood friend
7. =nowledgeableness
>. 9isdom
?. 3awfulness
"@. Aelestial Abodes
*hese ten things are ones that people want, like and admire. Among them, good
health is desirable but difficult to obtain because it pleases people who cannot have a
good time without it.
3:2 Ca!e! for "oo# Health
Health is the most important thing for a long life. Health and longevity are closely
linked. No one will want the state of an unhealthy and diseased person. nstead, they want
to live healthy. *he causes for good health are described as follows!
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". *here is some relationship between health and breathing ,respiration or the
respiratory system-.
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.. *here is some relationship between health and the four postures ,i.e., walking,
standing, sitting and lying down-.
1. *here is some relationship between health and the weather ,heat and cold or room
temperature-.
5. *here is some relationship between health and the four main elements ,i.e.,
%earth&, %water&, %fire& and %wind&-.
8. *here is some relationship between health and food ,nutrition or digestive system
or metabolism-.
Bost living beings depend on respiration for life. Cither if one cannot breathe the
air in after he has breathed it out or if he cannot expire the breath he has inspired, he must
meet death or near(death. *hus, breathing is connected with life.
*he living beings need to balance their four postures of walking, standing, sitting
and lying down so that their health is in a good condition and they have a long life. f one
exceeds the limits of these postures, let&s say, he over(walks or over(stands, then his
healthy condition is disturbed and his life(span will shorten. *hus, the balance of the four
postures is re0uired for sound health.
*he weather conditions or the thermal conditions of a situation has effects upon
its inhabitants. So the weather condition needs to be favourable to the human beings!
either over(heat or over(cold can cause their death. *hus, the weather condition plays a
vital role in a person&s healthy life. Cither if one meets an unfavourable weather or if he
lives in an ecologically hostile region, then his health will be disturbed. Some people will
become severely diseased. *o show the importance of weather conditions to good health,
therefore, the 2uddha said referring to the inhabitants of the Kuru states!
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#*hanks to the fulfillment of favourable weather conditions and a good climate,
the inhabitants of the =uru states are always healthy, mentally as well as
physically.)
*his remark reminds us of the fact that the e0uilibrium of weather conditions or
seasons can bring good health to beings.
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$urthermore, the e0uilibrium state of the four elements, viD., %earth&, %water&,
%fire& and %wind&, is important for longevity. A person can live as long as his four
elements are in an e0uilibrium state. f one of them is disturbed, then the person&s health
will also be disturbed. *hus, longevity and good health are linked with the four elements.
Eust as the weather conditions are important for health, so food is important for
health. Cvery living being depends on food, that is, nutrition.
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9ithout food, no one can
live. 9ith malnutrition or depletion of nutritious food, one&s health will be disturbed.
n the Visuddhimagga ,the /ath of /urity- Aommentary,
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it is stated that!
#3ife remains only when food is partaken of in time. 6eath is near either when
food is not taken in time or when an unsuitable food is taken.)
3et alone for human beings, food is important for celestial beings, as well. t is
described in the Aanon that!
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#*he divine beings called %=hiddapadosika& are playful. As they indulge
themselves in games, they pass the time of food and meet death.)
*hus, it is necessary for us to take food timely. *his is a cause for good health and
longevity.
n spite of the importance of food for health, food should not be taken as far as
one&s relish goes. *he reasonable amount of food is only needed. Fnfavourable foods
must be avoided and only suitable foods must be eaten.
t is often said that food must be taken by ,suitable- measurement. *he following
Byanmar adages focus the importance of a suitable amount of food!
]xifwdkif;vnf; rqdkESifh? 0ifwdkif;vnf; rrsdKESifh} G6on&t
say as much as you thinkH don&t swallow as much as it enters ,your mouth-.I
]toufOmPfapmifh? OpmuHapmifh} G3ife is protected by
wisdomH wealth is protected by =amma ,or one&s accumulated merit-.I
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ndeed, %a suitable amount& is needed everywhere, more than the case for food.
2ut it is especially needed for food because one can die even with a morsel of unsuitable
food as in the saying ]tpm;rawmf wpfvkwf? tom;rawmf wpfvSrf;}
GA morsel can be dangerous of unsuitable foodH a step can be dangerous of an unsuitable
journey.I 9ith respect to this, the 2uddha said thus!
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#=nowing the correct amount of food without lingering attachment is good for
those who do not are prone to the misdeeds under the influence of %rasa(tanha&
,lust for taste-. And thus they are easily drowned in the four woeful states. n
contrast, those who know the correct amount gain benefits in this life and lives
hereafter.)
*he Visuddhimagga ,the /ath of /urity- Aommentary describes, as follows, the
five individuals who have to meet perils due to eating without measurement!
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". Some eat voraciously so much so that people have to help them to stand
up. Such gourmands are called %aharahatthaka ,eater who needs a
helping hand-.
.. Some eat voraciously so much so that they cannot wear their sarongs any
longer because their stomach is very full of food. Such gourmands are
called %alamsataka ,eater who cannot wear his sarong-.
1. Some eat voraciously so much so that they cannot stand nor remain still
and they fall at their eating spot. Such gourmands are called
%tattravattaka ,eater who falls at the very spot-.
5. Some eat voraciously so much so that the food they have eaten overflows
their mouth and crows can snatch this food. Such gourmands are called
%kakamasaka ,eater the food from whose mouth is taken by crows-.
8. Some eat voraciously so much so that the food cannot be contained in the
stomach and has to be vomited out. Such gourmands are called
%bhuttavamika ,eater who has to vomit out-.
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Such gourmands are those who do not know the correct measurement of food they
should take in. Such habits are harmful to health, and so one should avoid such a manner
of eating without measurements.
9ith regard to this, the Theragatha ,the /salms of the Clders- also states as
follows!
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#Stop eating when one is full, and in place of four or five morsels of food that
remain to be eaten, drink water. Such a habit is good for health and most suitable
for those diligent meditators who aspire for Nibbana.)
A suitable amount of food is more than food. t is also a medicine, because it is
helpful to good health. Aoncerning good health, the following causes for longevity are
also noteworthy!
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". doing the suitable things
.. knowing the ,proper- measurements in these suitable things
1. eating the easily digestible food
5. going only at suitable times
8. following the 2rahma practice, i.e., avoidance of sexual pleasures
Here, digestible food is of great help to health. *here are some occasions when
one happens to eat too hard, too oily, or too dry food which tastes nice to him. Jn these
occasions, food often turns to be a danger to health because it is indigestible. *hus, one
needs to eat soft, and mild food that is easily digestible.
*he advantageous and healthful effects of rice(gruel, which is a kind of digestible
food, are given as follows!
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". t wards off hunger. ,%Khuddam patihanati&-
.. t wards off thirst. ,%Pipatam patihanati&-
1. t regulates %wind&. ,%Vatam anulometi&-
5. t cleanses the urine. ,%Vatthim sodheti&-
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8. t digests the food that remains undigested in the stomach. ,%Amavasesam
paceti&-
*he discussions have made so far concern food that is helpful to health.