Buddha Teaches Us How to Care for the Sick: Five Practices for Tending to the Sick

Being ill is arduous, yet caring for the sick is no easy task either.

What kind of care do the sick require? What should a caregiver do to put the patient at ease and facilitate a speedy recovery? The Buddha was not only skilled at caring for ailing monks but also provided clear guidelines for caregivers—as recorded in the 9th Sutra of the “Chapter 32 on the Gathering of Good” (善聚品), Volume 24 of the Ekottarika Āgama (增壹阿含經), also known as the "Five Practices for Tending to the Sick." Let us explore the Buddha's teachings on this matter:

First, a caregiver should avoid five things that hinder a patient's recovery. What are they? 1. Inability to distinguish effective medicine; 2. Succumbing to laziness or sloth and failing to proactively care for the patient; 3. Frequently harboring anger or resentment while also being overly attached to sleep; 4. Caring for the patient out of a desire for personal gain, such as food provided to the patient; and 5. Failing to offer comforting words, share the Dharma, or engage in conversation with the patient.

Have we, perhaps unknowingly, committed any of these five errors mentioned by the Buddha?

Regarding the first point: if a caregiver disregards medical instructions or administers medication without understanding its properties, the consequences are predictable. Second, after a long period of caregiving, a caregiver might become lazy or perfunctory, not considering how to make their patients more comfortable. Third, caring for the sick is mentally and physically draining; caregivers may feel impatient or even resentful, and often crave extra sleep. Fourth, some caregivers undertake the role solely to share in the better-quality meals intended for the patient's recuperation. Fifth, they may fail to offer gentle, comforting words or share the Dharma, or—worse still—refrain from interacting or conversing with the patient altogether.

In contrast, a conscientious caregiver should fulfill the following five duties: First, the ability to identify a competent physician. Second, proactive care—rising before the patient and resting only after the patient has settled into sleep. Third, a willingness to converse with the patient while not indulging in sleep. Fourth, offer the Dharma to the patient and remain unattached to the food being served. And, finally, expound the Dharma to the patient and offer comforting words. In this way, the patient receives good care physically and psychologically, thereby facilitating a speedy recovery.

The next time we have the opportunity to serve as caregivers, let us not forget the Buddha’s "Five Practices for Tending to the Sick." By acting as competent caregivers, we wish the patient a swift recovery. (Editorial Office)


Related articles: 

Finding Health and Peace in Illness

Wisdom in Illness

Buddha Teaches Us How to Care for the Sick: Five Practices for Tending to the Sick

Unconstrained by illness, the mind remains at ease

Receiving Karmic Results, Fulfilling Vows, and Vowing Anew

Illness: Guiding the Direction of Your Life


Resource: Issue 481 of Humanity Magazine, Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation
Photo: Venerable Chang Duo (常鐸法師)
Translation: James
Editing: Keith Brown, Patricia Yang