Abstract
The medical approaches have paved the way transformation via the introduction of other aspects and elements into the biological aspects of the health care. However, the health models emphasize on the psychological, social, and the spiritual features of the healing process. There are different faiths that subscribe to the different beliefs about the process of healing, and they are involved in different activities in order to ensure healing. Further, prayer is the common spiritual practice in most of the faiths or religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, and Sikhism. In this paper, the Baha’i and Buddhism faith on the healing perspective is described and they are compared to the Christianity. Furthermore, significant issues about which the givers of health care are expected to be familiar in order to provide the respect and the maximum care to the patients belonging to different faiths has also been discussed in detail.
The diversity in the faith and the religion is becoming increasingly apparent in the facilities of the health care today in the 21st century. It is the duty of the health care providers to show the acceptance for the diversity in the expressions of the faith. For doing this, it is necessary that sufficient information is gathered about different religions, so that the health care providers become aware of dealing with people in the hospital setting. The analysis of different faiths is also essential as it helps in the demonstration of the healing processes and establishing trustworthy relationships among the patients and the health care providers.
There is a Baha’i faith in the Buddhism and Sikhism is common. The Baha’i faith describes about the critical components of the healing such as mediation, prayer, and belief etc (Smith, 2008). This faith can be encountered by the providers of the health care today. The worship in Baha’i faith comprise of the mediation and the prayer, participation in the devotional congregation, and the vigorous services to the communities. The Baha’i faith indicates that the healing comes from the God. For the followers of the Baha’i faith there are two methods for healing the sickness, the first method is by the treatment of the physician, and the second is the prayer that is offered by the spiritual members to the God, and turning to him. The crucial components of the healing comprise of the extensive mediation and prayer for the sick by the friends and family (Hartz, 2009).
The medical treatment is also supported in the Baha’i faith, and it is not an issue in this faith. People are encouraged for accepting the physical remedies with a belief that they have also come from the favor and the mercy of the God. When the patient is cared for by the health care providers, it is essential that people of this faith are allowed to have the symbols such as picture of Abu’l-Baha, a nine pointed star, and prayer book. In order to avoid the gender issues, the Baha’i majority prefer to have the doctor of same-sex for ensuring the privacy. If Baha’i is compared with the Christianity, then it becomes clear that the views of both the religions are same in the perspective of provision of the health care.
Both the religions believe that the God comprise of the ultimate power of healing. Both the religions have the faith that mediation and prayer play a significant role in healing. However, unlike Christians, the Baha’is, however, do not have faith in the miraculous healing by the individual, they just believe on God for the protection as well as for care. So, it is evident that the Baha’i faith necessitates some exceptional considerations for the health care providers.
Furthermore, Buddhism is another religion that is associated with the health care. Buddhism is a path of the practice and the spiritual development, which paves the way to the insight into the factual reality of nature (Robert, 2009). The Buddhism faith, however, does not believe in the miracle cures; rather it employs the methods in order to deal with the emotional elements that go together with the pain and also play their role to increase it. The Buddhists believe that the spiritual and the physical sickness originate from mind, and it can be eliminated from the mind through the excessive mediation. The mediation is the focal aspect of the Buddhism, and is a crucial element of healing.
The Buddhists prefer the herbal remedies, they are not against the medical care but they prefer herbal cures over the antibiotics, and other medical prescriptions (Clifford, 1994). Buddhists prioritize in alleviating the pain of the patient by requesting the priest to visit the patient and pray for the patient. There are many similarities between the Buddhism and the Christian beliefs in order to provide the heath care. Both the religions have emphasized on the religious practices in order to attain the healing. Both the religions believe on the mediation and prayer as the major components of the healing. But, Buddhists, put much emphasis on the mediation as compared to the Christians, and they do not consider that the mind is a source of all the illnesses, rather they emphasize on the rituals that are connected with healing. So, it is necessary for the providers of the health care to have the knowledge of the beliefs, traditions and customs about the healing that are prevailing in the Buddhism.
In a nutshell, there are several aspects of healing that should be considered by the health care providers while confronting with the religions such as Buddhism, and Baha’ism. This paper has helped me to learn many new things and faiths of Buddhism, and Baha’ism, and it has also helped me to learn about the ways in which patients of different religion can be treated. This information has also equipped me in order to provide the quality care to all the patients regardless of their ethnicity, race, and the religion, and to adopt an unbiased attitude towards the patients.
References
Clifford, Terry. (1994). Tibetan Buddhist Medicine and Psychiatry: The Diamond Healing. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, New Delhi
Hartz, Paula. (2009). Baha'i Faith. Infobase Publishing, New York
Smith, Peter. (2008). An Introduction to the Baha'i Faith. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Robert, Donovan. (2009). The Gospel for Buddhists and the Dharma for Christians. Wipf and Stock Publishers,Eugene
