Both religious and secular ethics to achieve both happiness and health: Panel data results based on a dynamic theoretical model

This paper evaluates the direct and indirect impacts (and their interactions) of individual and social ethics from (primary, secondary, tertiary) education and religion (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism) on health and happiness in alternative religious contexts (majority and minority religions) and for alternative education policies (gross enrolment and per-student expenditure). It also specifies the time lag for the short-run indirect impact (and its size) of happiness on health and the long-run equilibria of both happiness and health. The statistical results show that there is no religious or secular ethics with beneficial impacts on both happiness and health at both the individual and social levels. Next, education policies have similar impacts on both happiness and health in all religious contexts, while most religious ethics have larger beneficial impacts on health and happiness if coupled with social and individual education policies, respectively. Combined statistical and analytical results show that the largest short-run indirect impact of happiness on health occurs after 4 years, where 1 out of 10 points of happiness produces approximately 3 additional years of healthy life expectancy at birth. Next, the long-run equilibria of both happiness and health are globally stable and are achieved after 8 years through oscillation dynamics.

Mongolian philosophical underpinnings of well-being: Mythology, shamanism and Mongolian Buddhism (before the development of modern nursing)

Mongolian philosophical underpinnings of well-being were expressed in the form of mythology, shamanism and Mongolian Buddhism before the development of modern nursing in Mongolia. Among these forms, the philosophical underpinnings of well-being, mythology and shamanism were formed as a result of the roots of Mongolian philosophy, whereas Buddhism spread relatively late. As a result of Mongolian mythology, an alternative approach called dom zasal was formed, and it remains one of the important foundations of the idea of well-being among people. Among the various concepts of shamanism, the concept of sunesu best expresses the underpinning of well-being, and the idea that healing and nursing care can be provided not only by those living in this world but also by spirit beings. Since Mongolians still use these ideas even in modern times, it should be noted that following them too narrowly may conflict with concepts based on scientific evidence. Along with the development of Buddhist philosophy in Mongolia, the Oriental philosophical underpinnings of well-being have spread. One of the most important concepts is the five basic elements of life (tavan mahabhutas) and three elements of the body (khii, shar and badgan). While developing the concepts of life and the body, the arga-bileg model (yin-yang in Chinese), developed at the theoretical level in Chinese philosophy, has become a popular basis for culture and customs among Mongolians. Therefore, it has been difficult to judge whether the origin of the arga-bileg model is Mongolian or Chinese; however, this is undeniably an important underpinning for well-being in both countries.

Becoming Buddhists: The emergence of a prestigious temple

How does a novel organizational prototype come about and succeed to the point where it becomes recognized as an icon? To address this question, this article examines the organizational emergence of a prestigious temple. Drawing on interviews and content analysis of 6320 blog entries between 2006 and 2018, we identify how an organized way of practicing Buddhism emerged in China and trace its founding monks to students from two elite universities. We argue that organizational emergence-in this case the rise of a prestigious temple and what it stands for-was manifested by identity claims of "who we are" to audiences. Declaring "who we are not" prior to establishing this temple, the founding monks subsequently claimed their organizational identity in three distinct stages: who we are in this temple, who we are as a temple, and who we are as Buddhism. As these identity claims were recognized by the audiences, a novel Buddhist organization emerged. This article contributes to an organizational perspective of religious study and provides a focused case with sufficient temporary variations to explore how identity claims facilitate organizational emergence. It has important implications for understanding incremental yet fundamental institutional changes, as it provides a template of organized religion that nurtures social skills for self-organizing. More broadly, these insights contribute toward developing a vibrant civil society.

The Therapist as a Collaborative Pianist

In this article we seek to examine what we might learn about the therapist/psychoanalyst's function as selfobject by examining the relationship between the "vocal persona" and the "instrumental persona" in the art song. The comparison was born out of our own life partnership as a therapist, currently studying in a psychoanalytic-Buddhist training program that stresses the presence of the therapist/psychoanalyst as selfobject; and a collaborative pianist who instructs and performs with singers onstage. The concept of selfobject has offered a compelling and fruitful analogy. We explain and demonstrate this analogy using the terms selfobject and instrumental persona, which have in common the willingness to suspend selfhood in order to stand by another- a patient or a vocal persona- so that the latter might take root and flourish.

Study of medication use and effects of medication among hospitalized older Buddhist monks: An embedded mixed-method study

AIM

The aim was to study medication use, effects of medication and perspective of participants involved in medication use among hospitalized older Buddhist monks.

DESIGN

An embedded mixed-method study.

METHODS

This study included 71 hospitalized older Buddhist monks and 23 participants involved in medication use. Quantitative data were collected from medical and medication records. Meanwhile, qualitative data were collected by using in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The study lasted from February to July 2021.

RESULTS

Over 77% of the monks had chronic diseases. The median of medicine use was seven medicines/person and 6 days of use. Effects of the medication were as expected (52.04%), not as expected (2.22%) and unmeasurable results (45.74%). Unexpected results were hypo-hyperglycaemia, nausea/vomiting, high blood pressure and confusion. From the interview, participants perceived and did not perceive unique practices and medication use in Buddhist monks. In addition, the Buddhist monks received medication following standards and Buddhist doctrine. Finally, recommendations for medication use were adhering to the standard, following Buddhist doctrine and being flexible as deemed necessary.

CONCLUSION

The results revealed medication use problems and medication effects among hospitalized older Buddhist monks.

IMPACT

Older adults and Buddhist monks have specific needs and practices related to culture and religion, affecting typical treatment, especially medication use. Cultural diversity and sensitivity should be a concern for healthcare staff. The results can be utilized to promote an understanding of cultural diversity and increase the safety of medication administration for hospitalized older Buddhist monks.

PATIENT AND PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Patient and public contributions were involved in this study. Participants involved in medication use were interviewed to answer the research objective. Moreover, a senior Buddhist monk at Wat Thai Washington D.C. reviewed content related to the Pali Canon for the final draft of the manuscript.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

https://osf.io/b6p3e.

Allergic Contact Dermatitis Associated With Religious Practices: Review of the Literature

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) may occur secondary to devotional practices in various religions. A systematic review of PubMed was conducted from inception of database to September 9, 2022. Key terms were "contact dermatitis" or "devotional dermatosis" in association with major world religions including "Christianity," "Islam," "Hinduism," "Buddhism," "Sikhism," and "Judaism." Inclusion criteria were determined by presence of a religious practice and associated ACD. Articles referencing other cutaneous reactions such as chemical leukoderma were excluded. In total, 36 of 102 unique articles identified met inclusion criteria. Twenty-two articles referenced Hinduism, 8 referenced Judaism, 5 referenced Islam, 3 referenced Christianity, and 1 article each mentioned Buddhism and Sikhism. Four articles referenced multiple religions. Para-phenylenediamine was the most common contact allergen overall and is found in blackening ingredients mixed with henna for temporary tattoos. Henna tattooing is a cultural practice associated with Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. Nine unique contact allergens associated with religious practices were identified. Increasing awareness of religious practices that cause ACD will facilitate culturally competent dermatological care.

The roles and impacts of worldviews in the context of meditation-related challenges

Previous research has shown that worldviews can serve as a coping response to periods of difficulty or struggle, and worldviews can also change on account of difficulty. This paper investigates the impacts worldviews have on the nature and trajectory of meditation-related challenges, as well as how worldviews change or are impacted by such challenges. The context of meditation-related challenges provided by data from the Varieties of Contemplative Experience research project offers a unique insight into the dynamics between worldviews and meditation. Buddhist meditation practitioners and meditation experts interviewed for the study report how, for some, worldviews can serve as a risk factor impacting the onset and trajectory of meditation-related challenges, while, for others, worldviews (e.g., being given a worldview, applying a worldview, or changing a worldview) were reported as a remedy for mitigating challenging experiences and/or their associated distress. Buddhist meditation practitioners and teachers in the contemporary West are also situated in a cultural context in which religious and scientific worldviews and explanatory frameworks are dually available. Furthermore, the context of "Buddhist modernism" has also promoted a unique configuration in which the theory and practice of Buddhism is presented as being closely compatible with science. We identify and discuss the various impacts that religious and scientific worldviews have on meditation practitioners and meditation teachers who navigate periods of challenge associated with the practice.

Person-Centered Mindfulness: A Culturally and Spiritually Sensitive Approach to Clinical Practice

Mindfulness meditation is rapidly being integrated into many different forms of counseling and psychotherapy, and there is a growing evidence base for its effectiveness. It is important to understand the spiritual roots of mindfulness, and to apply it in a patient-centered manner, sensitive to the patient's own faith tradition rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, assuming that mindfulness-based practice is a purely secular approach. The philosophical underpinning of mindfulness lies squarely in the Buddhist faith tradition. Indeed, mindfulness is the 7th step on the Eightfold Path, which is the heart of Buddhist teachings. Many practitioners, however, may not realize that there are Western meditative techniques that are very similar to mindfulness and that have deep roots within Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faith traditions. Patient-centered mindfulness involves the use of mindfulness and other meditation methods that are based on the patient's own faith tradition, rather than applying Eastern forms of mindfulness claiming these are a secular approach appropriate for everyone regardless of religious beliefs, even if those beliefs are not consistent with the Buddhist religious or philosophical approach. In this article, I briefly examine the evidence for the clinical effectiveness of mindfulness meditation, and then go into greater depth on Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim forms of mindfulness or similar meditative practices, providing resources that will better equip clinicians and researchers to provide patient-centered culturally-sensitive care.

The role of mindfulness, meditation, and peer support in recovery capital among Recovery Dharma members

INTRODUCTION

Recovery Dharma (RD) is a Buddhist-based peer support program for the treatment of addiction that incorporates mindfulness and meditation into meetings, program literature, and the recovery process, creating the opportunity to study these variables in a peer-support program context. Mindfulness and meditation are beneficial for people in recovery, yet we know little about their relationship to recovery capital, a positive indicator of recovery outcomes. We explored mindfulness and meditation (average length of sessions and average frequency per week) as predictors of recovery capital and examined perceived support in relation to recovery capital.

METHODS

The study recruited participants (N = 209) through the RD website, newsletter and social media pages for an online survey that included measures of recovery capital, mindfulness, perceived support, and questions about meditation practices (e.g., frequency, duration). Participants' mean age was 46.68 years (SD = 12.21), with 45 % female (5.7 % non-binary), and 26.8 % from the LGBTQ2S+ community. The mean time in recovery was 7.45 years (SD = 10.37). The study fitted univariate and multivariate linear regression models to determine significant predictors of recovery capital.

RESULTS

As anticipated, multivariate linear regressions indicated that mindfulness (β = 0.31, p < .001), meditation frequency (β = 0.26, p < .001), and perceived support from RD (β = 0.50, p < .001) were all significant predictors of recovery capital when controlling for age and spirituality. However, longer time in recovery and the average duration of meditation sessions did not predict recovery capital as anticipated.

CONCLUSIONS

Results indicate the importance of a regular meditation practice for recovery capital rather than engaging in prolonged sessions infrequently. The results also support previous findings, which point to the influence of mindfulness and meditation on positive outcomes for people in recovery. Further, peer support is associated with higher recovery capital in RD members. This study is the first examination of the relationship between mindfulness, meditation, peer support, and recovery capital in recovering people. The findings lay the groundwork for the continued exploration of these variables as they relate to positive outcomes both within the RD program and in other recovery pathways.

Buddhism

After Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism, Buddhism is the 4th major religion of the world. The Pew Research Center estimates that as of 2020, about 500 million people (or 6.6% of the world's population) practice Buddhism. China has the largest Buddhist population at 254 million, followed by Thailand at 66 million, and then Myanmar and Japan at about 41 million.

Moderating role of observing the five precepts of Buddhism on neuroticism, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms

PURPOSE

Evidence has shown that the Five precepts significantly affect the relationship between attachment and resilience; however, little is known whether observing the Five Precepts would help reduce depressive symptoms among those who experience risks. The aim of this study was to examine the moderating role of the Five Precepts in the mediation model relationship among neuroticism, perceived stress, and depression.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study employed a cross-sectional survey design and data were collected from the end of 2019 to September 2022 in Thailand. In all, 644 general participants completed questionnaires on the Neuroticism Inventory (NI), the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Depression Subscale, and the Five-Precept Subscale of the Inner Strength-based Inventory (SBI-PP). Mediation and moderation analyses with 5000 bootstrapping methods were used.

RESULTS

Among all, 74.2% were female, and the mean age totalled 28.28 years (SD = 10.6). SBI-PP was shown to have a moderation effect on the relationship between NI, PSS and depressive symptoms. The moderating effect between SBI-PP and PSS was significant, whereas SBI-PP and NI was not. The index of moderated mediation from the Five Precepts was significant (b = -0.019 (95%CI -0.029, -0.009)). The moderated mediation model increased the percent variance explaining depressive symptoms to 47.6%, compared with 32.6% from the mediation model alone.

CONCLUSION

Observing the Five Precepts offers evidence that it buffers the effect of perceived stress on depression. People with high levels of observing the Five Precepts are less likely to develop depressive symptoms. Implications as well as possible future research are discussed.

Meaning of death among care workers of geriatric institutions in a death-avoidant culture: Qualitative descriptive analyses of in-depth interviews by Buddhist priests

OBJECTIVE

Care workers' views of clients' death have not been explored in Japan because of a cultural tendency to avoid talking openly about death. However, given the arising problems in end-of-life care settings, such as abuse and burnout, understanding care workers' views regarding death is essential for designing effective interventions. We had two main research questions: Do care workers in Japan have their own ideas about death after working in the landscape of dying and death? Do these ideas influence care workers' professional lives?

METHODS

We recruited interviewees based on a quantitative survey of care workers at 10 geriatric institutions in Tokyo. Among the 323 respondents, 23 survey respondents were willing to participate in an interview. After the scheduling process, nine individuals were able to participate in an in-depth interview. To overwhelm cultural avoidance regarding death that prevents care workers from talking openly about death, Buddhist priests conducted interviews in the current study. Physicians and researchers assisted the interviews. Because this was exploratory studies in which little is known about the topic in question, we adapted a qualitative descriptive approach.

FINDINGS

Thematic analysis revealed that: 1) care workers had clear views about conditions of clients' good death after working in the field of dying and death; 2) care workers were motivated by past experiences of being close to dying themselves; and 3) care workers regarded their care for the dying as an experience that enriched their lives. In addition, the results revealed that the concept of spiritual care in Japan is still its infancy among care workers because of its vague definition.

CONCLUSIONS

Care workers were willing to work for dying people with their view of death, and regarded their jobs as important opportunities for personal growth through caring for the dying.

Playing God? Religious Perspectives on Manipulating the Genome

The Human Genome Project (HGP) is a remarkable medical science breakthrough that enables the understanding of genetics and the intervention of human health. An individual's health is influenced by physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and religious factors. Among these, religious beliefs shape our thinking on cloning, stem cells, and gene editing, affecting healthcare decisions and the motivation for seeking treatment. Is the human genome sacred? Does editing it violate the idea that we're made in God's image or allow us to "play God"? Understanding the perspectives behind the fundamental religious doctrines of Islam, Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist on gene editing/therapy in somatic and germline cells would ensure a right balance between geneticists and theologians in providing the best healthcare while catering to individual beliefs.

Does Religion Matter to Employment Protection? Evidence from Chinese Private Firms

The upper echelons theory states that organizational engagements may replicate the experiences, personalities and values of dominant players within a firm. Based on this theory, this study examines the effect of religion (Buddhism and Taoism) on employment protection in an emerging market (China). Using data collected from Chinese private firms in 2010, the empirical results show that employment protection is positively associated with religion, indicating that religion plays a positive role in improving employment protection. Moreover, the relationship between religion and employment protection is more prominent in regions with stronger formal institutions. According to the restricted data resources and the few studies in the context of China, this study presents a new proof of the relationship between religion and employment protection.

[Fracture images in temple murals for sacrificial activities in the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Shanxi]

A great number of 'fracture images' in murals remain in some temples in Shanxi province, describing Buddhist rituals for sacrificial activities in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Some 'fracture images', such as 'splint fixation method' and 'suspension fixation method', were found in Puguang Temple, Yunlin Temple and Yong'an Temple. These murals with 'fracture images' demonstrated characteristics of secularisation and realistic style, as vivid portrayals of surgical medicine in the Ming Dynasty. For instance, one of the pictures in Puguang Temple clearly described the shape of orthopedic splints at that time. The depictions in 'fracture images' in temple murals were basically consistent with the records in ancient literature based on the investigation on fracture treatment in the history of traditional Chinese medicine. They provided visual materials for further study of orthopedic history.

[The art of healing and spirituality, the point of view of a Buddhist doctor]

The spiritual path proposed by Buddhism is based on foundations to be integrated and put into practice. This path and the meditation that integrates it opens up capacities for the caregiver and beneficial effects from a therapeutic point of view for the patient.

Rules We Live by: How Religious Beliefs Relate to Compliance with Precautionary Measures Against COVID-19 in Tibetan Buddhists

The present studies investigated how particular religious beliefs shape compliance with preventive measures in adherents of Gelug and Nyingma schools of Tibetan Buddhism. In Study 1, Gelug and Nyingma monks were asked to report their compliance with various infection prevention measures surrounding COVID-19. Results showed that the former group showed higher compliance with public health guidelines than the latter. Extending beyond self-report measures, Study 2 added a behavioral outcome measure and observed the same effect. Together, our results provide the first empirical evidence that various Tibetan Buddhist traditions are related to different degrees of compliance with precautionary measures against COVID-19.

Theravada Buddhism and Roman Catholicism on the Moral Permissibility of Palliative Sedation: A Blurred Demarcation Line

Although Theravada Buddhism and Roman Catholicism agree on the moral justification for palliative sedation, they differ on the premises underlying the justification. While Catholicism justifies palliative sedation on the ground of the Principle of Double Effect, Buddhism does so on the basis of the Third Noble Truth. Despite their theological differences, Buddhism and Catholicism both value the moral significance of the physician's intent to reduce suffering and both respect the sanctity of life. This blurs the demarcation line between Buddhism and Catholicism regarding the moral justification of palliative sedation.

Assessment of the Perceived Importance of Religion in Couple Relationships in Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and the Nonreligious

Couple relationship standards (beliefs about what makes for a satisfying couple relationship) have not included standards held about religion, which is surprising given how important religion is in many parts of the world. In the current study, we developed the Importance of Religion in Couple Relationships Scale (IRCRS) with the aim of having a scale suitable for use across different cultural and religious groups. The IRCRS was administered to three samples: 354 Pakistani residents (178 females, 176 males) who identified as Muslim; 274 Thai residents (157 females, 117 males) who identified as Buddhist; and 165 Westerners (resident in Australia or the United States, 60 males, 105 females) who identified as either not religious (n = 74) or Christian (n = 91). We developed a 13-item measure with a two level structure yielding an overall importance of religion score. The items in the IRCRS had acceptable cross-cultural structural invariance in a multi-group confirmatory factor analysis of the Pakistani Muslims, Thai Buddhists, and Westerners. Pakistani Muslims endorsed IRCRS standards most strongly, Western Christians next most strongly, Thai Buddhists next, and Westerners with no religion least strongly. There were no gender differences, and only very small differences by relationship status. The IRCRS can be used in future research to investigate the association of religious relationship standards with couple relationship satisfaction and might be a useful clinical tool to assess the importance of religion to couples.

Views and experiences of compassion in Sri Lankan students: An exploratory qualitative study

Practicing compassion has shown to reduce distress and increase emotional well-being in clinical and non-clinical populations. The existing research is primarily focused on Western populations although the concepts of compassion are heavily influenced by Asian Buddhist views. There is a dearth of compassion research conducted particularly in the Asian context. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the views and lived experiences of compassion in Sri Lankan students, to understand whether compassion is a socially embraced construct in Sri Lanka, considering that Sri Lanka is a Buddhist influenced society. Participants' views and lived experiences of compassion towards themselves and to/from others were also investigated, with a specific focus on their perceived inhibitors and facilitators of compassion. Aims were set to identify whether Western compassion-based practices could be successfully applied to Asian societies such as Sri Lanka. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach was used to obtain and analyse qualitative data from a convenience sample of 10 Sri Lankan students, recruited from a Psychology course. The phenomenological analysis of the semi-structured face-to-face interviews elicited three predominant themes: What compassion means to me, what I make of it, and compassion through facilitators and inhibitors. The findings suggested that participants shared a similar understanding of the concept of compassion as reflected in the Western definitions. Experiences and views of compassion were shaped by several factors including religion, culture, society, and upbringing. In general, this study revealed that participants were well aware of the concept of compassion as well as its impact on their psychological well-being. Despite this, inhibitors existed in experiencing compassion. The religious and collectivistic-cultural influences need to be further explored and taken into account when implementing Western compassion-based practices to non-Western contexts such as Sri Lanka.

[Buddhist Medicine at Putuo Mountain since the late Qing Dynasty]

The Putuo Mountain, as one of the four famous Buddhist mountains in China, has a long history with Buddhist medicine. Buddhist medicine at Putuo Mountain was developed extensively in the late Qing Dynasty and was shaped with a variety of characteristics resulting in some great achievements. Hua Yu Tang, as a Chinese medicine clinic, was established by the Fa Yu Temple at the end of the Qing Dynasty. After that, Yi De Ji was written by Xin Chan, a Buddhist physician. Some medical hospitals, such as Pu Ji Hospital, and drug stores were also opened to serve people, and commonly did charity when there were epidemic or natural hazard outbreaks.Buddhist medicine was almost bogged down after the establishment of the New China. It has been well developed, however, since the 80s last century, through processes such as the operation of hospitals funded by Buddhist Associations and helping people in trouble in epidemic and natural hazard.The review of the Buddhist medicine at Putuo Mountain is meaningful to understand the significance of Buddhist medicine and also helpful to inherit traditional cultures.

Suicide Across Buddhism, American Indian-Alaskan Native, and African Traditional Religions, Atheism and Agnosticism: An Updated Systematic Review

Religion can exert a powerful influence on human behavior, including suicide. Research has demonstrated that religiosity can potentially serve as a protective factor against suicidal behavior, but may also, at times, serve as a risk factor. In clinical practice with individuals managing suicidality, a clear understanding of the influence of religion on suicidality is required to effectively assess for risk of suicide. In the 10 years since the article, 'Religion and suicide: Buddhism, American Indian/Alaskan Native (AIAN) and African religions, Atheism, and Agnosticism' (Lizardi and Gearing, J Relig Health 49:377-384, 2010), there has been a significant increase in research advancing our understanding of the nature of this relationship across faiths and beliefs. Consequently, this article provides an expanded and updated review of the research in the 10 years since our original publication examining the relationship between suicide and religion across Buddhism, AIAN, African religions, as well as atheism, agnosticism. The databases PsycINFO, MEDLINE, SocINDEX, and CINAHL databases were searched for published articles on religion and suicide over the last decade, between 2009 and 2019. Epidemiological data on suicidality across these world religions, and attitudes and beliefs toward suicide are presented. Updated recommended practice guidelines for effectively incorporating religiosity into suicide risk assessment and treatment are provided, and areas of future research are identified.

Religiosity and Suicide: A Large-Scale International and Individual Analysis Considering the Effects of Different Religious Beliefs

In a cohort of 82,898 participants from 60 countries, this study examined attitudes towards suicide among five religions (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and other non-specific religions), while simultaneously considering two different dimensions of religiosity: subjective religiosity and religious practices. At the national level, religiosity was an important negative predictor variable for suicide rates and an important positive predictor variable for negative attitudes towards suicide. At the individual level, however, attitudes towards suicide were found to vary significantly across the different religions. The findings emphasize the importance of considering religion perspectives and religiosity, along with its practices and subjective dimensions, in prevention and attention programmes to suicidal behaviour.

The Effect of Religious Dietary Cultures on Food Nitrogen and Phosphorus Footprints: A Case Study of India

The excessive consumption of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), two vital nutrients for living organisms, is associated with negative environmental and health impacts. While food production contributes to a large amount of N and P loss to the environment, very little N and P is consumed as food. Food habits are affected by multiple regulations, including the dietary restrictions and dictates of various religions. In this study, religion-sensitive N-Calculator and P-Calculator approaches were used to determine the impact of religious dietary culture on the food N and P footprints of India in the major religious communities. Using 2013 data, the food N footprint of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Buddhists was 10.70, 11.45, 11.47, and 7.39 kg-N capita-1 year-1 (10.82 kg-N capita-1 year-1 was the national average), and the food P footprint was 1.46, 1.58, 1.04. and 1.58 kg-P capita-1 year-1 (1.48 kg-P capita-1 year-1 was the national average). The findings highlight the impact of individual choice on the N and P food footprints, and the importance of encouraging the followers of religion to follow a diet consistent with the food culture of that religion. The results of this study are a clear indication of the requirement for religion-sensitive analyses in the collecting of data pertinent to a particular country for use in making government policies designed to improve the recycling of food waste and the treatment of wastewater.

The Patterns and Characteristics of Esoteric Buddhist Therapies during Goryeo Dynasty

This study focused its investigation on esoteric Buddhist treatment methods during Goryeo. In Goryeo, they published dharani scriptures related to illness. Beomseo-chongji-jip, a collection of dharanis, contains few dharanis for treatment. The publication of a dharani scripture was a precondition of dharani-based Buddhist prayers. There had been cases of treating illness through Buddhist prayers based on a dharani since ancient times, and Hyetong of Samgukyusa is a good example. The religious sect of esoteric Buddhism that inherited the line of Hyetong in Goryeo was Chongji-jong, which seems to have been partially responsible for royal medicine and engaged in relief activities for people to end an infectious disease. During the period of Yuan's interventions, Yeom Seung-ik became a favorite of the king for his ability of treating illness through his spells. He was not a Buddhist monk, and his case reflects the wide spread of disease-treating spells among common people those days. The establishment of a ritual was one of the traditional therapies. In Goryeo, various esoteric Buddhist rituals were held for therapeutic purposes. Marijicheon-doryang, Gongjakwang-doryang, and Buljeongsim-doryang were established to expel infectious diseases, and Sojae-doryang and Boseong-doryang were established to treat the illness of kings and queens. They were intended to treat illness by eliminating the causes of epidemics and diseases by the virtue of dharanis. Esoteric Buddhist therapies containing Taoist elements were also developed. The utilization of Eight-Gate Transformation and talismans are the exampels. In early Joseon, Buddhist monks of Chongji-jong were said to have contributed to the treatment of diseases by using Eight-Gate Transformation. They were used to predict a good direction for the treatment of a patient. This practice of Chongji-jong Buddhist monks in early Joseon seems to have inherited the heritage of Goryeo, which suggests that Eight-Gate Transformation was one of the therapies practiced by esoteric Buddhist monks in Goryeo. Talismans are commonly known to be used in Taoism and shamanism, but Buddhist scriptures, especially esoteric Buddhist scriptures, contain a variety of talismans. Buljeongsim-darani-gyeong has talismans on its last page and records that one can treat his or her illness by burning the talisman and taking its ash. This therapy proposed by this scripture seems to have enjoyed considerable popularity in Goryeo, when its simplified versions comprised only of dharani phrases and talismans were made. These various esoteric Buddhist therapies demonstrate that human beings made utmost efforts to overcome their personal and social crises. Therapies are a total reflection of a society's contemporary politics, religion, ideas, and culture. Esoteric Buddhist therapies may seem like superstitions in the eyes of modern people, but they must have been reliable treatment methods whose efficacy was guaranteed within the thinking system of people during Goryeo.

Mindfulness and the 'psychological imagination'

We analyse the rise of 'mindfulness' in English language media discourses and contextualise it in terms of its expression of a persistent underlying 'psychological imagination' in contemporary thinking about social problems. An inversion of C. Wright Mills' much-cited sociological imagination, the psychological imagination draws on medical-scientific authority to treat social problems as private concerns rooted in individual biology, mentality and behaviour. We analyse the roles which academic claims-making, commercial interests and mass mediatisation have played in the rise of mindfulness from the late 1970s onwards. We first map the translation of mindfulness from Buddhist philosophy into Western psychotherapy and popular psychology before considering its emergence and expression in the public sphere of news media claims-making. We argue that where the sociological imagination 'promised' above all the treatment of private troubles as public issues and insights into the 'human variety' produced by myriad ways of living, the psychological imagination promises the isolation of public issues as private concerns rooted in individual biology, mentality and behaviour. The psychological imagination permeates the expression of mindfulness as a solution to social ills and symbolises the comparative decline of assumptions implicit in Mills' 20th century rousing call to social scientists.

Medicine Buddha: A Transdual Self-model Meditation to Support Healthcare Practitioners

There is increasing awareness of the deleterious effect of the current work demands on a wide range of health professionals and of the benefits of contemplative understandings and practices in modern, secular settings, and healthcare environments. Here, we examine the theory and practice of a traditional Buddhist practice, Medicine Buddha, within a framework of transduality as a way to illuminate and empower core mechanisms of healing to support healthcare practitioners in both self-care and patient care. By fostering appreciation of innate health and connection to others, this practice can support compassion, inspiration, resilience, and joy in life.

The Sacred Power of Beauty: Examining the Perceptual Effect of Buddhist Symbols on Happiness and Life Satisfaction in China

The theoretical relationship between Buddhism and subjective well-being has gained much academic attention in recent decades. However, the prominent determinants of religiosity remain limited for researchers to understand a holistic picture of religion-informed subjective well-being, particularly in the context of Buddhism. This study has applied a quantitative survey to verify the impact of the aesthetic effects of the Buddhist gesture symbol on Chinese people’s subjective happiness through sequential mediators of life satisfaction and the perceived religiosity. The significance of this study is threefold. Firstly, it aims to enrich the current academic understanding of the religion-informed subjective well-being by introducing a new determinant of the Buddhist symbols. Secondly, the current study investigates the mechanism of how Buddhist symbols could influence happiness by analyzing the sequential mediating roles of religiosity and life satisfaction. Thirdly, this study empirically examines the topic in the context of China to confirm and underpin the theoretical relationship between Buddhism and subjective well-being in relevant research, which has previously focused on Western culture. Our results indicated that the aesthetic perception of the Buddhist gesture symbol positively influenced perceived happiness and life satisfaction. In addition, perceived religiosity and life satisfaction sequentially mediated the perceived happiness after seeing the Buddhist gesture symbol. Our findings contribute to the current academic understanding of religious symbols and their impacts on subjective well-being.

Religious Perfectionism Scale Among Believers of Multiple Faiths in China: Development and Psychometric Analysis

In China, many people are converting to various world religions. Nonetheless, religious adherence for them, as with many people, can still function as a double-edged sword with regards to mental health. In particular, religious perfection can become either a healthy commitment or a rigid outlook that leads to distress. Thus, we developed the Religious Perfectionism Scale (RPS) from Chinese religious believers. In the first phase (N = 171), we collected qualitative data through an open-question survey from different religious groups (i.e., Buddhism, Protestantism, and Islam). Then, we developed an item pool based on themes that emerged from these qualitative data. In the second phase, participants (N = 1055) were randomly split into two subsamples. Exploratory factor analyses were performed on the first subsample (N = 519) to select the scale items. The nine-item RPS subsequently includes two dimensions-Zealous Religious Dedication and Religious Self-Criticism. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were performed on the second subsample (N = 536) to cross-validate the factor structure. Results indicate that the internal consistency reliability for the RPS subscale scores was all adequate. Furthermore, the construct validity of the RPS was supported through its correlations with measures of perfectionism perceived to have come from God (or a higher power), psychological indicators, and a personality variable (i.e., discipline) in expected directions. Results of the psychometric evaluations of this newly developed scale suggest that the RPS is a promising measure in that it can facilitate future research that leads to a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of religious perfectionism on psychological well-being.

Equivalent Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Mahayana Buddhists Practicing Vegetarian Diets

The equivalent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) by Mahayana Buddhists with vegetarian diets is quantitatively evaluated. The Buddhists in seven Mahayana-dominated countries or regions, i.e., China, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, are studied. Assessments of the vegetarian population among these Mahayana-dominated countries or regions are performed. Correlation formulas based on data from a national survey are developed to quantify the GHGEs of various dietary groups by using the meat consumption as the only required input. To demonstrate its reliability, the prediction from the formulas developed is first compared with the results of a food production-and-consumption study using a different approach. Then, the formulas are used to assess the GHGE reduction due to Mahayana Buddhists with vegetarian diets. The assessment indicates that Mahayana Buddhists with vegetarian diets account for the equivalent GHGE reduction of 48.83 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is a huge amount and is equal to 11.3 or 8.9% of the GHGEs from France or the UK in 2012, respectively.

The Neglected Role of Buddhism in the Development of Medicine in Late Imperial China Viewed through the Life and Work of Yu Chang (1585-1664)

Despite significant revisions over recent decades, the field of medicine in late imperial China continues to be defined by a number of problematic boundaries such as that between medicine and religion. In this article I challenge the validity of this boundary through a detailed examination of the life and work of the hugely influential seventeenth-century physician Yu Chang (1585-1664), whose openly Buddhist critique of literati medicine has hitherto largely escaped the attention of medical historians. I argue that Yu Chang's case, read against the more widespread revival of Buddhism at the time, the important historical role of literati-Buddhist networks, and evidence of many other late imperial physicians' interest in Buddhism, was not exceptional. A wider reevaluation of Buddhism's role in the development of medicine in late imperial China as well as its historical neglect is therefore called for.

Barriers to cervical cancer screening and acceptability of HPV self-testing: a cross-sectional comparison between ethnic groups in Southern Thailand

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer rates are higher in low-resourced countries than high, partly due to lower rates of screening. Incidence in Thailand is nearly three times higher than in the USA (16.2 vs 6.5 age-standardised incidence), even with Thailand's universal health coverage, which includes screening, suggesting that alternative methods are needed to reduce the burden. We investigated barriers to screening, as well as acceptability of self-collection human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as a primary form of cervical cancer screening among Buddhist and Muslim communities in Southern Thailand.

METHODS

267 women from the Buddhist district of Ranot and Muslim district of Na Thawi, Songkhla were recruited to complete a survey assessing knowledge and risk factors of HPV and cervical cancer. Participants were offered an HPV self-collection test with a follow-up survey assessing acceptability. Samples were processed at Prince of Songkhla University and results were returned to participants.

RESULTS

267 women participated in the study (132 Buddhist, 135 Muslim), 264 (99%) self-collecting. 98% reported comfort and ease, and 70% preferred it to doctor-facilitated cytology. The main predictor of prior screening was religion (92% Buddhist vs 73% Muslim reporting prior Pap). After adjustment with multivariate logistic models, Muslim women had an OR of prior Pap of 0.30 compared with Buddhist (95% CI: 0.12 to 0.66).

CONCLUSIONS

Self-collection HPV testing was highly acceptable across religious groups, suggesting that it could be beneficial for cervical cancer reduction in this region. Focus should be put into educating women from all backgrounds about the importance of screening to further improve screening rates among Thai women.

Characterization and prediction of acute and sustained response to psychedelic psilocybin in a mindfulness group retreat

Meditation and psychedelics have played key roles in humankind's search for self-transcendence and personal change. However, neither their possible synergistic effects, nor related state and trait predictors have been experimentally studied. To elucidate these issues, we administered double-blind the model psychedelic drug psilocybin (315 μg/kg PO) or placebo to meditators (n = 39) during a 5-day mindfulness group retreat. Psilocybin increased meditation depth and incidence of positively experienced self-dissolution along the perception-hallucination continuum, without concomitant anxiety. Openness, optimism, and emotional reappraisal were predictors of the acute response. Compared with placebo, psilocybin enhanced post-intervention mindfulness and produced larger positive changes in psychosocial functioning at a 4-month follow-up, which were corroborated by external ratings, and associated with magnitude of acute self-dissolution experience. Meditation seems to enhance psilocybin's positive effects while counteracting possible dysphoric responses. These findings highlight the interactions between non-pharmacological and pharmacological factors, and the role of emotion/attention regulation in shaping the experiential quality of psychedelic states, as well as the experience of selflessness as a modulator of behavior and attitudes. A better comprehension of mechanisms underlying most beneficial psychedelic experiences may guide therapeutic interventions across numerous mental conditions in the form of psychedelic-assisted applications.

Confluence of Western Psychotherapy and Religious Teachings in Mental Healthcare of an Asian Buddhist Community: Sri Lanka

Buddha lived 2600 years ago in Northern India, and his teachings were established in Sri Lanka in the third-century BC. In the nineteenth century, the British established the modern mental health services in Sri Lanka. This article aimed to highlight the association between Western psychotherapeutic techniques with Buddhist teachings and the relevance of this confluence to the mental health care in the country. Many schools of Western psychotherapy employ principles which are also described in Buddhist philosophy. Understanding this connection helps to deliver a culturally acceptable and relevant mental health care to the Sri Lankan population.

Equanimity: The somatization of a moral sentiment from the eighteenth to late twentieth century

Over the past 40 years, mindfulness-based therapies (MBTs) have gained a reputation among the biomedical community for their ability to contribute to health, mental capital, and human flourishing. Recently, however, critical mindfulness scholars have questioned the moral import of MBTs, claiming that, in modernizing meditation, they strip Buddhist practices of their ethical and soteriological content. Inspired by Harrington and Dunne's (2015, p. 630) recent call to historicize this present discontent, I offer an account for this perceived "de-ethicization" of mindfulness, locating it in a long history of changes in the ontological infrastructures supporting moral reasoning from the eighteenth century onwards. Through the example of equanimity-a virtue that has been a part of Western and Eastern character ethics and theories of flourishing from the ancient period to the modern age-I show how, from the eighteenth century, research in the natural sciences on nervous diseases, stress, and relaxation, provided a frame for rethinking moral equanimity as a somatic experience of physiological calm. This transformation reaches its peak in the late twentieth century in research on mindfulness, which builds upon that tradition by folding into its ambit Eastern conceptions of equanimity as well. Insofar as modern MBTs continue to somatize moral virtues, I argue that they raise questions about the degree to which they are conducive to human flourishing and well-being, as opposed to the related but narrower notions of health and mental capital.

Green Worship: The Effects of Devotional and Behavioral Factors on Adopting Electronic Incense Products in Religious Practices

The Buddhist tradition of incense burning has been practiced in many Asian countries. Prior studies have indicated that frequent exposure to incense smoke is linked to carcinogen-related health issues. However, widespread acceptance of health-friendly electronic incense and rituals remains limited. Based on theories of religious perceptions and health behavior, the present study aims to identify the factors which influence the acceptance of electronic incense burning in religious practices. A between-subjects (105 Buddhist participants) experiment was designed to compare the effects of different incense burners on religiosity, worship intention, perceived self-efficacy, health-promotion intention, and its underlying mechanism. Our results imply that Buddhists tend to show similar religiosity and worship intention in three different scenarios, namely, the usage of a traditional incense burner, an electronic incense burner, and an electronic burner attached with a doctrine reminder. Buddhists also tend to have a higher perceived self-efficacy and higher health-promotion intention when exposed to electronic incense scenarios (either with or without the attached doctrine reminder). The perceived self-efficacy was found to mediate the effect of the incense burning on health-promotion intention. Important implications for public policies are also discussed.

Saiga horn user characteristics, motivations, and purchasing behaviour in Singapore

Unsustainable wildlife trade is a pervasive issue affecting wildlife globally. To address this issue, a plethora of demand reduction efforts have been carried out. These necessitate consumer research which provides crucial knowledge for designing and evaluating targeted interventions. We implemented a rigorous consumer survey on saiga (Saiga tatarica) horn use in Singapore, where usage is legal and widely sold. Saiga are Critically Endangered antelopes from Central Asia with horns (often marketed as ling yang) used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Few past studies have assessed saiga horn consumers. This work is the most extensive consumer research to date specifically characterising saiga horn consumers and usage. We conducted 2294 in-person surveys on saiga horn use with Chinese Singaporeans, employing neutral questioning approaches. We found 19% of individuals reported saiga horn as a product they choose most often for themselves and/or others when treating fever and/or heatiness (a TCM state of illness), indicating a minimum estimate of high-frequency usage, not including possible low-frequency users. Overall saiga users were most characterised as middle-aged Buddhists and Taoists. However, saiga users were found in a range of demographic groups. Women preferred saiga shavings (the more traditional form), while men preferred saiga cooling water (the more modern form). About 53% of individuals who used saiga horn themselves also bought it for someone else. Buyers for others were most likely to be female middle-aged Buddhists or Taoists. Key motivating reasons for usage were "it works" and "someone recommended it to me." The top two reported recommenders were family and TCM shopkeepers. Saiga users were more likely than non-saiga users to perceive saiga as a common species in the wild. This research holds significance for interventions targeting saiga horn consumption within Singapore and throughout Asia, by identifying potential target audiences, product types, non-desirable alternatives, and motivations for use.

Dharmic Religions and Health: A Holistic Analysis of Global Health Literature Related to Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism

Bibliometrics and scientometrics are popular and novel disciplines providing information in publication trends in a certain academic field. Although there has been an increasing popularity in bibliometric studies, a limited number of reports have been published in religion and health literature. In this study, to the best of our knowledge we aimed to perform a first bibliometric analysis in the health literature related to Dharmic religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. We found a total of 655 health articles related to Dharmic religions as we searched Web of Science databases. The United States of America (USA) ranked first in Health and Hinduism literature with 62 documents followed by India, the UK and Bangladesh (n = 40, 33 and 6, respectively). A detailed keyword analysis revealed that the most used keywords in the field of Hinduism and health were "Hinduism," "religion," "spirituality" and "Islam." The USA was also the leading county in the literature of Buddhism and Health with 159 articles (32.78%) and followed by Thailand, the UK and China (10.72, 6.8 and 6.39%, respectively). The Journal of Religion and Health was noted to be the most prolific source in this field. We found that the developing countries such as India, Thailand, Singapore and Taiwan were found to be included in the most productive countries list on the contrary to previous bibliometric studies in health and religion field.

Impact of Buddhist Lent Dry Campaign on alcohol consumption behaviour: A community level study

"Buddhist Lent Dry Campaign" is an alcohol-control programme that uses religious opportunities to promote behavioural changes among the Thai population. It is undertaken at the national and community levels. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of the community-level intervention under the campaign on alcohol consumption behaviour. A prospective cohort study was conducted. The sample comprised 447 drinkers from four intervention communities and 388 from four non-intervention communities. All were subjected to a series of sequential interviews. Our findings showed that the availability of the community intervention had a significant effect on alcohol abstinence not only during Buddhist Lent (OR = 2.74, 95% CI = 1.96, 3.85), but also 3 months after the end of Buddhist Lent (OR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.42, 3.38). Furthermore, the intervention was very effective among drinkers who took an abstinence pledge (OR = 7.04, 95% CI = 4.49, 11.04). However, the effectiveness of the community intervention weakened after the intervention it ended. Additional interventions might be required to maintain the effects of the community intervention.

Enhancing Human Cognition Through Vajrayana Practices

Phenomenological studies suggest the existence of enhanced cognitive states, termed flow or peak experiences, in which specific cognitive processes (e.g., attention, perception) can be dramatically increased for limited durations. Here we review new scientific evidence that shows that specific types of meditation that developed out of certain religious traditions such as Vajrayana (Tantric Buddhism) and Hindu Tantra lead to the enhanced cognitive states, characterized by heightened sympathetic activation and phasic alertness (a significant temporary boost in focused attention). This is in contrast to the meditation practices (Shamatha, Vipassana) from other traditions such as Theravada and Mahayana that elicit heightened parasympathetic activity and tonic alertness. Such findings validate Buddhist scriptural descriptions of heightened arousal during Vajrayana practices and a calm and alert state of mind during Theravada and Mahayana types of meditation. The finding demonstrates the existence of enhanced cognitive states-the unique and energized states of consciousness characterized by a dramatic boost in focused attention.

Unbalanced Flows in the Subtle Body: Tibetan Understandings of Psychiatric Illness and How to Deal With It

Much of what Western medicine classifies as psychiatric illness is understood by Tibetan thought as associated with imbalance of rlung (wind, breath). Rlung has a dual origin in Indian thought, combining elements from Ayurvedic medicine and Tantric Buddhism. Tibetan theories of rlung seem to correspond in significant ways with Western concepts of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and Western medicine too has associated psychiatric issues with ANS problems. But what is involved in relating Tibetan ideas of rlung to Western ideas of the emotions and the ANS? The article presents elements of the two systems and then explores similarities and differences between them. It asks whether the similarities could be the basis for a productive encounter between Tibetan and Western modes of understanding and treating psychiatric illness. What could Western psychiatry learn from Tibetan approaches in this area?

'I Do Not Exist': Pathologies of Self Among Western Buddhists

This paper presents a clinical case involving a patient suffering 'depersonalisation' who had a psychotic episode at a Buddhist retreat. Recent writing on possible psychological risks of meditation has discussed problems of depersonalisation associated with misunderstandings of the Buddhist conception of non-self (anātman) and emptiness (śūnyatā). Drawing on the work of Winnicott and Bion, this article helps us to realise some of what is at stake in the failure to achieve and maintain an effective sense of self. What does Buddhist talk of non-self really mean? What conditions enable a creatively engaged and meaningful relational life, a sense of aliveness, human flourishing and a capacity for alterity?

Insight and the no-self in deep brain stimulation

Ethical analyses of the effects of neural interventions commonly focus on changes to personality and behavior, interpreting these changes in terms of authenticity and identity. These phenomena have led to debate among ethicists about the meaning of these terms for ethical analysis of such interventions. While these theoretical approaches have different criteria for ethical significance, they agree that patients' reports are concerning because a sense of self is valuable. In this paper, I question this assumption. I propose that the Buddhist theory of no-self offers a novel approach to making ethical sense of patients' claims following deep brain stimulation. This alternative approach is based on the value of insight into patterns of cause and effect among mental states and actions.

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of a Religious Conversion

Religious conversion is an important phenomenon in contemporary religious climate, but existing psychology research work is mostly based on quantitative methods. In an attempt to contribute to this field, the present study proposes a qualitative exploration of religious conversion. The in-depth interview of a French woman is examined in order to investigate her experience of religious conversion, 40 years prior. The interview was analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, with the purpose of revealing how the participant experienced the process of religious conversion, what was its impact on her life, identity and personality and how she coped with this impact. The four emerging themes were: conflicted relationship with Judaism, the pursuit of a spiritual quest, changes after conversion and life after conversion. These themes painted the image of a powerful spiritual transformation, a profound and dynamic lifelong process, integrating concepts and practices, life changes and developments. The findings are explained with the help of available literature.

Key Tenets of Classical Buddhist Dharma Leave Space for the Practice of Abortion and are Upheld by Contemporary Japanese Buddhist Mizuko Kuyo Remembrance Rituals

Core Buddhist principles of continuity, karmic assignment, and emphasis on separation of mind from body, permit, though do not expressly advocate for, the practice of abortion. Further, in certain contemporary contexts, Buddhist practices exist to mitigate the suffering experienced by women who have lost an unborn child, whether through abortion or miscarriage. In modern-day Japan for example, many Buddhists practice mizuko kuyō, a set of formal remembrance rituals, which provides structured support to families in their efforts to mourn, to remember the departed, and to celebrate the redirection of human potential. This contemporary practice is consistent with aforementioned tenets of early Buddhist thought. Although seemingly oxymoronic, the Buddhist view of abortion and the mizuko kuyō rituals are human-centric, not only for the families but also for the redirected. Other societies, cultures, and theological perspectives have and may further benefit from reframing any interpretation of abortion, not as an inherently moral or immoral act (i.e., a binary), but rather as an act overwhelmingly characterized by the complexity of human emotion in the face of unimaginable loss. This humanistic conceptualization of abortion is manifested by the modern Buddhist practice of mizuko kuyō.

A moderate Buddhist animal research ethics

Though there is a burgeoning interest in applied Buddhist ethics, Buddhist animal research ethics remains an underdeveloped area. In this paper I will explore how some central Buddhist ethical considerations can usefully engage our use of other animals (henceforth, animals) in science. As the scientific use of animals is broad, I will narrow my focus to laboratory science. I will show that, though a Buddhist abolitionism would not be unmotivated, it is possible to reject it. While doing so, it will be important to resist emphasizing elements of Buddhist thought that merely provide reasons to adopt the dominant ethical framework governing laboratory animal research ethics, known as the 3Rs. Though I will suggest how a Buddhist animal research ethics can sometimes permit the use of animals in harmful research, it will also require ethical constraints that resonate with some of the more progressive elements in 'Western' bioethics.

"His body is human, but he has a tiracchāna heart": An ethnographic study of the epigenesis of child abuse in Cambodia

In Cambodia, more than half of all children experience physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. This article examines how Cambodians view the causes and effects of child abuse and analyses its underlying cultural forces. Adopting a conceptual framework originally developed for the cultural context of violence against women, 110 cases of child abuse were ethnographically studied, comprising 61 cases of sexual abuse (50 girls and 11 boys), 26 cases of physical abuse (13 girls and 13 boys), and 23 cases of emotional abuse or neglect (13 girls and 10 boys). The perpetrators included fathers and other close relatives, lay Buddhist officiants and monks, and neighbors. Most informants viewed the sexual or physical abuse of children as stemming from "cultural attractors," including blighted endowment caused by deeds in a previous life, a bad character starting early in life, astrological vulnerability to abuse, preordained entanglement between the child and the abuser (they are "fated" to meet), sexual craving, "entering the road to ruin," and a moral blindness that portrays the abuser as blameless. Although these traits are similar to those identified in the explanations of violence against women, there were notable differences such as the role of the tiracchāna in explaining sexual abuse, including incest. Using these findings, this article identifies a cultural epigenesis of child sexual abuse, and provides a blueprint for developing a culturally responsive plan to prevent child abuse.

Age, sex, and the association of chronic kidney disease with all-cause mortality in Buddhist priests: An analysis of the standardized mortality ratio from the Korean Buddhist priests cohort

Buddhist priests lead a unique lifestyle, practicing asceticism, with a vegetarian diet. Such behavior may have an impact on clinical outcomes. Hence, we explored the mortality among Korean Buddhist priests as compared with the general population.This study is a single-center, retrospective study. Among the 3867 Buddhist priests who visited Dongguk University Gyeongju Hospital between January 2000 and February 2016, 3639 subjects were available for mortality data from Statistics Korea. Standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was computed for all causes of death and compared with the general population using national statistics in Korea. Information regarding end-stage renal disease (ESRD) was investigated from the Korean Society of Nephrology registry. Among the 3639 patients, the baseline laboratory results were obtained in 724 patients. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was defined as dipstick proteinuria ≥1 or an estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m.The mean age was 50.0 ± 12.5 years, and 51.0% were men. During the follow-up period for 31.1 ± 35.6 months, 55 (7.6%) patients died. During the follow-up period, 3 (0.4%) and 23 (3.2%) patients developed ESRD and urinary stone, respectively. The SMR for all causes of death was 0.76 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.57-0.99; men 0.91, 95% CI 0.65-1.23; women 0.52, 95% CI 0.28-0.87). Among 724 patients, 74 (10.2%) patients had CKD. The SMR for non-CKD patients (0.61, 95% CI 0.43-0.85) was significantly lower than the general population. Female and patients older than 50 years (0.74, 95% CI 0.55-0.98) had a significantly lower SMR. In the Cox proportional hazards model with adjustment, older age (adjusted HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.10-1.07) and presence of CKD (adjusted HR 2.55, 95% CI 1.07-6.06) were independently associated with increased all-cause mortality.Buddhist priests and especially Buddhist priests without CKD showed a significantly lower mortality compared with the general population.