The Buddha is the Greatest Psychiatrist

From Buddhist Encyclopedia

• From a chapter in the book - The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived by Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero

Doctos are of two kinds - those who treat the body, and those who treat the mind. Illnesses, too, are two-fold - illnesses of the body and mental illneses. The Buddha stated thus:

"O Monks, illnesses are of two kinds; They are illnesses of the boday and mental illnesses. There are those wholive for one year, two years, three years, four years, five years, ten - twenty years, thirty, forty years, fifty years and, in some instances, even hendred years, without being afflicted by physical illnesses. But it is difficult to find those who are free of mental illnesses, even for one moment. The only exception are the Arahants (the Holy Ones).

Dissanti bikkhave satta kayikena rogena ekampi vassam arogyam patijanamana, dvepi vassasani arogyam patijanamana ......vassa satampi arogyam patijanamana - te bhikkhave satta dullabha lokasmim ye cetasikena rogena muhuttampi arogoyam patijanati, annatva khinasaveti.

(Anguttara Nikaya - Chatukka nipata - Roga sutta)

Of the two kinds of doctors referred to above, the Buddha is a psychiatrist - a doctor of the mind. There has never been a greater doctor than the Buddha, to cure mental illness. The Buddha, who eradicated all the mental illnesses in his mind, next cured hundreds of thousands of people who had the same kind of mental illness.

The Buddha has seen all worldings as mad (Ummattaka viyahi sabbe putujjana dissanti.) Many, thoughphysically well, are mentally ill. The Buddha recognized quite clearly those blemishes in the himan mind, diagnosed the cause of those quite effectively, and administered the fitting therapies. That explains why he told Brahmin names Sela:

" O Brahmin, I am the Supremely Enlightened One. And I am the greatest surgeon," ( " Soham Brahmana Sambuddho, sallakatho anuttaro."

The Buddha's surgery is to pull out the stakes and spikes that are there in the minds of men. On another occasion, he addressed the Bhikkhus this way:

O Monks, there is no medicine as effective as the dedicine of Dhamma. Please drink the." ("Dhammosadha samam natthi - etam pibata Bhikkhavo.")

"O Monks, doctors administer laxatives to cure illnesses that have arisen due to the bile, due to the phlegm, and due to the wind, O Monks, Itoo administer noble medicines. Due to that medicine, beings who are given to being born become free of birth. Beings, who are given to decay and old age. They become free of death. Those beings who prone to sorrowing, weeping, wailing, privation and unhappiness, become free of these.

(Anguttara Nikaya - Dasama Nipita Sanna vagga)

"O Monks, doctors administer emetics for illnesses caused by bile, phlegm and wind, and make the patients vomit. Monks, I too administer Aryan emetics. Due to these, beings who suffer from birth, decay old age, death, sorrow, wailing, suffering unhappiness and weeping become free those."

Tikicchaka bhikkhave vamanam dentipitta semba samutthanampi abadhanam patighataya. Aham ceve kho bhikkhave Ariyam vamane dessami.

(Anguttara Nikaya - Dasama Nipita Sanna vagga)

Earlier, it was pointed out that the Buddha was presented as a surgeon who pulled stakes and spikes out of the minds of men. It was also said that he cured such illnesses as birth, decay, old age, death sorrowing, wailing, unhappiness and suffering through laxatives and emetics.