PRESCRIPTION FOR MENTAL HEALTH-VIPASSANA

MEDITATION

BY Dr Sandhya K.Shetty

B.H.M.S,P.G.D.H.A,DIP. IN YOGA

Remembering The Teachers

Ven Ledi Sayadaw

Saya Thetgyi

Sayagyi U Ba Khin

S.N. Goenka

Are modern day medical community and buddhas definition of healthy mind the same?

How to develop a healthy mind? Is buddhas presciption of vipassana meditation really effective?

Our conclusion by agreeing to/against the prescription of buddha

Arguments of the day

World health organisation(WHO) defines

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Mental health is "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community".

DEFINITION OF HEALTH

A state characterized by anatomic, physiologic and psychological integrity, ability to perform personally valued family, work and community roles; ability to deal with physical, biologic, psychological and social stress; a feeling of well-being, and freedom from the risk of disease and untimely death.

DEFINTION OF HEALTH

Medilexicon's medical dictionary, wellness is "A philosophy of life and personal hygiene that views health as not merely the absence of illness but the full realization of one's physical and mental potential, as achieved through positive attitudes, fitness training, a diet low in fat and high in fiber, and the avoidance of unhealthful practices (smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, overeating)".

Definition of wellness

According to the Mickinley Health Center, University of Illinois, wellness "is a state of optimal well-being that is oriented toward maximizing an individual's potential. This is a life-long process of moving towards enhancing your physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental well-being."

Definition of wellness

FROM ABOVE DEFINITIONS:- SUFFERING IS NOT HEALTH DISEASE IS NOT HEALTH GRIEF IS NOT HEALTH LOW MENTAL POTENTIAL IS NOT HEALTH POOR EMOTIONAL ADJUSTMENTS IS NOT HEALTH

POOR SOCIAL ADJUSTMENTS IS NOT HEALTH

WHAT’S NOT HEALTH?-as per WHO

Mind free from Rāga,(craving)dosa,( illwill)Moha(delusion/ignorance) Is A pure/healthy/wholesome mind

Which in turn is fit for nibbāna

BUDDHA’S DEFINITION OF HEALTH

dukkhaṃ ariyasaccaṃ. Jātipi dukkhā, jarāpi dukkhā, byādhipi dukkho, maraṇampi dukkhaṃ, appiyehi sampayogo dukkho, piyehi vippayogo dukkho, yampicchaṃ na labhati tampi dukkhaṃ. Saṃkhittena, pañcupādānakkhandhā [pañcupādānakhandhāpi (ka)] dukkhā.

BUDDHA’S PERCEPTION OF ROOT OF DISEASE

FROM ABOVE DEFINITIONS SUFFERING IS NOT HEALTH DISEASE IS NOT HEALTH GRIEF IS NOT HEALTH SOCIAL MALADJUSTMENTS IS NOT HEALTH STRESS IS NOT HEALTH AVERSION/CRAVING IS NOT HEALTH DELUSION/IGNORANCE IS NOT HEALTH

WHAT’S NOT HEALTH?-as per BUDDHA

Comparison

WHO/MEDICAL WORLD BUDDHA

Mental health is "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community".

Pure/healthy mind is

Wholesome/kusala and with upekkha,which in turn is stress free,compassionate,

And always contributes to community health

So it can be safely concluded that the medical circle of today and buddha talked of a

healthy mind with being free from stress,positive ,strong and contributes towards self and societal development

With this conclusion ,we now come to the question of how do we develop this healthy mind

Conclusions

have you seen any patient saying after taking the treatment I am not only cured of my disease but also have obtained nibbāna/got liberated?

NO

Limitations of medical science

What is generally accepted in TEACHINGS OF BUDDHA is that effects arise from causation.

From his very first discourse onwards, the Buddha explains the reality of things in terms of cause and effect.

The existence of misery and suffering in any given individual is due to the presence of causes

SCIENTIST BUDDHAS SOLUTION FOR HEALTHPaṬICCHASAMUPPĀDA/LAW OF DEPENDENT ORIGINATION

‘‘avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā, saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṃ, viññāṇapaccayā nāmarūpaṃ, nāmarūpapaccayā saḷāyatanaṃ, saḷāyatanapaccayā phasso, phassapaccayā vedanā, vedanāpaccayā taṇhā, taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṃ, upādānapaccayā bhavo, bhavapaccayā jāti, jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṃ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti – evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

PaṬICCHASAMUPPĀDA/LAW OF DEPENDENT ORIGINATION-ROOT CAUSE

‘‘Avijjāyatveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho, saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho, viññāṇanirodhā nāmarūpanirodho, nāmarūpanirodhā saḷāyatananirodho, saḷāyatananirodhā phassanirodho,

phassanirodhā vedanānirodho, vedanānirodhā taṇhānirodho, taṇhānirodhā upādānanirodho, upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho, bhavanirodhā jātinirodho, jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇaṃ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā nirujjhanti – evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī’’ti.

PaṬICCHASAMUPPĀDA/LAW OF DEPENDENT ORIGINATION-REMEDY

Samyutta Nikaya-a collection of10 discourses (SN 27, Kilesa-saṃyutta) - any association of "desire-passion" (chanda-rāgo) with the body or mind is a "defilement of mind" (cittasse'so upakkileso):

Khuddaka Nikaya's Niddesa, kilesa-synonymous with craving (taṇhā) and lust (rāga)

 Abhidhamma Pitaka's Dhammasangani (Dhs. 1229ff.) and Vibhanga (Vbh. XII) as well as in the post-canonical Visuddhimagga (Vsm. XXII 49, 65) enumerate ten defilements (dasa kilesa-vatthūni) 

Visuddhimagga (Vsm. XXII, 88), in the context of the four noble persons (ariya-puggala, the text refers to a precursor to the attainment of nibbana as being the complete eradication of "the defilements that are the root of the round" (vaṭṭa-mūla-kilesā)

Buddhas discourses of mental health root identification

Buddha ‘s discovery for health

Analysis Of Mind

Suffering

Pure mind/healthy mind/

Deliverance

Greed

Delusion

Hatred

VIPASSANA MEDITATION

Suffering originates from avijjā/ignorance

and for coming out of it,one has to break the cycle of cause and effect at sensation level i.e

VedanāHere is where buddha prescribes

meditation(anāpāna and vipassana meditation)

Whats the prescription given by buddha?

Is prescription of vipassana

meditationgiven by buddha Really effective

In Mental health ?

Million dollar question?

People who experienced immense mental health and more from buddha’s dhamma and vipassana meditation

Murderer angulimāla Grief stricken/insane paṭācārā Egoistic bhāradvāja clan brahmin brothers

King ajatasattu And many many more who not only had excellent mental health but progressed to nibbāṇa

Answers found in tipitaka

In the kalāma sutta,buddha asked people not

To believe scriptures blindly

MĀ PITAKENA SAMPADETHA

NOT TO BELIEVE WITHOUT EXPERIENTIAL TRUTH.

teaching and insight given by any teacher should be tested By own experience before it can be accepted as the truth.

What are the proofs for the same?

a theory should be tested in several ways before it can be accepted by the scientific community.

Real insight, or right view (SAMMA DiṬṬHI), has the capacity to liberate, and to bring peace and happiness.

The findings of science are also insight; they can be applied in technology, but can be applied also to our daily behavior to improve the quality of our life and happiness

ACCEPTANCE

neuro imaging with ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM(EEG),

REGIONAL CERETRL BLOOD FLOW(Rcbf), MAGNETOENCEPHALOGRAPHY(MEG) AND MRI has contributed towards understanding of the positive impact of vipassana meditation on brain

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE OF VIPASSANA MEDITATION

ANTERIOR CINGULATE CORTEX HIGHLIGHTED DURING MEDITATION

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE OF VIPASSANA MEDITATION

prefrontal lobe concerned with HIGHER COGNITION CAPACITY OF JUDGEMENT INTUITIVE MEMORY AND COMPLEX TASKS,INCLUDING TACTFULNESS WITH RATIONAL EVOLVED BEHAVIOUR

WITH SOCIAL ETIQUETTE

showed well development in meditators resulting in better cognition and compassion

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE OF VIPASSANA MEDITATION

Brain regions associated with attention, interoception and sensory processing were thicker in meditation participants than matched controls, including the prefrontal cortex and right anterior insula

Between-group differences in prefrontal cortical thickness were most pronounced in older participants, suggesting that meditation might offset age-related cortical thinning.

Finally, the thickness of two regions correlated with meditation experience. These data provide the first structural evidence for experience-dependent cortical plasticity associated with meditation practice.

Fmri(functional MRI) have shown heightened activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, frontal cortex, and prefrontal cortex, specifically in the dorsal medial prefrontal area during Vipassana meditation,suggesting impact on mood and emotion

EFFECTS OF MEDITATION

Neurobiology and chemistry

Stress affected putthujana Vipassana meditator

Stress affects sympathetic nervous system

responsible for increased heart rate,respiration ,etc

helps parasympathetic nervous system

Affects metabolic,Endocrinal,Psychological level

EEG shows combination of alpha and theta waves which is responsible for insight,creativity and healing.

EVEN IN A BEGINNER ,SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES SEEN IN BRAINWAVE

  

Dr Andrew newberg of philadelphia IN JAN 2011 showed by SPECT study of brain that higher meditative states are result of blocking all sensory and cognitive input into parietal lobe of the brain resulting in SENSE OF NO SPACE AND NO TIME

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE OF VIPASSANA MEDITATION

Practicing meditation routinely has 3 immediate consequences:

increased discipline, regularization of one’s lifestyle, and increased commitment to one’s own self care.

Meditation is a practice of psychological weightlifting.

By conditioning the habit of psychological self care, meditation promotes the many positive consequences

EFFECTS OF MEDITATION

Sila practising calms the mind and leads to Samādhi and helps in vipassana meditationAnd thus brings wholesome,healthy mind

YES!Buddha’s prescription works!!

SN 35.204, Kimsuka Sutta: compares samatha and vipassana to a swift pair of messengers who enter the citadel of the body via the noble eightfold path and present their accurate report — Unbinding, or nibbana — to the consciousness acting as the citadel's commander.

(AN 10.71), Akankha Sutta, to put an end to mental defilement — in addition to perfecting the principles of moral behavior and cultivating seclusion — be committed to samatha and endowed with vipassana.

same discourse-advice to anyone who wants to master the jhanas: be committed to samatha and endowed with vipassana.

Vipassana meditation in tipitaka

(AN 4.170). Yuganaddha Sutta- three ways in which samatha and vipassana can work together to lead to the knowledge of Awakening: either samatha precedes vipassana, vipassana precedes samatha, or they develop in tandem

The wording suggests an image of two oxen pulling a cart: one is placed before the other or they are yoked side-by-side.

Samadhi Sutta: Concentration (Tranquillity and Insight). A.N.494

Mahasalanayika sutta,M.N-149 M.N.-73 Vijja-bhagiya Sutta: A Share in Clear Knowing,a.n-2.30

Vipassana meditation in tipitaka

Chaṭṭa sang āyāna tipitaka,4.0,VRI. Stedmans medical dictionary,Edition: Twenty-Eighth,ISBN/ISSN:

9780781761925 Kabat-Zinn, Jon; Lipworth L, Burney R. (1985). "The clinical use of

mindfulness meditation for the self-regulation of chronic pain". Journal of Behavioral Medicine 8 (2): 163–190. doi:10.1007/BF00845519.PMID 3897551.

Abhidhammattha Sangaha of Bhadanta Anuruddhàcariya Edited In The Original Pàli Text With English Translation And Explanatory Notes By Nàrada Mahà Thera, Fifth Edition ,buddhist Missionary Society,ISBN 967–9920–42–9 (1987)

Mindfulness in plain english, Venerable H. Gunaratana Mahathera ,1990 Tiger Team Buddhist Information Network (510) 268-0102 * BodhiNet (72:1000/658)

 "Maha-salayatanika Sutta: The Great Six Sense-media Discourse" (MN 149), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 30 November 2013, 

"One Tool Among Many: The Place of Vipassana in Buddhist Practice", by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 8 March 2011

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The path of purification-visuddhimagga-buddhaghosa-translated by nyanamoli,buddhist publication society,ISBN-978-935-24-0023-6

"Differential engagement of anterior cingulate and adjacent medial frontal cortex in adept meditators and non-meditators". Neuroscience Letters 421: 16–21, Holzel BK, Ott U, Hempel H, Hackl A, Wolf K, Stark R, Vaitl D (2007).

 Ma SH, Teasdale JD (2004). "Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression: Replication and exploration of differential relapse prevention effects". Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 72: 31–40

Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness.BLazar SW1, Kerr CE, Moore CI, Fischl .PMID: 16272874, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16272874

Review Meditation states and traits: EEG, ERP, Psychol Bull. 2006 Mar; 132(2):180-211.and neuroimaging studies.Cahn BR, Polich J

Kimsuka Sutta: The Riddle Tree" (SN 35.204), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 30 November 2013

BIBLIOGRAPHY

questions if any?

thank you

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