..續本文上一頁ow something that the doctors don”t

　　You will be meeting regularly to discuss the progress of Venerable Buddhadasa Bhikkhu”s condition and to decide on what treatment to give him. Since you have taken things into your own hands, the responsibility is now yours. Nonetheless, we the attending monks still have some duties to perform. One of the most important of these is to bear witness to the Venerable Ajarn”s teachings and wishes, which is what I have tried to do in this letter. It is our hope that they will not be ignored.

　　Because we try to follow Venerable Buddhadasa Bhikkhu”s example, we have had no intention to force you to do anything and hope you have not mistaken us in this respect. In your positions, you may wield worldly power, but we as monks must avoid it. We should seek only the power of Dhamma, of righteousness, of egolessness, to the best of our abilities. It is always possible that worldly power will willingly cooperate with Dhamma power and we sincerely hope that it will happen in this case.

　　Dr. Prawase Wasi implores doctors to treat the person, not the disease. Many of you have been his students; I hope you have taken his advice. This letter has been my attempt to help you understand the person you are treating. Venerable Buddhadasa Bhikkhu has dedicated his life to understanding, practicing, and disseminating Dhamma. To know him, you must know what he has lived for.

　　In fact, I am not so much concerned for Venerable Buddhadasa Bhikkhu or we the attending monks as I am for you the doctors and Thai society in general. I don”t want you to go so far in treating diseases, symptoms, and numbers that you fail to treat the person. You cannot know him from the body lying silent and still in the hospital bed with tubes going in and out. The numbers on the monitors cannot help you either. Maybe we who have lived with him many years can introduce him to you. The more you see the Dhamma, the more you will see him.

　　Please don”t overlook the ambivalence toward living longer which he expresses by saying, “Actually, one shouldn”t live longer than the Lord Buddha”. He is willing to live longer when it genuinely serves a Dhammic purpose, but has no interest in hanging on just so superstitious people can cling to his physical form. The quality of life necessary for him to feel useful requires the ability to speak without tiring too quickly, to have some independence, to not be totally dependent on nursing care, to be able to write, and to have the energy to think creatively about Dhamma.

　　You have shown great skill in preventing death, but do you really understand what you are preventing

　　 Death is a great mystery which each of us must honor. May you face it with courage and wisdom. May you come to understand when a person is ready to die and know how to let them do their final Duty. I believe that the highest merit for a doctor is to help a person die in peace and with mindfulness. If that person is able to realize Nibbāna thereby, the merit will be inestimable.

　　Finally, let me remind you that the views expressed here are merely the attempt of one person to convey some relevant aspects of Venerable Buddhadasa Bhikkhu”s teaching. While I may be better qualified than most to attempt this, my understanding of Dhamma is not perfect. Still, I am confident there are no serious mistakes in the principles discussed above. Anyway, it is your duty to examine the reasoning yourself and find out whether it accurately reflects the truth or not.

　　We have patiently listened to your theories and opinions, although we know that so-called medical science has its fair share of limitations. Its body of knowledge keeps changing and growing, which means that some of the things you have told us may be later discredited. Thus, I think it is only fair to invite you to listen to the perspectives of Buddha-Dhamma as taught by the Venerable Ajarn. Of course, my explanations also have their limitations. Still, they are as valid as yours. Don”t you think

　　I had hoped to keep this letter short, as I know you are all busy people, but it has turned out rather long. Still, issues are not explained as deeply as they should be and many details have been left out. Perhaps it is a start. Perhaps it will help you to adjust your treatment to the person you now have in your hands.

　　All of Thailand is watching and people around the world will hear of Venerable Buddhadasa Bhikkhu”s last illness. I sincerely hope that nobody has done any harm to him or themselves.

　　May the merits of your good intentions bring you happiness and good health.

　　Dhamma Metta Santi

　　Santikaro Bhikkhu

《Letter to the Doctors of Siriraj Hospital》全文閱讀結束。