การวิเคราะห์ความสัมพันธ์ของเภสัชชAn Analysis of the Relationship between the Bhesajjakkhandhaka and the Gilāna Suttas from the Perspective of Contemporary Thai Traditional Medicine

Abstract

This academic article aims to examine and analyze the structure and essential content of the Bhesajjakkhandhaka in the Vinaya Piṭaka and the Gilāna Suttas in the Sutta Piṭaka, as found in both the Saṃyutta Nikāya and the Aṅguttara Nikāya, in order to explain the relationship between these texts in the context of caring for sick monks and to synthesize the resulting body of knowledge from the perspective of contemporary Thai traditional medicine. The author conducts this study by adopting a documentary research–based approach, drawing primarily on the Thai edition of the Tipiṭaka published by Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, together with relevant commentaries, as well as academic works and research related to medicinal knowledge in the Tipiṭaka and Thai traditional medicine as the main sources for analysis.

The analysis reveals that the Bhesajjakkhandhaka and the Gilāna Suttas are closely complementary in both structure and content. The Bhesajjakkhandhaka functions as a framework for the management of medicines and the treatment of illness in the physical dimension, whereas the Gilāna Suttas serve as a framework for mental care and the cultivation of the mind through mindfulness and wisdom. Their integrated analysis leads to the synthesis of a conceptual framework referred to as “Dhamma–Bhesajja–Gilāna,” which reflects a holistic approach to patient care that interrelates physical treatment, psychological support, and contemplative practice. This article demonstrates that knowledge derived from the Tipiṭaka is not merely a body of religious doctrine, but can be applied as a conceptual foundation for the development of contemporary Thai traditional medicine, particularly in holistic patient care, ethical management of illness, and the enhancement of patients’ quality of life in modern social contexts in a systematic, credible, and sustainable manner.