Academic Lecture on “Medical Health in Buddha’s Time” by Professor Xinru Liu at IWH

　　On July the 10th, 2018, IWH invited Professor Liu (professor of New Jersey College, the USA and special researcher of IWH) to give an academic lecture on “Medical Health in Buddha’s Time”.

　　Professor Xinru Liu’s research subject is the political, religious and social life of the Southern Asian sub-continent from the 6th century B.C. to the 3rd century A.D. During this period, countries rose in the middle and lower reaches of the Ganges River; monarchies and republics became political, economic and cultural centers; the northwest of the sub-continent used to be a province of Persia and was later conquered by Alexander the Great from Macedonia; while the cities densely distributed through this area. Besides, many alien tribes lived in the frontier of the sub-continent. The particular historical background produced the prosperity of civil life and the variety of Indian culture, which was represented by the increase of wealth and the development of culture. One the other hand, the Indian society also became divided. The family system and castes of Brahmanism was out of control; alien societies merged into Indian society in many ways. The new situation produced a series of social problems and inconvenience of civil life, such as the lack of city plan, short of clean water and effective sanitary sewer system, as well as the spread of contagious diseases and abuse of drugs.

　　Generally speaking, it was the concept of medical health of Buddhist Sangha who made a distinct division between the religious view of cleanness and the concept of sanitary health. They also made progress by supporting the treatment of doctors and establishing a model of civilized and healthy life.

　　Scholars from IWH, Institute of History, Institute of Archaeology in CASS, as well as staffs from Oriental Publishing House attended the lecture. The participants discussed issues such as the historical background of the rise of Buddhism, the reason of the rise of cities, history of medicine and medical history in ancient Middle East.