Mahabodhi temple plans hospital, medical college

[Jessie Fong]

Mahabodhi temple plans hospital, medical college
IANS, Nov 28, 2012
Patna, India -- Bodh Gaya's Mahabodhi temple, one of Buddhism's holiest shrines plans to set up a world class hospital and medical college with international financial aid in the holy town in Bihar, an official said Wednesday.

 "The temple management committee have decided to establish a Buddhist world hospital and medical college in Bodh Gaya with the help of Buddhist countries of southeast Asia," the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee secretary N. Dorjee said.

Dorjee told IANS over telephone that it will be first such development project in Bodh Gaya with the sole aim to serve poor and provide them best medical and health care.

"I am happy to disclose that a number of officials of embassies of Buddhist countries of southeast Asia have shown keen interest to help the proposed project in Bodh Gaya," Dorjee said.

Dorjee said that funding for the project would not be a problem. "Most of the 22 countries of southeast Asia are going to fund the project as it would come up at Bodh Gaya," he said.

The committee has already approached the Gaya district administration for land and other requirements.

"We would start work on the project soon after the land is provided to us by the state government," Dorjee said.

The Mahabodhi temple was declared a World Heritage Site in June 2002 by the UNESCO. Lord Buddha had attained enlightenment 2,500 years ago near this temple.

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This is good news - we get healing physically in addition to spiritual healing.

[RedLantern]

The Mahabodhi Temple,one of the few surviving example of early brick structures in India,has had significant influence in the development of architecture over the centuries balustrades,and the memorial column.
The temple Complex has direct associations with the life of Lord Buddha.(566-486B.C.) as the place where in 531BC he attained the supreme and perfect insight while seated under the Bodhi Tree.The Temple is located in the very heart of the city of BodhGaya.
The most important of the sacred place is the giant Bodhi Tree to the West of the main temple Where Buddha spent his First week and where he had his Enlightenment.
The development and overall management to protect the values of the world Heritage sites are recommended To build a hospital and medical college is great news as the impact tourism have on the religious and spiritual significance of the place is huge.

[Tenzin K]

What a wonderful news!
Buddhist teaching is to benefit others and this hospital and medical college serve the same motivation, one spiritually and the other on physically.

Some info about the temple to share.
The place is highly venerated by the Buddhists. Emperor Asoka visited Bodh Gaya around 260 B.C. and constructed a small temple near the Bodhi tree. An inscription datable to 1st – 2nd century A.D. mentions that the temple of Asoka was replaced by a new one.

Fahien first makes reference to the main temple and the Bodhi tree in 404-05 A.D. Hieun Tsang, who visited the site in 637 A.D. mentions the presence of walls surrounding the Bodhi tree, within which stood the Mahabodhi temple nearly 160 feet tall and a large fine sanctuary. Several additions and alterations took place and the present temple may be datable to the 6th century A.D. The temple fell into disuse in the 13th century A.D. after the conquest of this region by the Delhi Sultanate. During the 19th century, the Burmese kings made certain repairs which were continued by the British in 1880-84.

The temple covers an area of nearly 4.8 hectares and 55 m in height. The sanctum carries a lofty pancharatha sikhara of a straight-edged pyramidal design, demarcated into seven storeys by bhumi-amalakas (amalakas occurring at the corners of the sikhara to denote storeys).

[Tenzin Malgyur]

Rejoice to read of such good news. A new hospital in the holy city of Bodhgaya will certainly bring many relief to the big population here. During my last visit to Bodhgaya, I have seen so many sick people on the street. There were also many people who were stricken with polio. It is such a sad sight to see all these people suffering due to poor hygiene condition and also lack of health care provider. With the building of a medical college to train more doctors, may more sick people be able to be cure of their illness. With the funds already available, I pray the local government will allocate a suitable site soonest.

[DS Star]

This is indeed a great news...

After all Buddha's main teaching is about Compassion, so the Buddhists in Bodh Gaya are now transforming the essence of this sacred teachings into practice.

In degenerate times like now it is very difficult for general public to put into practice what Buddha taught. There are too many distractions and too few opportunity to meet and learn real teachings. The hospital and medical college is an excellent move to bring people into practicing the virtue as taught by Buddha and at the same time to instill the importance of this teachings into their minds, especially the young medical students.

[vajrastorm]

Yes, I too rejoice at this great news. In this age and time , the world is very much a materialistic world. People see care and compassion when shown in tangible ways. That is why Mahayana Buddhist-based organizations like Tzu Chi, or Buddhist-based soup kitchens, draw a lot of support and attention and give compassion and Buddhism a very humane and  humanistic face.

So now, when a hospital is set up at the very place where Lord Buddha attained Enlightenment, the Dharma face of Peace and Compassion-the  central messages of Lord Buddha's teachings- will be given a tremendous boost. At the same time, spirituality and spiritual healing from the Buddhadharma will be enhanced.   
   

[kris]

I rejoice hearing such great news, but I have one concern though.. I just hope that the hospital and medical collage is not too near to the holy places to better preserve the holy places. It is very important to take extra care to keep these holy places because once it is gone, there is no way to have it again.

I hope the government can take special care of all these holy sites!

[ratanasutra]

This is a great news. This will be a holy place in the past and in the present as the hospital and medical college will help and relief suffering for the beggars and poor people who stay there. 

I went to Boghaya a few years back and there were so many of beggars and poor people stay day and night near at Bodhaya area. And saw that most of people who stay in village also poor and hardly to survive. Lot of pilgrims would bring along stationary, winter clothes to give to children and poor people in village in their trip as they could not afford it.

How wonderful and rejoice for the compassion and thoughtful project which will bring happy to many by relief their suffering.

 

     

[Dorje Pakmo]

Dorjee told IANS over telephone that it will be first such development project in Bodh Gaya with the sole aim to serve poor and provide them best medical and health care.

"I am happy to disclose that a number of officials of embassies of Buddhist countries of southeast Asia have shown keen interest to help the proposed project in Bodh Gaya," Dorjee said.

Dorjee said that funding for the project would not be a problem. "Most of the 22 countries of southeast Asia are going to fund the project as it would come up at Bodh Gaya," he said.

It is definitely a very meaningful and well thought out idea to have a hospital and medical school at the Mahabodhi Temple especially when the objective is to serve the poor and to provide them with the best medical and health care facilities. It is very good to know that people are doing something to help the poor who cannot afford medical treatment. The truth is that many parts of the world are still in lack of good medical facilities and people are dying from diseases that can be easily cured if only they are treated in time with the right equipments and medicine.

The plan to have a hospital and medical school at the Mahabodhi Temple is definitely a great example for more able people / organization to contribute for the benefits of the less fortunate who really need the facilities but lack the resources. More of such hospitals should be set up to provide medicine for all. Regardless of caste, creed, colour or nationality. Because medical aid should be the right of every individual. Today, the human values in medical care are not being exercised much due to the high cost of medicine and medical equipments. Doctors couldn't care less if a patient dies or survive if the patient do not have the money to pay for the medicine and service provided.

Hence, with more hospitals set up solely with the aim of helping the poor, the act of healing can slowly be restored to it's pristine sanctity. Where medicine are not made solely for profit but with the motivation of alleviating the pain and anguish of many.

[Manjushri]

I know that India is a popular destination for people wanting to learn and study medicine. Infact, if I have not mistaken, it is one of the top 3 places to go for studying medicine. Having a medical college and a hospital at Bodhgaya is an excellent idea, with the hospital being an easy access for sangha as well as the elderly and the poor. Imagine the doctors from the medical college can have a free clinic for the poor, elderly and sangha at their hospital, how noble and purposeful to have a 'job' to heal others.

It will attract many people to Bodhgaya, and in doing so, many will get the blessings of Lord Buddha unknowingly.

Also, a joint effort between 22 countries in South East Asia will foster harmony, unity and togetherness between the countries. Working together to make the world a better place.