Abstract

Spiritual pain and care is a vital dimension of palliative care. Buddhism holds that pain originates from conflicts and disharmonious relationships that are closely connected with “I” or “ego-self.” According to Buddhism, all existences are transient and the essential universal truths contain no ego-self, which is not a permanent entity or substance, but a dynamic process from birth to death. In this article we argue that the Buddhist insight can encourage patients with incurable diseases to be free from delusions of the world and attachment of the ego, to focus the mind selflessly and accept the situation and death peacefully. Patients can be reconciled with intrapersonal, interpersonal, and transpersonal relationships as well as be more tolerant of the present moment, so as to improve the quality of life and palliative care. This understanding and mental training might not only be beneficial to Buddhists but to other kinds of patients as well.