My Personal Impression on Tibet Culture and Elderly Health

Abstract

Buddhism for Tibetan people was not only the dominant official ethnic religion but also principal philosophical identity, especially in Tibetan elderly highlanders. Tibetan elderly highlanders manage their health situation according to their beliefs about Tibetan Buddhism. These beliefs were constructed using both modern and traditional knowledge. For example, Tibetan elderly highlanders explained the cause of their illnesses as being due to biomedical factors such as genetics, and also cultural factors such as karma from either previous or current lifetimes. Several studies have illustrated how culture might affect the interpretation and experience of the illness. Tibetan elderly highlanders considered that illness and ageing were natural parts of the birth-and-death lifecycle. Disease was primarily regarded as the result of individual past karma (or action) in either past or current life. The definition of "Karma" or "Cause and Effect" meant that there were inescapable results of personal actions. Therefore, Tibetan elderly highlanders considered that their suffering and health situation were the result of their own previous karma. Tibetan Buddhism values (acceptance) and practices (mindfulness meditation) enhanced better age-related disease management and the cultural differences in the perceptions of disease in Tibetan elderly highlanders may assist a further progression in clinical management.