The practice of compassion in Buddhism as the basis of the doctor’s activity

The article is about examining the practice of compassion in Buddhism as the basis of the doctor’s activity. The appeal to the Buddhist philosophical tradition is conditioned, firstly, by the wide spread of Buddhism: being both a world religion and an original philosophical system, Buddhism forms a special attitude of a person to the world, himself and others. Secondly, the specificity of this philosophical direction is the possibility of practical application of theoretical knowledge and, accordingly, the transformation of a person from a suffering being to a free and happy being. The peculiarity of Buddhist philosophy lies not only in substantiating the possibility of liberation from suffering, but also in developing ways to achieve liberation. Compassion for all living beings is an integral part of the spiritual path to enlightenment. With the medical community facing a crisis in doctor-patient communication, it is believed that turning to Buddhist practices such as bodhichitta - the practice of compassion, will help solve this problem. We proceed from the premise that compassion originates in the concept of denying the existence of an individual Self and recognizing equality between all living beings. This stance makes it possible to overcome egoism and alienation between people. Thus, the techniques used in Buddhism can be brought into medical communication and contribute to its effectiveness.