This paper aims to research what kind of diseases the Buddhist monks
had suffered and how they were cured in Buddhist seon monasteries(禪院),
using the inscriptions of Buddhist National Priests(國師) and Royal Priests(王
師) in Goryeo Dynasty. From their life stories and achievements in the
epitaphs, I found the descriptions of Balbae(發背：the abscess on the back),
dysentery(痢疾) and chronic wind disease(風痾, stroke), etc.. I presume
musculoskeletal disorders owing to excessive training. It depended on their
social status for the cures. For the high Buddhist monks, the medical cares
were provided by king, such as national priest and royal priest. For the
common monks, there was a healing system and a specific place in the
Buddhist seon monastery, where many monks and workers resided. It was
called Yeon-su-dang(延壽堂：room for life extension). According to The
Regulations of Seon Monastery(禪院淸規), published by Song(宋) China's
Buddhist monk Cijue Zongze(慈覺宗賾, 910～1092) in 1103, there were several
disciplines for sick monks in seon monastery. When the Buddhist monks
got sick, they had to chant to Amitabha(阿彌陀佛), and took medicine out
of duties in Yeon-su-dang. There were also some disciplines regarding
how to die and how to arrange the funeral for dead Buddhist monk in
the Regulations. From the inscriptions of the Buddhist monks in Goryeo,
I discovered that the Regulations were strictly observed in seon monasteries for sick monks and funeral procedure.ope
