Kontakt 2014, 16(2):e87-e93 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2014.05.002

Buddhists of the Diamond Way Buddhism of Karma Kagjü and their specifities in selected areas of nursing careNursing - Original article

Lucie Rolantová^*, Valérie Tóthová

Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích, Zdravotně sociální fakulta, katedra ošetřovatelství a porodní asistence

Diamond Way Buddhism is the youngest Buddhism lay organization, which is focused above all on meditation and direct transmission of experience of mind entity from a teacher to a pupil. In the Western world Diamond Way Buddhism seems to be a very popular direction because of its independence, pragmatism and stress on critical thinking. In recent years, interest in the Diamond Way Buddhism of Karma Kagjü has begun to develop very intensively also in the Czech Republic. The reason can be seen in the fact that in the centres, the so-called lay Buddhism has been practised instead of the monastic life. That makes it possible to combine Buddhism with everyday life. Fifty-four meditation centres have already been established in the Czech Republic.
The paper relates to Buddhists of the Diamond Way of Karma Kagjü and their specific approach to selected areas of nursing care. The results relate to an extensive research project which focused on the approach of members of selected minorities to their health, to determine the specifics of their lifestyle and ascertain the views of selected minorities about the quality of medical services in the Czech Republic and their experience with hospitalization.
As part of a qualitative examination, an in-depth interview was conducted with seven Buddhists of the Diamond Way of Karma Kagjü. The aim was to find out their specific positions in the areas of nursing care. After semi-standardized interviews and following data analysis the main significant categories and subcategories were identified. In this paper the categories of food, approach to health, illness, dying specifities, hospitalization and refusal medical and diagnostic methods are explored.
The results helped to disclose a series of useful specificities for nursing care. Most new findings were in the area of food, dying specifities, the care of the dead body and in the area of refusal medical procedures.

Keywords: multicultural, transcultural nursing; Diamond Way Buddhism; religious minority; medical staff; needs

Received: November 11, 2013; Revised: January 13, 2014; Accepted: May 6, 2014; Published: June 23, 2014  Show citation