초고령사회를 대비한 불교 터미널케어 활성화 방안 연구

Abstract

In modern society, the number of persons in need of terminal care is rising sharply due to the prolongation of human life and rapid aging of the population. This situation requires services that help people enjoy a high quality of life until death and meet their death in peace. These services represent terminal care and constitute the ultimate purpose of Buddhist social welfare. Buddhism teaches that attending to patients is the most sublime deed one can perform and preaches that sick people must be cared for as if they were Buddha. Such teaching provides the motivation and rationale for the acts of Bodhisattva (Awakened Truth) through Buddhist terminal care. In practice, however, such activities lag far behind those of other religious groups. This study presents ways to establish a necessary system and organization using local temples and Buddhist groups, develop and utilize deathbed nursing programs at specialized facilities and homes, foster professional staff, and build a Buddhist terminal care network.