Provide a 6 pages analysis while answering the following question: Imagery in Buddhism. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide. An abstract is required. The use of visual representations in the Buddhist culture has created continuity in the faith as it has been a bridge between the oral culture prevalent during the founder’s faith and the written culture subsequently. The Buddhist faith ascribes special meaning to four aspects of its founder’s life. his birth, death, enlightenment, and wheel of Dharma. Most believers claim that some of the visual signs from the past were used by pilgrims who had visited the four sites to confirm biographies about the Buddha. However, other scholars believe that the reverse is actually true. visual culture through trees, flowers, and other signs found at Buddha sites inspired the narrative of his life.

At the time when Buddha lived, there was no writing culture, so it is difficult for one to know much about the life of the pioneer of the faith. Details concerning how the leader lived are scanty and disjointed. a complete biography of Buddha was only possible numerous centuries after he lived. Initially, the story of Buddha was transmitted orally among believers. however, in subsequent centuries, written text was introduced and details about his life became available. In fact, if one compares accounts of the Buddha’s life in earlier centuries, one realizes that they are not as elaborate as the ones from subsequent periods.

Religious people wrote about the life of the Buddha in order to illustrate how extraordinary the person was as their founder. Other followers in subsequent generations would either reject or embrace certain depictions in order to propagate a common ideal that they had about the founder of their faith. One may state that the movement created the narrative of the Buddha even as the Buddha founded the religion, so a reciprocal relationship exists.

It is for this reason that the image of the Buddha was significantly different in certain parts of the world during ancient times. For instance, in the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, the image of the Buddha most commonly depicted is one of a king. he looks subhuman to some extent.

The doctor or the health care provider elaborates a detailed history leading to the development of such clinical manifestations in order to determine the causative factors. Differential diagnoses are arrived at and the treatment is started to cure the illness and terminate the disease process.

Social model of health doesn’t provide ‘cures’ for the illnesses based on vital signs and clinical and laboratory data. It presents a broader overview of the factors that may influence the health of the individuals. Infact, this model more efficiently embraces the spirit of the definition of health as given by the WHO. This means that the social model does not assume a person healthy if there is no physical or laboratory abnormality present. It tries to correct and align the fundamental health issues such as the social, cultural and biological environment of the individuals, which almost always, even only indirectly, lead to significant health repercussions. For example, in a patient of coronary heart disease, it would look at the risk factors in context of life style features that can be targeted and modified to reduce the progression and severity of the disease such as cessation of smoking, incorporating more physical activity in to the daily routine, curb alcohol and fat rich food intake, avoiding stressful activities etc. This model tries to identify the psychosocial hindrances to successful management and compliance of the treatment plan. As per this model, the patient actively participates in his or her treatment plan, unlike the medical model in which the doctor or the health care provider is the sole authority and the patient has to just passively follow the instructions of the doctor in order to be healthy.

Comparison of medical and social model of health

Prevention of diseases – While the medical model concerns itself primarily with the treatment or eradication of a disease, the social model concentrates more on how the disease can be prevented in the first place. It does not accept that a normal health means the absence of disease. In focuses on education and the awareness levels of an individual and the community and tries to educate its individuals about the preventive aspects. Although patients of amoebic gastroenteritis or worm infestations can be easily cured with drugs, they can be simply prevented by teaching the individuals to wash hands regularly and before eating. The social model will also try to remedy the causative factors such as inadequate system for garbage and excreta disposal, poverty leading to a lack of access to soap and water and unhygienic cultural practices.

Cost-effectiveness – Since the social model attempts to remedy multiple factors like psychological, cultural and environmental, initially it appears as if this may require substantial investments in terms of infrastructure. Whereas, the medical model focuses only on an individual who can be conventionally treated at a much lesser cost. However, in the long term, this may not be so. A malaria control programme does not simply include the administration of antimalarial dugs and symptomatic management of cases. It will encompass building mosquito proof residential complexes, filling up of open water ditches and introduction of larva eating fishes among others.