Jin Dashou

Place: Rājagṛha

Biography:

Jīvaka, also known as Jin Dashou, was the personal physician of the Buddha and the Indian King Bimbisāra. He was born in Rājagṛha, present-day Rajgir, in the 5th century BCE as a foundling of a courtesan. He was found and raised by people from the royal court of King Bimbisāra. After studying medicine in Takṣaśilā for seven years, he returned to Rājagṛha and started his healing profession. His medical feats gained him a reputation and he was quickly appointed as the personal physician of King Bimbisāra and the Buddha. As Jīvaka came more into contact with the Buddha, he became an important supporter of the religion and eventually founded the Jīvakarāma monastery. He is honored throughout Asian history by Buddhists, and to some extent by healers outside of Buddhism, as a model physician and Buddhist saint. Several medieval medical texts and procedures in India and China are attributed to him. Up until the present day, Jīvaka is honored by Indians and Thai as a patron of traditional medicine, and he has a central role in all ceremonies involving Thai traditional medicine. Furthermore, Jīvaka's legendary persona has had an important role in helping to proselytise and legitimise Buddhism. Some of the details of Jīvaka's accounts were adjusted to fit the local milieus in which they were passed on.