Excessive cosmetic surgery - causing suffering to oneself - From the perspective of the four noble truths

The tragedy resulting from excessive plastic surgery—bodily disfigurement and even death—is a painful warning about the attachment to external beauty. In the light of the Dharma of the Buddha, Shakyamuni, and the teachings of the Venerable Elder Thich Thong Lac, we will analyze these actions and find a path to awakening, helping both the patients and the cosmetic clinics escape this cycle of suffering.

Analyzing the Actions through the Four Noble Truths and the Three Marks of Existence

These tragedies stem from a series of unwholesome deeds and suffering that both the patients and practitioners must bear.

1. The Truth of Suffering (Dukkha)

The suffering here isn't just death or physical disfigurement; it is also the profound mental anguish of the patients and their families. It is the suffering of living with a body that is no longer whole, the suffering of clinging to an illusion, and the suffering of enduring prolonged physical pain. The consequences of failed surgeries are a clear testament to the suffering born from attachment.

2. The Truth of the Origin of Suffering (Samudaya)

The deepest roots of this suffering are craving (tham ái) and delusion (vô minh):

• Craving: Patients crave an idealized, perfect beauty that doesn't truly exist. They yearn for social validation, love, and fear the natural process of aging and bodily change. This craving drives them to ignore the risks.

• Delusion: This is the root of the problem. Patients are deluded because they fail to see the truth of impermanence, suffering, and non-self in their bodies. They mistakenly believe that external beauty is eternal and a source of lasting happiness. Clinics are deluded when they pursue profit at all costs, ignoring professional ethics and the tragic consequences of their irresponsibility.

3. The Truth of the Cessation of Suffering (Nirodha)

To escape this cycle of suffering, one must eradicate craving and delusion. This means letting go of the attachment to external beauty, realizing that true happiness doesn't lie in one's physical form but in the peace and tranquility of the mind.

4. The Truth of the Path to the Cessation of Suffering (Magga)

This is the Eightfold Path, the practice that transforms delusion into wisdom, and unwholesome deeds into wholesome ones.

The Eightfold Path: A Path to Awakening and Advice

Following the Buddha's teachings, we must apply the Eightfold Path to help everyone awaken.

1. Right View (Sammā-diṭṭhi):

   • For patients: One must see the truth of the body's impermanence. This body will age, get sick, and eventually perish. External beauty is temporary and cannot bring lasting happiness.

   • For clinics: One must have a Right View on professional ethics. Money earned by causing suffering to others is an unwholesome deed (ác nghiệp) and will lead to negative karmic consequences. Profit cannot justify a lack of responsibility.

2. Right Thought (Sammā-saṅkappa):

   • For patients: Instead of thinking about changing their appearance, they should direct their minds toward caring for their health, nourishing their souls, and developing wisdom and compassion.

   • For clinics: Instead of thinking about maximizing profits at all costs, they should think about their responsibility to their patients, provide honest advice, and only perform safe procedures.

3. Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood (Sīla - Morality):

   • For both: Live a righteous life. Speech must be truthful (no false advertising), actions must be wholesome (no causing harm), and one's livelihood must genuinely benefit society.

4. Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration (Samādhi - Mental Development):

   • This is the practice to train the mind. Both patients and practitioners need to practice Right Mindfulness to recognize craving and delusion when they arise. Right Effort helps abandon unwholesome thoughts and cultivate wholesome ones. Right Concentration helps the mind become calm, so it is no longer swayed by cravings and the agitation of the ego.

Advice and a Call to Awareness

These tragedies are a warning to us all about the destructive power of attachment and delusion.

• Don't cause suffering to yourself: Happiness is not a flawless face; it is a peaceful mind and a healthy body. Cherish this body, nourishing it with healthy food and a wholesome spirit.

• Don't cause suffering to others: Profit cannot be exchanged for a human life. Cosmetic clinics must operate with responsibility, ethics, and compassion. Every unwholesome deed plants a seed of future suffering.

Let the light of the Dharma illuminate our hearts, helping us see the impermanent nature of life, let go of the ego, and live a life of peace, not causing suffering to ourselves, to others, or to all living beings.