Hippocratic Oath “reloaded”

All the professions practiced correctly are good and noble, because they are all, in fact, a manifestation of the principle “work is love incarnate“, thus enunciated by the Sufi poet Kahlil Gibran.

However, certain professions have a huge potential to generate in the life of the one who practices it a spiritual evolution.
We list here: the profession of doctor, judge, leader – politician and spiritual leader or priest.

These professions also have a great potential to pressure man to decades, due to the dangers for his soul with which the path of practicing that profession is sprinkled.

The risks are therefore commensurate with the chances.

In connection with medicine, Hippocrates developed, in his day, a genuine code, a ten-point code containing a set of rules known as the “JUrământul lui Hippocrates“.
Today, upon completion of medical studies, graduates also utter a variant of this ancient code, possibly modified at some points, to be updated to the realities of the contemporary medical world.
However, the importance given to him is quite small also due to the fact that he is not studied in his deep meanings and many of the teachers do not even respect him for the most part.
The graduates take the oath in the choir and move on to the next phase of the joys of graduation, not noting that, in fact, the Hippocratic Oath is a backbone of the medical profession and has consequences that span his entire life, even after retirement.

IT SHOULD, IN FACT, BE STUDIED IN THE FRESHMAN YEAR, IN ORDER TO IMPREGNATE WITH HIS PURITY THE ENTIRE PERIOD OF TRAINING OF THE DOCTOR IN THE FACULTY.

We present you a variant “updated” by Leo Radutz from the perspective of a spirituality in the middle of life, which, we believe, is specific to this noble profession .

“THE HIPPOCRATIC OATH
1. I swear on the truth of my life, on my health, on the respect and love that are due to this noble investiture as a doctor, in front of the Mystery of the Universe, of my soul, of my teachers and colleagues, that I will humbly and respectfully fulfill this oath and its requirements, as much as my forces, soul and reason help me.

2. I swear to respect those who taught me this art and science just like my own parents and to help them, if needed; to pass on the medical teachings to those who want to know and practice it correctly, considering them as my brothers and rigorously explaining to them the principles of this oath of investiture as a doctor.

3. I swear that, as much as my strengths and reason help me, my medical actions must be done only for the benefit and good condition of the patients in the right quantity and quality, addressing both the soul and the physique, avoiding both excessive and insufficient therapy and taking care that, first of all, I do not harm them through my actions.

4. I swear that I will never prescribe a substance with deadly effects, even if it is asked of me, nor will I give any advice in this regard.

5. I swear that I will keep my art and science as a sacred and pure doctor and thus I will also lead my life, because my life must be a mirror of my art and my science as a doctor, seeking to follow myself, first of all, the wise life advice that I offer to patients.

6. I swear that I will have the courage to say “I do not know” when a case exceeds me, that I will refer patients to the most appropriate doctor, in the interest of the patient, and that, at the same time, I will never criticize a colleague in front of a patient.

7. I swear that helping people with the help of medical science and art will be my essential goal as a doctor, and money, other material aspects or other human purposes will never be more important in my actions and thoughts than the good of people.

8. I swear that I will seek not to use the influence I gain due to the noble investiture of a physician to manipulate people in order to obtain personal advantages of any kind, including material nature or intimate relationships.
9. I SWEAR that any information of a personal nature I will find out due to this noble investiture as a doctor I will keep it in complete secrecy, because here silence is a duty.

10. I SWEAR that I know that if I keep this oath and do not violate it, my life and the investiture of my doctors, my teachers and colleagues will enjoy light, love and respect from all people; if I betray this essential oath, becoming perjury, then I am aware that I will immediately fall into my soul and, at the right time, into the souls of my colleagues and patients, from this noble investiture of a doctor, and I will lose the great chance to help those around me in a very high way, doing them the good, and I will also lose the great chance to grow up too, as a man, by the good that I do.”

COMMENTS

1. “I swear on the truth of my life and on my health, as well as on the respect and love that are due to this noble investiture as a doctor, in front of the Mystery of the Universe, of my soul, of my teachers and colleagues, that I will humbly and respectfully fulfill this oath and its requirements, as much as my forces, soul and reason help me.
The oath is assumed in front of teachers, brothers and sisters, but especially in front of one’s own conscience and in front of the “Mystery of the Universe”“.

This is done with humility and respect, because otherwise it is not possible to keep our conscience clean so that we can be inspired, to understand creatively what is happening and not to act from the ego.
The reference to “as much as forces and reason help me” is related to the fact that man’s strength, be he (at some point) and a successful doctor, are limited and he can reach the end of his human possibilities and, therefore, can be wrong.
But this is only because it was not in his power to act correctly and not out of malevolence.
The expression “forces, soul and reason” refers to the fact that there are aspects in us that we perceive as power, but there are also aspects of a very high nature mentioned here under the name of “soul” and, of course, reason, which is a wonderful tool for the soul.

“2. 2. I swear to respect those who taught me this art and science just like my own parents and to help them, if needed; to pass on the medical teachings to those who want to know and practice it correctly, considering them as my brothers and rigorously explaining to them the principles of this oath of investiture as a doctor.”

This point structures the medical world as a caste, guild or brotherhood animated by the same desire to do good to others through healing or harmonization of life, a desire that is then stated in point 4:

“3. I swear that, as much as strengths and reason help me, my actions must be done only for the benefit and good condition of the patients in the right quantity and quality, addressing both the soul and the physique, avoiding both excessive and insufficient therapy and taking care that, first of all, I do not harm them through my actions. ”
In addition to “primum non nocere” (“first of all let’s not harm”), here is highlighted not only the possibility of incomplete treatment, but also the possibility of excessive treatment, a situation that is increasingly common in these times in some economically developed countries.

“4. I swear that I will never prescribe a substance with deadly effects, even if asked, nor will I give any advice on this matter.”

This statement is also an attitude of opposition to euthanasia. The attitude towards euthanasia is important and it must be precisely known by the doctor.
If the medical world reaches another consensus in this direction, of course it will be able to match this point to new ideas, but they must be clearly spelled out in the oath.

“.5. I swear that I will keep my art and science as a doctor sacred and pure and thus I will also lead my life, because my life must be a mirror of my art and my science as a doctor, seeking to follow, first of all, the wise life advice I offer to patients.”

Of course, we can say that an eminent chiururge but with a miserable lifestyle can be effective, however, in medicine. Yes, it is possible, but this is an exception that confirms the rule, because otherwise a doctor is a man in continuous inner growth, and if his life is a perfect mirror of his advice, he will be much more inspired, harmonious and stronger and his prestige in front of patients will be enormous and this is the true medical path.

“6. I swear that I will have the courage to say ‘I do not know’ when a case exceeds me, that I will refer patients to the most appropriate doctor, in the interest of the patient, and, at the same time, I will never criticize a colleague in front of a patient.”

This statement means humility and respect on the part of the doctor for Good and Truth, and even though sometimes it may seem like he is losing prestige, he will surely gain enormously, overall, and the prestige will then also certainly be huge. If he does otherwise, he exposes himself to medical mistakes and the violation of many precious moral aspects that will cause him to fall spiritually in a lamentable way.

“7. I swear that helping people with the help of medical science and art will be my essential goal as a doctor, and money, other material aspects or other human purposes will never be more important in my actions and thoughts than the good of men.”

This point does NOT refer to receiving a natural material remuneration.
Here the example of the “silverless doctors” in the gospels is impressive, but he can transpose himself into our times by offering medical help without being attached to receiving a reward, without the doctor feeling in his soul that he would do it for money.
The correct motivation of the medical gesture is that the patient’s need is an invaluable chance for the doctor to offer the good, as much as possible.

The medical gesture is a privilege for the doctor to do good, not a commodity.

The money will certainly be, in the end, even a lot for skilled doctors, even if they will not consider that they work for them. Of course, it does not mean that doctors must be the victim of or unseen patients. Being good doesn’t mean being stupid.

“8. I swear that I will seek not to use the influence I gain due to the noble investiture of a physician to manipulate people in order to obtain personal advantages of any kind, including material nature or intimate relationships. ”

Many problems of medicine would disappear if this point of the Oath were also respected.
This point concerns the manipulation of patients (and here there was, unfortunately, a lot of practice in the health system.

“9. I SWEAR that any information of a personal nature I will find out because of this noble investiture of a doctor I will keep it in complete secrecy, because here silence is a duty. ”

The law of professional secrecy was known since the time of Hippocrates, Without having been imposed by anyone, it was a natural necessity.

“10. I SWEAR that I know that if I keep this oath and do not violate it, my life and the investiture of my doctors, my teachers and colleagues will enjoy light, love and respect from all people; if I betray this essential oath, becoming perjury, then I am aware that I will immediately fall into my soul and, at the right time, into the souls of my colleagues and patients, from this noble investiture of a doctor, and I will lose the great chance to help those around me in a very high way, doing them the good, and I will also lose the great chance to grow up too, as a man, by the good I do.”

What can a doctor lose by breaking the Oath?
First of all, her own self-respect and the state of inner investiture of a doctor, a state that, even if it is not known or recognized by everyone, it is certainly felt by many doctors.
At the moment of losing the inner investiture, nothing only is like before, the inspiration disappears and the doctor becomes, in his soul, an “ex”. The loss of the inner investiture precedes the external loss of the investiture, because the violation of the Oath means, more always, various violations of the official laws of the countries.
However, the Hippocratic Oath is a moral and spiritual code that precedes legislative oranization and constitutes a guide even for those who make the laws (or, at least, that’s how it should be).

Leo Radutz
www.adanima.org
12.10.2011

P.S. Here we have listed a variant of the old code.

“I swear! Apollos, the doctor on Asclepios, on Higyeea and Panacea, on all the gods and goddesses, taking them as witnesses, that I will fulfill, as much as the powers and the skill, the oath and the covenant that follow will help me.
About! I will count my teacher in medicine as well as those who brought me into the world, I will share with him my wealth and, if necessary, I will satisfy his needs, his children I will regard them as brothers, and if they want to become doctors, I will teach them freely, but asking them to keep the same covenant.
About! The precepts, the oral lessons, and all the rest of the teaching will be imparted to my sons, to the sons of my teacher, and to the disciples united by a promise and a vow, according to the medical law, but to anyone else.
About! I will endure the care of the sick for their benefit, as much as my powers and minds will help me, and I will beware of doing them every harm and every injustice. I will not entrust poisons to anyone, if he asks me, nor will I exhort him to do so; even so will I not entrust any woman with cures to help her deny,
About! I will spend my life and fulfill my craft in innocence and cleanliness. I will not practice the operation of removing the stones from the basics of the udder, leaving it to those who deal with them.
About! Whatever house I enter, I will enter for the benefit of the sick, guarding me from any evil and perverse deeds knowingly committed, especially from the enticement of women and young people, free or slaves.
About! Whatever I see and hear while doing my job or even outside of it, I will not talk about what there is no need to be revealed, considering that, under such circumstances, keeping the mystery is a duty.
About! If I will keep this covenant without breaking it, may I fully enjoy my life and my craft, pure honestly in others; and if I will disregard it and be a perjury I deserve to have a fate on the contrary!
I SWEAR, I SWEAR, I SWEAR!”