(A) Aham-pi: "Ārogyaparamā lābhā" ti maṭṭāmi, Tathāgataṁ upaṭṭhātukāmomhi, tasmāhaṁ mayhaṁ vejjakammena ārogyabhāvaṁ vaḍḍhemi ceva gilānaṁ hitāya dayena anukampāya upaṭṭhahāmi.
(F) Paṭibalo bhavissāmi, gilānaṁ kālena kālaṁ, Dhammiyā kathāya sandassetuṁ samādapetuṁ samuttejetuṁ sampahaṁsetuṁ.
The Vejjavatapada is derived from four passages from the Pāḷi Canon dating from between circa 5th and the 3rd centuries BCE, each of them attributed to the Buddha.
[4] Because early Buddhism did not claim that all physical conditions, injury and illness included, are necessarily caused by past karma, it saw the physicians role to be a vital one.
"[7] Because the Pāḷi Canon predates the separation and specialization of the medical profession as presented in āyurvedic treatises, it rarely makes a distinction between the doctor or physician (bhisakka, tikicchaka, vejja) and the nurse (gilānaupaṭṭhāka).
[10] Of the seven articles in the Vejjavatapada, the first highlights the importance of care (hita), kindness (dayā) and compassion (anukampā) in the healing process.
The fifth article recognizes that at times it might be necessary to deal with the loathsome aspects of the human body and that the physician should do this with detachment, both for his or her own mental balance and so as not to embarrass the patient.
The sixth article recognizes the fact that spiritual counseling or comfort can have a part to play in healing and that the physician needs to have at least some abilities in this area.
[12] The seventh and final article requires the physician to minister to the patient even if all the signs indicate that he or she is not responding to the treatment and will probably die.