Tibetan medicine

[Jessie Fong]

According to Tibetan medicine, mind and body are often disturbed by the improper functioning of the three bio-energies — Loong, Tripa and Baekan. The Tibetan medical system is understood in Buddhist philosophy and the body is seen in relation to the mind. The body and mind cannot be treated in isolation and a learned Tibetan physician clearly identifies causes and conditions of disorders through the diagnostic methods of visual assessment, examination through touch and interrogation.

---extracted from The Buddhist Channel


In this day and time medication, the patient is only treated for his ailments, not taking into consideration what the mind needs. 
To read more of the Tibetan healing with heart and soul , visit ...

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=7,10465,0,0,1,0

[Midakpa]

According to Tibetan medicine, mind and body are often disturbed by the improper functioning of the three bio-energies — Loong, Tripa and Baekan.

These "bio-energies" are known as humours. In ayurveda, they are called "vatta", "pitta", and "kapha". These terms are translated into English as "wind", "bile" and "phlegm". Each humour is further classified into five categories which enable the physician to assess in a more accurate manner, the patient's condition.

How the humours are combined in an individual will determine his or her disposition, physiological type and so on. When the humours are working as they should, they are said to be in balance. When they are not, a doctor or a lama may need to intervene.

Tibetan doctors explain the connection between the humours and the three poisons in the following manner: the three mind poisons actually create the humours: ignorance (or close-mindedness) is the source of phlegm; desire, of wind; and aversion (or hatred), of bile. Since the three poisons work at this root level, they are classified as the distant causes of disease.

Even after death, we are not free of ourselves. Our basic predispositions linger on in the bardo and propel us to our next rebirth.

[Midakpa]

Compassion is central to Buddhist philosophy and is the core of Tibetan healing practice. In fact, compassion is  integrated into the practice of healing. The Buddha is also known as the "Great Physician" and is one of the eight Medicine Buddha brothers. Indeed, Shakyamuni and the Medicine Buddha are inseparable. But in the iconography of the Medicine Buddha, his qualities which are devoted to healing are emphasized.

The Buddha taught that the ultimate source of our physical ailments are the psychological afflictions of anger, attachment and ignorance. He offered a cure as well - the Dharma - which is the ultimate medicine. This is why the Buddha is referred to as the supreme physician, and he is considered to be the source of  Tibetan healing arts. (Peter Fenton, The Modern Legacy of Medicine Buddha. Tibetan Healing)

[fruven]

Chinese medicine focus on Chi, the flow of energy or wind. Now this is interesting the 3 poisons are related to wind, bile, and phlegm. There are some similarities and differences.

stress can be defined at its most basic level as the conflict created between the pursuit of worldly desires and our limitations in fulfilling these desires. Therefore, stress is a reaction rather than a response to given circumstances. This reaction results in psychologic and physical reactions which disturb Wind. The results of stress can include improper diet, harmful lifestyle (e.g. erratic sleep habits), and poor adaptation to one's physical environment (e.g. overexposure to cold in winter or to heat in summer).

Wind - Typical symptoms of such a disorder include erratic and diffuse pain, lower back and hip pain, dry skin, abdominal distention, constipation, diarrhea, anxiety, anorexia, depression, mood swings, insomnia, psychosomatic disorders, irregular blood pressure and metastasis of tumors.

Bile - Typical symptoms of such conditions as anger, hypertension, vomiting, gastric acidity, hepatic dysfunction and the development of fast growing tumors.

Phlegm - Typical symptoms of such disorder include a sensation of physical or mental heaviness, kidney disorders, hypotension, slow metabolism, hypersensitivity to cold, weakness, diarrhea, the development of soft cysts, and slow tumor growth progression.

More information: http://www.tibetanmedicine.com/html/article2.html

[RedLantern]

Tibetan Medicine is a very ancient system based on Buddhist philosophy and psychology.It explains that everything existing or non exiting in the world derives from the mind and the 5 elements.The mind is considered to be the base because all existences and moments depends on it's movements,it is the creator of every external and internal phenomena.
The mind and the 5 elements manifest themselves in the form of energy and gross materials in 3 aspects:body,energy and mind,which,in the human body,are reflected in the form of 3 humors or energies called wind,bile and phlegm.The 3 principles gives positive health when they are in equlibrium and harmony and ill health when balance between them is lost. It is through the gradation of the energy of mind,humors  and physical constructions that the framework of the theory and practice of Tibetan medicine is established

[Ensapa]

Tibetan medicine is a combination of many different medicinal methods, but it has its roots in Buddhist philosophy, in the Medicine Buddha tantra. Dr Yeshe Dhonden, one of the past Ganden Tripas and also the Dalai Lama's personal physician had said that Tibetan medicine is a combination of Chinese, Indian and Persian medicinal systems, in addition to Buddhist philosophy. I highly recommend this book if you'd like to learn more about Tibetan medicine:

Primarily using question and answer format, the author describes the body, its humors, disturbances, disease conditions and entrances, diagnosis according to pulse, questioning, and urinalysis, treatment through behavior and through dietary attention, and chapters on specific conditions such as diabetes and tumors.

[buddhalovely]

Tibetan medicine is beginning to be promoted as a new commodity within the growing American alternative medicine industry, within some sectors of the Tibetan community and among some in the Tibet support community. But market forces alone cannot present the true Tibetan medical tradition to the West. The Western medical tradition has already shown us the dangers of developing medicine as a commodity. In fact, the alternative medicine movement grew as a direct response by the American people to the negative impact such a development had on the quality of allopathic medical care.

From the perspective of the Tibetan community there are dangers as well. The Tibetan medical community in India and Tibet has not yet developed a sophisticated understanding of the protocols and actual uses of Western medical research, the workings of Western medicine, or the American medical industry. If our goal is to preserve Tibetan medicine we must be conscious of the powerful hegemony of our culture and avoid to the greatest extent possible negatively affecting Tibetan culture as we attempt to encourage its preservation and perpetuation. The economy of time and commerce and the influence of Western medical approaches places the more classical, holistic approach to Tibetan medicine at risk of being lost.

[Ensapa]

Here's a more extensive explanation of Tibetan medicine from China. Seems that they are doing a good job at continuing Tibetan culture.

Tibetan medicine
08:55, December 11, 2008

Tibetan medicine, an important part of the Chinese medical tradition, has been evolving for nearly 3,000 years. During the third century BC, a primitive medical system had existed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, comprising theories on daily life, food and drink, and health care. Although a complete medical theory had not yet formed, simple therapies were used such as blood-letting, massage, using butter to stop bleeding, and using distillers' grains from highland barley to treat wounds. They had also hypothesized that "toxins and medicines co-exist."

During the 7th century, Tibetan King Songtsan Gambo united the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and established the Tubo Kingdom. He invited medical experts and translators from neighboring states, together with medical experts of Tibet, to compile medical classics such as A Complete Collection of Medical Works, Fearless Weapons, Medicine and Diagnosis of Moon King, and Four Medical Classics. He encouraged Tibetan medical researchers to incorporate Indian and Han Chinese medical principles into their work. These efforts promoted the development of traditional Tibetan medicine and laid a solid foundation in the fields of physiology, diagnosis, and treatment.


Teacher Migmar (C) explains to students principles of Tibetan medicine at the College of Tibetan Medicine in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 8, 2008. As the only institute in China teaching Tibetan medicine, the college has trained more than 1,600 specialists in Tibetan medicine since its establishment in 1989. (Xinhua Photo)


In around 1450, two contradictory schools of thought-northern and southern-arose. Each school had it own views concerning prescription methods and the Four Medical Classics. This conflict in ideas marked a new stage in the development of traditional Tibetan medicine. Sukar, a representative of the southern school, and his disciples conducted research on diseases caused by dampness in southern Tibet. They based their studies on the Four Medical Classics and created a unique theoretical system for diagnosis and medication. They wrote more than ten representative medical works. Qamba and Namgyai Zhabsang were representative figures of the northern school. They conducted research on diseases caused by the cold climate in northern Tibet and based their work upon the Four Medical Classics. They wrote more than ten representative medical works. The contention between the northern and so/uthern schools of thought greatly promoted the development of traditional Tibetan medicine.

Between 1600 and 1959, traditional Tibetan medicine developed slowly, without any dynamism. But after the peaceful liberation of Tibet, the Party and the central government have been aiding the development of Tibetan medicine. After China adopted economic reform policies in 1978, traditional Tibetan medicine has rapidly developed. Research centers have been established in Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu and Scihuan. Provincial-level hospitals and pharmaceutical production bases have been set up in Tibet and Qinghai. Also, prefecture medical organizations have been established in Sichuan, Gansu, Tibet and Qinghai. Traditional Tibetan medicine is being standardized.

"Theory of Three Factors"

Traditional Tibetan medicine is based on the "theory of three factors." The theory centers around the "seven substances" and "three excrements" of the human body. The three factors are lung, chiba, and peigen; the seven substances include diet, blood, flesh, fat, bone, marrow, and seminal fluid; and the three excrements are sweat, urine and stool. When a person is in good health, the relations between the three factors, seven substances and three excrements are in good balance. Keeping balance is an important principle of traditional Tibetan medicine.

Traditional Tibetan medicine is based on traditional Tibetan culture and thus incorporates life science (combination of heaven, earth and human beings) into its theories. Traditional Tibetan medicine differs from medical traditions of other ethnic groups and modern medicine.

Four Medical Classics

His annotations on the Four Medical Classics are the most authoritative. He made a series of hanging charts on the Four Medical Classics and established a medical school to train doctors. Other well-known Tibetan doctors include Kyenrab Norbu, Gyiba Cewang, Budong, and Qamba Chinlai.

Representative Brand Names of Tibetan Medicines ??

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau produces more than 3,000 different medicinal materials of traditional Tibetan medicine.

After China adopted reform policies in 1978, the central government invested 200 million yuan in two large, modern pharmaceutical plants in Tibet and Qinghai equipped with advanced facilities. More than 20 pharmaceuticals produced by these plants were listed in the 1995 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China.

Representative patent medicines include "72-ingredient pearls," "25-ingredient Pearl Pills," "70-ingredient Coral," "Ruyi Zhenbao Pill," and "20-ingredient Agalloch Eaglewood Pill" for treating heart and brain diseases and disorders; "Rinqen Changjue," "5-ingredient Pomegranate Pill" for treating stomach and intestine diseases, and medicines for treating liver and bone diseases. Four patent medicines, including "70-ingredient Pearl" and "25-ingredient Turquoise Pill," have obtained certificates from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Qizheng-brand "Xiaotongtie" (Pain-Killing Plaster) produced by the Qizheng Tibetan Pharmaceutical Group won a gold medal at the World Invention Exposition held in Geneva.

Education and Scientific Research

Before the liberation, traditional Tibetan medicine was taught in major temples and hospitals in Lhasa. Education techniques were traditional, and the number of trainees were limited. But since the peaceful liberation of Tibet, the training situation has been improving. School have been set up throughout the region. In 1983, a secondary school of traditional Tibetan medicine was established in Tibet Autonomous Region. In 1985, the Department of Traditional Tibetan Medicine was set up at the University of Tibet, and in 1989 the College of Traditional Tibetan Medicine was established, the first higher education school of Tibetan medicine. Tibetan medicine schools in Qinghai, Gansu and Sichuan where Tibetans live in compact communities have trained more than 3,000 doctors.

Publishing houses in Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu, and Yunnan have published more than 50 medical titles including Four Medical Classics, Jingzhu Materia Medica, Blue Glaze, and the New Collection of Traditional Tibetan Medicine. In the mid-1980s, well-known traditional Tibetan medicine experts from Tibet, Qinghai and Sichuan, gathered in Lhasa to compile textbooks on clinical practics, internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, five sense organs, prescriptions, pathology, and diagnosis. In the early 1990s, textbooks for university and secondary students were compiled, and basic theories of modern medical science and diagnosis were added.

Scientific Tibetan medicine research has been gradually spreading. In Traditional Tibetan medicine centers in Tibet, Qinghai and Gansu, research and development have been conducted in the fields of historical document research, Tibetan medicine uses, diagnosis techniques, and pharmaceutical production. The Hospital of Traditional Tibetan Medicine of Tibet Autonomous Region and the People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region work together to improve treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis. Patients take pharmacist-prepared Tibetan medicines and doctors used modern pathological methods to check results. The hospitals' cooperation has won a third-class prize for scientific and technological progress from the Ministry of Public Health. The two hospitals and experts from the pharmacological research institute of Huaxi Medical University jointly conducted research on medicinal herbs unique to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, including rhodiola, Chinese caterpillar fungus and Drosera peltata. Lab tests indicate that these plants contain anti-aging compounds as well as anti-oxidants. In addition, more than ten pharmacist-prepared Tibetan medicines have been found to have anti-bacterial inflammation reducing functions.

More than ten cities in the interior have set up Tibetan medicine centers. One of the largest is the Beijing Hospital of Traditional Tibetan Medicine. Over the past few years, the hospital has received nearly 200,000 patients. The hospital plays a decisive role in publicizing traditional Tibetan medicine.?

Source: Xinhua

[ratanasutra]

Few years ago I had a chance to see a Tibetan Dr.in India to check up as i always have headache, Dr.checked and did not give me any tibetan medicine and told me that it can be taken care by having proper meals in regular times daily then it will be release.. I saw many different types of tibetan medicine in her clinic.
 

His Holiness, the Dalai Lama speaks of the correlation between Tibetan Medical Practice and Buddhism, in regard to their being separate, but if the physician is a practicing Buddhist, then prayers and mantras may be recited during the preparation of medicines and dispensation of treatment, to further purify the causes of illness. In addition, if the patient is Buddhist, prayers and mantras may be recited at these times also, to enhance the psycho-spiritual potency of the treatment.
source tibetanhealing.com

[Aurore]

In Tibet, there's a pill called the Dalai Lama's mendup. I've heard that the followers of Dalai Lama consumes this whenever they are sick. Only this and nothing else. I wonder if it's through their faith it works for them.

Besides this, there are other kinds of pills prevalent in Tibetan medicine known as rinchen rilbu or "precious medicinal pills."

They were hand-collected and then made with a various herbs and minerals from the Himalayan mountains by highly skilled Tibetan lama-doctors. Combined with the power of prayers, rituals, and mantras is what made these pills effective in healing. These pills were made based on ancient formulas found in scriptures which were taught by the Medicine Buddha himself.

I would like to try it and see if it works though I think it's probably best combined with western medication.