Tibetan Medicine (The Healing Science of Tibet)

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I deeply appreciate Dr. Drug so fro his effort in bringing the book in English while striking a good balance between the two ideological extremes. With facts presented simply and explanations provided suitably, the book will be of great relevance to today’s world.

Tibetan Medicine—The Healing Science of Tibet is an authoritative compendium on the ancient wisdom and knowledge of healing that will be of immerse value to all health professionals. It is an exellent book and I recommend this book not for causal reading but for in-depth study. I commend Dr. Drungtso for this great effort and expect him to keep continue writing.

Dr. Drungtso, having mastered the Tibetan Medicine and acquired a good knowledge on modern medicine, fits the perfect image of a contemporary Tibetan doctor espousing the eleven vows of a Tibetan physician. His special position gives him the heavy responsibility to reveal the treasure trove of Tibetan healing techniques to the world at large and particularly to alleviate the sufferings of the ailing human beings.

This book is dedicated with all my heart to my most loving wife Tsering Dolma Drungtso, who had been the radiant energy behind everything I do and always being there to support me in all my endeavors.

Tibetan medicine today has earned for itself an important place in the world of medicine through its simple, natural and effective healing techniques. But there is much more for the world to know about this ancient Tibetan medical system. I am happy that Dr. Tsering Thakchoe Drungtso, a well known Professor at the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute, Dharamsala, has come out with this book on go baring (science of healing) at a time when there is a need to make the essence of Tibetan medicine much clearly known to the world.

I am sure the book will provide a good knowledge with regard to the essence, origin, evolution, ideology and history of Tibet’s so barrig pa, its similarities and difference with India and China. It also covers Buddhist philosophy, describes the relationship of nature’s five elements with the physical world, and tells about the importance of the healthy union of medicine and astrology, and the theory of the three fundamental and interdependent components of the human body.

The book, I hope, will be of enormous help to the patients in general, and in particular, to westerners with a keen interest in the Tibetan medicine and astrology. The book embodies the essence of so bar rig pa, which is to impart invaluable knowledge and measures of securing a good health and fortune by adopting a course of action according to one’s time and nature.

I deeply appreciate Dr. Drungtso for his effort in bringing the book in English while striking a good balance between the two ideological extremes. With facts presented simply and explanations provided suitably, the book will be of great relevance to today’s world. I pray that the book benefit everyone.

My heartfelt thanks to all my teachers in life, who trained me with great kindness and instilled me with confidence. I believe this book is the result of their inspiration to me and owes a great debt to their contributions.

I wish to thank Dr. Stewing Tam din, the principal of Tibetan Medical and Astro. College and the former Cultural Director of Men-Tee Khan who patiently went through the first edition of this book and bestowed the foreword to the first edition of this book despite his extremely busy schedule which I am using again in this revised edition.

I wish to thank my mother-in-law Mrs. Nyima Bhuti who had been caring my home and children which gives me full time engagement in all my writings.

I would especially thank my friend Graeme McNab from the UK, for his assistance in the final editing of the book.

Finally, I wish to extend my special thanks to my wife, Tsering Dolma Drungtso, a professional Tibetan Astrologer and Feng shui consultant, for her great endurance, encouragement and above all for helping me with all my computer-related difficulties.

Tibetan Medicine is one of the most complete ancient medical systems of the world that has withstood the test of time for more than five thousand years. Among the various systems of traditional medicine, Tibetan Medicine stands out distinctly as not only a system of great antiquity but also an organized system with distinct aims and objectives. Tibetan Medicine has a rich history of successful treatment and the curing of diseases. Many diseases which the West has largely been unable to cure, are ailments for which Tibetan Medicine has a high rate of success. It is particularly effective for mental disorders such as stress, depression and other ailments and diseases such as arthritis, liver problems, hepatitis, diabetes, cancer and all the chronic diseases that needs long term treatment. Emphasizing prevention rather than the cure, Tibetan medical diagnose and prescriptions bear rewarding fruit. Many patients experience great relief without any unpleasant side effects. The physician deals with the patient as a whole person, and relates to him/her with the understanding that the patient desires happiness and to avoid suffering, just as the physician does him/herself. The physicians understand the unique history behind the patient’s disease thus giving a holistic treatment. Anybody with an awareness of the fundamental principles of Tibetan Medicine can successfully lead a healthier and more peaceful life. The healing science of Tibet teaches us how to face the five delusive poisons of the mind and to stay in harmony with the macrocosmic world.

Tibetan Medicine is an approach to healing that draws from thousands of years of multicultural teachings. Tibetan Medicine was not only influenced by the Ayurvedic traditions of India, but also by medical information from China, Persia and Greece. In the 11th century, all this knowledge was incorporated into a unique code of- healing that resonated with Buddhist spiritual beliefs.

The philosophical concept of Five great elements (Tib: ‘byung ba chen pa inga), and the theory of three humours (Tib: nyes pa gsum) were explained in great detail yet with great simplicity that suits not only in the explanation of human body but the law of nature. Tibetan Medicine believes that the universe is based on five elements of nature. The Tibetans lived in direct contact with nature for many centuries, and they understood the forces of nature and how they could affect the human body. The Tibetans called the most dominant energies earth, water, fire, wind and space as the fundamental of both the microcosmic and macrocosmic world of existence. A lot of these traditions are very similar to those of the Native Americans, Ayurveda, Greek medicine and Chinese medicine.

The basic concepts of Tibetan Medicine evolved during the Shang Shung Tibetan historical period and were refined and advanced further in the rayed bzhi, the Classic medical texts of Tibetan Medicine. The knowledge of Tibetan Medicine was presented and placed on a sound scientific footing so that all physiological and pathological phenomena were interpreted logically while retaining the important features like Five Excellences to suits the mentality of people at the time of writing and compiling the texts.

Tibetan Medicine holds the holistic view of man instead of analyzing him into hundreds of parts and reducing him as aggregate of tiny cells. Happiness and unhappiness are the fruition of health and disease respectively. Psycho-somatic approach is very important fundamental aspects of Tibetan Medicine, and explains the inextricable link between mind and body as precisely shown in this book. Mind effects body and vice versa. Tibetan Medicine works with the power of the mind, emotions, and spiritual issues. There are definite links between one’s spiritual level and level of health. Tibetan Medicine is right on target when it states that the mind is the architect of all disease. Therefore, Tibetan Medicine made a conclusion that partial view cannot lead to proper understanding of mankind and its problems.

Tibetan Medicine had also laid strong emphasis on individual psychic and somatic constitution. According to Tibetan medical view, man is not a machine and as such cannot be operated equally with a uniform law.

Therefore, psycho-somatic constitutional examination plays a very important role in Tibetan Medicine not only to see the nature and acuteness of diseases but also in the proper management of constitutional disorders. Every regimen and therapy has to be applied keeping in view the constitution of an individual. One will see this importance in this book while going through the relevant topic.

Tibetan Medicine relies completely on nature and applies the law of nature in understanding, treating and managing the human problems. The rayed bzhi, Classical medical text of Tibetan Medicine, from beginning to end, has emphasized on these aspects which form the root of Tibetan medical examination and treatment.

Tibetan Medicine emphasis on promotion of life and prevention of diseases and guides through various health tips chapter in rayed bzhi. It also laid down the code of good conduct by which one can remain healthy and long-lived, which I also explain quite detail in this book in the chapter of lifestyle management in Tibetan Medicine. I also devoted a chapter in this book dealing with daily routine, seasonal living and incidental conduct which are an important means of preventing diseases in Tibetan Medicine.

I have kept some of the technical terms in native language with the idea that the connotation of the term may not be distorted. This book is just a drop or section of knowledge from the fathomless ocean of the knowledge of Tibetan medical system. And those who wish to enjoy deeper understanding of this subject are suggested to study the mother texts under the expert eyes of Tibetan scholars and doctors who are expertise in disseminating the vast knowledge of Tibetan Medicine and its related cultures. In the past, Tibetan Medicine mainly confined itself to Tibet. The publications in other languages were few and were mainly written by unqualified authors without any medical background. As a result, many of the existing works are inadequate and misinterpreted. There is a high degree of inaccuracy. RGyud-bzhi is too profound to understand properly even in one’s own mother tongue. Thus, unless one gain the right guidance and teacher rayed bzhi will remain an unsolved mystery. Even if one has a good understanding of it, one should be remarkably patient and study different commentaries and resources in depth in order to achieve a deeper understanding.

The principal force that drove me to write this book is the chance to ratify the erroneous views of a few medical historians and authors who have given a poor interpretation of Tibetan Medicine to readers and students alike. I also seek to bridge the gap of East and West in terms of ideologies regarding the science of healing. I intend to encourage a sound understanding of Tibetan Healing Science through concise and comprehensive discussions. Hopefully, my efforts will secure a respectful place for Tibetan Medicine in the wider world.

This book deals from the history of Tibetan Medicine to the introduction of theory and practices of Tibetan Medicine and expounds its relationship as well as differences with Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine and many other topics. I hope this book will provide a practical and comprehensive knowledge of Tibetan Medicine to those who read it. It is also my hope and’ wishes that this book will be of genuine help in alleviating sufferings of mankind and thereby creates happiness in the world. I believe that Tibetan medical wisdom can help perceive the human body as a being with soul contrary to the notion of treating human being as machines, thus comforting the mind, body and spirit of mankind.

I am happy to bring this book under the name of Drungtso Publications, which is a young publisher and devoted sincerely to the noble cause of propagating the mission of Tibetan Medicine and astrology all over the world. May this book be of good use to all those who read and spread the light of Tibetan Medicine and astrology to all directions like a pervading sun.