Tibetan medicine is an ancient synthesis of the art of healing, drawing on the knowledge of medical systems existing in a wide region of Southeast and Central Asia.
Tibetan medicine is an ancient synthesis of the art of
healing, drawing on the knowledge of medical systems existing in a wide region
of Southeast and Central Asia. The history of Tibetan medical system dates back
to some 3,800 years to the time of the non-Buddhist culture of Tibet’s native
religion. It has continued to evolve since then to the time of the strong
emergence of Buddhist culture in India. The Tibetans made use of their
countries abundant natural resources of flora and fauna to fight against
diseases. The seventh and eighth century observed the real development in the
field of Tibetan medicine. Ayurveda has contributed a great deal in enriching
Tibetan medicine. The Gyudshi or the
Four Great Tantras is the most
authoritative classic of Tibetan medicine,and bears ample proof of its loyal
allegiance to Ayurvedic classics like Charaka,
Susruta and Astanga hydra of Vaghbhata.
One of the unique features of Tibetan
medical system is its ideological structure of medical theory and practice in
the image of a tree known as Allegorical Tree.
Like the phenomena of conditioned existence, diseases are
also the product of causes and conditions. There are two main causes of the
disease: a long-term cause and short-term cause. Ignorance or unawareness is
the ultimate cause of all diseases. Because of ignorance or delusion, one
cannot see the reality of the phenomena and thereby clings to personal self or
ego which in turn gives rise to the three mental poisons: desire, hatred and
stupidity. So ignorance and three mental poisons constitute the long-term cause
of disease. Secondly, the short-term causes of disease are the three humours:
wind energy (Tib. rlung), bile energy
(Tib. mkhris pa) and phlegm (Tib. bad kan). They are produced by the
three mental poisons: desire gives rise to wind, hatred to bile and stupidity
to phlegm. These three humours constitute the basic energy system in the body.
They are interrelated to all vital functions of the body, organs, seven
constituents and three excretions. Seven constituents of the body are: food
(nutrition), blood, flesh, fat, bone, marrow and semen. The three excrements
are sweat, urine and faeces.
When the three humours, seven body constituents and the
three excrements are balanced, one is healthy; when they are unbalanced one
becomes sick. There are four factors responsible for the imbalance; they are
improper climate, influence of demons, improper diet and improper behaviour.
Since everything is interrelated, imbalance in one organ or one of the humours
affects the rest of the organism. Because of the interdependence of humours and
body constituents, etc., their imbalance can be diagnosed by the methods
specially used by Tibetan doctors. The methods are:
Interrogation
Considering the patient’s history.
Visual Examination
Visual examination consists of examining the patient’s
physical structure, eyes, tongue, urine, etc.
Tactile Examination
This method of diagnosis is concerned with things such as
temperature, inflammations, etc. Most important here is diagnosis by pulse.
Treatments
There are four methods of treatment. They are diet,
behav-iour modification, medicine and physical therapy. The most important
therapeutic technique is to restore the balance of the three ‘NYES-PA’
(humours) and to ensure that the seven constituents of the body are always in a
healthy state. These seven constituents are: essential nutrient (dangsma), blood (khark), fat (tsil),
muscle tissues (sha), bone (rus), marrow (kang) and regenerative fluid (khuwa).
Diet
The first treatment involves the prescribing of a proper
diet. For example, if the patient is suffering from a bile disorder, he should
not take alcohol and should drink cool boiled water.
Behaviour Modification
For example, a patient with a bile disorder should not do
heavy physical activities. He should rest in the shade, and not sleep during
the day. If these two factors fail to bring about a positive result, further
treatment should be carried out.
Medicine
Prescription of natural drugs. Here again the physician
starts with less-potent concoctions and turns to stronger forms, if necessary.
The drugs can be classified in 10 forms: decoction, pills, powder, granules,
medicinal butter, medici-nal calxes, concentrated extractions, medicinal wine,
gem medicine and herbal medicine.
Physical Therapy
Apart from natural drugs, the physician may also have to
depend on other therapeutic techniques, like massage, hot and cold compresses,
mineral spring bath therapy and medici-nal bath are the gentle techniques.
Blood, letting, cauteriza-tion, moxibustion, cupping and golden needle therapy
are considered as rough techniques. There is also some minor surgery such as
the draining of abscesses.
Tibetan medical philosophy is a holistic philosophy
involving the harmonious operation and balance of all the energies that
constitute the human psycho-physical being. Theses energies are the
psychologically originating three ‘NYES-PA’ or humours, which correspond to the
three mental poisons and the five cosmo-physical energies that are at the basis
of all phenomena. If all the factors that influence these energies (seasonal
factors; diet and nutrition, life style and mental attitudes) are positively
disposed, then these energies remain in balanced operation, and health is
experienced. It is the objective of Tibetan medicine that the balance in these
energies should be maintained.
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