Introduction to Tibetan system of Medicine

Philosophy of Tibetan medicine is entirely Buddhist. It is, therefore, believed that the cause of all suffering is ignorance give rise to the three mental poisons of desire, hatred and closed mind. Each of these corresponds to the illness of the three Humours- wind, bile,

phlegm. All beings have the three humours as an essential constituents in their body and, in a healthy body, the balance between the three humours are maintained. When anyone of the three humours is disturbed, or imbalanced, that is when disorder sets in and harms the body. In fact, it is said that body can never be free of illness, unless three mental poisons are eliminated when in turn can not be rooted out until ignorance is overcome. 

Again in Tibetan medicine we believe that whether one is physically healthy or not, basically all of us are sick and even though the disease might not be manifest, it is present in a dormant from. This fact makes it difficult to fathom the scope of diseases. We  that believe thousands of different types of afflictive emotions, such as desire and hatred etc. have a corresponding effect on the beings,  causing different types of disorders.

According to Tibetan medicine there are 101 disorders that are influenced by the Karma (action) of ones past life. There are 101 disorders that have their causes in the early period of one’s life but are manifest only in the later part of one’s life. There are 101 disorders involving spirits and there 101 superficial disorders that can be corrected by simply following proper diet, behavioral pattern without having to go through medication and therapy.

Like other medical sciences. Tibetan medicine too has its own method of diagnosis. There are three basic means of diagnosis: questioning, visual and touch. The first involves queries about the patients’ case history. The second is the physical examination of  the patient- mainly scrutiny of the tongue and urine analysis. The third and by far the most accurate and unique method of diagnosis  is the pulse reading. This is quite similar to the system used in homeopathy and ayurveda. Of course, the philosophy is entirely  different.

 To become a doctor of Tibetan medicine, like all other medical sciences, a person has to undergo intensive training. There are four  main medical manuals or the Tantras. The first one is the Root tantra, which is Tibetan means introductory summary of Tibetan  medicine, covering all subjects. The medical student has to memorize this text first. The second is the Explanatory Tantra, which  elaborates how the body is formed of the five elements. If a human from does not maintain a diet composed of these five elements it  ceases to be in astate of good health. This tantra also considers the qualities of a good doctor. One of the most essential quality of  being a good doctor is “compassion “. The third medical text is the Oral Tradition Tantra. This describes the symptoms and signs  of diseases. The each disease is considered in terms of the three part treatment: method, medicine and blessing of the medicine  Buddha. The fourth and the most important text is the subsequent Tantra which teaches urine and pulse diagnosis.

 Apart from these four principal medical texts, there are hundreds of commentaries on the various aspects of Tibetan medicine, the  knowledge of which the student has to acquire. Also, many of the doctors have recorded various interesting case findings with  accurate diagrams and explanations in their memoirs. Such mines of information are passed down generation after generation and  kept as reference material by the doctors. Unlike other systems of medicine, Tibetan doctors do not utilize the modern diagnostic  gadgets.

Yet another unique and interesting aspect of the Tibetan system of medicine is that the doctor not only has to give correct diagnosis but also have to be fully qualified pharmacologist. The doctor should be able to identify several hundreds of medicinal plants, flowers,  roots and minerals etc. and be able to detoxify certain poisonous ingredients and compound them into appropriate medicines.

 My experience of personal involvement as a doctor of Tibetan medicine, gives me the courage to state that it is among the most  useful sciences that mankind presently have.

 Sharing this healing system with others will be truly challenging, given the skeptical attitude of both lay and professional people  outside the Tibetan cultural world. In my over 25 years of medical practice I have treated many cases like growth, bone disorder,  epilepsy etc. cases that modern medical practitioners have treated as incurable without surgery or simply beyond hope. It has been  my practice to send back the patient to their original doctor for further diagnosis and investigations after giving the medications.

Instead of appreciating the curative effects and qualities of Tibetan medicine and welcoming the remarkable response the medicine has in treating the patients, some of these doctors either say that the original diagnosis they made were wrong or whisper allegations  that strong allopathic drugs like steroid are being secretly mixed in the Tibetan medicine. They forget the primary duty of a doctor is to  heal and cure the patient. Compassion, spiritual wisdom and skill should go hand to treat patients.

 This ancient Tibetan science of healing can become a force that can contribute something substantial and lasting to world medicine.  All this time of tremendous advance in modern technology there is recognition that no one system has all the answers but Tibetan  medicine has remained almost entirely free from modern influence. At this point in time the Tibetan medical system can be analyzed  and researched not just a part of medical history but as a possible source of curative insight. However, if in the name of preserving  one’s culture, doctors of Tibetan medicine remain chained to an insensitive and mediocre bureaucracy without getting the respect and  freedom they deserve, the Tibetan medical system will die a natural death. Once in awhile one or two doctors may become famous  and their practice may flourish. But, this will not lead to any lasting contribution from Tibetan medicine to humanity itself. In order to  make the Tibetan system of medicine flourish, doctors of Tibetan medicine should exchange and share their knowledge and  experiences in treating different types of diseases with doctors of other medical sustems. Similarly doctors of other medical systems  in general and, allopathic medicine in particular, should have the wisdom and courage to accept Tibetan as an alternative science of  healing.