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8/11/2019 Tenpa L Et Al 2005 Gso Ba Rig Pa the Science of Healing

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Himalayan Buddhist Cultural Association is

recognised by the govemment

of

India is the leading

organisation of

Himalayan region. It has

15

branches

operating from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.

It's aim based on Buddhist Philosophy to preserve

Himalayan Culture, Promote Modem Education with

Traditional background

of

leaming and Protection

of.

Environment in the Himalayan Region. It also works to

promote National Unity

&

Integrity, World

Peace,

through Compassion, Ftiendship and Non Violence.

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Himalayan Buddhist Cultural Association

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Sowa

Rigpa:

The

Science

of Healing

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Himalayan Buddhist

Cultural

Association


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Shri. Justice VS Khokje, (Governer of HP) lighting lamp for

the inauguration

of

the seminar.

ln the chair left to right- Shri Thupstan Chhewang,

Ven. Tsona Rinpoche & others dignitary scholars

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Sowa Rigpa: The Science of Healing Articles

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Advisor :

Ven.

Lama

Chosphel

Zotpa

Editors :

Shri Maling Gombu

Dr. Manoj Kumar Singh

Shri D.M. Goyal

Shri Lobsang Tenpa 'Jampa'

Ist Edit ion 2005, 1000 Copies -

Himalayan

Buddhist Cultural

Association

.Published by :_

. . . - '

Himalayan. Buddhist Cultural Association

B-4, Ladakh Buddhist Vihara,

Bela Road, Delhi-llOOS4.

Computerized: Lobsang Tenpa 'Jampa'

Typeset

by:

SPECfRUM

MEDIA

3721/5, Netaji Subhash Marg,

Daryaganj, New Delhi-2

Phone : 32272562

Printer:'

SAMRAT PRINTER

& BINDERS

1606, Pataudi House, Darya Ganj,

New Delhi -02 Phone: 23274880 Mobile : 9312547568

Price : 150/.:.

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valuable medicinal herbs, which has been the source of medi

cine Sowa-Rigpa. Sowa-Rigpa (Science

of

healing) Medi

cal System is very ancient sysyem of medicine Iike Ayurveda,

which originated from present Jammu & Kashmir in lndia and

was introduced in Ladakh and westem Tibet by Great Lotsawa

Rinchen Zangpo in the early 11th century. Since, then this sys

terri of medicine is prevalent and practiced in different parts of

Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,

Uttranchal, Sikkim, Darjeeling, Kalimpong

inWestBengal

and

Arunchal Pradesh

of

Himalayan region.

In the Himalayan region, it was practiced and taught in form

of

Guru-Shishsya Parampara' but now it is also taught in 'insti

tutions. This institutions needs to

be

further developed arid en

couraged. Also, due to the effort

of

the Tibetan Govt-in-exile,

this system of nedicine is kn:own intemationally and practiced

due to its successful result

of

healing. This system

of

medicine

has very rich history, Iiterature and all the sciences Iike any

other medical system which are being praCticed as profession.

It has elaborate scientifically developed syllabus for the

study ofmedical system and it is taught as full time 6 year course

in the Institute at Dharamsala, run by the Tibetari Govt.-in-exile

and also Central Institute

of

Higher

Ti

betan Studies, (Deemed

University) Samath, Varanasi, which is runby the Department

ofCulture, Ministry ofTourism and Culnire, Govt.

oflndia.

Today Sowa-Rigpa MedicalSystem is practiced and known

intemationally and it requires propagation and proper presenta

tion before the Govt. oflndia for its recognition. This rich medi

cal system is the contribution

of

lndia in to medical systems

of

the world.

It

is tested and has given wonderful results and tody

thousands of people across the country are getting this treat-

\1111

t

t

ment and getting the desired results.

l t

is with this objective to

highlight the importance and richness of this medical system

and to present a report to the Govt. of lndia that a Three Day

National Seminar was organized.

In order to get the best of result, experts and highly quali

fies practitioners in Sowa-Rigpa Medical System were being

invited from all over the country to participate in the seminar

and present their articles and view.s on the medical system. Dif

ferent scholars have various aspects. The articles are on history,

present situation, practice in Himalayan region and Tibet, culti

vation and conservation

of

medicinal plants and needs for rec

ognition. I am sure that the publication

of

these articles will be

very informative and help in achieving the desired goals and

moving towards the development

of

Sowa-RigpaMedical Sys

tem as full-fledged profession

of Indian system of medicine.

I take this opportunity to extend my hearty thanks to Shri

RBS Rawat, CEO, National Medicinal Plant Board, Secretary

& Jt. Secretary, Indian System ofMedicirie, Ministry ofHealth,

Director, Man-Tse-Khang; Director, Gandhi St.niiti & all the

scholars and participants for their help and assistance in mark

ing the program successful and enabling to bring out this book

on Sowa-Rigpa (Science ofHealing)

(Lala Chosphel Zotpa)

President


IX


7/175

Contents

Foreward

Part I (Seminar Introduction)

1

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Sowa Rigpa Seminar's Theme

Amchi/ Schotars Group's Suggestion

i) Atreya Group

ii) Padma Sambhava Group

iii)

Vagbhata Group

iv) Nagarjuna Group

v) Chandra Nand Group

.

Recommendation

Report of the National Seminar .

Part II (Bhoti Section)

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The

Historical Perspective

of

Sowa Rigpa

(Science of Healing)

Dr. sManla T. Phuntsok*

Introduction

History ofBuddhist medicine is as old as the Buddhism. More

than 2500 years ago, while the Buddha of medicine sat for meditation

in the forest for four years, a discussion.took place between him and

Jungnas, Yong Sman anmey and Mangpo Mangbtum. These were

recognized and earned the names

of

four great medical masters

of

the western Tibet. The pious King Jungehup Od offered one hundred

gold coins to Pandita Janadarna of Kashmir who in collaboration

with Rinchen bZanpo system of Medicine, which has become very

popular in Ladakh and adjoining areas, is known to have been drawn

from the Yanlag brgyad Pai sNingpo (Astangahrdaya).

Through the ages, the medical men of the Himalayas have

enriched this system

of

Buddhist medicine by introducing more and


121/175

the other Jinas

ofhis

manifestation on the topic

of

art

of

healing and

maintaining good health. Emanating from that discussion the four

basic medical texts rgyud-bzhi have been formed as the fundamental

texts

of

Buddhist medicine. Henceforth, a tradition

of

Buddhist

medicine continued to flourish in India throuth Kumarajiva,Acharya

Nagarjuna, Ashva Gosha and Chandranandana, etc.

In the 8th centuryAD, galaxies

oflndian

and Tibetan scholars

were engaged in translation ofBuddhist texts from Sanskrit to Tibetan

language. Acharya

Chandranandana and Lotsava Vairochana

translated rgyud-bzhi in

Ti

betan.

In

order to popUlarize these ancient

texts; needless to say, it was from the time of senior Yuthog Gonpo

that the Tibetan physicians started writing commentaries on rgyud

bzhi.

About nine hundred year ago, during the reign

of

King

Lhalama Yeshe Od, the learning ofBuddhist medicine was introduced

in the province of Kuge and neighbouring areas in the Western

Himalayas. In that period the mtho-gling monastry played an

important role in transhiting the later Buddhist medical texts from

Sanskrit to Tibetan under the supervision of the great translator

Rinchen bZanpo. This translator

ofthe

western Himalayas,

communicated the medical knowledge of his four prominent

disciples namely Myang-adas Senga Grag, Shang Kripa Yeshe

* Director, Mahabodhi Karuna Charitable Hospital, Leh, Ladakh.

224

ntore herbal drugs. Their major contributions are the recipes in the

field of

Bud


122/175

Abbasystem in Kargil and Skardu. This science ofhealing is popu

larly practiced in Tibet,Bhutan, Mongolia, Russia, Nepal and many

trans- Himalayan states of India. Like ayurveda system, the Sowa

Rigpa also is founded in Tridosa concept called rLung, Khripa and

Badkan. The entire physical, physiological and metabolic activities

are operated by these three humeral systems. There state

is responsible for perfect health, while disrturbance of this balance

produced pathological state in the body. Within the body there is

vast areas of invisible forces, energy current constantly working for

functioning

ofthe

body and mind. Just as electric current is invisible

in the electri wke, so does the nerve energy is constantly flowing

within the white channel, which we grossly called ruling, which too

depend on another two dynamic forces khripa and bakkan respon

sible for supply of secretion, hormones through the vaious metabolic

processes.

Sowa- Rigpa has rich literature, books and manuscripts de

scribing all essential knowledge

of

anatomy, physiology, pharma

cology and toxicology etc. and there are three hundred and seventy

drugs, which are commonly used either alone or by compound for

mulations.

Adoption of health planning and extension of community

health service depend upon the topographic accessibility, indigenous

availibility ofmedicinal flora and fauna and socia-economic condi-

226

Thus, the Amchi system is still popular in Ladakh, because it

safe, inexpensive and beneficial and also serves as an alternative

tcommunity health care. The richness of indigenous herbal and min

medicine has made this system harmonious with the environ

But due to Iack of patronage of both the State and Central

this system has been left behind like an emaciated child which

rejuvenation. lt would be right occasion

if

Irequestall

con

to give a positive thought to revitalize the system and give

recognition as in case of Ayurveda.

227

Historical Evolution

of

Tibetan

Science

of

Healing called the Sowa Rigpa- A case study

Dr.Pema

Dorjee

Orallineage of Sowa Rigpa:- Ever since the evolution ofhu

man beings in Tibet surrounded by snow capped moutains, people of

Tibet have been in close relation with elements

oftheir

ennironment.

This relationship with the natural elements made them perceive ex

istence of the two opposite effects of the natural element by a logic

ing. The king offered to one

of

them his own daughter as bride and

their son Thongki Thorchok bad mastered in pulse reading, dietary

technique, pharmacology, and techniques of therapeutics and sur

gery which had contributed in the development of Ti betan Medical

Treatise.

During the reign

ofTibet's

King Songtsen Gampo (617 AD)

one of his ministers called Thonmi Sambhota visited India to study

Indian scripts and composed Tibetan scripts. He bad then translated

many books on medicine from Indian language into Tibetan language


123/175

that

if

there is a poison then there must

be

medicine. According

to

the medical treatise,

'in

an encounter to the cause ofsomething, there

isanatural

intention to chose an opposite quality.' Human body seeks

to acquire an adverse quality of natural elements to encounter with

the imbalance ofTripa or hot element by seeking diet or behavior of

Badkhen

or

cool in quality. In this way we adapt ourselves to the

qualities of sun and moon, fire and water as force of encounter

to

each other. By an experience of reseatch

on

wounded birds and ani

mals we knowledge ofsurgery and physical therapies. There

would always be something wrong either with excess or with inad

equacy of diet and inappropriateness

of

behaviour of Iifestyle. It

is

therefore that the parents bound their children to the Iimit of food

they eat and themselves with their own menta ljudgement . Thus, the

Science ofHealin g or Sowa Rigpa bad originated with a concept that

diet and behaviour or Iifestyle are the pnmary cause of all times and

that if there is poison then there must

be

medicine.

Sowa-Rigpa as in Tibetan

Me


124/175

health. Although there are many books on Tibetan medicine written

by many scholars and great physicians but the most authentic one is

the rGyudshi, the four tautras that are (i) the Root Tantra, (ii) the

Explanatory Tantra, (iii) the Quintessence Tantra and (iv) the Com

plimentary Tantra

The Root Tantra:

lt

is the basicfundamental tantra like the

soul of a body and has s ix chapters. All the other three tautras attrib

uted their origin to it.

The Explanatory Tantra: It represents the body

of

a soul that

explains in detail or clarifies what the root tantra does mean. It has

thirty-one chapters.

The Quintessence Tantra: This tautra deals with knowledge

the real knowledge of Tibetau Medicine and has ninety-two chap

ters. It represents the real quality of all the tautras and clarifies each

and every word of all the tautras.

The Complementary Tantra: This tantra has twenty-seven

chapters and it deals with the practice ofall the tantras. l t is the pana

cea for all illness.

The Sowa Rigpa deals with illness from the whole aspect

of

human body. The concept and practice of Sowa Rigpa isthat human

body is composed

of

five natural elerrients and so is the illness too.

Therefore, the healing has to be found in the

fi

ve natural elements .

Human body requires for its growth and sustenance a virtual balance

230

get infom1ation about relevant signs and symptoms charactirised by

his illness.

All these three methods diagnosis are deal and in all its varia

tions by the four medical tantras. The urine and pulse beats

of

the

human body are in enormous Variations, each depending on imbal

ance

of

either one or the other two or in combination of the two in

threc principle energies conditioned by either excess or inadequacy

in diet and inappropriateness in lifestyle and behaviour as weil as the

prevailing season and climate during the illness. The Tibetan Medi

cine Iooks to the illness as having an immediate eause and a relative

Brief on

Tibetan Medical Sowa Rigpa)

Pharmacology

Menrampa

Kartsang

Tenzin

Deche*

Any medieal system either it is Ayurvedi System

or

Hornea

pathie System or Unani System or Chinese System or Tibetan Medi

cal System or Western System, every system has its own way of

healing but the goal of all the system is eommon and that is to eure

his -patient.

As far as Tibetan medicine is concemed, many Tibetan Medi


125/175

cause.

The Therapeutie:- Having defined the illness aeeurately the

treatment follows with a ehange of behaviour of lifestyle,dietary

modifications, medication and aeessory therapies. The four medieal

tantras deal with every aspeet

of

the therapeutic teehnique in detail

leaving no room for ambiguity and speeulation . There are ehapters

on diet and Iifestyle or behavior keeping into aeeount their tastes and

other eharaeteristies like roughness, heaviness, lightness, oily and

non-oily. Then there are chapters dealing with medieines in every

kind, herbs, minerals, fruits, stones, their tastes and uses and also

chapters on aceessory therapies like massage, moxabation, golden

needle therapy and surgery.

232

cal Institutions and Tibetan Seholars, other individuals including many

Asians and Westemers have done much work in the past in promot

ing Tibetan medicine. Today it is receiving wide interest from the

international eommunity and being practieed throughout the Hima

layan region. In countries like Mongolia, Russia etc. it is becoming a

popular alternative health care system. It is one of the oldest living

medical traditions ofthe world.

However, despite its antiquity and current popularity, the

strength ofTibe tan medicine has not yet been weil understood by the

world 's scientifie eommunity, as eompared to other systems ofmedi

cine. lt needs more series study by the scientists , scholars and stu

dents.

According to the So-Rig rGurd-bZhi (The four tantras),

all

sentient beings are created by the five elements, so as alt the diseases

and their antidotes are five elements in origin and eompostition re

speetively. Therefore, all three are inter-related for having common

origin i.e. the five elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Spaee).As

per So-Rig rGyud-bZhi there is nothing

on

the earth that has no

me

dicinal value.

The fundamental philosophy ofpharmology in Ti betan medi-

* Doctor of Sowa-Rigpa Medical System, Unit of Tibetan Medical and

Astro

logical Institute, Dharamshaia at Nizzamudin East, New Delhi.

233

eine is as such based on the theory of Byung-ba-Inga or the Cosm

physical elements. These elements are not in their actual- state, b

concepts dealing more with their inherent qualities i.e.

Earth: heavy, stable, blunt, smooth, oily and dry.

Water: fluit, cool, dry, coarse, light, oily, flexible.

Fire: hot, sharp, dry, coarse, light, oily, mobile.

Air: light,mobile, cold, coarse, non-oily, dry.

These subtle qualities are not only responsible for the mate

rial aspects ofrLung (wind), mKhris-pa(bile) and Bad-kan(phlem)1

. but also for the six tastes and the three post-digestive tastes, fro

should be collected when crops and plants shed their leaves.

(autumn)

b. The leaves, Iatex plants and shoots of the medicinal plant

should be collected when the plants are growing.(summer)

c. Fruits and flowers should be collected for medicinal use when

they are mature and bloom fully.

d. The intemal barks and resins should be collected when flow

ers bloom and sprouts emerge from the soil.

Removal

of

Toxic impurities:


126/175

...which the composition, properties, and various actions of a specifi

. nedicine are inferred.

::-:

Tibetan pharrnacology is not simply an art but also a refine

which has been passed down by the Buddha Sakyamuni

ove

. wo thousand five hundred years ago. This science involves a knowl

J:.

ofhistory, identification, cultivation, cllection, selection, prepa

preservatiort etc.

..

.

of

Drugs:

, , It is very crucial to follow the seven Limb Procerlure sets ou

, rational system for identification ,growth, collection and process-

}

j.'

ing

of

medicinal plants and the procedures and processess for con-

.verting the plant materials into medicines

.

, , : :

of medicinal plants in

their

natural habitat:

The land mus t be very fertile and pollution free. Cooling

pow

ered medicinal plants shoud be harvested from high and cold areas

and warrning powered plant should be harvested from hot and

dry

areas. This will assure harvesting plants of superior quality.

Collection of Medicinal plants in their own time:

a. The parts

ofthe

medicinal plan t such as root, branch and trunk

234

Here toxic impurity does not refer to that which would take

one's life butthat which would certainly harrn the body

ifnot

prop

erly removed. These impurities inherit very coarse powers of nature

and are very difficult to digest. All the medicinal plants after collec

tion should be washed properly, preferably in river water coming

from the same valley or mountian where the plants grow. Then hark

from the roots, inner spongy part from trunk,nodes from the branches,

sterm from the leaves, sepals from the flowers, kemels from the fruits,

extemal dirt from the hark should be removed properly. Latesxes,

spongy parts and resins have no impurities to be removed.

Drying:

After collecting and washing the medicinal plants, they are

chopped into pieces and dried. Cool ing powered medicines are dried

in shady and airy areas, while warm podwer medicines are dried in

the sun and near fire. Each type of medicinal plant should be kept

seperated from other types to prevent contamination.

Maintajn ing the efficacy

or

potency:

It

is important to use plants while they aresti ll fresh i.e. within

twelve months of collection. Beyond this they lose their potency.

However, the essences of medicinal plants could be extracted into

concentrated decoctions and that can be kept Ionger time. Well-dried

235

roots, branches, trunks and fruits can be kept for two or more years.

Smoothening

the

power of medicinal formulations:

Generally most medicinal plants are coarse in potency and as

a result obstruct proper digestion, increase wind and cause poor health

etc. Unless the active constituents which produce these effects are

neutralized, the efficaciousness

of

the drug will be greatly affected.

This problern is solved by combining many medicinal plants

that have the same efficacy or by .adding specific ingredients in spe

cial cases. Smoothing could also be done by adding a..'ltidotes that

concenstrated decoction, pills, medicinal ash, medicinal butter, me

dicinal powder, past, medicinal beverage etc.

Decoction:

There are two types

of

decoctions and they are cooling and

warming powered decoctions. They in turn alleviates the hot and

cold disorders. Hot and cold disorders are caused by Tripa and blood,

and the Badkan and rLung imbalances. Decoctions at quick and it' s

effect comes from the tastes

of

the medicinal ingredients. Its func

tion is to nature the imatured illness,and to withdraw the scattered


127/175

reduce the coarse power of medicinal plants such as molasses, which

balances increased rLhung or pomegranate which promotes diges

tive heat or terminalia chebula which promotes the bodily constitu

ents as blood and musdes etc.

Compounding suitable medicines:

Medicines are compounded with consideration given to the

warming and cooling powers of the medicinal substances, their ef

fects on hot and cold disorders, and their tastes and post-digestive

tastes.

Most Tibetan medicine are made by combination of 5 to

35

herbs and minerals. Together they are to positively sti:nulate the life

energies and restore the lost balance in the body indicated by sick

ness. There is a complicted methology to the collection

of

plants and

preparation

of

pills. The preparaion

of

medicines should be done under

the guidance

of

an expert pharmocologist. Also the doctor's motiva

tion is very much stressed. The doctor shoud here, as always be mo

tivated by strong feeling

of

compassion for living creatures. During

part

ofthe

process may any negative effects occur. This would have

bad effect on the medicine according to Tibetan Medical System.

The mental condition of the doctor plays a importance role in Ti

betan Medicine. The Tibetan Medicines could be in the form

of

236

illness

to

it's

prime site, and

to

separate the diseased and healthy

constituents

of

the body.

Powder:

Powdered medicines are considered acts slower than the de

coction and quicker than the pills as its effect ensues after digestion.

However, in alleviating the disorders, it is more effective than the

decoctions.

Pills:

Pills are considered slower than that

of

powdered medicines

as it' s effect ensues from the powder

of

the medicinal components.

The powers are warming and cooling. However, the pills are consid

ered most effective in uprooting the disorders.

Paste:

Paste are considered good in uprooting the remnants

of

the

disorders affected in the blood vessels, nerves, tendons, Iigaments

and the skin.

Medicinal Butter:

Medicinal butters

are

prescribed

after the successful

237

treatment of the disorders to develop the bodily constitutes and to

promote the clarity

of

the sense organs.

Concentra ted Decoction:

Concentrated decoction is considered good for eliminating

most ofthe hot disorders. For instance, the chopped pieces ofBerb

eris aristata is put in the water and boiled again and again to extract

it's essence. Each time, the essence is strained in a vessel and

the

remnant is thrown away.

It

is then boiled slowly and stirred to avoid

gSo

ba

Rig

pa

(Sowa Rigpa) Medical System

Tashi

Y.

Tashigang*

In ancient India gSo ba Rig ba was a major branch

ofthe

five

main branches

of

knowledge. We find in various Sutras where the

theory of medical science states that an excess or decrease

of

the

three humors namely, rlung (wind) mkhris-pa (bile) and Bad-kan

(phlegm) disturbs the balance

of

health

of

a person. Most impor

tantly, ignorance is the basic cause

of

disease that Ieads to imbalance

of three humors. It is believed that these three energy system are


128/175

bum out until it forms a paste. The paste is then dried in a clean

environment and used whenever it is needed.

Medicinal Ash:

Medicinal ashes are considered good for eliminating most of

the cold disorders induced by Badkan imbalances. For instance, a

Monetaria annalus us brunt properly in coal fire until it becomes

completely white. It is then made into fine powder and is used when

ever a need arises.

Medicinal Beverage:

Medicinal beverage are considered good for eliminating most

of the disorders associated with rLung imbalances. For instances, a

tribulus terrestris beverage is prepared from tribulus terrestris and

barley chang. It is then taken whenever a need arises.

238

functioning in human body, which is in healthy dynamic equilib

rium. When these three-energy system become disrupted due to va

riety of reasons, it provides a substrate for an illness to develop in a

body.

The teaching on medical science was discoursed by the Shakya

Muni Buddha in the 6th century BC. In addition, he gave teachings

on medicine in a mimher of sutras including the Vinaya Pitaka. These

writing of original teaching serve as an essence that develops into

whole system

of

gso ba rig

pa

medical system. The whole text has

been written in the form of question and answer, an exchange of

dialogues between his heart and mind that were seen as two Sages,

which emanated from the medical Buddha, the King of Medicine.

This legend is important as his notions and understanding of

science of healing and practice of medicine were actually dialogues

between his heart and mind. All these texts and treatises that recount

the dialogues between the two Sages, historically emerged as the

most important textbook of medicine, which has been named as "Bdud

rtsi snying po yan lag brgyad pa gsang ba man ngag gi rgyud (Secret

treatise of instructions in the eight branches of essence of immortal

ity)." It has been shortly abbreviated as Rgyud bzhi in gso ba rig pa

medical system.

*Director, Tashigang Herbai Center, Delhi

239

The eight principle branches of Gso ba rig pa medical system:

1.

Adult diseases.

2. Childhoood diseases.

3. Fernale diseases.

4. Nervous system diseases

5.

Wounds.

6. Poisonings.

7. Senile diseases.

8. Frtility and reproduction.

eight medical texts known as Carakasamita, which was handed over

to them by the teacher Atreya.

NAGARJUNA

(Ist

century A.D.)

In the early Ist entury A.D. Nagarjuna wrote the medical text

called Sman dpyad Zla ba'i rgyal po (Somarajabhaisajyasadhana)

with 112 chapters in verses. This book was a revelation given by

Boddhisatva Manjusri to Nagarjuna who wrote it for the benefit of

the living beings and espeecially for the patients who suffer fr.om


129/175

I

Diet and nutrition have been discoursed with importance in

all the texts. It is said that a balanced diet, nutrition wise and amount

wise need to be consumed so that the food will be digested with ease

and comfort and yield longevity of life.

For diagnosis and treatment, the approach is to identify which

of his three-energy system is out

of

balance, which is done by three

ways:

1. Examinaion

2. Questionaire

3.

Pulse diagnosis and urine analysis.

A diagnosis is made and on its basis therapies are instituted,

which helps in restoring the underlying imbalances and return health

to its natural state.

Contribution of Indian Schalars and Acharyas in

development of gSo ba Rig

pa

Iiterature

ATREYA (6th century BC)

The famous physician Atreya (6th century BC) was an active

physician and a great teacher at Taxila a center of leaming at that

time.

Wehave

the story

ofthe

Prince Jivaka

ofMagadh

proceeding

to Taxila to learn Medicine from Atreya. Subsequently, after this

period various authors followed the tradition, wrote and revised the

240

various ailments. This book could not be included

in:

Bstan 'gyur.

In the course of centuries, the text Somarajabhaisajyasadhana

was translated into Chinese and then to Tibetan. It was translated

into Tibetan for the first time, in the 8th century AD during the reign

ofEmperor Khri-sron-lde-bstan, by Chines monk Hasang Mahayana

and Lo-tas-ba, so ba rig pa system, the other two being Rgyud bzhi

and Astangahrdayasamhita (Sman dpyad yan lag rgyad pa). It was

also the first medical text that came to Tibet. Irt course of time, the

Rgyud bzhi became the most popular text and Somarajabhaisajy

asadhana was pushed to the background. However, eminent physi

cians have used it in support of Rgyud bzhi.

Other texts written by Nagarjuna:

1. Sbyor ba brgya pa, Yogasataka

2. Sman 'tsho ba'i mdo: Jivasutra

3. Slob dpon klusgrub kyis basd pasman a ba'i cho ga:

Acaryanagarjunabhasita-ababhesajakal-pa

All the above three texts by N agarjuna were included in Bstan

'gyur.

VAGBHATAI (1st century AD)

Vagbhata I who lived in 1st century AD was contemporane

ous with the Indian Emperor Kanishka. Vagbhata I wrote a major

medical text after thoroughly studying the Carakasamita, named it as

Astangahrdayasamhita. In the 11th century, the famous Lo-tsa-ba

241

(translator) Rinchen bzang-po

of

Guge (Tibet) with the help of the

Kashmiri physician Jarandhara translated this text into Tibetan.

The Titles of text:

I.

Astangahrdayasamhita-nama: authored by Vagbhata

I.

2.

Yan lag brgyad

pa'i

snin po bsdus

pa

zhes bya pa: trans

lated by Jarandhara and Rin-chen bzang-po into Tibetan in the

I I

h

century AD.

BI BYI DGA-BYED AND, BI-LHA DGA-MDZES (3rd century AD)

Earlier, in the reign

ofking

Lha Tho-thori Gnyan-bstan (3rd

was found in the text to be Sinha Gupta, which in Tibetan was trans

lated as Sec-ge-sbas-pa. Furthermore, Vagbhata

II

was the grand fa

ther

of

Candranandana who lived in the 8th century AD.

The titles

of

text:

I.

Astangahrdayasamhita-nama-vaiduryakabhasya: authored by

Vagbhata II

2. Yan lag brgyad

pa'i

snin po zhes bya

ba'i

sman dpyad kyi

basd

pa:

translated

by

Lo-tsa-ba Ai-gu shakya

blo-gros

and

Dharmasrivarma, Revised by Mar-lo Rig-pa gzhon-nu and dbying

rin-chen.


130/175

century AD)] two Indian physicians namely Bi-Byi Dga-Byed and

his friend, a Iady named Bi-lha-mdzes visited Tibet. Their profound

knowledge

of

medicine and healing was brought to the notice

of

the

king. The king received them well and affered a princess to Bi-byi,

who had a son from her.

Hisname

was Tung-gi Thor-chog-chan,

who also becam:e an efficient physician. However, there being not

any script for the Tibetan hinguage, hence, no text was translated at

that time. The whole teaching of medicine was through oral tradi

tion.

The Title

ofText:

I. A collected medical instructions ofBi-byi lineage has been

transmitted in a text named, bi ci po ti kha ser.

V AGBHATA II (7th century AD)

Vagbhata

II

was a great Indian physician who lived in the 7th

century AD in Kashmir. He wrote the commentary

known

as

"Astangahrdyasamhita-rtama-vaiduryakabhasya" This book was the

commentary known as "Astangahrdyasamhita-namvaiduryakabhasya.

This Book was translated into Tibetan by Zhu-chen-gyi Lo-tsa-ba

Ai-gu shakya-blo-gros and Dharmasrvarma. Afterwards this textwas

revised by Mar-lo Rig-pa gzhon-nu,

and

Dbyig-gi rin-chen. Earlier.

Various scholars belived that this work was of Vagbhata I, which

was incorrect. This was known after the father's name of authour

I 242

CANDRANANDANA (8th century AD)

He was a kashmiri Physician, who carred

on

the tradition of

the medical work started by Vagbhata I. His work was widely ac

cepted and he became very farnaus at that time. There is a detailed

commentary of Padarthacandrikaprabhasa-nama-astangahrdayavivrti

(Yan lag brgyad

Pa'i

snin po'i mam par grel pa tshig gi don gyi zla

zer zhes

bya

ba) written by Candranan-dana (Zli-ba-la-dga)

on

Astangahrdaya, This commentary was later translated into Tibetan

by Jarandhara and Lo-tsa-ba Rin-Chen bzan-po in the 11th century

AD.

The titles of text:

1.

Sman

dpyad yan lag brgyad

pa'i

snin po'i grel

pa

(vaidyastangahrdayavrtti) authored by Chandranandana (Zla-ba-la

dga).

2. Yan lag brgyad pa'i snin po'i rnam

par'

grel pa tshig gi

don gyi zia zhes bya ba: translated by Jarandhara and Rin-chen bzan

po in to Tibetan in 11th century AD.

PADMASAMBHAVA (8th century)

Padmasambhava the great Sage ofUddiyana, visited Tibet in

the 8th century on the invitation of he powerful king chos-rgyal khri

srong-lde-btsan. With his tremendous occult power, Padmasambhava

243

subjugated the demons which had put mysterious obstacles for

the

construction with Santarakashita, he laid a firm foundation for

the

propagation of Buddhism in Tibet.

The titles

of

text:

1.

Gso thabs bdud rtsi bum chen

2. Gu ru'i bdud rtsi bum chung

VIMALAMITRA (8th century AD)

The second great Sage who came to

Tibet

after

Padmasambhava was Vimalamitra,

bom

in Kashmir at a place called

pa'i rgyud (Akhyata tantra) Man nag rgyud (upadesa tantra) and Phyi

ma'i rgyud (Uttara tantra)

The Titles ofText:

1. G'yu thog cha lag bco brgyad: it is a collection of eighteen

instructions on the practice of medicine and the Rgyud bzhi, which

had been handed down in the

G'yu

thog lineage.

DWAGS-PO LHA-RJE (1079-1153 AD)

The great sage Dwags-po Lha-rje was a renowned physician

before he left the worldly life to devote his life in spirituality.

He is


131/175

the Elephant Rige. In his time, he was one

ofthe

most leamed teacher

of Vikramshila Vihara, which was next only to Nalanda University

in fame. Three high ranking men were sent to India to invite him to

Tibet. Accepting the invitation, he came to Tibet in the 8th century

AD and gave teaching to king and others. He was well versed in

medicine and offered a preparation to eure lunacy and acute pain.

The title of text :

1.

Mtshams brag manuscript of the Rnying ma rgyud bum

(Nationallibrary

of

Bhutan)

G'YU-THOG YON-TAN-GON-PO, RNIN-MA (8th century AD)

The most popular medical text that was introduced in Tibet

in the 8th century A.D. is Rgyud bzhi i.e. the Four Tantra. It is said

that Vairocana, a Ti betan Lo-tsa-ba of the 8th century had brought

this text from India. Vairocana was the famous translator in the first

period of Buddhist movement in the land of snow. Vairocana passed

the text and teaching of Rgyud bzhi to G'yuthog Y on-tan-gon-po,

Rnin-ma, who was the royal physician of the Emperor Chos-rgyal

Khrisron-lde-bstan (8th century AD),Tibet. It also to be noted that

Rgyud bzhi was not popular at that time and it was kept as a secret

text at a concealed place for future exploration, However, it could

not be denied that is was still in practice among Vairocana, G'yu

thog-pa Rnin-ma and the Emperor.

Rgyud bzhi, the four tantras are Rtsa ba'i rgyud (mula tantra) Bsad

244

also known as Sgampo-pa Bsod-nams-rin chen and

nu. He is one of the two religious heirs of profoundly accomplished

yogi, Mila-ras-pa. Sgampo-pa was well recognized as a guru of all

the major Dkar gyud-pa traditions of Tibet. This master also re

ceived Bka-' gdams-pa precepts given by Atisha.

He is considered as a main creator

of

a synthesis

of

the two

approaches to Buddhist realization. Before renouncing the worldly

life, he was a renowned physician whose knowledge and experience

could be read in a book titled Phan byed rig pa'i mdzod written by a

monk Prabha Ratna who was his disciple. There is also a text

of

Bcud bsdus (Rasayana) composed by him for Yoginis and lay people.

The titles oftext:

1. Zla'od gzhon nus mdzad pa'i bcud bsdus.

2. Dwag. po'i thor' bum.

LO-TSA-BA RIN-CHEN BZAN-PO (11th century AD)

Astangahrdaya by Vagbhata I and its commentary written by

Chandranandana were translated by Jarandhara (Kashmiri physician)

and Lot-lsa-ba Rin-chen-bzang-po

of

Guge of Western Tibet in the

11th century AD. Rin-chen bzang-po produced many students of

medical science. The famous four physicans of Guge in westem

Tibet were (i) Nyang-' das Senge-sgra (ii) Shak-khri Ye-shes' -byung

gnas (iii) Ong-sman Ane and (iv) Mang-mo Sman-btsun*.

245

all the four physicians, Mang-mo Sman btsun became most popular.

The

knowledge

of

theory

and practice, which

was

base

on

Astangahrdaya and its commentary translated by Rin-chen bzang

po, was handed over from generation to generation. We find that

most famous Sa kya Pan-ehen acquired his knowledge of medicine

through Astangahrdaya.

The title of text:

1. Yan lag brgyad

pa'

snin poi' grel pa tshig gi don gyi zla

zer

zhes bya

ba

(Pandarthacandrikapradasha-nama

astangahrdayavivrti) translated by Jarandhara and Rin-chen bzan-po

DPAL-LDAN-'TSHO-BYED, BRANG-TI (13th century AD)

He was born in a family of famous Brang-ti physicians in the

13th century AD. He initially learnt medicine based on the principles

adopted by Brang-ti tradition in the 8th century AD. Later, he met

several famous physicians and learnt from them. He wrote medical

text in a simple and lucid manner.

The Title

of

text:

1 Khog dbubs shes bya rab gsal bran ti lhi rje 'i zal gdame blo

gros rgyas byed; A survey with an account

of

the historical origins

and developement the Ti betan medical traditions.


132/175

I

PHYAG-RDUM-MAM SKYES-BU ME-LHA (12th century AD)

We find that at the time the king Rtse-lde ofthe Kigdom of

Gude and Spurang in Western Tibet, a physician from Udiyana, a

place which has been identified as an area in the westem part of

Sindh province in Pakistan, came to westem Tibet. His name phyag

rdum-mam-skyes-bu me-1ha, We find a nurober of texts on medi

cine, which were written by him.

Texts written by him:

1.

Snyan brgyud be bum nag po.

2. Sman spyad rin chen 'dus pa atsa

ra'i

man ngag.

G'YU-THOG YON-TAN-GON-PO, GSAR-MA(12thcentury AD)

G'yu-thog-pa, Gsar-ma was

bom

in 1126 AD. He followed

the lineage and tradition of G'yu-thog pa family. He recovered the

Rgyud bzhi Text, which was concealed earlier. He gave the final

shape to the Rgyud bzhi and wrote an elaborate commentary on it.

The Title

of

text:

1. man hgag bu don

ma

Man ngag bu don ma: a collection of special medical teaching by

G yu-thog Yon-tan-mgon-po.

246

of

RANG-BYUNG-RDO-RJE, KARMA-PA III (1284-1339 AD)

The 3rd incarate Karma-pa was bom at a place called phu

lung-shod near Gung-thang in Tibet. He received teaching from

Orgyan-pa Rin-chen dpal and was weil versed in medicine The 3rd

Karmap-pa Ran-byun-rdo-rje was an outstanding master who wrote

an important text on medicine. He is an author

of

a medical text

whose title isSman mong Rgya mtsho (Ocean ofnames ofmedicinal

herbs and material)

RNAM-RGYAL-GRAGS-BZANG, BYANG-BDAG (1394-1475

AD)

He was born in a royal family in Byang Nagm-ring in north

central Tibet. He is known as the founder of Byang-pa school

of

medicine. He wrote detailed commentary on Rgyud bzhi, which was

widely acclained.

The Title

of

text:

1. Bshad pa' rgyud kyi rgya eher 'grel

pa

bdud rts' chu rgyun:

commentary on the second

of

the four tantras.

MNAM-NID-RDO RJE, ZUR-MKHAR (1439-1475 AD)

He was born in a ruling family of Zur-mkhar of kong-po,

southern part ofTibet . He and wrote voluminous commentar-

247

ies on Rgyud bzhi.

The Title of text:

1. Manngag

bye ring bsrel (Mr rigs dpe skrun khang, Tibet, 1993)

DKON-MCHOG-BDE-LEGS, GONG-SMAN (15th century AD)

He was

bom

in the 15th century AD and became physician in

the area ofLa-stod, eastem Tibet. He was the descendent of Gong

kha-pa chos-kyi-rje

of

La-stod. He studied medicine according to

the Brang-ti tradition. He also had a great knowledge

of

the Byang

1. 'Bri gung gso rig gces bsdus: (Mi rigs dpe skrun khang,

Tibet, 1999)

BLO-BZANG-CHOS-GRAGS, DRA-MO SMAN-RAMS-PA (17th

AD)

He was

bom

in 1638 AD in a village named Dar-mo in south

ern Tibet. He received education in the 'Bras-spungs monastery and

later received medical teaching from fifty different teachers and was

conferred the tide Sman-rams-pa Doctor of medicine. He became

personal physician to the 5th Dalai Lama. He transmitted a text which


133/175

I

and Zur-lug traditions.

The Title

of

text:

1. Commentaries on the Rtsa rgyud, Bsad rgyud, and phyi ma rgyud.

2.

Gso rig dgos pa kun: byun:

An

exhaustive treatise

on

medicine

written by Gong-sman.

DKON-MCHOG-PHAN-'DAR, GONG-SMAN (16th certtury AD)

He was

bom

in 1511 AD irt La-:stod, eastem part

of

Tibet.

He was a nephew and disciple

of

the equally famous Gong-sman,

Dkon-mchog-bde legs. A smallest collest collection of medical in

structions which he gave to his students is written a text named Nyam

yig brgya rtsa.

The Tide of text:

1. Nyam yig brgya rtsa: authored by Gong-sman, Dkon-mchog

phan-'dar.

CHOS-KYI-GRAGS-PA, BRI-GUNG RIG 'DZIN (1595-1659 AD)

He was one

of

the outstanding teachers

of

the 'Bri-gung-pa

school

of

Buddhism in Tibet. He leamt medicine from a physician

named Gu-na-ka-re. He set up a medical training institute. He gave

explanatory notes for certain topics which were not clearly under

stood in the text Rgyud bzhi.

The Title

of text:

248

was a collection ofprofound instructions on the methods ofhealing.

This collection was completed in 1681 AD Jus t before the death of

the 5th Dalai Lama.

The Title

of

text:

1. Dar mo Bka ' rgya ma: it is a collection of instructions and

techniques of healing.

SANGS-RGYAS-RGYA-MTSHO, DSE-SRID (1653-1705

AD)

At the age

of

eight he was ordained as an Upasaka by the

5th

Dalai Lama and received teachings

on

Sutrasand Tantras. At the

age

of 27 years he was appointed as a regent by the 5th Dalai Lama. 80

medical thangkas were made during his reign, At the age of 36

years

he wrote a detailed comrnentary on the Rgyud bzhi in four volumes.

a fundamental exposition

ofmedicine

namedas Baidurya sngon

po

(Blue Sapphire). In 1696 AD, he set up Lcags-po-ri medical school

in Lhasa.

The Tide of text:

1. Bai dur snon po: text of Gso ba rig bstan bcos sman bla'i

dgons rgyan Rgyud

bz'i

gsal byed bai dur snon po'i ma lli ka' (A

synthetic treatise on Rgyud-bzhi by Sangs-rgyas-rgya-mtsho, Sde

srid)

2.

Manngag yon tan rgyud kyi lhan thabs zug rngus'i tsha

249

gdung sei ba'i katpu ra dus min 'chi zhags gcod

pa'iral

gri

3.Dpalld an gso

ba

rig

pa'i

khog 'bugs legs bshad bai durya

me long drang strong dgyes

pa'i 'dga'

ston

BSTAN-DZIN PHUN-TSHOGS, DIL-DMAR DGE-BSHES (18th

AD)

He studied medicine from Mdo khams pa Ngag-dbang kun

dga-bstan-bstan-dzin. He had his furtbered studies at Orgyan smin

grol gling and Sera theg chen glig monastery. Later, he was an out

standing teacher and a great physician who gave a clear presentation

of

the principles

of

Ti betan Pharmacognosy and Materia medica

in

named as Sman-rtsis-khang

He edited and revised various important books, among which

one book was written by Dil-dmar Dge-bshes, Lagle ngces rigs bsdus

pa sman kun bcub

pa'i

las cho ga kun gsal snang mdzod.

He wrote many texts, namely:

1. Rtsa rgyud kyi sdong 'grem

2. Sngo sman 'khrung dpe bduspa ngo tshar gser gyi sne ma.

3. Byis pa btsa thabs kun phan zia ba'i me long.

Development and Practice o f gSo ba Rig pa

medical system in Himalayan region


134/175

I

his text.

The Title of text:

1.Dri med shel gong

2.Dri med shel phreng

JU MI-PHAM-RGYA-MTSHO 'JAM-MGON' JU (1846-1912 AD)

He was bom at Ya

chu'i

ding chung at the bank

of

the Zia

river in Derge (Tibet). He became one ofthe outstanding teachers at

Khams in the 19th century AD. He wrote many texts and treatises on

medicine. He also clarified certain topics of Rgyud bzhi which were

not easy to understand in his texts.

The Title of one the text:

I.

Sman yig phyogs bsgrigs: A collected writings

of

'Jam

mgon' Ju.

MKHYEN-RAB-NOR-BU (1883-1962 AD)

He was bom in Rtsed-thang in the southem Lhasa and later

becan1e a monk at the Rtsed-thang monastery. He was selected at a

very young age to enter the Lcags-po-ri medical school. The 13th

Dalai Lama recognized his superior knowledge and great ability and

later approved his suggestion

to

set up a new medical school in Lhasa.

In 1916 AD, he became the founder ofthe medical school. It was

250

The authorities on Four Tantra maintain that the Medical

Buddha was no other than the historical Shakya muni Buddha him

self. As the Rgyud bzhi is a Buddhist Tantra text, therefore it is a

book ofBuddhist medicine. The whole text has been written in such

a way that nothing goes against the spirit of the Budha's Dharma.

This has been the main reason that Rgyud bzhi became the main text

of

medical subject in Tibet region. Also, many Sages, Emperors

of

that time, scholars, physicians & present practitioners have sustained

the Gso ba rig pa teaching as revealed by Bodhisattva

of

wisdom,

Buddha and contributed in a major way.

All the above-mentioned texts have been translated

in

to Bhoti

from Sanskrit in the past. The medical science received from India

served the people of Tibet and the people living

in

the Indian

Himalayas for the last many centuries. Moreover, the tradition is con

tinuing. The Tibetan scholars and physicians used the above texts

and especially the Rgyud bzhi. They have also written elaborate com

mentaries on Rgyud bzhi for the last many centuries, Fortunately,

this has been possible for the Ti betan people to maintain this medical

tradition.

In the Indian Himalayas, physicians who have studied the

subject

of

medicine

of

this tradition have been active in providing

251

treatment to the patients without any interruption. Although they prac

ticed medical profession continuously. We do not find any famous

physician who wrote on this subject. In the past only very eminent

physicians were expected to make original writing on medicine or

any other subject. Most

ofthe

physicians were satisfied by whatever

knowledge they had on the theory and practice of medicine.

In Ladakh, the tradition bec.ame so strong that it held the field

untill 1950 and even later. Although there was a dispensary at Leh

(Ladakh) where a doctor and an assistant were working, very few

people were going there to take modern medicine. Now in the begin

the Gso ba rig

pa

tradition quickly. At a later stage we can link it with

Ayurveda in such a way that each tradition helps one another

to

make

this a competitive to allopathic system.


135/175

I

ning of the 21st century, the situation at Leh of quite different. The

S.N.M. hospital has become a highly reputed modern hospital.

In spite ofthe increasing popularity ofmodem medicine, the

Gso

ba

rig

pa

tradition is continunig even today. What is not cured

by the allopathic system is cured by the Gso ba rig pa system. An

alternative method is always there for the public. The Gso ba

pa

tra

dition works with the cooperative endeavoor

ofthe

physicians called

Amchis and the public. The financial help provided by the state gov

emment

of

Jammu and Kashmir to the Amchi physicias is not ad

equate.

The Tibetan government in exile has, has however, under the

enlightened leadership

of

His Holiness the Dalai Lama established a

medical school at Dharamsala where a coures

of

six years is given to

the students. Some students from Ladakh have been going there

to

study the traditional medicine.

It

is high timethat such medical insti

tutes be started at Leh, Manali, Gangtok and Tawang o r any suitable

place in Arunachal Pradesh with research facilities.

In Tibet itself the Chinese authorities have recognized Gso

ba rig pa medical system and granted funds for the development

of

infrastructure and University. May be they have realized that Gso ba

rig pa medical system would widen the scope

of

effective treatment.

As the pace

of

development in our country is increasing rap

idly, it is

timethat

some effective steps should be taken

to

develop

252

ln the Chair from left to right-Shri RBS Rawat, CEO, NMPB,

Deptt. of ISM & H, Min. of Health, Ven. Kirti Rinpoche, Dr. Pempa Dorjee

the President of the HBCA, Ven. Lama Chosphel Zotpa

253

rigin

and

Development of Sowa Rigpa Tradition

Amchi T. Phuntsok*

Introduction :- The origin ofvarious traditional system trace

back to the special instinct and institution of main kind to discover

remedies from other nature. Over centuries of knowledge and wis

dom of healing gained by the ancestors throughout the world were

gradually documented and paving the way for the development of

various healing system. Sowa Rigpa tradition is an ancient healing

simil'arity between the macrososm (the universe) and the micrososm

(the body) explains the reciprocal influences that one element exer

cises on the others and the interdependencse that connects us with

our environment.

The psycho-physiological ftmctions are group in three cat-

egories:- the three humours, nes-pa, on energies. They are respec

tively named lung, krispa nd badkhan (each

ofthem

divided into five

distinct categories ,

translated as wind bile and phlegm. They are

.. considered the ftmctional physiological units ofthe five cosmic-physi

cal elements. The seven components ofthe body or lus-zuns nutri

tional essence (dangsma), blood (khrag), muscle tissue (sha), fatty


136/175

I

I

system on its own right grounded in centuries of accumulated obser

vation, experiences and innovation. It is

a

conglomerate of medical

sciences, arts, philosophy and religion. Each element closely link

with other maintain its own idea about the composition of the uni

verse and its relation with the body in physiology, phannacology,

disease and its unique pathological diagnosis andnature oft reatment

Sowa Rigpa system is popularly practice in different region

in the subcontinent, stretching from East to the West along the chain

of

Himalayan mountain including J

&

K,

H.

P., Sikkim, /

.

runachal

Pradesh as weil as the neighbouring state of Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan

extending until Mongalia and certain region of Central Asia. This

medical model of health system reflect a holistic thought in which

sick is treated physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Some concepts :- The composition of the body is the same

asthat

ofthe universe, made up offive elements (sa, chu, me, lung

and namkha), sometimes misunderstood when one translates them

as earth, water, fire, air and space, in keeping with their common

connotation. In essence, each substance is a collection

of

all the ele

ments, only one ofthem being predominant at a time. This predomi

nance produces certain physical and emotional characteristics. The

* Practitioner of Sowa-Rigpa Science of healing, Amchi Research Centre, Leh,

Ladakh.

254

(tshil), bone (rus), marrow (rkang), andregenerate essence (khu-ba).

Three excretory functions or drima faces (bsan), urine (gcin), and

perspiration (nul). Each individual appears in one precise group ac

cording to their sex, age, psychosomatic composition and state of

nespa. Sickness is considered a dynamic imbalance ofthe preceding

psychological and cosmo-physical elements, of mental and physical

health. The etiology is explained by two theories. The the

Buddhist essence of the practice with the notions of ignorance, suf

fering, egocenticity and mental poisens (attachment, hate and illu

sion that are derived from an imbalance among the three humour),

which can Iead to malady. The second theory defines the interrela

tions between the five cosmo-physical elements and the three origi

nal elements of mental position previously sited. According to the

immediate standard, the etiology

of

sickness is found in the way of

life, dietary regime, seasonal factors, repercussions ofprevious lives

and

I

or evil spirits.

Origin

and

its development :-

The first appreance

of

Sowa

Rigpa system is followed with the introduction of Buddhism in In

dia. Before 2500 years when Buddha Shakyamuni was in the grave

forest for four years, situated in the country ofUdhayana. He created

a city of

Sudarshana by his spiritual power. In the center

of

the pal-

255

ace built up with five jewels sit the medicine Buddha Baisajya

Guru

surrounded by the rishes, gods , buddhist and non-buddhist to whom,

he narrated the medical system. Each group understood the text

nar

rated by Baisajha guru according to their respective knowledge

and

attitude resulting four different tradition. The tradition

of

gods

the

jug

of

eure, the tradition

of

rishes the eight division of charaka, the

tradition

of

outward the tantra

ofblack

shive, the tradition

of

inward

the division of three protector A

voloketisvara

Manjushri

and

Vajrapani. After introduction

of

this healing system Kumarajivaka

came as the first contemparary physician in the history of Indian

rnedicine. There has seen no literary work ofKumaraj ivaka reached

lished by Lotsava Rinchen Sangpo. According to the history the school

has followed the tradition oflndian medicine and culture back ground

due to geographical nearest with the north

of

India. After spending

ten years in India Lotsava Rinchen Sangpo translated the medical

treatise

of

Astangahredaya Samhita whose authorship is attributed to

Vagbata.

12th century was the land mark in the history of Tibet. Dur

ing this period the Gyuzi text were transmitted in the hand

ofY

outhog

Gonpo who had creatively reworked on the formation

of

Gyuzi. He

made addition to the instruction tantra and subsequent tantra with

several clarification and changes and finally brought out in the present


137/175

I 1:1

to our time.

However availability

of

most of the early medical text

were

included in the compendium of Buddhist canon (stangur). Accord

ing to the history he made brain surgery and

treated

Buddha

Shakyamuni also. Later the medical tradition passed through various

eminent scientist and scholars incluldes Nagarjuna, Asvagosh,

Vagbata and Chandranandana had given a tremedous contribution

in

the development of medicine whose literary work were incorporated

in Tangyur.

In the beginning

of8th

century with the flourish ofBuddhism

sowa rigpa tradition began to import in Tibet. Varochana of

Tibet

visited India and translated Gyuzi into Tibetan language from

Kash

mir jointly with Chandranandana and presented to the king Thrison

Detsen. But it was not the time to accept this text and directed

to

hidden away by Padma Sambhava.

The spread

of

medical system can be three period. First pe

riod the introduction, second period the spreading

of

medicines

and

medieval period the golden period

of

development. The first

period

is the acquaintance with the developed countries, the medical

conferecne with neighbouring physician and the translation oftheo

retical knowledge. From l Oth century onwards the late period

where

first and most influential school

of

Tholing monastery was

estab-

256

text form. Since that Gyuzi become the fundamental text in sowa

rigpa. Besides Gyuzi a very popular text (chalag chogat) eighteen

auxiliary text were also composed by this author.

On

the basis ofthis

text many commentary text werewritten by Changspa, Zurp and

Lodoes Gyalpo.

In 17th century a famous political figure, a great Buddhist

scholar an encyclopedist

of

medieval period was Desi Sangas Gyatso.

During his period a famous literary works of Badur snonpo (Blue

Beryl) popular commentary ofGyuzi , badur karpo (white beryl) fun

damental text

of

astrology. Badur yasel- in the form

of

answer to the

objection made by his opponent.

Khogboks - history ofTibetan medicine, Lhanthabs a supple

mentary text to the instruction tantra and atlas of Ti betan medicine

are extra ordinary work. He found the school of Chagpori medical

college and Astrology which become one of the educational institu

tion any where in Tibet where high qualified traditional physician

were trained, within the frame work

of

a united medical school. From

17th-19th a great eminance medical physician contributed a

tremendous in the field of development of medicine particularly

Tilmar Geshe Tenzin Phuntsok one

of

the outstanding medical sci

entist and physician whose famous book are sheltering and shelgong.

2294 kinds of drugs are described with their action, indication,

257

competability and toxicity. Kuntrul Yountan Gyatso and Khanrah

Norbu who founded the Lhasa Mantse khang. He composed a com

plete comrnentary on Gyudzi with a very popular guide in which he

introduced the main principle of composition of Tibetan remedies

which is still day to day use in daily practice.

Conclusion :- Sowa Rigpa is one of the oldest surviving

medical systems. Is is a treasure of century accumulated experience

with rational holistic concept. The holistic system is weil adapted to

the constraint and chailenge of 21st century, with this qualities.Its

cost effective means easily availble to all rich and the poor while its

holistic approach guarantees both a higher Ievel of general health

History

of

Tibetan Medicine

Samdup Lhatse*

The Tibetan medical system is one ofthe world's oldest known

medical tradition. It is an integral part of Tibetan culture and has

been through many centuries. We believe that the origin

of

the Tibetan medical tradition is as old as civilization itself. Be

cause humankind has depended on nature for sustenance and

vival, the instinctive urge to ailments from natural sources. For ex-

.1 ample, applying residual barley from chang (Ti betan wine)

on

swol

len body parts, drinking hot water for indigestion, and using melted


138/175

1 1

and weil being for the patient and minimal Ievel of poilution and

resoures used.

Thus it is both financially and ecologicaily sustainable, when

raising population and growing demands for higher standard of liv

ing are placin:g, ever greater stress on the environment and infra

structure of a country.' This system provide a wide range of option

for further scientific exploration. The treasure of Iiteratures have im

mense value.

Ifsowa

rigpa tradition has to play its service of role with fuil

for.the welfare of sentient being, the State and Central Government

should integrate the practicing doctors into the health care system

with ISM doctors.

258

butter for formed the basis for the art ofhealing in Tibet.

During the pre-Buddhist era, Tibet had religious and cultural

influences from the indigenous Bon tradition. There is some evidence

to suggest that several forms ofmedical practice existed at that time.

The precise influence of these practices on the evolution of the Ti

betan medical tradition, however, is uncleat.

Buddha Shakya Muni

(625-544 BC)

The historical Buddha taught the medical text Vimalagotra (Tib:

Dri-med Rigs; Eng: Imrnaculate Lineage) simultaneously with the

first turning

ofthe

wheel ofDharma at Samath on Four Noble Truths.

At the time ofthe teaching

on

Jagoe Phungpo "i Ri (Verses ofHeal

ing). He also taught Cer-mthong Rig-pa'i rGyud (The Tantra ofBare

Vision) to the Avalokiteshvara, 13rahma, Shariputra and other

Mahayana Disciples at Beta Groves. Some believe the One Hundred

Thousand Verses of Healing and the Tanrta of Bare.

Vision are the same text with two different name. During the

third turning ofthe wheel, the Buddha taught the gSer-od dam-pa'i

mdo (Supreme Golden Rays Sutra) which contains a chapter entitled

*

Director, Tibetan Medical

&

Astrological Institute, (Men-tsee-Khang),

Dharamsala, Hirnachat Pradesh.

259

"Nad-thams cad zhi-bar byed-pa'i rGyud" (The Ways ofCompletely

Curing Diseases) Buddha also expounded the Gawo m Nagl Jug gi

mdo (Sutra of Gawo Entering the

Womb

in Konchok Tsekpas ), Vlth

Volume. Although Vinaya Sastra (Tib:

'dul-pa

lung) is a teaching on

moral discipline, it contains medical teachings also.

In it, Gautarn Buddha taught the Sanghas (Monastic communi

ties) how to cope with the miscellaneous disorders they faced

during

their three month summ

er

retreats. It is one of the three basic obser

vances for monks pt escribed by Buddha. Sakyamuni.

Lha Thothori Nyantsan

(AD 348-468)

Dung

gi

Thorchog

From Biji Gaje and Yidkyi Rolcha, the first known physician in

Yuthog lineage, dung gi Thorchog, was bom in the 4t h century. He

leamed the art ofpulse reading, pharmacology, moxibustion, blood

letting, dressing and tr eatment

of

wounds from his father at an early

age.

He

became eminent i n his field and was personal physician to

his grand father, King Lha Thothori Nyantsan and Trinyan Zungtsan.

He was one

ofthe

mostinnovative physician in Tibet and under

his lineage the farnaus Yuthog Yonten Gonpo is said to have been

bom. His successive sons continued the lineage

and

served as per

sonal physicians to the kings

of

their times for four generations.


139/175

I

I

I

The Indian physicians Biji Gaje and Bilha Gaje were bom to

1

rNga-Chenpo, the KingofVajrasana(Bodh Gaya), andhis two

wives,

one the daughter ofa drum maker

and

the other the daughter ofa bell

maker. The mothers affered ten drurns and te n bells ofthe Mahabodhi

Stupa ofVajrasana and made prayers for their child ren's success in .

benefitting sentient beings. Whe n the boy a nd girl gre w older, they

request their parents to leam the Science

of

Healing. After getting

permission, they went to Taxilla

in

Pakistan and studied medicine

under the great physician Atreya. Afterwards they travelled

through

out India and also visited China, Nepal and East Turkistan (which is

now

under China and called Xinjiang Autonomaus Region). They

also received medical teachings from another great physician,

Kumara

Jivaka at Magadha. When they

werein

Vajrasana, Arya Tara Proph

esied that they would go to Tibet and propagate the Medical Science.

During the reign of the 28th king, Lha Thothori Nyantsan,

Biji

Gaje and Bilhi Gaje did visit Tibet. The King invited them to his

palace, Yumbu Lakhar, after hearing news about the healings

they

rendered to Tibetans. He requested

them to

remain there to teach and

practice and he gave his daughter Yidkyi Roicha as a bride to Biji

Gaje. It is believed that Biji Gaje Bilha Gaje arestill alive and exist

in a forest of sandalwood after attaining immortality during retreat

with empowerment from their medicines.

260

King

Songtsen

Gonpo

(AD 617-650)

During the reign of the 33rd King, Sangtsen Gonpo, eminent

physicians from India (Bhardvaj), Ch ina (Han Wang Hang De), and

Persia (Galenos) were invited to share their knowledge with Tibetan

physicians. Each physician wrote a treatise that

was

later incorpo

rated into a text called Mijigpe-Tsoncha (A Fearless Weapon), which

contains seven volumes. This wa s presented to th e King, although

the Indian and Chinese physicians retumed to their countries. Galenos

remained in Tibet to practice and teach, and several texts on

medicine. In addition, king Sangtsen

Gonpo's

Chinese wife Kong-jo

had brought a Chinese medical text with her, which was translated

into Tibetan by Rashang Maha Deva and

Dharma

Kosha.

Trisong-Deutsen (AD 718-785)

In the 8th century, king Trisong-Deutsen invited several great

physicians for the first ever known medical conference at Samye,

Tibet. In attendance were eminent physicians from India, China, Per

sia, East Turkistan and Nepal. Eider Yuthog Yonten Gonpo repre

sented Tibet. The conference lasted for several days, during which

time the delegates discussed the theories and practices ofthei r medi

cal system in comparison to those

of

the others.

261

Eider

Yuthog Yonten Gonpo

(AD

708-833)

Yuthog Yonten Gonpo was bom at Toelung Kyina to Yuthog

Khyungpo Dorje and Gyapa Choeky Dolma on the 25th June. In the

tradition offather-son lineage, he learned from his father and started

practicing basic elements of medical science at early age. In order

to

test his knowledge, the King Me Agtsom summoned him at the age

often

for a debate with the famed Tibetan physician Drangti Gyalnye

kharphug and many others. Yuthog emerged victorious and became

supreme among the nine eminent physicians ofTibet. His clever an

swer to the visiting scholars, such as Shanti Garhwa

of

India and

Tingsum Gangwa

of

China, earned Yuthog a great reputation among

Medicine. He travelled to Kashmir and received medical teaching

such as Ashtanga Samhita (Tib: Yan-Lag br Gyad-pa'i sNying-po

bsdus-pa; Eng: Condensation

of

he Essences ofEight Branches) and

its commentry, Dhaser (Moonlight) and the veterinary text Shali Hotra

from the great Pandit Chandra Ananda which later he translated in to

Ti betan. His work enhanced the development

of

Buddhism as weil as

medicine in Tibet.

Junior Yuthog Yonten Gonpo (AD 1126-1202)

Junior Yuthog Yonten Gonpo was the 13th

in

the lineage

ofthe

Eider Yuthog Yonten Gonpo. Born in Goshi Rethang to Yuthog


140/175

them and he was respected by all as an emanation of the medicine

Buddha.

Yuthog Yonten Gonpo became the personal physician to the

Tibetan Kings Agtsom and Trisong Deutsen. He visited India sev

eral time to study with eminent physicians and travelled to China as

weil. He established Tibet's first medical institute called 'Tanadug'

at

Kongpo Manlung in the South in AD 763, which no Ionger exists.

He devoted his whole life to the propagation and promotion of Ti

betan medical science.

Lang Darma (AD 863-906)

In AD 896, the King Tri Ralpa Chan (AD 866-896) was mur

dered and his elder brother Lang Darma enthroned. Due to Lang

Darma's poor administration

ofthe

Central Government. Tibet dis

integrated in to civil war. Buddhism was completely destroyed in the

centrat parts

of

Tibet, but survived in the far east and west. For the

next 364 years, Tibet was decentralized and weakened.

Rioehen Sangpo (AD 958-1056)

In the later devetopment of Buddhism, the great translator

Rinchen Sangpo with all his efforts revived Buddhism and Tibetan

262

Khyungpo Dorji and Padma Oden; he began studying medicine at

the age

of

eight. At ten, he received the whole teachings of GyudbZhi

from Ragton Konchok Kyab, and from the age

of

eighteen, he vis

ited India six times and he received teaching from Dakini Palden

Trengwa-and the sage Caraka.

On his retum to Tibet, Yuthog Yonten Gonpo dedicated his life

to the practice ofthe medicine for the benefit of sentient beings. He

wrote Serchen (Golden Notes) Zongchen (Wealthy Notes), Cha-lag

bco-br Gyad (Eighteen Supplementary Works), and Nyingpo Duspa

(Condensation ofthe Essences) and a commentary on its theoritical

points called Thongway Melong. He gave his entire teaching to his

best disciple Yeshe Sung.

Of

his many disciples, three hundred of

them are weil k.nown today.

Jangpa Namgyal Dragsang (AD 1295-1376)

Jangpa Namgyal Dragsang was the seventh in the lineage

of

King

Se'u

of.Minyag. He was awarded the title Rinpoche Tamka

by

the King Gongma-Sechen. He was bom to Gu' i ging Chodrak Palsang

and Bumkyong-Gyalmo, the daughter of Situ Chorin at Ngam-ring

at the age

of

en,he learned Sutra, Tantra and medicines from Panehen

Naggi Rinchen and Bodong Chogle Namgyal. He wrote many books

on Buddhist Philosophy, Crafts andAstrology, and eleven Books on

263

Medicine.

Mi'i

Nyime Thong-wa Donden was one

of

his best dis

ciples.

Zurkhar Nyammnyi Dorjee was bom to Rigzin Phuntsok and

the daughter ofKunky en Tashi Namgyal in the Earth Sheep year.

He

iearned Buddhist philosophy and medicine from many renowned .

scholars and at the age of 16. He wrote Mangag-Jewa-Ringsel (Pith

Instruction, Relics in Crores) and many other treatises. He was the

founder

ofthe

Zuriug tradition ofTi betan medicine, Later, his grand

sau Zurkhar Lodoe Gyalpo wrote a commentary on Gyud-BZhi called

Mepoi Zallung (Oral Instructions

ofmy

Forefathers),

him

to a Zikar monastery. He learned medicine and astrology etc.

Froril

Karma Tenphel and Kunga Tenzin. In order to write an au

thentic book on materia medica, he visited whole of Tibet and its

neighbouring countries tolerating hardships. Later he wrote many

books

including Drimed Shelgong and Drimed Shelthreng (A Stain

less

Crystal Heap and A Stainless Crystal Rosary). Still, the Tibetan

physicians regard these books the best and consider always in their

daily practices.

Kongtrul Yonten Gyatso (AD 1813-1900)

Kongtrul Yonten Gyatso

was

born

to

Khyungpo

Lama

Yungdrung


141/175

I I

Regent

Sangye Gyatso (AD 1653-1705)

Sangye Gyatso was bom to Asug and Buthi Gyalmo in the Wa

ter Snake Year. He began his Studies at the age of five and when he

was eight, he leamed Sutras and Tantras from the Great Fifth Dalai

Lama. He leamed Astrology and grammar from Darpo Lotsawa,

Yangchar (Arisal ofVowels, an Astrlogy) from lugo Dachen Ngag

gi Wangpo and medicine from Jangpa Lhunding Namgyal Dorjee,

and he became an expert in all these fields.

Sangye Gyatso was appointed Regent by the Great Fifth Dalai

Lama (161 7-1682) During his 26 years in this position, the Potala

Palace was rebuilt and expanded to its present size and the golden

stupa of the Great fifth Dalai Lama was built.

Under his guidance, seventy nine medical thangkas were pro

duced, the rGyud-bZhi was edited and published and the Gyatso wrote

many books on astrology, espicially Vaidurya-karpo (White Beryl),

and medicine, including Vaidurya sNogn-po (Blue Beryl), the most

popular commentary on the rGyud-bZhi.

Deumar

Geshe

Tenzin Phuntsok

(1725-

?)

Deumar Geshe Tenzin Phuntsok was

bom

to Dorjee Tashi and

Lhaga in Serga, Gojho. When he was small, his parents admitted

264

Tenzin

and Tashi Tso in Pema Lhatse, Kham. He studied medicine

from Karma Tsewang Rapten and memorized the rGyud-bZhi. He

practiced medicine for whole life benifitting sentient beings. When

he

was eighty, he wrote a book called Zintig Chedue Dutsi Thigpa

(Essential Compilation if Quintessence Drops

of

Nectar) based on

his experiences gained from many years of practices.

Rev.

Khyenrab Norbu

(AD 1883-1962)

Khyenrab Norbu was

born

to Astrotoger Ngawo-che and

Yangchen in the Water Sheep year at Tsethang, Southem Tibet.

He

was admitted to Nagachoe Monastery, and was known

tobe

good in

his studies, intelligent, compassionate and humble. As a result,

he

was selected from many young monks as a candidate to study medi

cine and went to Chagpori Medical College in Lhasa. There he was

taught by Dr. Ngawang Choden. He passed his exams in a relatively

short time.

In order to preserve and expand Tibetan Medicine, the Great

Thirteenth Dalai Lama (1876-1933) in 1897 appointed Tekhang

Jampa Thubwang and Jabug Damchoe Palden as his senior and Jun

ior physicians respectively, and orderd them to teach selected stu

dents. Khyenrab Norbu, Tenpa Yarphel and Tsultrim Nyandrag were

265

chosen from Chagpori Medical College to study under the senior

physician and they received teaching on rGyud bZhi and its various

commentaries such as Vaidurya sNgon-po (The Blue LapisLazuli).

Khyenrab Norbu also leamed medicine, astrology, poetry andgram

mar. He was named Yangehen rgyas pai Lodoe as an honor to

his

hard work. When he was 29, in

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Tenpa L Et Al 2005 Gso Ba Rig Pa the Science of Healing

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