Traditional Tibetan Medicine
Traditional Tibetan Medicine
Tibet is a country located on a vast plateau at an altitude of approximately 4,000 meters, surrounded by the Himalayan mountains. It is one of the most fascinating places in the world due to its culture and religious beliefs. This beautiful country, as a result of the Tibetan diaspora caused by the tragic Chinese invasion and occupation, has managed to share its human values with the world, and that is why we know the grandeur of Tibet today. Among the most important legacies of this nation is Tibetan Medicine, which was preserved by Tibetans exiled in India. This medical system is based on Lamaism, a branch of Buddhism with profound philosophical foundations, combined with the great diversity of the Himalayan natural resources.
Tibet became known in the West through the books of Alexandra David-Neel, the first Western woman to arrive in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, in 1924. She lived there for much of her life, learning Tibetan Buddhism from the lamas. She dedicated her extraordinary life to traveling, studying, and learning. The lamas called her the "Lamp of Wisdom," honoring her clarity of mind, her immense capacity for research and knowledge acquisition, and her compassion.
Years later, in 1927, Walter Evaz-Wentz translated the Bardo Thodol into English. This ancient Tibetan Buddhist text from the 8th century, attributed to Padmasambhava, describes the experience of the deceased after death and before entering a new existence. The Bardo Thodol, known in the West as the Tibetan Book of the Dead, has been the subject of much study, becoming one of Tibetan Buddhism's greatest contributions to humanity. Carl Gustav Jung, considered one of the greatest psychologists, declared in his work "Psychological Commentary on the Tibetan Book of the Dead": "For years, since its first publication, the Bardo Thodol has been my constant companion; to it I owe not only many stimulating ideas and discoveries, but also many fundamental insights." Finally, recent advances in the field of neuroscience confirm the central role of the mind in healing processes, as established by ancient Eastern traditions of thought, particularly Tibetan Buddhism.
What is Sowa Rigpa Medicine?
Sowa Rigpa Medicine (SRM), also known as Tibetan Medicine, is the ancient Tibetan system of medicine, astronomy, and astrology. SRM is practiced in Tibet, northern Nepal, Bhutan, India, China, Mongolia, Siberia, Ladakh (the western Himalayan region of northern India), and other areas where Tibetan communities have settled. Sowa Rigpa, meaning "the science of healing," is a very ancient and complex practice dating back 2,500 years, based primarily on the principle that energy is the source of existence and that health is related to the mind, the environment, and one's approach to life. Its purpose is to achieve happiness and health through balance. SRM has roots in Ayurveda (Hinduism) and Buddhism, specifically in the Four Noble Truths of the Buddha and the concept of disease as stemming from the three poisons: anger, greed, and ignorance. This system, with its holistic view of the origin of disease, includes physiological, psychological, and spiritual aspects for the establishment of health.
Recently, MSR has garnered interest in North America and Europe as an excellent example of personalized and preventative medicine. MSR utilizes medicinal plants, minerals, and animal products as the primary ingredients in formulations used to treat various disorders. It also incorporates dietary modifications, therapeutic massage, acupuncture, and moxibustion.
Traditional Tibetan Medicine (TTM) is taught in medical schools or passed down from masters to their lineage of disciples. Generally, diagnosis using TTM involves pulse analysis, urine observation, eye examination, tongue examination, as well as astrological considerations and other factors related to the patient's quality of life and environment. This allows the Tibetan physician to identify the root cause of the illness and establish the appropriate treatment. Special emphasis is also placed on evaluating the individual's digestive system as the origin of many ailments. For this reason, individualized treatments always incorporate medicinal herbs and foods that promote intestinal health. Currently, Western medicine is paying close attention to imbalances in the gut flora as the underlying cause of various diseases and is encouraging the incorporation of prebiotics and probiotics into the regular diet.
In the West, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is used as part of holistic care to balance energies and promote a healthy and happy life. The 14th Dalai Lama wrote: “ Tibetan medicine is far more advanced in understanding the nature of the mind than Western medicine. In understanding the physical workings of the human body, Tibetan medicine is less advanced than Western medicine. Without conflating the two approaches, and without claiming one is better than the other, both schools should work together to find ways of understanding each other and thus increase the effectiveness of both healing techniques.”
Currently located in Dharamsala, India, is the Men-Tsee-Khang Institute of Tibetan Medicine and Astro-Science. This institute offers extensive medical training programs, research on medicinal plants used in the Tibetan pharmacopoeia, a program of astrological studies, pharmacies, libraries, and clinics that incorporate Western medicine. It was originally established in 1916 by the 13th Dalai Lama in Tibet and later re-established by the 14th Dalai Lama in India in 1961.
The Tibetan Pharmacopoeia.
The Tibetan pharmacopoeia is based on the natural resources of the Himalayan regions encompassing Tibet, India, and Nepal. Tibetan physicians prepare medicines following recipes from ancient texts such as the Crystal Block (Shel gong) and the Crystal Rosary (Shel phreng), both written in the 18th century, and other books like the Four Tantras or Gyudshi, which contains preparations with nearly 2,000 medicinal plants, and the Blue Beryllium, which describes the potency (nus pa) of medicinal compounds (man dza). These medicines are time-consuming to prepare in order to obtain their active ingredients of plant, animal, and mineral origin. The plants are harvested on the Tibetan plateaus or imported from regions such as India, China, and Nepal. Some of them are also used in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Among these plants, Curcuma longa stands out for its potent anti-inflammatory activity; Acorus calamus has bactericidal activity against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus ; Terminalia bellerica is active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli ; Piper longum , whose fruits are used for intestinal ailments and malaria; Piper nigrum is traditionally used against hepatitis and its combination with Curcuma longa is used for the treatment of various ailments.
Some examples of plants used in Tibetan, Indian, and Chinese pharmacopoeias include the root of the Codonopsis clematis plant, used as a tonic similar to ginseng; Clematis sp ., used as an antirheumatic; Delphinium , Artemisia , Aconitum, Swertiam , and Corydalis . Other widely used medicinal plants include Adhatoda for its anti-asthmatic activity; Saussurea lappa as a bronchodilator and antispasmodic; Strychnos nuxvomica, used in dermatology; and Commiphora mukul for its cholesterol-lowering properties, among others. Species such as clove and cardamom are also used for their medicinal properties.
Among the diverse resources of Tibetan medicine, Yarsa-Kumbu stands out, its Tibetan name meaning "summer grass, winter insect." It is found only in Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and India at altitudes between 4,500 and 5,000 meters above sea level. It consists of the caterpillars of moths from the Hepialidae family that live in these areas, which are infested by the parasitic fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis . The fungal cycle begins in late summer when the fungal spores infest the heads of the caterpillars living in the soil. Before winter arrives and the ground freezes, a small bud forms from the caterpillar's head. The following spring, the dark brown, stalk-like fruiting body of the fungus emerges from the soil with its head pointing upwards. During this time, the fungus slowly feeds on the caterpillar until it dies, leaving it desiccated.
Dried Yarsa-Kumbu is used in Tibetan and Chinese medicine to prepare a potent tonic and aphrodisiac, which is why it is also known as the "Himalayan Viagra." Other attributed benefits include antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antitumor properties; immune system strengthening; asthma relief; and treatment of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, hepatic, and respiratory diseases, as well as stress and fatigue relief.
The chemical compounds isolated from *O. sinensis* include isoflavones, proteins, polysaccharides, sterols, fatty acids, nitrogenous compounds, and phenolic acids. Various studies are being conducted to evaluate the pharmacological potential of the chemical compounds found in the fruiting body of the *O. sinensis* fungus. Cordycepin, in particular, has shown a variety of biological activities. Clinical trials have also been carried out; one of these, published in 2016, showed that *Yarsa-Kumbu* increases total sperm count, the percentage of motile sperm cells, and serum testosterone.
The variety of traditional uses of Yarsa-Kumbu, or Yarsagumba as it is also known, makes this product more valuable than gold. Overexploitation of this fungus threatens its extinction and could trigger serious environmental problems, including the uncontrolled proliferation of larvae and moths, and the decline of the local economy that depends on Yarsa-Kumbu harvesting.
References
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- Fundamentals of Tibetan Medicine. Men-Tsee-Khang Publication, Dharamsala. 2009. Available on the Internet: http://www.men-tsee-khang.org/index2.htm
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