Traditionally, Buddhist medicine is considered the supreme healer, and our misconceptions (ignorance) are the root of all diseases and disorders. Like Buddhism, Tibetan medicine is based on the principle that pain can be alleviated or cured only through knowledge of the nature of disease and its causes. The behaviour and conduct of physician and patient are also largely based on Buddhist principles. Ignorance gives rise to three basic root of sickness Nespa-gsum (Tri-dosha) i.e., Dodchags (desire/lust) root cause of Rlung (Air, Vata), Zessdang (anger) root cause of Mkrispa (Bile, Pitta) and Timug (mental darkness) root cause of Padkan (Phlegm, Kapha). Due to the presence of 84000 afflictive emotions in mind it gives rise to the same number of diseases. That is why in Tibetan the diagnosis is called Ngozen which means “to recognize” or “to identify”. Over time, Tibetan medicine has developed a variety of treatment methods, systematically adopting the experiences of each physician, complementing them with the Chinese medical concept and the Ayurvedic system of medicine. In Tibetan diagnostic theory, all diseases can be categorized into “hot” and “cold”, or a complex combination of the two types of disease. Hot disorders are caused by an increase in bile, while cold ones are generally the result of an imbalance of phlegm or wind. The subject of the human body is finely explained in Sowa-Rigpa with different chapters on embryology, anatomy, physiology and neurology in an appropriate manner with functions of each and every part of the body. The lower branches of the “tree of physiology and pathological transformations” illustrate the five types of wind, bile and phlegm that build the three bodily juices or forces. Related to the central and peripheral nervous systems, the five types of wind, as depicted on the blue leaves (anatomical representation through the tree of life), govern the lungs, heart, blood vessels, circulation, speech, digestion, excretion, and growth. The five types of bile, illustrated by the yellow leaves, are associated with gallstones, the small intestine, blood, and lymph. Their work includes regulating body temperature and metabolism. Mucus, which is composed of the elements of water and earth, and is illustrated by the five remaining leaves, maintains the flow of fluids and regulates the initial stages of digestion. When in balance, these forces in the body are essential for maintaining and improving health.

The subject of human body is finely explained in Sowa-Rigpa with different chapters on embryology, anatomy, physiology and neurology in an appropriate manner with functions of each and every part of the body. The lower branches of the “tree of physiology and pathological transformations” illustrate the five types of wind, bile, and phlegm that make up the three bodily juices or forces. Related to the central and peripheral nervous system, the five types of wind, as shown on the blue leaves (anatomy of Tibetan medicine is shown through the tree of life), govern the work of the lungs, heart, blood vessels, blood flow, speech, digestive processes, excretion and growth. The five types of bile illustrated with yellow leaves are associated with gallstones, small intestine, blood and lymph. Their work includes regulating body temperature and metabolism. Mucus, which is composed of the elements of water and earth, and is illustrated by the five remaining leaves, maintains the flow of fluids and regulates the initial stages of digestion. When in a state of balance, these forces in the body are crucial to maintaining and improving health. The science of Sowa-Rigpa is closely linked with Buddhist philosophy, where it is believed that all the breathing creatures on the earth are sick till, they don’t give up the root cause i.e., ignorance. Due to ignorance three mental poisons namely anger, desire and mental darkness are born within us, which act as basic origin of illness and give birth to three disturbed / upset humours Air, Bile and Phlegm. Pulse is the most important and major diagnostic tool in Sowa-Rigpa, which is explained under thirteen general topics like preparatory conduct, proper time for examination, place, pressure of physician’s finger, technique, constitutional pulse, astonishing pulse, general and specific pulse, death pulse, etc. Questioning is another mode of diagnosing a patient; case history, present condition, family background and changes in body, etc. are main questions asked. The treatment has four major sections – diet, behaviour, medicine and accessory/external therapies. Minor ailments can be treated with proper regulation of diet and behaviour only; a patient with medium state of condition can be treated with medicine like decoction/detoxification, powder, pills, purgatives, emetics, etc. and in advanced stages the disease can be cured by application of accessory/external therapies like moxibustion, venesection, fomentation, massage, surgery, etc. The Buddhist rituals and mantra also play a very important role in the treatment of disease and in pharmaceutical process, etc. Of course, this is about prayer / mantra and the sound (bells-ringing), the sound of Himalayan bowls… Based on the theory of Jung-wa-lna, Sowa-Rigpa believes that every substance on the earth has medicinal value and therapeutic efficacy. Medicinal substances are classified into eight major categories i.e., Rinpochesman (prized metal and stone), Sasman (drugs from mud and earth), Rdosman (stones), Shingsman (drugs from trees), Rtsisman (essence and exudates medicines), Thangsman (plant ingredient for decoction / shrub), Snosman (herb) and srogchagssman (animal parts). The ingredients of medicine are used in both single and compound forms; compound medicine is based on two major permutation and combination that Isro (taste) based combination and Nuspa (potencies) based combination. There are about seventeen different categories of medicinal preparation out of which some important preparations are decoction: Powder, Pills, linctus, Medicated ghee, Bhasmas, Medicated wine, Paste, Medicated bath. The elemental composition of a drug is determined on the basis of the six major tastes i.e., sweet, sour, saline, pungent, astringent and bitter. Elemental composition of sweet taste is predominated by sa (earth) and chu (water) elements; sour taste is predominated by mai (fire) and sa (earth); saline is predominated by chu (water) and mai (fire); bitter is predominated by chu (water) and rlung (air); pungent taste is predominated by mai (fire) and rlung (air); astringent taste is dominated by sa (earth) and rlung (air) element. Sweet, sour, saline and pungent taste alleviates rlung nespa (Air humour), which is dominated by rlung (air) element. Bitter, sweet and astringent taste alleviates nespa mkris-pa (bile humour), which is dominated by mai (fire) elements. Pungent sour and saline taste alleviate nespa pad kan (phlegm humour) which is dominated by sa (earth) and chu (water) elements. Other important factors for understanding drugs composition and action are zuzessum (three post digestive taste) nuspa-rgyad (eight potency) and no bo (specific action) of particular drugs.

In the Tibetan Buddhist medical and tantric traditions, astrology is not regarded as superstition but rather as a practical tool to understand and heal our body and mind on the gross, subtle and very subtle levels. One can experience many sicknesses and misfortunes due to outer, inner and secret astrological reactions and malevolent celestial influences. Tibetan astrology (dkar rtsis) is a traditional discipline of the Tibetan peoples that has influence from both Chinese astrology and Hindu astrology Jyotish. Tibetan astrology is one of the ‘Ten Sciences’ (rig-pa’i gnas bcu; Sanskrit: daśavidyā) in the enumeration honoured by this cultural tradition. The experience of Vedic medical astrology psychotherapy is that cognition in man reveals an unchanging, healthy, divine essence, which creates an extremely constructive mood and gives great motivation for problem solving and healing. In their development, a person should indulge in the guidance of natural intelligence and not allow it to be suppressed by the external influences of Samskaras – deep-rooted patterns in the mind or by the overly egoistic part of us – the illusion (Maya). These adverse influences take our original nature, prakruti, out of balance and cause disharmony, vikruti, which blocks the healthy development of a person. Otherwise, by nature a person develops harmoniously and healthily. The mind is always united with the soul, which is consciousness itself. Thus, the perception of the mentioned object became a conscious act. Then the soul sends an impulse to the motor-bodily organs (karmendriyas), these organs connect with the object in question and perform a certain bodily action. Feelings are interdependent, from someone or something. Expectations are natural in all people, if they do not exceed certain limits. Strong emotions block the power of reason and spirit. The six main mental illnesses in Ayurveda (India), and Sowa-Rigpa (Tibet) are: Kama (excessive desires); Krodha (anger, aggression); Lobha (greed); Moha (attachment); Mada (selfish pride); Matsarya (jealousy, envy). The feelings that most affect the psychosomatic state of each individual are: Harsha (euphoric joy or anger); Kama (sensual desires and wishes); Shoka (sadness, grief); Lobha (greed); Dainya (helplessness); Krodha (anger, aggression); Irsya (intolerance, rudeness; Matsarya (envy, jealousy); Asuya (evil, gossip); Vishada (depression); Bhaya (fear, phobia).

The Four Tantras (Gyud Zhi) form the core text of Tibetan medicine Sowa-Rigpa. These ancient scriptures provide a comprehensive framework for understanding health, diagnosing diseases, and applying various treatments. The Four Tantras are structured into four main sections, each focusing on different aspects of medical knowledge and practice. The first root explains the human organism and its functioning and encompasses two stems, which stand for the healthy and the sick body. The healthy body is represented by three branches and 25 leaves, the sick body by nine branches and 63 leaves. The first stem, the healthy body, bears three branches. One of the branches represents the three humours, the other represents bodily constituents (nutritional essence, blood, muscle tissue, fat or fatty tissue, bones, marrow and regenerative fluid) and the third branch the three excretions of the body (faeces, urine and perspiration). Furthermore, the first stem bears two flowers standing for health and long life and three fruits representing religion, wealth and happiness. The second stem represents the sick body. This section deals with the three causes, the four conditions, the six different entrances, the locations and the fifteen pathways of the diseases. The association of advancement of diseases with the patient’s age, the seasons and the place where the patient resides is also discussed. Furthermore, the nine fatal disorders, the twelve contraindications due to inappropriate treatment and the condensation of all the disorders into hot and cold nature are also stated. The second root informs about the methods of diagnosis, the examination of the tongue and urine, the pulse diagnosis and the questioning of the patient regarding the symptoms of the disease, the way of living, etc. This illustration displays three stems and depicts the three main diagnostic techniques used by Tibetan physicians: pulse reading, urine analysis and interrogation. The first stem deals with visual observation methods. It is divided into two branches; the first branch stands for observation of the tongue and the other branch for urine analysis. These branches possess three leaves each, showing that each of the three humours has a different effect on the patient’s tongue and urine, which can be visually detected by the physician. The second stem depicts the pulse analysis in three branches each comprising of a single leaf symbolising the different pulse natures of the three humours. The third stem deals with the method of interrogation. It consists of three branches with 11 blue leaves relating to rlung disorders, seven yellow leaves relating to mkhris-pa disorders and 11 white leaves to bad-kan disorders. These colours stand for the different ways of inquiring used to identify the humoral diseases and their symptoms as well as to determine their remedies. The root of treatment develops into four stems symbolising diet, behaviour, medication and external therapy. These treatments are generally used in combination depending on the nature of the person and the disease involved. The first stem stands for diet treatment, which has six branches. The first two branches with ten and four blue leaves, respectively, show the diet and the drink best suited to treat rlung disorders. The third and fourth branches with seven and five yellow leaves, respectively, stand for the diet and drink suitable for mkhris-pa disorders and the fifth and sixth branches with six and three white leaves, respectively, stand for the diet and drink recommended for bad-kan disorders. The second stem illustrates behavioural treatment. It has three branches with two leaves each representing the behaviours beneficial for the three humours. The third stem depicts the different medications. It has a total of 15 branches and 50 leaves. The first six branches each bear three leaves. These refer to the tastes and medicinal qualities favourable for treating rlung, mkhris-pa and bad-kan disorders, which are shown as blue, yellow and white leaves, respectively. The seventh to the twelfth branches bear a total of 23 leaves representing different medicinal preparations: broth and medicinal butter, decoctions and powders, pills and specific medicinal powders. The type of preparation prescribed depends on the afflicted humour. In addition to the above medications, there are three different branches symbolising medicinal preparations with a cleansing effect: enemas, purgatives and emetics used respectively for rlung, mkhris-pa and bad-kan disorders. They are represented by three blue leaves on the thirteenth branch, four yellow leaves on the fourteenth and two white leaves on the fifteenth branch. The fourth stem stands for external therapies, which are generally used as a last resort after all other treatments fail. It consists of three branches. The two blue leaves on the first branch portray the external therapy used to treat rlung disorders. The three yellow leaves on the second branch stand for external therapies used to fight mkhris-pa disorders and the two white leaves on the third branch signify external therapies used on bad-kan disorders. The first section, the Root Tantra, is comprised of six chapters giving a brief outline of the whole text and comparing the medical system with a tree. Three roots sprout into nine stems, which branch out into 47 branches bearing 224 leaves. The nine stems represent the nine sections of medical science, the branches stand for general information and the leaves illustrate the details. The first root explains the human organism and its functioning and encompasses two stems, which stand for the healthy and the sick body. The healthy body is represented by three branches and 25 leaves, the sick body by nine branches and 63 leaves. The first stem, the healthy body, bears three branches. One of the branches represents the three humours, the other represents bodily constituents (nutritional essence, blood, muscle tissue, fat or fatty tissue, bones, marrow and regenerative fluid) and the third branch the three excretions of the body (faeces, urine and perspiration). Furthermore, the first stem bears two flowers standing for health and long life and three fruits representing religion, wealth and happiness. The second stem represents the sick body. This section deals with the three causes, the four conditions, the six different entrances, the locations and the fifteen pathways of the diseases. The association of advancement of diseases with the patient’s age, the seasons and the place where the patient resides is also discussed. Furthermore, the nine fatal disorders, the twelve contraindications due to inappropriate treatment and the condensation of all the disorders into hot and cold nature are also stated. The second Tantra, the Explanatory Tantra, encompasses 31 chapters and is concerned with the life cycle (conception, childbirth, functioning of the three humours and signs of death), causes, conditions and classification of the diseases. It specifies the properties of medicinal ingredients and explains in detail diet, behaviour and the rules for maintaining health, etc. It also contains a code which the physicians should up-hold in conducting his profession. The third Tantra, the Oral Tradition Tantra, consists of 92 chapters which mainly teach the 101 disorders of the three humours indicating their causes, conditions, symptoms and methods of therapy. The fourth tantra, the Last Tantra, is comprised of 27 chapters, which deal with diagnosis (such as urine analysis and pulse reading), pacifying medicinal ingredients and their preparations (pills, powders, syrups, medicinal butters, etc.) evacuative medications (purgatives and emetics) and additional treatments (moxibustion, golden-needle therapy) and additional treatments (moxibustion, golden-needle therapy).

The influence of Sowa-Rigpa along with Buddhism and other Tibetan art spread to the neighbouring Himalayan regions of India, Nepal and Bhutan. The basic text was translated into Russian in 1908. Since the beginning of the 20th century, some parts of the text have been translated into Japanese, German, French and English. Especially since the end of the 20th century, thanks to His Grace the 14th Dalai Lama, many researchers, scholars of East and West, are becoming aware of the unusual qualities and understand the depth of the Tibetan medical system. Consequently, we are witnessing a continuous growth in the number of people who appreciate and are interested in studying the Tibetan medical treatment system. Traditional Tibetan bathing for a medical purpose was inscribed onto the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO – the entry officially known as Lum medicinal bathing of Sowa-Rigpa, knowledge and practices concerning life, health and illness prevention and treatment. In the Tibetan language, the word “Lum” indicates the traditional knowledge and practices of bathing in natural hot springs, herbal water or steam to adjust the balance of the body and mind, ensure health, and treat illness. Education also includes traditional Tibetan astrology, rituals, religions, and many other aspects in daily life. Initially learning Tibetan traditional medicine Sowa-Rigpa takes approx. 12 months depending on the need and ethics for the demand / purpose of learning. We offer you learning which reflects folk experiences and ancient medical traditional classics. In order to become a doctor of Tibetan medicine, they are joining you practitioners the providers of education include farmers, herdsmen and urban residents, with these the Manpa (physician), Lum Jorkhan (pharmacist) and Manyok (assistant) owning respective responsibilities in the practice. Sowa-Rigpa is being traditionally trained according to the Amchi system (Dorjee tseten bhutia – doctorate in Tibetan medicine), according to the guru-shisya system or under the gyud-pa (heritage) system in families where knowledge is passed from father to son through the generations. It takes several years to become a skilled Amchi or Manpa (traditional doctor of naturopathic Tibetan medicine), through demanding theoretical and practical training. Upon completion of schooling, a student for becoming an Amchi should undergo education in front of the entire community in the presence of several professional Amchi, in the Amchi label award ceremony. Today, in addition to a modern social and educational system, some institutions provide education of Tibetan medicine with a certain duration (4 + 2 years), under the Ministry of Culture of the Government of India: Central Institute for Buddhist Studies, Leh; Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute, Dharamsala; Central University for Tibetan Studies, Sarnath; Chagpori Tibetan Medical Institute Darjeeling. Bihar Acupressure Yoga College (B.A.Y.C. Institute), Patna and, the document, Sikkim India Director Mr. PW Rinzing & Smajo Safić Gupta Vaidya of them are living the “DREAM” of learning university degree and meaningfully spreading Tibetan medicine in Europe. The MOU contract is concluded – Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Sikkim & Institute of Ayurveda, Ayur Ashram. Today Indian medicine Ayurveda as well as Tibetan medicine Sowa-Rigpa hold a significant place in the field of future medicine. Both medicines consider the physical body as the crystallization of deeply-rooted mental tendencies, which are transferred from previous lifetimes. This proves that the mind is the reflection of the body and the repository of impressions accessed through our senses. It also means that we can only acknowledge our real self and eternal nature outside of mind-body unity, where all bodily and mental problems have their roots into the understanding of our Ayur-Life path-Karma. The Jyotish to a profound and sophisticated mathematical form of astrology, which is derived from the ancient Vedic traditions helps us to realistically evaluate our own power and challenges in order for us to be able to optimize our full potential – by giving us the confidence to manifest our genuine destiny so that we can create success, happiness and harmony on all Ayus(r) Life levels. Through legislation within the World Health Organization (WHO), Ayurveda – India well as Sowa-Rigpa – Tibet has been recognized as a traditional system (the prevention and and joint expertise treatment of chronic diseases), and has harmonized legal documents with from which knowledge derives, under the Indian Ministry of Traditional Medicine AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani or Yunani, Siddha and Homeopathy).