Tibetan medicine

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The blue Beryl for diagnosis

The Tibetan medicine ( Tibetan : བོད་ སྨན Wylie bod sman ) and Traditional Tibetan Medicine , in short TTM ( . Tib བོད་ ཀྱི་ གསོ་ བ་ རིག་པ་ Wylie bod kyi gso ba rig pa ) is in Tibet developed system of healing which is prevalent in the countries and regions of the highlands of Tibet . There are various legends about its origin.

The basic texts of Tibetan medicine are the “Gyüshi” (Tibetan: rgyud bzhi ; “Four Tantras”, “Four Roots”) by Yuthok Yönten Gönpo (the elder) (Tibetan: g.yu thog (rnying ma) yon tan mgon po ; 708–833) and the “Yuthok Nyingthig” (Tib .: g.yu thog snying thig ; “heart essence of Yuthok”) by Yuthok Yönten Gönpo (the younger) (Tibetan: g.yu thog (gsar ma) yon tan mgon po ; 1126-1202). In the 17th century, texts from "Gyüshi" under the title "The Blue Beryl" were illustrated for the first time for educational purposes and commented on by Desi Sanggye Gyatsho .

history

Cosmos thangka for diagnostics

In the Tibetan cultural area there was already an old shamanic tradition based on the Bon and a magical-medical medicine science. Tibetan medicinal plants had a reputation for excellent quality in ancient China and are already mentioned in early pharmacological texts. From the 7th century onwards, there was a lively exchange in Tibet with the neighboring cultures of China in the east, India and Nepal in the south, the oasis cities of Central Asia, the regions of the plateau and Persia in the west. Buddhism brought the essential scriptures from India to Tibet, including medical works such as the four basic medical tantras (Gyud-bzhi).

"Currently, Tibetologists mostly assume that Tibetan medicine is predominantly of Indian origin or Indian-inspired," wrote Christopher Beckwith . "However, the historical evidence suggests that in reality, at least in the first century of the Tibetan Empire (c. 634-755), it was primarily of Western and secondary Chinese origin." Tibetan sources mention the mythical Yellow Emperor from China and the legendary Bharadvāja from India, the Greek doctor Galen and his contribution to Tibetan medicine. This was influenced , for example, by humoral pathology . Several works by Galen or pseudo-Galen became known under Songzain Gambo in Tibet.

Yuthog Yontan Gonpo , the younger, who wrote the standard work, the Four Roots , in the 12th century and united various foreign influences in it, is also considered the founder of Tibetan medicine . The four roots are still the most important teaching aid in Tibetan medicine today. In the very eventful history between Tibet and China, Tibetan medicine was also heavily influenced by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Pulse diagnosis and astrology in particular are based on influences from TCM. Nevertheless, the two medical systems are fundamentally different: While the historical foundations of Chinese medicine lie in Daoism and Confucianism , the philosophy of Tibetan medicine is based on Buddhism, which originated in India (and can in part be understood as a medical discipline of classical Indian medicine), while their medical bases come from Ayurveda , which has acquired its own form in Tibet.

Basics of Tibetan Medicine

Medical Thangka-root of treatment-2.jpg
Tibetan Medicine Chart, Tree of Diagnostics and Treatment
Ancient Tibetan Medicine Poster.jpg
Antique Tibetan Medicine Chart

Tibetan medicine is based on the traditional medical system of India , Ayurveda . Ayurvedic medicine came to Tibet along with Buddhism .

elements

The basic components of all being are the five elements earth, water, fire, wood and metal. The important thing is the harmonious balance among the elements, which can be achieved through diet, for example.

Nyes pa

The basic properties of the body are defined as nyes pa , literally flaws or flaws. A nyes pa is any mistake or error, any violation of the rhythm of life that causes chaos. If these are not in a balanced state, they destroy the body; if they worked together in harmony , then the person is healthy. When these body principles are in a state of deficiency, excess or disorder, they interfere with each other, which leads to the development of diseases . Each of the "body energies" occurs in five different forms with different functions and locations. There is a differentiated system of body channels in which different forms of "energies" and fluids are transported. From these assumptions, a complex system with specific diagnostics results in Tibetan medicine.

The three nyes pa are active condensations of the five great elements. rLung nyes pa arises from air and space, mkhrispa nyes pa from fire, badkan nyes pa from water and earth. Their job is to influence these elements in the microcosm of the body. However, the translation of the terms is inconsistent.

  • rlung, Sanskrit vayu, vatta (wind) - the energy of movement : rlung (pronounced: lung) stands for the moving element in the body and mind; rlung is involved in all physiological processes that are inherently dynamic, and it is the driving force behind the vegetative functions of breathing, cardiac activity and peristalsis; But rlung also stands for sensory perception and psychological activity.
  • mkhrispa, tripa, Sanskrit pitta (bile) - the fire of life : mkhrispa (pronounced: tripa) stands for the different types of warmth in the body, be involved in the process of metabolism, especially in digestion, compared to cooking food becomes.
  • badkan, Sanskrit Kapha (slime) - the liquid element : badkan (read: basin) stands for all factors of the liquid in the body, it fulfills functions of a mechanical nature: cohesion, support, lubrication, etc.

The disease theory

The four main works of Tibetan medicine speak of 84,000 disorders, which are divided into 404 diseases. Of these, 101 illnesses are karmic and, if left untreated, end in death. 101 diseases came from the present life and could basically be cured with medicines. 101 diseases are caused by ghosts.

101 diseases are superficial in nature. That is, they can be healed through right behavior. The Buddhist “ three poisons ” are assigned to the doshas. The three poisons led to a disturbed balance of the three doshas . According to the Tibetan understanding, the basic mental attitude decides about health or illness.

Ignorance, delusion, acceptance of an I Ti mug → badkan, slime
Greed (desire or attachment) Dö-chag → rlung, wind
Hatred (anger, aggression, or envy) she-tang → mkhrispa, gall

Ti-mug , the ignorance about the non-existence of an ego, is the most important cause of all suffering. As long as a person has self-awareness, he inherently carries the disease with him. From this I-consciousness, the attachment and the rejection arise.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis in Tibetan medicine is supposed to provide information about the imbalance of the three body energies. The observation determines external signs of the disorder on the patient; tongue and urine diagnostics are mainly used for this. The questioning of the previous history and the current condition shows how the body got into the state of illness and what the causes of the illness are. The palpation of the pulse quality is of great importance in Tibetan medicine. In this way, conclusions about disturbances or disharmonies of the three body principles should be drawn by touching the pulse quality. The negative influence of ghosts is also seen as a possible cause of health disorders.

therapy

Health is defined as a state of balance. The aim of preventive and therapeutic methods is to maintain or restore the balance inside and out. The first healing method is proper nutrition , the prescription of diets and nutritional guidelines that include moderate food intake adapted to the time of day and the season. Since the food is supposed to directly influence postulated body energies through its elementary composition, one can practice targeted preventive medicine with the right diet .

The second most important healing method is the right behavior, since the most important cause of illness from a Buddhist point of view is the state of mind. Greed and attachment, anger and hatred, and belief in an inherent reality are associated with specific disease patterns; they led to an imbalance of the elements and the three body principles.

As a third therapeutic step, the Tibetan doctor also prescribes drugs in the form of pills, powders, pastes, decoctions, ashes, etc. The more than two hundred drugs used mainly consist of plant components. In a few medicines, ingredients of animal origin are used (e.g. meat, brain and gallstones); various mineral substances are also added. The jewel pills contain powdered precious and semi-precious stones, traditionally also mercury.

As a final measure, external treatment in the form of compresses, massages , cupping , baths, smoking or drastic methods such as moxibustion , cauterization and bloodletting are applied at specific points.

The use of astrology and number mysticism is often recommended to determine the ideal time to take Tibetan medication . In the medical field, Tibetan astrology is also used to identify evil spirits that are supposed to affect the patient, as well as to identify prayers that are to be used as therapeutic measures against them.

Before 1951, "medical treatment" according to Western understanding did not take place in Tibet. The trained lamas limited themselves to praying the texts learned in their youth. These seldom contained anatomically correct information, so in women and men the heart should be on different sides in the chest. If the patient died, it was assumed that it was because the lama had uttered part of the text incorrectly, but that had no consequence. Any act of the "healers" had to be paid for, something that very few peasants in bondage, who made up a good eighty percent of the population, could afford. From the Buddhist understanding to leave all life intact it explains that operations did not take place, apart from mutilations as corporal punishment. All western travelers agree in their reports from 1840-1949 that there was no understanding of hygiene. Syphilis was treated with mercury in the early stages, but went undetected in the later stages and was widespread. Child mortality in the first year of life was 45 percent in 1953. The usual "healing method" for the frequent smallpox was to drive the sick and their entire family into the mountains, where they died exposed to wind, weather and wild dogs.

Medicinal plants

Typical Tibetan medicinal plants are

education

In the feudal age until 1951/9, budding medical lamas learned the texts mentioned by heart in an institute within sight of the Potala Palace in Lhasa.

At the Tibetan Astrology and Medicine Institute of the Dalai Lama (Men-Tsee-Khang) in Dharamsala, India, traditional Tibetan medicine is taught according to authentic tradition. Here are Amchis (Tibetan doctors) formed which officially practiced in India.

In the West, Tibetan medicine is at the Tibet Center Institute in Carinthia, Austria, by trained on-Tsee Men-Khang Amchis taught further training in Tibetan therapies offered.

Movie

In 1997, the documentary The Knowledge of Healing by Swiss filmmaker Franz Reichle was released , which deals extensively with Tibetan medicine.

literature

  • Jan van Alphen, Anthony Aris, Fernand Meyer (eds.): Oriental medicine . Haupt Verlag, Bern / Stuttgart / Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-258-05651-X .
  • Jürgen C. Aschoff (Ed.), Ina Rösing : Tibetan Medicine: East meets West - West meets East . Fabri Verlag, Ulm 1997, ISBN 3-931997-04-9 .
  • Nils Florian Besch: Tibetan Medicine Off the Roads. Modernizing the Work of the Amchi in Spiti . Dissertation. University of Heidelberg, 2006 ( full text ).
  • Theodor Burang : The Doctor in Tibetan Culture. Special edition of Tibetan Medicine. (3rd edition, Origo, Zurich) Robugen, Esslingen / Neckar 1975.
  • Elisabeth Finckh: Basics of Tibetan medicine according to the book rGyud bźi. 2 volumes, Medical Literary Publishing Company, Uelzen 1975 and 1985.
  • Ingfried Hobert : "The Practice of Tibetan Medicine". 2nd edition, OW Barth Verlag, Frankfurt 2004, ISBN 3-502-61139-4 .
  • Stephan Pálos : Tibetan-Chinese drug directory. Wiesbaden 1981, ISBN 3-447-02160-8 .
  • Yuri Parfionovitch, Gyurme Dorje, Fernand Meyer (eds.): Classical Tibetan Medicine - Illustrations of the treatise "Blue Beryl" by Sangye Gyamtso (1653–1705) . Haupt Verlag, Bern / Stuttgart / Vienna 1996, ISBN 3-258-05550-5 .
  • Gerti Samel: Tibetan Medicine . Mosaik Verlag, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-576-11202-2 .
  • Pasang Yonten Arya: Handbook of all remedies in Tibetan medicine . OW Barth, Bern 2001, ISBN 3-502-61051-7 .
  • K. Gyamtso, S. Kölliker: Tibetan Medicine. Baden, Munich: AT Verlag, 2007, ISBN 978-3-03800-207-9 .
  • Clark Barry (Ed.): The Tibetan Medicine. Barth Verlag, Bern / Munich / Vienna 1998, ISBN 3-502-67100-1 .
  • Byams-pa-Vphrin-las: Gangs-ljongs gso-rig bstan-pavi nyin-byed rim-byon gyi rnam-thar phyogs-bsgrigs. Nationalities Publishing House, Beijing 1990, ISBN 7-105-01046-0 .
  • Ilza Veith : Medicine in Tibet , Bayer (Pharmaceutical and Scientific Department), Leverkusen 1960

See also

Web links

Commons : Tibetan Medicine  - Collection of Images

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Zhen Yan, Cai Jingfeng: China's Tibetan Medicine . Foreign Languages ​​Press, Beijing 2005, ISBN 7-119-03350-6 .
  2. ↑ Michael Quick: About the knowledge of the four medical treatises of Tibet, the rGyud bži. Annotations and bibliographical notes on the basics of Tibetan medicine. In: Würzburg medical history reports. Volume 5, 1987, pp. 323-345.
  3. ↑ Dharmapala Thangka Center: 1000 years of Tibetan medicine on scrolls
  4. ^ "Tibetan Medicine" in: Der Brockhaus, Health. Gütersloh / Munich: 2010, p. 1225.
  5. ↑ Christopher I. Beckwith: "The Introduction of Greek Medicine into Tibet in the Seventh and Eighth Centuries". In: Journal of the American Oriental Society. 99.2: 297-313 (April-June 1979).
  6. ^ Klaus Butzenberger, Mariana Fedorova: Interrelationships between Buddhism and classical Indian medicine. In: Sudhoff's archive. Volume 73, pp. 88-109.
  7. ^ Importance of Tibetan Medicine in the West , Kai Philip Reuter (dissertation). Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  8. ↑ Gelder, Stuart; Money, Roma; Timely rain: Travels in New Tibet; London 1964 (Hutchinson); German: Visa for Tibet; Düsseldorf 1965 (Econ); [Travel report of an English couple who visited Lhasa for several weeks in the summer of 1962.]
  9. ↑ Han Suyin [韓 素 音; d. i. Rosalie Elisabeth Kuanghu Chow (ch. 周 光 湖, Zhōu Guānghú), 1917-2012]; Comber, Elizabeth; Lhasa, the open city; A journey to Tibet; London 1977 (Cape); German: China's sun over Lhasa; Bern 1978 (Scherz), Munich 1980 (Knaur); [Travel report 1975.], p. 21.
  10. ↑ The knowledge of healing. In: swissfilms.ch. Swiss Films , accessed July 22, 2018 .