Fundamentals of Tibetan Medicine

Medical Diagnosis

In Tibetan Medicine, physicians use their six sense consciousness to make a diagnosis. These six senses are visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, and mental. The first five consciousnesses are non-conceptual while the last one is both non-conceptual and conceptual.

Types of Examinations

Examination through touch entails pulse readings which gives the physician the nature of the disease.

Visual diagnosis uses the sensory organs and their perceptions. Urine analysis is another type of visual examination that gives a clear indication of physical pathologies. Visual tongue diagnosis shows the integration of disease and digestive symptoms.

Hearing method includes questioning which entails learning about the patient’s medical history. This gives the physician a clearer way of analyzing the disease.10

Treatments

There are many types of treatments that are used to cure diseases. These treatments range from external therapies such as moxibustion or horme to medicinal herbs and surgeries.

External Therapies11

Mesta, or better known as moxibustion is a form of burning mugwort leaves and placed closely, but not touching, the patient’s skin. This is performed to help circulation of energy and reduce pain. Moxibustion is usually used with acupuncture to enhance the healing.12

Horme is a Tibetan medical and home remedy therapy for healing wind disorders, restoring sleep, releasing tension, and relaxing the body. The technique of using Horme includes warming vital body parts with medicated oil or melted butter.13

Usage of Mandalas as a treatment

Mandala’s are seen as a form of psychotherapy that provides psychological support and healing. Tibetan mandalas are tools used for guiding individuals along the path of enlightenment. The Tibetan sand mandalas are constructed from sand and are said to effect purification and healing. A mandala’s healing power extends to the whole world even before it is swept up and dispersed into flowing water—a further expression of sharing the mandala’s blessings with all.14

The Healing mandala transmits positive energy to the environment and to those who heal it. It functions as a visual for meditation and enables the practitioner to connect to the medicinal powers and benevolence of the Medicine Buddha.15

Fig. 7. 51-Diety Bhaisajyaguru Mandala

Source: bSod nams rgya mtsho, Tibetan Mandalas: The Ngor Collection

Western Medicine vs. Tibetan Medicine
  1. Sutra of the medicine buddha. Accessed April 29, 2024. http://www.buddhism.org/Sutras/2/MedicineBuddha.htm. ↩︎
  2. Miller, Laura. “Medicine Buddha Prayers for Those Suffering, Injured and Killed.” FPMT, January 2, 2023. https://fpmt.org/mandala-today/medicine-buddha-prayers-for-those-suffering-injured-and-killed/. ↩︎
  3. O’Brien, Barbara. “Bhaisajyaguru – The Medicine Buddha.” Learn Religions, June 25, 2019. https://www.learnreligions.com/bhaisajyaguru-the-medicine-buddha-449982. ↩︎
  4. Ibid. ↩︎
  5. Ibid. ↩︎
  6. Ibid. ↩︎
  7. Hofer, Theresa. “Bodies in Balance: The art of Tibetan Medicine”. New York: University of Washington Press, 2014. ↩︎
  8. “What is Tibetan Medicine”. Tibetan Medicine Education Center. Accessed March 12, 2024. https://tibetanmedicine-edu.org/tmm/tm/tibetan-medicine/what-is-tibetan-medicine/. ↩︎
  9. “Physiology of the humors and constituents”. Tibetan Medicine Education Center. Accessed March 12, 2024. https://tibetanmedicine-edu.org/tmm/tm/tibetan-medicine/the-three-humors/physiology-of-the-humors-and-constituents/ ↩︎
  10. “The Medical Practice”. Tibetan Medicine Education Center. Accessed March 12, 2024. https://tibetanmedicine-edu.org/tmm/tm/tibetan-medicine/the-medical-practice/. ↩︎
  11. “External Therapies”. Tibetan Medicine Education Center. Accessed March 12, 2024. https://tibetanmedicine-edu.org/tmm/tm/external-therapies/. ↩︎
  12. “Moxibustion”. Tibetan Medicine Education Center. Accessed March 12, 2024. https://tibetanmedicine-edu.org/tmm/tm/external-therapies/moxibustion/. ↩︎
  13. “Horme”. Tibetan Medicine Education Center. Accessed March 12, 2024. https://tibetanmedicine-edu.org/tmm/tm/external-therapies/horme/. ↩︎
  14. “Mandalas” Tibetan Healing Mandala. Accessed Apri 29, 2024. https://archive.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/online/mandala/mandala.htm ↩︎
  15. “Tibetan Medicine Buddha Mandala Thangka”. Lucy Thanka. Accessed April 29, 2024. https://luckythanka.com/products/tibetan-medicine-buddha-mandala-thangka. ↩︎