| Tibetans have been in exile since 1959; most of them | | | | and metabolism, and is in the stomach. |
| live in India and have Indian papers. Their religion is | | | | The "downward cleansing" Rlung expels |
| Tibetan Buddhism, and their traditional system of | | | | everything-feces, urine, menstrual blood, babies, and |
| medicine is rather like traditional Chinese Medicine - | | | | semen. This Rlung resides in the rectum. |
| but Tibetan of course. | | | | With regard to what causes sickness-time and |
| It has been practiced for around 2,500 years. The | | | | season, improper lifestyle or other imbalances-spirits |
| headquarters of their Medical Institute is in Northern | | | | are thought to cause the sickness if the time and |
| India, where their doctors are trained and Tibetan | | | | place is disturbed. Different spirits can be disturbed |
| Medicines are made. Doctors of Tibetan Medicine are | | | | during different times of the day or year, and |
| required to study for a minimum of seven years, | | | | consultation with a tantric practitioner is needed to |
| where they learn not only the basics of their | | | | determine if angry spirits are responsible for the |
| medicine, bit are required to learn poetry as well! | | | | patient's ailment(s). If this is the case, chanting, |
| Tibetan Medicine is called "gSoba Rig-pa" (which | | | | meditation and prayer can be used to return the |
| translates as the science of healing) and virtually all of | | | | spirit, and herbs are used to alleviate-for |
| it is based on herbal remedies. They also make a | | | | example-pain, curing the symptoms as well as the |
| type of pill(s) from precious metals which has had | | | | dis-ease. |
| good results with the treatment of ailments such as | | | | It is interesting to note that with regard to the |
| arthritis, asthma, and ulcers, just to name a few. | | | | sicknesses involved with an imbalanced diet, Tibetan |
| Tibetan medicine teaches that all suffering is caused | | | | Medicine does not recommend only raw foods, only |
| by one or a combination of three poisonous ways of | | | | certain foods, etc. The teaching is very strict with |
| thinking-wanting, dread, and denial. This makes | | | | respect to a balance of all foods. They do not say to |
| perfect sense when you think about the medicine in | | | | never eat butter, for example, but to eat a balance |
| context with Buddhist philosophy, which teaches that | | | | of raw and fatty foods. |
| these are the very three concepts that the Buddhist | | | | Diagnosis is done primarily by testing urine and looking |
| aspires to relieve themselves of. | | | | at the patient's tongue. Heavy, thick, yellow or dark |
| "Cures" are based in the elimination of urine, feces, | | | | urine with a strong odor indicates a "hot" sickness, |
| and sweat. When the good elements of the body all | | | | while clear, thin, or white urine indicates a "cold" |
| work together in harmony, the patient begins to feel | | | | sickness. The patient's tongue is tested for color, |
| better. The long term causes of sickness are one of | | | | smoothness, and hydration. The doctor will then take |
| the "three poisons", which are believed to be caused | | | | the patient's pulse, and like in acupuncture, can tell |
| by imbalances of time and season, poor diet and | | | | much about blood flow and blockages by the number |
| improper behavior. (Please note that this article has | | | | of beats and strength. |
| been extremely over simplified.) | | | | Finally there will be a long list of questions to be |
| Rlung is to the Tibetans what the Qi is to the | | | | answered by the patient, and treatment will consist |
| Chinese, the life force which flows through us all and | | | | of one of four recommendations, advice on diet and |
| the universe.There are five types of Rlung; | | | | behavior, which is the first step of treatment, and/or |
| "life grasping" which is located in the brain and | | | | prescribing medicine or surgery. Usually a change in |
| controls intellect, swallowing, sneezing, and breathing. | | | | diet or behaviors helps tremendously, to the point |
| "Upward moving" is in the chest and controls speech, | | | | that medicine-other than symptom relieving medicine |
| stamina, and diligence. | | | | or surgery is not needed. Many patients use Tibetan |
| "All pervading" Rlung is located in the heart, and | | | | Medicine regularly as a preventative, and so many |
| controls movement, such as walking and the opening | | | | diseases and ailments are caught in the very early |
| and closing of the orifices of the body. | | | | stages. |
| "Fire accompanying" Rlung is responsible for digestion | | | | |