Sowa Rigpa - The Buddhist Science of Healing

In the post-covid era of using Traditional Tibetan Medicine, many patients face chronic post-covid syndrome symptoms. Many of such maladies can be address by the Traditional Tibetan Medicinal Bath therapy known as the “Dutsi 5 Lums” or 5 Nectars Bath. Praised for its ability to fight rLung or wind disorders, seen as a strong component in wotking wth both acute and chronic conditions this therapy has emerged in my clinic as a viable method to treat the post Covid-19 symptoms and subsequent long term effects on the nervous, muscular skeletal systems as well as with the chronic fatigue. Said in the Tradition Tibetan text, the rGyud bZhi, those extremely depleted and weakened from prolonged and difficult illness, suffering from joint and muscle pains, circulatory disorders, nervous system disorders, contagious disorders and issues with the plasma and subsequent rash and skin disorders will all benefit from this bath. What is unique about using this treatment within North America, is that the herbs are all grown here and thus is made easily. Bath therapy is also a logical way to employ treatment at a distance in mild cases and does not typically interfere with western medical treatments. This healing bath has multiple benefits for multiple disorders, and was used long before the Corona virus hit as a worldwide pandemic. Making this bath recipe available, with sinple how to use instructions is of great benefit to mankind in these troubled times.

Turquoise, coral, rubies, diamonds, amber, and pearls are among the potent substances used in Tibet’s medical traditions, specifically in ‘precious pills’ or rinchen rilbu (rin chen ril bu). Tibetan physicians use precious stones as medicines only after processing, without which none of them are considered medically beneficial. In this paper, I analyze three precious substances—turquoise, coral, and pearl—which appear together in many precious pill formulas and are processed using the same techniques. Based on textual analysis and interviews with Tibetan physicians in India, I address the questions: What makes these substances particularly ‘potent,’ expressed in the Tibetan term nüpa (nus pa)? How and why are these substances processed for use in medicines, and how is processing linked to nüpa? I argue that Tibetan medical practitioners authenticate their tradition of using precious stones as potent substances primarily through relying on authoritative texts and oral transmission, since the direct sensoexperiential understanding of the stones’ nüpa is limited compared to the more sensorial assessments of the nüpa of plants through smell and taste. Findings show that potency of precious stones emerges as a complex synergy of interactions between substances and their socio-historical, religious, economic, and political values, which are all encapsulated in ‘tradition.’ In line with Neveling and Klien (2010) and Scheid (2007), I look at tradition as a fluid process of knowledge transmission over time, and analyze what happens when practitioners try to explain the rationale behind processing practices they still meticulously follow, and how questioning, especially by foreign researchers, might influence practitioners to call on biomedical science to explain tradition.

The post-Covid world has left many with what is being coined as “Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome,”or “Post-COVID Syndrome” and “Long COVID”. Among lay public, news and radio sources, the phrase “Long Haulers” is often used. No clearly delineated consensus gives an exact definition for what these patients are suffering from after initial infectious phases. What is known, is symptoms and side effects following primary infection can extend well beyond the acute phase. Data coming from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and the IDSA (Infectious Disease Society of America) show America has been hit particularly hard by Covid-19. Many patients in the USA and in fact worldwide, are complaining of long term effects, very slow recovery times, accompanied by lingering symptoms. While aspects of Traditional Tibetan Medicine treatment have been discussed for both preventive and acute phases, less prominent is a discussion around Tibetan Medicine methods and treatments for post-acute phases of recovery for Covid Long Hauler cases. This lecture was given for the Sowa Rigpa International College in late December 2020, as part of a lecture series on facebook live. This presentation is based on the clinical observations of Nashalla G. Nyinda, TMD Menpa (Doctor of Tibetan Medicine) who employed Traditional Tibetan Medicine methods and protocols for patients effected by Covid-19.

Introduction - Tibetan Buddhist Medicine - History, Sources and Philosophy.
"In a world with so many sources of knowledge it is a true enrichment, when practical experience and useful methods meet to create happiness or avoid suffering. May the work of my close student Anna Elisabeth Bach give rise to a broader awareness of the potency and effects of medicinal plants." Lama Ole Nydahl

Introduction: Bhutanese Sowa Rigpa medicine (BSM) has established unique pharmacopoeias that describe eth-notaxonomical concepts, classification systems and descriptions of medicinal plants. BSM was integrated with modern health care system in 1967. BSM uses medicinal plants, minerals and animal products as the main ingredients of the formulations used for treating various disorders. This study was aimed to highlight interesting ethnotaxonomical concepts of BSM and identify and document medicinal plants from the two remotest regions of eastern Himalayas of Bhutan-Merak and Sakteng. Methods: Ethnopharmacological data was gathered from the pharmacopoeias, published monographs and research papers on Bhutanese medicinal plants. Medicinal plants diversity was surveyed using the convenience sampling methods. A literature review on the phytochemical content of the medicinal plants and their pharmacological activities was carried out using plant databases, PubMed, SciFinder and Google Scholar. Results: A very interesting ethnotaxonomical concept of BSM has been translated into English terminologies from the traditional pharmacopoeia. A total of 50 alpine medicinal plants belonging to 25 families and 39 genera in 13 study sites between Merak and Sakteng were documented. Only 12 medicinal species were identified as priority species or are currently used at Menjong Sorig Pharmaceuticals for formulating 48 different medicines. Conclusions: This study described the ethnotaxonomical concepts, classification and description of medicinal plants in Bhutan and botanically identified 50 alpine medicinal plants from 13 different study sites under Merak and Sakteng regions. About 12 of them were currently used as ingredients in BSM formulations and 35 species were studied for their phytochemical and pharmacological properties.

Determining the most appropriate medical intervention for Fibromyalgia is challenging because it presents a myriad of pain symptoms. I assert that this condition primarily falls under the Tibetan medicine category of “wind” or rLung disorders. Consulting the chapter on wind diseases contained within the third volume of the classical four-volume Tibetan medical treatises, a direct correlation emerges. Due to the chronic nature of this disorder, involvement of other bodily systems often produces further symptoms of imbalance which may fall under other humoral or elemental classification. Treatment follows guidelines elaborated within the classical Tibetan medical texts. More specifically, wind disorders attacking muscles, tendons, ligaments or wind ‘running in the channels’ described in this paper provides accurate descriptions of and treatment models for this modern affliction􏰝􏰍􏰊􏰋􏰋􏰒􏰝􏰊􏰍.

This presentation was done for Shambhala Mountain Center in order to move the yearly teachings online during the global Covid-19 Pandemic. As we were limited to online only for the traditional weekend of teachings; these slides were given in the context of working with this practice. Both the origin of the Sādhanā and the deity known as Sangye Menla, or the Medicine Buddha, self and frontal visualizations.
Best practice in the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, is to seek transmission from a fully qualified genuine teacher for the best results. This is certainly so when doing self-generation / visualization. Menpa Nashalla’s high lama teachers she consulted prior to this forum gave guidance that her online reading of the full Sādhanā text should not be considered as a traditional reading transmission for practice of self generation. Please seek proper transmission in-person when the situation again presents itself, otherwise she requests those who have not had full initiation only stay with frontal visualization.