Traditional Medicine: Tibet

Traditional Tibetan medicine has advanced and progressed alongside Tibetan culture for the last 2,500 years and is one of the world’s oldest medical practices. It is considered a natural and holistic medical science, as it addresses not only the physical needs of the body but its mental and spiritual needs as well. In the development of its practices, the Tibetan people integrated and synthesized knowledge from both Indian and Chinese medical systems, with a particularly dominant Buddhist influence. The majority of its practices are based upon Indian Buddhist literature and Ayurveda, which embraces the belief that the balance of particular bodily functions equals health, while imbalance equals disease.

[Page 1423]For diagnosis, practitioners of traditional Tibetan medicine use a multifaceted approach, incorporating philosophy, mental health, and visual ...