Secrecy is the practice of concealing information from others. Depending on its nature and motiva... more Secrecy is the practice of concealing information from others. Depending on its nature and motivation, the morality of secrecy is always debatable. The culture of secrecy can also be observed in medical practice, despite the fact that valuable therapeutic knowledge is covered up as a result. In a seventeenth-century commentary on the Tibetan medical work, the Four Tantras (rgyud bzhi), called the Extended Commentary on the Instructional Tantra of the Four Tantras (man ngag lhan thabs) by Desi Sanggyé Gyatso (sde srid sangs rgyas rgya mtsho, 1653–1705), there are encrypted terms called “secret medicines” (gsang sman) that are incomprehensible to ordinary readers and can be found throughout the entire manuscript. Nonetheless, the key to these encryptions can only be found in separate texts attributed to different authors, indicating that the practice of encryption is present. This study attempts to explore these esoteric approaches to the healing of life-wind illness, with specific references to the encrypted nature of this commentary and a particular focus on the possible rationale for the need of encryption in Sanggyé Gyatso’s writings.
he practice of medicine saves lives. Nonetheless, if a medical practice is poorly performed, live... more he practice of medicine saves lives. Nonetheless, if a medical practice is poorly performed, lives will be in jeopardy. In the Tibetan medical tradition, certain deterrents are established within the tradition so that to prevent non-professional practice which leads to devastating results for patients and to ensure that medical knowledge is transmitted properly. Since the institutionalization of Tibetan medicine in the 17 th century, the practice of medicine has been considered part of the tantric Buddhist practice. Retribution, in the spiritual sense, results from unauthorized malpractice in the context of tantric practice. On the one hand, this ensures that medicine is exercised in a proper way with high standards and safety measures, since the tantric means are involved. On the other hand, it means that medicine is kept as an elite knowledge restricted to tantric adepts. This paper examines the constraints embedded within the medical texts written at the time of the 5 th Dalai Lama. These constraints, which are typical of those associated with tantric teachings, represented a vital component in the ability of the authorities of the Lcags po ri Medical School to control the medical practice under the 5 th Dalai Lama's theocratic regime.
Chülen (bcud len), the practice of "taking the essence", is an important practice within the Tibe... more Chülen (bcud len), the practice of "taking the essence", is an important practice within the Tibetan medical tradition. Through nourishing the body with the so-called depleted "essence", not only can one extend their lifespan but the practitioner can also restore their physical vitality. In recent years, this practice seems to be shifting away from the traditional religious mode of chülen involving tantric practices and rituals. Among the Tibetan medical literature, chülen is much emphasized in its religious aspects in the two important 17th century Tibetan medical commentaries on the Four Tantras (Rgyud bzhi) by the regent of the Fifth Dalai Lama, Desi Sangye Gyatso (Sde srid sangs rgyas rgya mtsho, 1653-1705): the Blue Beryl (Vaidurya sngon po) and the Extended Commentary on the Instructional Tantra of the Four Tantras (Man ngag lhan thabs). Both texts are considered to be the most significant commentaries to the Four Tantras and have exerted a momentous impact on the interpretation of the Four Tantras even up to recent times. In their chapters on chülen, an assortment of chülen practices can be found. While there are some methods solely involving the extraction of essence in the material sense, there are also some in the spiritual-alchemical sense which are not observed in the Four Tantras. In this paper, I focus on the elaboration of the Four Tantras by Sangye Gyatso via his portrayal of ritualistic chülen in his two commentaries, where the tantric mode of promoting longevity and rekindling vitality is made efficacious by the operative socio-religious factors of his era, and which still exert their effect on our perception of chülen today.
Secrecy is the practice of concealing information from others. Depending on its nature and motiva... more Secrecy is the practice of concealing information from others. Depending on its nature and motivation, the morality of secrecy is always debatable. The culture of secrecy can also be observed in medical practice, despite the fact that valuable therapeutic knowledge is covered up as a result. In a seventeenth-century commentary on the Tibetan medical work, the Four Tantras (rgyud bzhi), called the Extended Commentary on the Instructional Tantra of the Four Tantras (man ngag lhan thabs) by Desi Sanggyé Gyatso (sde srid sangs rgyas rgya mtsho, 1653–1705), there are encrypted terms called “secret medicines” (gsang sman) that are incomprehensible to ordinary readers and can be found throughout the entire manuscript. Nonetheless, the key to these encryptions can only be found in separate texts attributed to different authors, indicating that the practice of encryption is present. This study attempts to explore these esoteric approaches to the healing of life-wind illness, with specific references to the encrypted nature of this commentary and a particular focus on the possible rationale for the need of encryption in Sanggyé Gyatso’s writings.
he practice of medicine saves lives. Nonetheless, if a medical practice is poorly performed, live... more he practice of medicine saves lives. Nonetheless, if a medical practice is poorly performed, lives will be in jeopardy. In the Tibetan medical tradition, certain deterrents are established within the tradition so that to prevent non-professional practice which leads to devastating results for patients and to ensure that medical knowledge is transmitted properly. Since the institutionalization of Tibetan medicine in the 17 th century, the practice of medicine has been considered part of the tantric Buddhist practice. Retribution, in the spiritual sense, results from unauthorized malpractice in the context of tantric practice. On the one hand, this ensures that medicine is exercised in a proper way with high standards and safety measures, since the tantric means are involved. On the other hand, it means that medicine is kept as an elite knowledge restricted to tantric adepts. This paper examines the constraints embedded within the medical texts written at the time of the 5 th Dalai Lama. These constraints, which are typical of those associated with tantric teachings, represented a vital component in the ability of the authorities of the Lcags po ri Medical School to control the medical practice under the 5 th Dalai Lama's theocratic regime.
Chülen (bcud len), the practice of "taking the essence", is an important practice within the Tibe... more Chülen (bcud len), the practice of "taking the essence", is an important practice within the Tibetan medical tradition. Through nourishing the body with the so-called depleted "essence", not only can one extend their lifespan but the practitioner can also restore their physical vitality. In recent years, this practice seems to be shifting away from the traditional religious mode of chülen involving tantric practices and rituals. Among the Tibetan medical literature, chülen is much emphasized in its religious aspects in the two important 17th century Tibetan medical commentaries on the Four Tantras (Rgyud bzhi) by the regent of the Fifth Dalai Lama, Desi Sangye Gyatso (Sde srid sangs rgyas rgya mtsho, 1653-1705): the Blue Beryl (Vaidurya sngon po) and the Extended Commentary on the Instructional Tantra of the Four Tantras (Man ngag lhan thabs). Both texts are considered to be the most significant commentaries to the Four Tantras and have exerted a momentous impact on the interpretation of the Four Tantras even up to recent times. In their chapters on chülen, an assortment of chülen practices can be found. While there are some methods solely involving the extraction of essence in the material sense, there are also some in the spiritual-alchemical sense which are not observed in the Four Tantras. In this paper, I focus on the elaboration of the Four Tantras by Sangye Gyatso via his portrayal of ritualistic chülen in his two commentaries, where the tantric mode of promoting longevity and rekindling vitality is made efficacious by the operative socio-religious factors of his era, and which still exert their effect on our perception of chülen today.
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