The Tibetan Medical Thangkas

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The traditional system of Tibetan medicine has been practised for over many centuries and is still popular for healing from different diseases. Tibetian medicine is essentially the combination of four tantras:

• The first tantra is named as “Root Tantra” and here we can find the brief explanation of all possible diseases. It is compared with the seed.
• The second tantra, named as “Explanatory Tantra” is composed of 31 chapters. It has an illustration of the anatomy and physiology of the human body; all the process from birth to the death is explained.
• The third tantra is called “Oral Tantra” and is composed of 92 chapters. It basically deals with the cause of the disease, the nature of the disease and their classification.
• The last i.e. fourth tantra is composed of 25 chapters and is called as “Fourth tantra.” It detailly explains the 18 methods of diagnosis, pharmacology and support, or external treatments.

The entire text of Tibetian Medicine includes 156 chapters.

The teaching of Four Tantras was given by Buddha in Benares (Varanasi, India) when he was 71 years old. The aim of teaching was to benefit sentient beings and cure diseases naturally.

So the practitioners of Tibetian medicines would not take fees from the patient. Patients would simply present an offering and in case they did not offer anything, the doctor would never complain; his main goal was the practice.

Those who study and practise four tantras are believed to be healthy and live a long life. They also practise this form of medicine to be in the spiritual path of Buddha; to accumulate richness; to be happy.

It is an explanatory tantra. The thangka illustrates the anatomy of the human body. This has showcased the blood circulation passage within the human body, the skeleton system; showing the bones in different parts of the body, the third one has showcased the heart of the circulatory system; heart, digestive system and reproductive system.

The four tantras: It has illustrated all the types of medical teachings, i.e. all four types of tantras. A person must understand all the four tantras and the corresponding 156 chapters to get an insight of the Tibetian medicine.