The ethical conduct of a physician 3. TTM Congress Kathmandu Florian Ploberger MD, B. Ac., MA Austria
Tibetan Medicine and Buddhism The Four Noble Truth bden pa bzhi Depending arising rten brel Rebirth skye ba phyi ma Karma las
How do we achieve integration of Tibetan Medicine and Western Medicine? Respecting each other Communicating with each other Understanding each other Being together Common goals Dr. Tsetan Dorji Sadutshang, Personal Physician of H. H. the Dalai Lama, Delek Hospital Dharamsala
Practising medicine in partnerhip is far superior to individual practise. Dr. Tsetan Dorji Sadutshang, Personal Physician of H. H. the Dalai Lama, Delek Hospital Dharamsala
Fields of Knowledge or Five Sciences (rig gnas che ba lnga) Art (bzo rig pa) Medicine (gso ba rig pa) Language and Grammar (sgra rig pa) Logic (gtan tshig rig pa) Buddhist Studies / Meditation (nang don rig pa)
rgyud bzhi (The Four Medical Tantras) Written down in the 8 th century A.D. Was to be learned by heart Thangkas (tibetan wall-paintngs) were produced under Desi Sangye Gyatso (1653 1706 A.D.), the regent of the grait fifth Dalai Lama The Four Tantras: Basic-Tantra rtsa rgyud Explanatory-Tantra bshad rgyud Oral-Insruction-Tantra man ngag rgyud Subsequent-Tantra phyi ma rgyud
II. bshad rgyud (The Explanatory Tantra) Chapter 31: sman pa'i le'u (Healer, the physician) ngag tshig snyan pas nad pa spro skyed nus ( Pleasant words enable the patient to be joyful )
The Four Noble Truth The Nature of Suffering: sdug bsngal bden pa "This is the noble truth of suffering: birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair are suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering. Suffering's Origin: kun byung bden pa "This is the noble truth of the origin of suffering: it is this craving which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there, that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for extermination.
The Four Noble Truth Suffering's Cessation: gog pa i bden pa "This is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: it is the remainderless fading away and cessation of that same craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, nonreliance on it. The Way Leading to the Cessation of Suffering: lam gyi dben pa "This is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: it is the Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentratio.
The four types of suffering sdug bsngal bzhi The suffering of birth, old age, diseases and death. skyes rga na 'chi i sdug bsngal
The three types of suffering sdug bsngal gsum The suffering of pain sdug bsngal gyi sdug bsngal The suffering of change gyur ba i sdug bsngal Pervasive suffering kyab pa du byed kyi sdug bsngal
II. bshad rgyud (The Explanatory Tantra) Chapter 12 nad kyi dbye ba bstan pa (Classifications of disorders) Disorders of this lifetime Disorders caused by karmic imprint Disorders arising out of a combination of these two plus Disorders caused by evil spirits (gdon)
The four seals of Buddhist doctrine lta ba bka' btags kyi phag rgya bzhi All products are impermanent 'dus bye thams cad mi rtag pa All contaminated things are miserable zag cad thams cad sdug bsngal ba All phenomena are empty and selfless chos thams cad stong zhing bdag med pa Nirvana is peace mya ngang las 'das pa zhi ba
6 Perfections phar phyin drug (Paramitas) 1. Generosity (Dana Paramita) sbyin pa 2. Ethic (Sila Paramita) tshul khrims 3. Patience (Kshanti Paramita) bzod pa 4. Effort (Virya Paramita) brtson grus 5. Concentration (Dhyana Paramita) bsam gtan 6. Wisdom (Prajna Paramita) shes rab
10 non-virtuous actions mi dge ba chu Killing srog gcod pa Stealing ma byin par len pa Sexual Misconduct log gyem Lying brdzun Slander khra ma Harsh speech chig rtsub Idle gossip ngag khyal Covetousness brnab sems Malicious intend gnod sems Wrong view log ta Yothog Yonten Gonpo I. (708 833 A.D.)
4 types of virtuous activities phrin las rnam pa bzhi Activity of peace zhi ba i las Activity of increase rgyas pa i las Activity of power dbang gi las Activity of wrath drag po i las
the four immeasureables (tshad med bzhi, Skt. Apramana) Immeasurable: love (byams pa, Skt: maitri) compassion (snying rje, Skt: karuna) joy (dga ba, Skt: mudita) equanimity (btang snyoms, Skt: upeksha) (Chapter 31: sman pa'i le'u)
negative/ harmful action sdig pa object gzhi thought, idea, plan, intention bsam pa action byor ba conclusive consequence, completion of an act mthar thug
Ethical behavior of a physician Yuthok Yonten Gonpo the elder was born in the year of the earth monkey 708 (15th day of the 5th month of the Tibetan lunar calendar). You should abandon selfishness, jealousy, negative thoughts and cheating. Inside your heart there should be a compassionate mind. Always work for the benefit to the patients. Do not misuse your medical knowledge to build friendship with high ranking people or to make profits. Take care and give medicine to all poor and destitute patients with a generous mind. Irrespective of the personality of the patient and their offers, give correct treatment to cure the diseases. Give up your personal special wishes and biases, be a physician that reaches all patients. Do not stay at one place, but go to different continents and care for divergent patients.
Do not think to be a personal physician of great Lamas and kings, be a physician who takes care for destitute patients with love. Do not be attach towards alcohol and intoxicating substances, always be a vegetarian. Be a slave of the patients and go to them even without having a horse to ride. Do not pretend to know if you do not know, continue to study until you are old. Do not do experiments with human life, accept that there are things you do not know. Always practice the noble dharma with body, speech and mind and prepare for your next life. From: gangs ljongs gso rig bstan pa'i nyin byed rim byon gyi rnam thar phogs bsgtigs Written by byams pa phrin las 1991, Lhasa
Juwel Pills
May all sentient beings be free of suffering and the causes of suffering