The Principles of Tibetan Medicine a Medical System Based on Compassion
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THE MIRROR The International Newspaper of the Dzog-chen Community Volume 1 Issue 11, September 1991 NAMKHA The principles of Tibetan medicine A medical system based on compassion Germany An introduction to Dzog-chen Namkha is a Tibetan word, which page 5 means space. This word is also used as the name of an object made of France sticks and coloured threads. InTibet, Three day Paris conference Namkhas have been used a great deal yet few people understand page 6 exactly how they work. Denmark In 1983, Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche clarified the ways that Namkhas can Yantra yoga group actually be used by a person to page 5 harmonise his or her energies. This involves a certain understanding of U.S.A. Tibetan astrology related to the New York individual. Once the astrological Kalacakra Initiation signs and aspects of an individual are understood, a Namkha can be The Medicine Buddha page 4 constructed and with the use of Tsegyalgar appropriate rituals, it can become a In the Mahay a na tradition, when we practise or study, from the start we look Lobpon Tenzin Namdak practical aid in making one's life at our motivation. If we do not have good motivation then we cultivate it in teaches in October more harmonious. order to benefit others. There is an explanation of the qualities that a doctor needs to have. If people do not have these qualities, then they need to cultivate page 5 page 14 them. page 9 Australia New Mexico Some views on death Remembering Dr. Lopsang Dolma page 13 A group of people in Santa Fe now The story of one of Tibet's famous women doctors New Zealand gather together regularly for group Teachings transmitted by practice and activities as the Dzog- Bom in the Kyirong district of West years in exile, she finally resumed bringing the unique system of radio in Auckland chen Community of New Mexico. Tibet in 1935, Dr. Dolma followed her medical practice and in 1972 Tibetan medicine to the West. page 5 They recount their activities and the family tradition of religious and accepted the post of Chief Physician In 1983 she participated in the First Proposal for an international experiences throughout the year and medical service to become the 13th at the Tibetan Medical Centre in International Conference on Tibetan their plans for organizing future Khangkar doctor in an unbroken Dharamsala. She has given lectures, Medicine held in Italy. mail order book-store retreats. lineage. After her departure from workshops and diagnostic She died at the age of 55 in 1989. cooperative page 6 Tibet in 1959 and the first difficult exhibitions in America and Europe page 8 page 12 A.S .I.A. Retreat at Merigar Ten years later Delegation to Chengdu Merigar celebrated its 10th page 3 with Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche anniversary on a hot August day December 23 to January 5 with an excursion on foot led by Shang-Shung masked dancers, pipers and information page 7 drummers from the Capannone, to Editions Merigar 2, the river, across fields Some questions answered and fences to the woods, then on to page 3 Merigar programme the Gonpa, the hill of the nomads, the children 's playpark and the main Year of Tibet This year Merigar has been fortunate to have the almost continual presence house. An enormous long bodied The international calendar of Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche since the spring. lion reared its ferocious head along page 10 During the summer programme he gave several transmissions and practices the way, and each stop became a and will continue to do so throughout the autumn. story in dance, poetry, music and Children A glance at the Merigar programme on page 4 will show the days on which fun. The day closed as dancers Suggestions on child-care Norbu Rinpoche will be teaching and giving transmission which is practically whirled around a great fire. every weekend until Christmas when he will lead a two week retreat. page 11 (photo Jean Mackintosh) page 15 2 The preservation and the purity of the teachings is the responsibility of all those who are involved with the teachings. The preciousness of the teachings From the teachings of Namkhai of some chosen few. Normally this capacities. But you must understand NorbuRinpochegiven in California, is how people see the matter. For that the fundamental capacity of November 4th, 1979. example, people speak of His teachers and masters is transmission. I want to explain a bit about things Holiness, that His Holiness is the A power greater than that of in general. We find among us that owner of the teachings like transmitting does not exist. people have their own practice, their somebody is the owner of a precious Transmission is a way of developing own master, their own lineage. jewel. But that is not true. Because your progress in that practice. But That's not only true of someone nobody has given him the job. before developing that, you have to who is following Buddhism. But Nobody has given that authority to have a principle. when one follows any teaching, it's any such person. The teaching is in If we speak, for example, of making always like that. And one has these the common interest of all beings a flower grow and develop, this characteristics even if one is not and therefore the preservation and means we have to use fertilizer and following the teaching. That is to the purity of the teachings is the plant food and water and so forth. It say, this is characteristic of the responsibility of all those who are means there is already a flower. If human being. involved with the teachings. there is no flower, there is nothing to And in general we all have an Therefore it's extremely important help grow, to cultivate. Likewise, at enormous amount of confusion that all the people and practitioners the beginning there is a teacher who about this. When one wants to follow who are involved in the teaching has explained and transm itted oral ly, a teaching, one thinks many times shou Id be active. And thus they must, and this is indispensible. about "Whether I should follow or above all, be responsible and aware Then when the person has found the whether I shouldn't follow". of their responsibility, otherwise teaching, it is up to the person Particularly people who follow some one's Bodhicitta is really just a himself. It's no longer the master's particular school get worried. And matter of words. job. The master's job is to transmit, (© Modonesi & Namkhai) the truth is that we all have a lot of to make you understand, to give you these conflicts. Responsibility practise. It may be that one does not if you know from the beginning the methods which you will cultivate But it's very important to try to For me, for example, that which is know how to practise, then the first there is no conflict, then if somebody and develop. But the rest of it, doing understand first of all, that through most valuable, most precious, is the step of course is to learn, to try to is making conflicts with me or in the rest of the job, is the disciple's the teachings one must try to open teaching. Because the only thing understand. front of me, I find it unimportant. work. oneself. Because the principle of the that can resolve the problems of a In order to understand you must not In the same way, it's very important teaching has a way of working, has human being definitively is shut yourself in. I'm not saying that that if a practitioner feels himself to The path of wisdom a real function. Man can always realization. If a person doesn't all schools, all masters, are the same. bea true practitioner of Dzog-chen, The path towards realization is called make a mistake. But the teaching become realized, he will always You have to treat everything the he must find himself like a man the path of wisdom. The path of cannot be mistaken. find himself at the level of dualism. same way. You have to be open at sitting on a mountain peak, with the wisdom has nothing to do with The teaching can appear in many Where can one find one's both ends. Some people might say whole panorama open to him. He somebodypassively going to receive different forms, in different schools, reawakening? Only from the you have to give importance to every has no conflict. If I don't provoke a a blessing. It has to do with one's but its essence and principle must teachings. And for this reason the school, every tradition, every path. I conflict, somebody else who comes participating directly on one's own. always be the same. And therefore teachings are very important. can understand that, but it's not the along and provokes a conflict doesn't In a Sutra, Buddha says, "A person one must know that. I know what the value of the case that someone who is interested have the power to condition me. who has sacrificed and renounced One must know what is the true teachings is. Therefore I assume my in becoming realized should make There is no reason to go judging for all his life as a monk, who has principle that one must be following. responsibility before the teachings himself a slave to that outlook. people. What is important is to paid honor and respect to all the And one must know where one must because I know how precious the observe oneself.