International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD)

International Open Access Journal | www.ijtsrd.com

ISSN No: 2456 - 6470 | Volume - 2 | Issue – 6 | Sep – Oct 2018

SOWA-RIGPA
RIGPA Tibetan System of Medicine
Pravin Jawanjal
Phd Scholar, Department of Rasashastra Bhaishajya Kalpana, IPGT&RA, Gujarat Ayurved University,
University
Jamnagar, Gujarat, India

ABSTRACT
Rigpa” commonly known as Tibetan system of
“Sowa-Rigpa” of the classic examples of it. rGyud-bZhi
rGyud (four tantra)
medicine is one of the oldest, Living and well the fundamental text book of this medicine was
documented medical tradition of the world. It has composed by YuthogYontenGonpo who is believed to
been originated from Tibet and popularly prac
practice in be the father of Sowa Rigpa. rGyud-bZhi
rGyud which is
India, Nepal, Bhutan, Mongolia and Russia. The based on indigenous medicine of Tibet enriched with
majority of theory and practice of Sowa
Sowa-Rigpa is Ayurveda, Chinese and Greek Medicine. The impact
similar to “Ayurveda”. of Sowa-Rigpa
Rigpa along with Buddhism and other
Tibetan art and sciences were spread in neighbouring
Keyword: Sowa-Rigpa Himalayan regions. In India, this system is widely
practicee in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling
INTRODUCTION (West Bengal), Dharamsala, Lahaul and
“Sowa-Rigpa”
Rigpa” commonly known as Tibetan system of Spiti(Himachal Pradesh) and Ladakh region of Jammu
medicine is one of the oldest, Living and well & Kashmir.
documented medical tradition of the world. It has
been originated from Tibet and popularly practice in PRINCIPAL
India, Nepal, Bhutan, Mongolia and Russia. The Sowa-Rigpa
Rigpa is based on the principles of Jung-wa-nga
Jung
majority of theory and practice of Sowa Sowa-Rigpa is (Skt: panchamahabhutas) and Ngepa-SumNgepa (Skt:
similar to “Ayurveda”. The first Ayurvedic influence Tridosa). Bodies of all the living beings and non- non
came to Tibet during 3rd century AD but it became living objects of the universe are composed of Jung-
Jung
popular only after 7th centuries with the approach of wa-nga;
nga; viz Sa, Chu, Me, Lung and Nam-kha
Nam (Skt:
Buddhism to Tibet. There after this trend of Prithvi, Jal, Agni, Vayu and Akash). The physiology,
exportation of Indian medical literature, along with pathology
thology Pharmacology and metria-medica
metria of this
Buddhism and other Indian art and sciences were system are established on these theories. Our body is
continued till early 19th century. India being the birth composed of these five Cosmo physical elements of
place of Buddha and Buddhism has always been Jung-wa-nga;
nga; when the proportion of these elements
favourite place for learning Buddhist art and culture is in imbalance
mbalance in our body disorder results. The
for Tibetan students; lots of Indian scholars were also medicine and diet used for the treatment of disorders
invited to Tibet for prorogation of Buddhism and are also composed of the same five basic elements. In
other Indian art and sciences. This long association the body these elements are present in the form of
with India had resulted in translation and preservation Ngepa-Sum (Skt: Tri-dosa)
dosa) Lus-sung-dun
Lus (Skt: Sapta
of thousands of Indian literatures on various subjects Dhatu) and Dri-ma-SumSum (Skt: Trimala). In drugs, diet
like religion, sciences, arts, culture and language etc. and drinks they exist in the form of Ro-dugRo (Skt:
in Tibetan language. Out of these around twenty-five Shast-rasa) Nus-papa (Virya) Yontan (Skt: Guna) and
text related to medicine are also preserved in both Zhu-jes
jes (Skt: Vipaka). It is in context of this theory
canonical and non-canonical
canonical forms of Tibetan that a physician would use his knowledge, skills and an
literatures. Many of these know ledges were further experience in treating a patient, using the theory of
enriched in Tibet with the knowledge and skills of similarity and dissimilarity (Skt: Samanaya and
neighbouring countries and their own ethnic Vísesa) of five elements.
knowledge. “Sowa-Rigpa”
Rigpa” (Science of healing) is one

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 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) ISSN: 2456-6470
2456
The basic theory of Sowa-Rigpa
Rigpa may be adumbrated hospital system in educational Institutions,
in terms of the following five points: dispensaries, hospitals and pharmacies etc.
1. The body in disease as the locus of ttreatment; Nevertheless, still there are all together around 1000
2. Antidote, i.e., the treatment; practitioners of Sowa-Rigpa
Rigpa in India catering health
3. The method of treatment through antidote; care in harsh Himalayan regions
region and other places.
4. Medicine that cures the disease; Dharamshala in Himanchal Pardesh and Ladakh
5. Materia Medica, Pharmacy & Pharmacology region of J&K are the main Centers for Sowa-Rigpa
Sowa
Institutions in India.
PRESENT STATUS
Traditionally the sMenpa are trained under the After taking refuge in India His Holiness the Dalai
traditional educational system either under private Lama has been in Dharamsala (Himachal Pardesh)
guru-shisya
shisya tradition or under gyud gyud-pa (lineage) where he has set up the Tibetan Medical and Astro.
system in families in which the knowledge is passed Institute to train the youngsters and provide quality
down from father to son through generations. It takes health service through Sowa-Rigpa,
Rigpa, This Institute has
several years to become a skilful sMenpa, which a Medical college, Pharmacy, Astrology section and a
requires hard theoretical and practicall trainings. After chain of 40-50
50 clinics all over India. There is Central
finishing his/her training the trainee sMenpa has to Council for Tibetan Medicine in Dharamsala to
give an examination in front of the entire community regulate the practice of Sowa--Rigpa in India; it looks
in the presence of a few expert sMenpa in a ceremony after the registration of practitioners, standard of
to confer the designation of sMenpa on him/her. For colleges and other mechanism to regulate Sowa- Sowa
higher training, those from m the Indian Himalayan Rigpa.
region as well used to go to study with reputed
scholars or to any of the medical colleges in Tibet in Ladakh
the past. Some from these regions preferred to go to Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir has the wide
Tibet to begin their education of Sowa
Sowa-Rigpa. Given and significant presences of Sowa-Rigpa
Sowa in India.
the modern social and educational
cational system, some There are Sowa-Rigpa Centers from both Govt. and
institutions are imparting the education at par with the Non Govt. Institutions, but all these Institutes are
modern system in terms of time with packages to be small. For education there is an Sowa Rigpa
completed within a limited duration. Presently, after Department in Central Institute of Buddhist Studies,
10+2 grate the students are selected on entrance test Leh (under er Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India) to
merit basis. The nomenclature
omenclature of this six years course conduct six year Kachupa course. For public heath the
is sMenpa kachupa which is equivalent to Bachelor of local administration has an OPD in district Hospital
Sowa Rigpa (Tibetan Medicine). This course is and 80 sMenpa are provided with meager financial to
presently conducted in following four Institutions in serve public health in remote areas. National Research
India: Institute for Sowa-Rigpa
Rigpa (under CCRAS, Ministry of
Health & FW, Govt. of India), Leh has been doing
Central Institute of Buddhist Studies, Leh (under R&D work on various aspects of Sowa-Rigpa.
Sowa Beside
Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India) these, NGO’s like Ladakh Amchi Sabha, Ladakh
Society for Traditional Medicine and MentseeKhang
Tibetan Medical
cal and Astrological Institute,
DharamsalaHP
HP of his Holiness Dalai Lama Cultural Centre,
entre, Leh etc. are working for Sowa-Rigpa
Sowa
in Ladakh.
Central University for Tibetan Studies, Saranath UP
(under Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India) Himachal Pardesh
Chagpori Medical Institute Darjeeling (W.B). In Himachal Pardesh there is sizable number of
sMenpa in the region of Lahoul-Spiti,
Lahoul Kinnor and
Infrastructures of SOWA-RIGPA
RIGPA IN India Manali practicing without any support from Govt.
agencies. There is a small private institute in Manali,
In most of Himalayan regions Sowa Sowa-Rigpa is which trains few students in Sowa-Rigpa.
Sowa There is
practiced in traditional way with community support also a clinic of Men-tsee-Khang,
Khang, Dharamsala. The
with an sMenpa in every village. But since the last Himachal Pardesh Govt. has also appointed sMenpa
two decades this scenario has been changing, adopting for public health in Kinnor and Lahoul-Spiti
Lahoul regions.
some of the administrative
istrative elements of modern

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 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) ISSN: 2456-6470
2456
Arunachal Pradesh visit them due to scarcity of sMenpa. In Darjeeling
The entire regionon of Mon in Arunachal Pradesh late Ven. Dr Trogawa-Rinpoche
Rinpoche has set up a Sowa-
Sowa
maintains the Sowa-Rigpa
Rigpa as an important part of Rigpa medical Institute for Education and public
their culture and prefers the treatment of Sowa
Sowa-Rigpa health following the tradition of Chagpori in Tibet
to modern medicine. There was constant influx of
Amchis from Tibet in the past. However these days Other regions of India
besides some local Amchis is and a branch of Men
Men-tsee- The Central University for Tibetan Studies, Saranath,
Khang, Dharamsala, which was established to serve Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, which is under the
the local people in Tawang area, there is no Department of Culture, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of
establishment that can full fill the minimum India has a faculty of Sowa-Rigpa.
Rigpa. It provides a four
requirement of the people. The handful of Amchis years course of PUC and another five years and
an six
have of the take round in the various remote
emote villages months course of Bachelor degree (BTMS). The
which has become a severe problem for the Amchis to faculty runs a pharmacy and OPD clinic for the
visit them on regular basis, particularly, when the they training of the students.
are desperately needed, due to shortage of Amchis
and lack of transportation facilities. There are branches of Tibetan Medical Institute in all
the Tibetan Settlements in various parts of India,
Sikkim, Darjeeling and Kalimplong which attract lots of Indians
ians as well. Most of the
Sikkim, Darjeeling and Kalimplong also used to branch -clinics
clinics of Tibetan medical Institute,
receive medical treatment from the visiting sMenpa Dharamsala, in the cities like Delhi, Bombay and
from Tibet in the past, as these places were on the Kolkota, were opened on the request and initiatives
trade routes between Tibet and Indian cities like taken by Indian people who were benefited earlier by
Calcutta. Students from these places used to go to Tibetan medicines.
Tibet to study Sowa-Rigpa.
Rigpa. There are some sMenpa
and from the local community and a branch of MenMen- REFERENCES
tsee-Khang
Khang which are at great demand not only from 1. http://ayush.gov.in/about-the
the-systems/sowa-
the local people but also from the community who rigpa/infrastructures-sowa--rigpa-india/other-
have come from other states of India. Despite demand regions-india
from the remote areas
eas of this region they can hardly

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