Tibetan and Himalayan Library - THL

Description: Health Through Balance presents a translation of a series of lectures by Dr. Yeshi Dhonden, an expert in Tibetan medicine who has long acted as the Dalai Lama's personal physician. In this book, Yeshi Dhonden gives a thorough introduction to Tibetan medicine. He begins with a general discussion of disease according to the Tibetan perspective, then looks at the body, humors, and how various activities, diet, karma (the fruit of one's past deeds), and attitudes can disrupt the balance of the humors and cause disease. Dr. Dhonden then goes into some detail about Tibetan approaches to diagnosis by way of pulse reading, patient interviews, and urinalysis, all of which require certain conditions to be met in terms of time and place in order for the doctor to be able to make the most accurate diagnosis. Next, Dr. Dhonden overviews the treatment of disease based on behavioral prescriptions that can depend on the season, patient's disposition, the patient's living environment, and diet. The cultivation of virtue is a central behavior that leads to sustained good health. Finally, Yeshi Dhonden focuses on several particular medical issues in more detail, including a discussion of TIbetan perspectives on diabetes and tumors. (Zach Rowinski 2005-03-24)

Table of Contents: Preface -- Technical Note -- Pt. 1 Introduction : 1. Outline of Disease ; 2. Course of Study -- Pt. 2 The Body : 3. Defining the Body ; 4. Wind, Bile, and Phlegm ; 5. Seven Physical Constituents ; 6. Causes, Conditions, and Entrances -- Pt. 3 Diagnosis : 7. Pulse 1 ; 8. Pulse 2 ; 9. Questioning ; 10. Urinalysis -- Pt. 4 Treatment : 11. Behavior ; 12. Diet: Grains and Meats ; 13. Diet: Oils, Herbs, and Cooking ; 14. Questions -- Pt. 5 Selected Topics : 15. Diabetes ; 16. Tumors ; 17. Virilification and Rejuvenation ; 18. Meditative Transformation of Medicine -- Appendices : 1. Lists ; 2. Outline of the Ambrosia Heart Tantra -- Bibliography -- Notes -- Index