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TIBETcenter
TIBETcenter
 |
| (updated(06/08/2004) |
Saturday, August 14
(1:00 to 8:00 PM)
Fridays, Starting from Jan 2 (
WHAT
ven (Dr) Ngawang
Jorden teaches on "Nagarjuna's
Letter to a Friend"
(Jan V2, Jan 9, Jan 16, Jan 23, Jan 30, Feb 6, Feb 13, No class on Feb 20, Feb
27)
WHERE
TIBETgift
(847-492-0809)
827 Foster,
PARKING
CTA Parking
Lot below the Foster Train Station is free after
COST
$10.00/class ($9.00 for TIBETcenter Members, seniors
and students)
NAGARJUNA'S
LETTER TO A FRIEND
Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend (Sanskrit:
Suhrlleka, Tibetan: Bshes spring)
provides a concise and thorough introduction to the entire Buddhist path practice.
By examining the Four Noble Truth and the Six Perfections, Nagarjuna describes logically and poetically the internal
patterns of experience which leads a person to Buddhahood.
Nagarjuna wrote this letter to his friend King Satavahana, in order to alert him to the worldly impurities,
especially in discharging his royal activities, and to integrate spiritual values
into his daily life. In this respect, his advice is still of special interest
to those who wish to cultivate a religious practice while continuing to live
and work in the society.
Ven(Dr) Ngawang Jorden
He is a Lecturer
at the
Saturday, Jan 3 (
Showing video film ˇ°Overcoming Differencesˇ±. Twelve Thousand people gathered on the Cornell University Campus to hear this extraordinary talk by H.H. the Dalai Lama.
WHERE
TIBETgift (847-492-0809)
827 Foster,
PARKING
CTA Parking
Lot below the Foster Train Station is free after
COST
$5.00 or more Donations to support the TIBETcenter
Saturday,
Jan 10 (
Tibetan
Dinner and Film ˇ°Compassion in Exile: The Story of the 14th Dalai
Lamaˇ±.
WHERE
TIBETgift (847-492-0809)
827 Foster,
PARKING
CTA Parking Lot below
the Foster Train Station is free after
COST
$20.00 or more Donations to support the TIBETcenter
25% off Discount Sale on Books, Tapes, CDs, DVDs, Videos by H.H. the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh and Pema Chodron.
WHERE
TIBETgift (847-492-0809)
827 Foster,
PARKING
CTA Parking
Lot below the Foster Train Station is free after
Tibetan Language
Classes (Level 1& Level 2)
Level
1: Thursdays, Dates falling on odd numbers starting from February 19. The other
days are Mar 11, Mar 25, Apr 1, Apr 15, Apr 29, May 13, May 27, June 3, June
17)
Level
2: Thursdays, Dates falling on even numbers starting from February 26. The other
days are Mar 4, Mar 18, Apr 8, Apr 22, May 6, May 20, June 10, June 24, July
8).
COST
Level
1: $12.00/class ($10.00 TIBETcenter Members)
Level
2: $10.00/class
WHERE
TIBETgift (847-492-0809)
827 Foster,
PARKING
CTA Parking Lot below
the Foster Train Station is free after
WHAT
Dr. Tenzin Dakpa, Senior doctor from the Tibetan Medical and
Astrological Institute of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, returns to give personal
consultations.
WHEN
March 23 to 27 (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM)
Each personal health consultation will be for 30 minutes
WHERE
827 Foster St.
Evanston 60201
(Just east of the Foster Stop of the Purple Line Train. Two blocks east of Ridge
and two blocks west of Sheridan)
PARKING
The CTA Parking Lot just east of the train station is free on
weekends and after 5:00 PM. Street parking is also convenient.
COST $75.00 for general ($70 TIBETcenter Supporter)
$65 (TIBETcenter Donor/Sponsor/Patron/Bodhisatva)
Cost of herbs will be extra and will depend upon the type of herbs prescribed
and the number of days.
For more information and appointment, please call:
Chicago:773-743-7772 (8:30 to 11:00 AM)
Evanston: 847-492-0809 (1:00 to 6:00 PM)
E-mail: tibetcenter@aol.com
www.buddhapia.com/tibet
"I strongly believe that Tibetan medicine is
one of the means by which we Tibetans can contribute to the well being of others
even while we ourselves live as refugees."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
The art and cultural programs of the TIBETcenter are partially funded by the City of Chicago Department of Culture, Illinois Arts Council, TIBETgift, and the Chicago Community Trust (Donor Advised).
ABOUT TIBETAN HEALING SYSTEM
The Tibetan medical system is not only one of the world's oldest
known medical traditions, but it is the most well-integrated system. Thanks
to the efforts of King Trisong Deutsen, the 8th century Tibetan King.
During the pre-Buddhist era, Tibet had religious and cultural influences from the indigenous Bon tradition.
4th century AD: The renowned Tibetan physician Dungi Thorchok was born. He becomes eminent in his field and later serves as the personal physician to his grand father, the 28th King Lhathothori (348-468 AD). Under his lineage the famous Yuthok Yonten Gonpo is born.
7th century AD: During this century, which marks the beginning of two centuries of Tibetan dominance of Upper Asia, King Songtsen Gampo (617-650 AD) invites physicians from India, China and Persia to Tibet. The result is believed to be a collation, in Tibetan, of their combined medical knowledge.
8th century AD: During the reign of King Trisong Deutsen (755-797 AD), the first International Medical Conference at Samye, Tibet is held, and features physicians from India, Persia, Nepal and other neighboring countries. After the Conference, elder Yuthok Yonten Gonpo (708-833 AD), synthesizes the essence of various Asian Medical System and wrote rgyud bzhi (Four Tantra).
12th century AD: The Younger Yuthok Yonten Gompo rewrites the rGyud-bZhi or Four Tantras, the teachings on which Tibetan medicine has since been based.13th-14th century AD: Jangpa Namgyal Dragsang and Zurkhar Nyamnyi Dorjee write many books on Medicine and Astrology.
17th century AD: Tibetan medicine undergoes further development at the hands of Desi Sangye Gyatso, the most influential politician, scholar and physician of his time. He founds the Chagpori Medical Center (1696 AD) in Lhasa, Tibet.
1916: The Thirteenth Dalai Lama establishes Men-Tsee-Khang in Lhasa, Tibet.1959: China invades Tibet and Men-Tsee-Khang, Lhasa, closes temporarily. Many of its staff and students, as well as many village-based Tibetan physicians, are arrested and imprisoned. Most die in prison. In the ensuing years, Chinese authorities destroy many Tibetan medical scriptures, paintings and traditional medicines.
March 23, 1961: The tradition of Tibetan medicine is kept alive by the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, who re-establishes Men-Tsee-Khang in Dharamsala, India.
Tibetan medicine is a science, art and philosophy that provides a holistic approach to health care. It is a science because its principles are enumerated in a systematic and logical framework based on an understanding of the body and its relationship to the environment. It is an art because it uses diagnostic techniques based on the creativity, insight, subtlety and compassion of the medical practitioner. And it is a philosophy because it embraces the key Buddhist principles of altruism, karma and ethics. Buddhist philosophy states that everything in the universe is in a constant state of flux - that all phenomenons are characterized by impermanence, and that the only permanent feature is impermanence itself. As Buddha said, "No matter whether perfect beings arise or not, it remains a fact, and a hard necessity of existence, that all creations are transitory." It is this impermanence that causes each and every being to suffer at one stage or another. Suffering is thus not accidental but springs from a specific cause, whether from this life or a previous life. Only through proper learning and the genuine practice of Dharma can liberate from the vicious cycle of suffering.
Tibetan medical theory states that everything in the universe is made up of the five proto-elements sa (Earth), chu (Water), me (Fire), rLung (Wind), and Nam-mkha (Space). Although all five proto-elements are responsible for the formation of each tissue cell, each element has a specific influence: sa exerts a greater influence over the formation of muscle cells, bones, the nose and the sense of smell; chu is responsible for the formation of blood, body fluids, tongue and the sense of taste; me is responsible for body temperature, complexion, the eyes and the sense of sight; rLung is responsible for breathing, skin and the sense of touch; and nam mkha is responsible for body cavities, the ears and the sense of hearing.
The Three Principle Energy
rLung is one of the three principle energies of the body, which
manifests the nature of Air element. It is characterized by rough, light, cold,
subtle, hard and mobile. It is responsible for the physical and mental activities,
respiration, expulsion of urine, faeces, fetus, menstruation, spitting, burping,
speech, gives clarity to sense organs, sustains life by means of acting as a
medium between mind and body.
mKhris-pa basically has the nature of fire. It is characterized by oily, sharp, hot, light, fetid, purgative and fluidity. mKhris-pa is responsible for hunger, thirst, digestion and assimilation, promotes bodily heat, gives luster to body complexion and provides courage and determination.
Bad-kan is cold in nature and is characterized by oily, cool, heavy, blunt, smooth, firm and sticky. Bad-kan is responsible for firmness of the body, stability of mind, induces sleep, connects bodily joints, generates tolerance and lubricates the body.
A Healthy Body
gSowa rigpa (the art and science of healing or traditional Tibetan
medicine, astronomy and astrology) involves the proper alignment of these divisions
-- that is, the 3 humors, 7 bodily constituents and 3 excretions -- into a state
of equilibrium. If this is accomplished, then the body is said to be in a state
of health or free from psycho-physiological disorders; whereas a non-equilibrium
in any of these energies constitutes a state of disorder or ill-health.
Diagnosis in Tibetan Medicine
The diagnostic techniques include visual observation, touch and
interrogation.
Visual Observation
This involves checking a patient's skin complexion, the color
and texture of his/her blood, nails, sputum, faeces, and other general conditions.
Special attention is paid to the condition of the patient's tongue and urine.
Touch
Pulse reading forms the most important touching method employed
in Tibetan medicine. Only after ensuring an important set of preconditions,
the physician proceeds with a pulse diagnosis. This involves placing the three
middle fingers at patient's radial arteries.
Interrogation
Interrogation forms the most important clinical aspect of the
diagnosis. There are three main elements to a medical interrogation:
* determining the causative factors
* determining the site of the illness
* studying the signs and symptoms: this involves the doctor asking the patient
about the sort of food and drink s/he has been consuming, and what kind of physical
and mental behavior s/he has been experiencing.
Traditional Tibetan Medical Treatments
Dietary and Lifestyle Factors
At an immediate level, a disorder is primarily caused by an improper
diet and/or lifestyle. In fact, a majority of health problems, both in developing
and developed countries, can be either directly or indirectly traced to poor
diet or lifestyle. Examples of this include alcoholism, hypertension and heart
disease. The first form of treatment in Tibetan medicine is thus not medicines
but changing a patient's diet and/or lifestyle. Only if this fails to remedy
an ailment is the use of medicines considered.
Herbs
Tibetan medicines take various forms, from decoctions, powders,
general pills, precious pills, and syrups, and are prescribed in small doses
-- a fact that reflects the emphasis Tibetan medicine places on gentle treatment.