The root of all illness, according to Tibetan perceptions of
karmic laws, are linked to the Three Interior Poisons:
The first poison is Desire, or Passion, which implies grasping
at objects of pleasant experiences. Desire, of course, also
means "grasping at self" where SELF is our involvement
with any object of our desire - whether it is a person, idea
or thing. And "self", which involves a subject grasping
an object, is an illusion to which we cling because we still
do not understand that impermanence is a primordial condition
of living in samsara.
Hatred, or aversion, is the second poison which means pushing
away unpleasant objects or experiences.
Ignorance or confusion is the third poison of the mind.
Tibetan medicine views emotional, physical and cognitive interactions
as "essential components in the understanding of the cause,
aggravation and duration of virtually all major diseases".
Thus, the primary medicine which frees us from most afflictions
and enables us to live healthy lives must be that which loosens
the grip on the SELF and ego-centered thinking. So, to Tibetans,
the mind is the vehicle by which one can enter the world of non-self
and become liberated from the self-centered causes of suffering.
In Tibetan medicine, there are 84,000 different "afflictive
emotions" which generate 84,000 different types of disorders
and these can be condensed again and again into 404 specific diseases.
In a simplified rendition of Tibetan disease classification, imbalances
of three types of humors - wind, bile and phlegm - are thought
to occur. The more complex the imbalance, the greater the therapeutic
urgency. In this cosmology there are:
42 types of wind disorders
26 types of bile disorders
33 types of phlegm disorders
for a total 101. There are also 101
disorders whose origins lie in the karma of the past
life. They are illnesses of a serious nature which are usually
considered to be the consequences of "mistakes committed
in a previous life". Such illnesses are usually considered
to be fatal unless they are treated with meditation and other
spiritual practices, such as confession or exorcism. There are
also 101 disorders caused by "spirits".
And there are 101 considered to be superficial
which could be cured by behavioral changes, i.e. smoking, diet,
bathing, exercise, etc. (These total the 404 referred to above.)
Tibetans look at wellness as a consequence of three integrated
types of medical practices:
Secular therapies such as medicine, diet, surgery, etc.
Spiritual cures
Spiritual growth where Buddha is the Absolute Healer and the
"Dharma" (or teachings of Buddha) is the "King
of Medicine"
