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The practice of Tibetan medicine has hovered near extinction for the past
forty years, though there are increasing efforts under way now to preserve it,
with some success. This active tradition was suddenly disrupted in the 1950's
with the Chinese communist invasion of Tibet, followed by destruction of the
monasteries, the killing of the Tibetan monks and professionals, and forced
exile of the leadership
This work was undertaken as a part of a doctoral program in psychology and religious studies. It was begun simply as an inquiry into the Tibetan medical psychiateric tradition, but expanded to cover Buddhism as medicine and Tibetan medicine in general when it became clear that an understanding of Tibetan psychiatry necessarily includes all these aspects.
Namaste: True story of psychiatric nurse, Terry Clifford,who left her job working in a NYC psychiatric hospital to travel to Tibet, Nepal and Northern India to research traditional Tibetan medical methods of working with mental illness.
The traditional Tibetan doctors really opened up due to Ms. Clifford's sincerity, knowledge of physchiatric illness, and amiable personality. They translated esoteric Tibetan medical concepts, related expereinces from their medical practices and even gave her traditional Tibetan herbal formulas for pyschiatric illnesses.
The author's description and explanation of "demons" in Tibetan Medicine, including one that causes the patient to believe that their religion is the one and only true religion, shows a great deal of the insight,humour and intelligence that permeates the entire book.
Tragically, Ms. Clifford died shortly after this book was published and her work was cut short.
Everyone working with traditional Tibetan medicine owes a debt to Ms. Clifford's groundbreaking work.
Tibetan medicine is a unique and holistic system of healing. It has been continuously practiced for over a thousand years, but has still to take its place in the history of medicine as we know it in the West.
This volume presents for the first time a comprehensive introduction to the arcane Tibetan art of healing. The author has provided a well-documented, original and detailed study of Tibetan psychiatry, the world's oldest system of medical psychiatry. Translated here--for the first time in English--are three fascinating chapters about mental illness from the rGyud-bzhi, the ancient and most important Tibetan medical work. Reproductions of the rare Tibetan texts are also included. Supplementing these translations are extensive explanations of Tibetan psychiatric theory and treatment drawn from the author's research and interviews with Tibetan refugee doctors in India and Nepal. Great care has been taken to identify over 90 pharmacological substances used in Tibetan psychiatric medicines, and these are listed in an appendix along with their English and Latin botanical names.
Deeply researched and clearly written, this work will be of interest to
both scholars and general readers in the fields of Buddhist studies,
holistic healing, Oriental medicine, transpersonal psychology,
ethnopsychiatry and medical anthropology.
About the Author:
Terry Clifford has studied Buddhism with Tibetan lamas in both the East and West for over a decade. A freelance writer and researcher, and a former contributing editor of New York magazine, Ms. Clifford has also worked extensively in psychiatric hospitals implementing therapeutic programs utilizing yoga and meditation.
Reviews:
"Based on the holistic Buddhist concept of mind-body, Tibetan medicine is a system of psycho-cosmo-physical healing whose philosophy and healing techniques have much to offer towards the world-wide campaign against disease." - Tenzin Choedhak
"...a well organized and exceptionally clear introduction to this complex
and seemingly esoteric healing system. The book lays special emphasis on the Tibetan medical approach to mental illness--a form of illness for which it has proven particularly successful..." -Yoga Journal
"...the
most comprehensive summary of this tradition yet to appear in the English language...an intelligent, balanced, thorough synthesis of information..."
- Revision Magazine
"...intriguing
book...Ms. Clifford's thoroughly researched, well-written account
would strengthen any library." - Venture Inward
"...an
authoritative work on one branch of Ayurvedic medicine." - American Health
"...an
important introduction to a rapidly disappearing Eastern medical tradition."
- Choice
"...serves to
fill a long-felt lacuna in the literature of Asian medicine." - The Johns Hopkins Univ. Press Bulletin
"This
volume presents for the first time a comprehensive introduction to the
arcane Tibetan art of healing." - American Journal of Acupuncture
"A
very useful book for health practitioners, psychologists and psychiatrists."
- Inernational Journal Of Humanities & Peace
"This work presents a clear introduction of this seemingly
complex and esoteric system of health." - The Beacon
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