A Mirror of Beryl A Historical Introduction to Tibetan Medicine

by Gyatso, Desi Sangye; Kilty, Gavin

• ISBN13: 9780861714674
• ISBN10: 0861714679
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-01-13
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications

Summary

Composed while its author was the ruler of Tibet, Mirror of Beryl is a detailed account of the origins and history of medicine in Tibet through the end of the seventeenth century. Its author, Desi Sangye Gyatso (1653 - 1705), was the heart disciple and political successor of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama and the author of several highly regarded works on Tibetan medicine, including his Blue Beryl, a commentary on the foundational text of Tibetan medicine, The Four Tantras. In the present historical introduction, Sangye Gyatso traces the sources of influence on Tibetan medicine to classical India, China, Central Asia, and beyond, providing life stories, extensive references to earlier Tibetan works on medicine, and fascinating details about the Tibetan approach to healing. He also provides a commentary on the pratimoksha, bodhisattva, and tantric Buddhist vows. Desi Sangye Gyatso's Mirror of Beryl remains today an essential resource for students of medical science in Tibet.

Author Biography

Desi Sangye Gyatso (1653-1705), the heart disciple of the Fifth Dalai Lama, became the ruler of Tibet at age twenty-six and held sway over the country for over twenty-five years before his tragic death in a power struggle with the Mongol chieftain Lhasang Khan. A layman his entire life, he was a thorough administrator, overhauling the structure and regulations of the major Geluk monasteries and setting up many new institutions, such as the renowned Tibetan Medical Institute in Lhasa. He famously commissioned a set of seventy-nine medical paintings, and he composed White Beryl, an authoritative work on all aspects of astronomical calculation and divination practiced in Tibet at his time.

Gavin Kilty has been a full-time translator for the Institute of Tibetan Classics since 2001. Before that he lived in Dharamsala, India, for fourteen years, where he spent eight years training in the traditional Geluk monastic curriculum through the medium of class and debate at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics. He also teaches Tibetan language courses in India, Nepal, and elsewhere, and is a translation reviewer for the organization 84000, Translating the Words of the Buddha.
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Table of Contents

General Editor's Preface	p. xi
Translator's Introduction	p. 1
Technical Note	p. 27
Mirror of Beryl
A Well-Explained History of the Glorious Science of Medicine, A Feast to Delight the Rishis
Introduction	p. 31
Homage and Verses of Auspiciousness	p. 33
Medical Science	p. 41
Origins of the Science of Healing in the Celestial Realms	p. 51
The Science of Healing in India	p. 67
Early Indian Medical Traditions	p. 69
Kum&abar;ra Jivaka	p. 105
N&abar;g&abar;rjuna, Pit&rbdot;ce&tbdot;a, and Candranandana	p. 123
Earlier Development of Medical Science in Tibet	p. 145
Earliest Developments	p. 147
From Vairocana to Shangtön Siji Bar	p. 159
The Treasure Tradition and Drapa Ngönshé	p. 175
The Earlier and Later Yuthok Yönten Gönpo	p. 193
The Word of the Buddha	p. 209
The Meaning of "Treatise"	p. 229
Yuthok's Legacy	p. 247
The Drangti Lineage and a Summary	p. 261
Later Development of Medical Science in Tibet	p. 273
The Jang Tradition	p. 275
The Sur Tradition	p. 293
The Gongmen Tradition	p. 319
The Great Fifth Dalai Lama and Desi Sangyé Gyatso	p. 323
The Study of Medicine and the Three Sets of Vows	p. 347
The Reason to Practice Medicine	p. 349
Devotion to a Master	p. 353
The Pratimok&sbdot;a Vows	p. 363
The Bodhisattva Vows	p. 373
Vidy&abar;dhara Tantric Vows	p. 389
Changes in Vow Status and the Preceptor Question	p. 421
Benefits	p. 437
Qualities of a Master of Medicine	p. 445
Examining Disciples and Studying with the Master	p. 465
Chakri Medical College and the Author's Own Practice of Medicine	p. 481
Conclusion	p. 491
Dedication	p. 493
Previous Histories of Medicine	p. 497
Colophon	p. 503
Notes	p. 507
Materia Medica	p. 555
Glossary	p. 559
Bibliography	p. 581
Index	p. 629
About the Contributors	p. 663
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