Home » Allopathic Vs Holistic

From the time of Hippocrates (400 BC) there have been two distinct medical systems, each defined according to an explicit philosophy. One followed from the existing philosophy of "Rationalism" (now called Allopathic medicine) and the other followed the philosophy of the "Empires". Today the empirical approach (also called Vitals approach) is known as holistic or alternative medicine and forms the basic from which the naturopathic tradition was formed.

Since we know so much about the Allopathic or Orthodox system of medicine and so little about the Alternatives we have to ask how it is that one system became so predominant over the other. This questions leads to an interesting history lesson and in order to give you enough of the details for a fair review, I will divide the discussion over 2 articles. In this first part I will discuss the general differences between the two schools of thought.

The original debate between the Allopath and the Vitals centered around one question: Which is the more appropriate way to obtain truth and knowledge? The Vitality would say that Experience is the legitimate way, and the Rationalists have argued that truth can be obtained only by Reasoning.

Very generally, the Empiricist approach was to look at the human body as integrated into a whole, which in turn interacts with its environment. Symptoms were viewed as the body's reaction to some aspect of its environment - stress, food, pollutants, climate, medicine, etc. Treatments were based on all of the patient's symptoms, which were not necessarily common to other persons suffering from the same so called "disease".

The empiricist did not categorize groups of conditions, but saw each individual as a unique case relating to his environment in his own unique way. Most importantly, the empiricist saw the healing force as being within the body, and the physician's role was to assist the body back to its natural state of homeostasis by cooperating with its efforts to heal itself. Classical homeopathy is a perfect example of this approach.

The Rationalists however needed to explain illness, to be able to develop specific treatments, and a body of scientific knowledge. Rationalists looked for greater precision and their reasoning led them to search for common denominators and groups of symptoms that were found identical in all patients having the same assumed disease. The rationalist saw the disease as the primary concern and assumed that it was the doctor who possessed the ability to effect the healing inasmuch as nature is inherently weak and had "gone wrong".

It is perhaps a very human response to want to explain things and to organize information, but historically, what was beginning from this philosophy was a tendency towards being "anti-disease" and to condoning heroic intervention. That is, the rationalists sought to destroy disease, which necessitated that they deny the innate healing powers of the body.

Major interventions including bloodletting, and strong elements such as sulphur and mercury were used to route out or eradicate the disease, but unavoidable to this approach was the subsequent weakening of the body.

Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, was clearly an empiricist. With his most significant dictum "First, do no harm" he maintained a primary trust in nature. Hippocrates warned very early against the rationalist approach, which, rather than cooperate with natural laws, attempted to override, control or replace them. He also stated that: "Though untaught and uninstructed, it (the body) does what is proper...to preserve a perfect equilibrium...to re-establish order and harmony".

However, prominent rationalist thinkers of the time included Aristotle (300 BC), who developed the philosophy of rationalism, Galen (129 -199 AD), who formulated the method of scientific deduction, René Decarte (1596-1650), Isaac Newton (1642-1727) and William Harvey (1578-1657), significantly influenced the pendulum swing in the direction of a mechanistic approach to understanding the human body and disease.

"Scrutinize the parts to learn about the whole...moving us further from the empirical principles of holism to the mechanistic principles of analysis". In the field of Medicine this led us to study our bodies in terms of organs, then of tissues, then of cells and of biochemical processes, and to treating the symptoms of the body parts in isolation rather than the imbalance of the body as a whole.

From the very beginning "the rationalists were prepared to embark on a crusade against disease with what little they knew - convinced that they knew more about curing the body than did nature itself". Yet, their deductions were based on a science that was grossly inaccurate by today's standards and they were not getting the better results. The Vitalists continued to get results and to treat most of the nation's patients.

One of the cornerstones in the Allopathic tradition was the invention of the microscope, which facilitated the deduction that microbes were responsible for disease. Then with the advent of the antibiotic and sulpha drugs to kill these microbes, Allopaths cinched the orientation of medicine into one of destruction of disease, and into the notion of a helpless body, which needed heroic medical intervention.

The "germ theory" of disease as proposed by Pasteur is controversial. At the same time in history two other theorists were claiming that the germ did not cause the disease but was merely an opportunist, and that the weakened body environment allowed the germ to infect. Pasteur is said to have biased his theory towards disease being caused by outside forces in order to win favor with his peers and the Rationalist movement. On his deathbed however, in the name of science, Pasteur admits - "Bernard was right - the germ is nothing - the environment is everything".

It wasn't that Pasteur's confession came too late. The Allopathic approach and its crusade against disease needed the germ. The magic bullet ideology in medicine was sanctioned when antibiotics were discovered to be effective against these invaders. From this point forth was the quest for a pill for every ill and the aspiration to eradicate all other diseases in the same way.

However, when illnesses are not infectious, but due to body degeneration, as are most of today's diseases (heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, etc.) magic bullets don't correct them. This is where we most have to adjust our thinking toward consideration of the other system of medicine. More than any other times in history we need to relearn how to cooperate with the body's restorative powers and understand how it is reacting to its internal and external environment.

In all fairness to the Rationalist trend in deductive thinking, it is very important to keep in mind the cultural and social back ground prevailing during the middle Ages. Briefly, our reality then was defined and restricted by the church. This authority not only decided our concepts of God and spirituality but also the world of cause and effect. In these times the churchmen interpreted everything from the chance thunderstorm to crop failure. When the trust in these explanations began to breakdown due to revolt against corruption, in the 14th and 15th century, everything once thought as truth was shaken.

The thinkers of that day thus encouraged that we systematically explore the world and the mandate for science began. Vanquished was blind obedience to religious doctrines and authorities. We set out on a quest for the provable in order to take back our power. Unfortunately, along with the mass distrust in corrupt authorities, we in essence, threw out the baby with the bath water.

We lost a sense of connectedness and our spiritual relationship with our world and with our sense of the whole, including the body. We needed verifiable answers and we became pre-occupied with explaining our reality through science. Put in historical perspective then Democritus and other Rationalist thinkers of the time could not see how believing in innate healing powers (as the Vitalist believed) could be different than believing in the gods. They were later to advance the concept that everything in the universe could be explained in terms of particles and atoms launching the convention of looking from the small to the large, instead of the large to the small.

However in stating the above I must speak of the subject & the teaching of Tibetan holistic medicine, as this is the medicine I not only have been taught but practice. Ayurveda, Buddhism, Dharma, The Four Tantras (Gyu-zhi), Medicine Buddha, the diamond healing, Elder Yuthog Yontan Gonpo, humors, cosmic energies.

Tibetan medicine developed more than 2300 years ago as a form of holistic health-care & it continues to remain a vital part of the Tibetan culture today. It is an ancient medical practice that struggles to survive in a world dominated by modern, Western medicine. The philosophical aspects of Tibetan medicine are rooted in the Buddhist faith, while its practical aspects derive from the Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine. Tibetan medicine focuses on the balance between the mind & body as well as the balance of the entire organism with the universe.

Balance leads to health, & illness readily results when a disruption of this balance occurs. The main cause of disease is ignorance of the mind, which leads to a disruption of the three humors. The only way to overcome this ignorance & illness is through Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha. The system of Tibetan medicine is based on the teachings of the Gyu-zhi, or The Four Tantras. These Tantras contain the information that is necessary for the correct diagnosis & treatment of all diseases that result when the body is no longer in equilibrium. Tibetan medicine combines the holistic health care of Indian Ayurveda with the philosophical beliefs of the Buddha in an attempt to maintain a sense of balance between the mind & body.

Tibetan medicine is a form of ancient medicine that combines practical, holistic health care with psychological & spiritual healing. Health relies on the relationship within the organism, between mind & body, as well as the relationship between the organism & the universe. When disruption of this relationship occurs, Tibetan medicine attempts to restore cosmic equilibrium to the organism & the universe through the use of preventative & curative efforts.

According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, ignorance is the major cause of disease. It is ignorance that leads to the three poisons of desire, hatred & aversion. Each of these three poisons can stimulate one of the three humors, which are the wind humor, the bile humor & the phlegm humor. A disruption of one of these humors leads to imbalance & illness within the body. Some believe that the teachings of the Buddha can overcome the ignorance of the mind, & in turn restore balance to the three humors. The practice of Tibetan medicine contains different levels, which consist of Dharma, Tantric & somatic medicine. Dharma or religious medicine heals through psychological & spiritual practices. Tantric or yogic medicine covers the level between the mind & body. Somatic medicine deals with the practices of Indian Ayurveda. These three levels of Tibetan medicine combine to form a practice that works to restore overall health through a balanced mind & body.

The heart of Tibetan medicine lies within the philosophical principles & beliefs of the Buddhist faith. Tibetan Buddhism is a psychological religion that has a strong connection to healing. Buddhism seeks to understand the nature of the mind while also nurturing the development of awareness & compassion. Since the mind is the central connection, it becomes the basis for all phenomenons's, including health & disease. Therefore, the principle teachings of the Buddha, known as Dharma, are aimed towards the prevention of suffering & disease.

Tibetan Buddhism is a combination of Indian Buddhism & yoga that derives from the Mahayana & Vajrayana schools of Buddhism. Karma is thought of as "the working out of the law of cause & effect", & its concept & relation to reincarnation are central theories in Buddhism as well as the practice of Tibetan medicine. The texts from these schools of Buddhism often contain charms & Tantras used in rituals that serve as magical forms of healing. These Tantras describe how one could acquire magical powers & use them to prevent disease & death through the manipulation of karma.

According to the Buddha, the presence of kleshas, or afflictive, negative emotions prevents perfection of the mind, which is essential for balance & health. The kleshas combine to form the three poisons of desire, hatred, & aversion. The presence of these three poisons can lead to imbalance & disease by triggering one of the three humors. Karma, from the past & present, can also influence the three humors. It is believed that the spiritual teachings of the Buddha can overcome these poisons & help restore balance within the individual. It is on this level that spiritual & physical worlds collide, as the poisons of the mind lead to illness within the body.

The concept of the five cosmic energies & their relationship to the three humors was adopted from Indian Ayurveda prior to the establishment of a medical system in Tibet. The three humors are the biological representation of the five cosmic energies of earth, fire, air, water, & space. The cosmic energies are responsible for the maintenance of bodily functions, & disruption of these energies can lead to dysfunctions within the body.

The wind humor, rLung, is influenced by desire, the bile humor, mKhrispa, is stimulated by hatred, & the phlegm humor, Bad-kan, is stimulated by closed-mindedness. There are seven physical energies that make up the basic bodily elements, & there are three excrements that rid the body of waste products so that the maintenance of health occurs. The basic tissue elements are nutritional essence, blood, flesh, fat, bone, marrow & sperm, while the three excretions are feces, urine & sweat. Improper diet, incorrect behavior patterns, & negative forces can all contribute to disease by disruption of the three humors, the seven basic elements, or the three forms of excretion.

Tibetan medicine provides many sources as to how one can use the knowledge pertaining to the three humors in the diagnosis & treatment of disease. Unlike Western medicine, Tibetan medicine regards diagnosis as more than just the identification of a type of disease or illness. Rather, diagnosis is the identification of the disruption in the cosmic equilibrium that has lead to a certain state of illness. A Tibetan doctor uses three methods of diagnosis. These are visual diagnosis, diagnosis by touch, & diagnosis by interrogation.

Visual diagnosis involves the examination of the patient's five sense organs, sputum, feces, tongue & urine. The tongue is important in the examination because its color & appearance correspond to the three humors & possible problems with them. A urine analysis can also provide valuable information regarding the state of the humors. The urine analysis is considered to be one of the most important methods of diagnosis, & it is regarded as one of the medical techniques that Tibetan medicine is best known for.

Diagnosis by touch involves the examination of the pulse by a Tibetan doctor. This technique takes many years for a physician to master, & if done correctly, a reading of the pulse tones can determine the health of each organ as well as the overall condition of the individual, both present & future. The physician uses three fingers to measure the pulse at both of the radial arteries, focusing specifically on the "strength, speed, nature, depth, & firmness" of the beat through the arteries. The reading of a pulse can also be used for divination purposes in which the tone, rate & quality of the pulse are used to determine the life span, possible future disease, & even death in some cases.

Diagnosis by interrogation consists of a series of twenty-nine questions, & it is considered to be the most important form of diagnosis since it gives an overall picture of the patient's status. These questions cover "dietary & lifestyle factors, economic conditions, one's profession, & social status or family background" in order to gain a complete & overall understanding of the patient's condition. The more honest & complete the patient's answers are, the more accurate a physician's diagnosis is likely to be.

Classification & identification of the illness can occur once the three methods of diagnosis are complete. The key to diagnosis of an illness for a Tibetan physician is to determine which of the three humors is in a state of imbalance as a result of its close association with the five cosmic energies. All diseases are classified as hot & cold according to which humor the illness affects. The mKhrispa (bile) is hot, the Bad-kan (phlegm) is cold, & the rLung (wind) is neutral. These humoral classifications lead to four main patterns of harmony that group the external symptoms with the internal nature of the illness. These patterns of disharmony are a key element in understanding the nature of the illness.

While some of these methods of diagnosis used in Tibetan medicine may hold slight similarities to those methods used in Western medicine, a divide still remains between these forms of healing. Tibetan medicine attempts to understand the underlying causes of disease as they relate to the balance of the three humors. These methods allow a Tibetan physician to examine the presence of this balance or imbalance.

There are six causes a person must possess if he wishes to practice Tibetan medicine. These causes are "intelligence & understanding, a virtuous motivation, keeping one's pledges, having a thorough knowledge of medicine, dedication to healing, & conduct appropriate to the society in which one is practicing medicine". Also, a person must practice medicine in relation to spiritual healing, or he runs the risk of suffering.

It is thought to take thirty years to master the art of Tibetan medicine. In the early 20th century, a fourteen year course of study as well as qualifying medical school exams were required before a person could take up the study of medicine in Tibet . Once a person entered one of Tibet's medical colleges, they followed a difficult schedule that combined religious & spiritual studies with art, science, medicine & astronomy. A Tibetan physician also had to have knowledge of herbs & other medicinal plants, & this required daily outings to collect & study the plants. At this time, it took six years to complete the courses required to become a practitioner of Tibetan medicine.

The Gyu-zhi or The Four Medical Tantras is the text that contains the medical teachings of Tibetan medicine. Tibetan physicians were expected to memorize the information in each of these four Tantras before they began practicing medicine. The first volume is The Root Treatise & it "explains the importance of studying medical science, how to differentiate between a healthy & a diseased body, the principle methods of diagnosis to be used & the basic categories of treatment".

The second volume is The Explanatory Text & it discusses the details of physical illness along with diet, medications & maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. The third volume is the Practice Instruction Text which discusses the causes & treatments of every possible disease that can afflict any one person. The final volume is the Last Text which describes the procedures that pertain to pulse & urine analysis. These four volumes are meant to be read together to provide a thorough understanding of the practice of Tibetan medicine. In modern Tibet, the Tibetan Medical & Astro-Institute is where the training of Tibetan physicians now takes place. Students study for five years, during which they memorize the information contained within The Four Tantras.

The origin of Tibetan medicine as a system of healing consists of three stages of development. The first stage involves the mythological world, the second stage involves the pre-Tibetan era in India with Ayurveda, & the final stage involves the actual practice of medicine in Tibet. The latter stage covers the beginnings of medicine in Tibet in the seventh century & continues on to the medical practices in present-day Tibet.

According to tradition, the sacred origin of Tibetan medicine originated when the Buddha Kashyapa, from a previous time cycle, taught medicine to Brahma, the creator of life. A period of time then passed where everyone was in a state of deep meditation, including Brahma. After an event where Brahma was able to cure a man through his medical knowledge, he was prompted to remember the medical teachings of the Buddha Kashyapa.

When this occurred, it was said that the medical practices of our current time cycle began. This medical knowledge was passed on to the Ashwin twins & to a famous teacher of Ayurveda on earth named Atreya. These teachings were then passed on to the Buddha's personal physician Kumara Jivaka, who taught this knowledge to others & eventually became the saint of Tibetan medicine.

In India, the Buddha Shakyamuni spread the knowledge of Tibetan medicine in the current time cycle just as Buddha Kashyapa had taught it in the previous time cycle. The Buddha Shakyamuni then took the form of the BuddhaVaidurya & spoke of the medical teachings, which were recorded in the form of the Gyu-zhi, or The Four Tantras. Tibetan culture still considers this text to be the most important text in the practice of Tibetan.

At the beginning of the fifth century, the influence of Buddhism slowly made its way into Tibet from India. In the seventh century, the concept of Buddhism was formally introduced into Tibet during the reign of King Srongtsan Gampo. It was also at this time that the practice of Ayurveda made its way to Tibet from India. The King frequently sent messengers to India to collect texts & other information on Buddhism & Ayurvedic medicine. A new language was developed in Tibet at this time so that the Sanskrit medical texts could be translated & used for medical purposes in Tibet. It was also during the reign of King Srongtsan Gampo that an international medical conference was held in Tibet that included doctors from India, China & Persia.

In the eighth century, King Trison Detsen held another international medical conference that included a debate between doctors from India, China, Persia, & Nepal. The Elder Yuthog Yontan Gonpo represented Tibet during this debate, & became known as an emanation of the speech of the Medicine Buddha. It was during the lifetime of the Elder Yuthog & his descendent, the Younger Yuthog, that Tibet experienced its "golden age" of medicine, as the knowledge & practice of medicine continued to expand .

During the twelfth century, the Younger Yuthog was able to extract the teachings of the Gyu-zhi,which had been rewritten earlier by the Elder Yuthog & hidden at the Samye Monastery. The Younger Yuthog received medical knowledge from many foreign sources during this time, & he also traveled many times to India to learn more about their medical practice. He was able to write a new version of the Four Tantras, The Eighteen Auxiliary Aids, which is still the standard version of the text in Tibet today.

The Great Fifth Dalai Lama created the first medical school in Tibet during the late 17^th century. During his reign, the Great Fifth Dalai Lama also appointed Desi Sangye Gyatso as the vice-chief of all doctors in Tibet, also known as the Regent to the Dalai Lama. Sangye Gyatso established the Chagpori Medical School in the 17^th century, which became known as the spiritual center for Tibetan medicine. A form of public health care was established in Tibet at the same time, when the Regent decided that each monastery in Tibet would have a lama-physician who had received his training at Chagpori.

The second medical college, the House of Medicine & Astronomy, was built in Tibet at Lhasa during the early 20^th century by the lama-physician Khyenrab Norbu. During this time, medical students usually spent six years at these two colleges where they studied a combination of religion & medicine. Medicine in Tibet continued to thrive during the early 20^th century until the invasion of the Chinese in 1949. During the Chinese invasion, known as the Cultural Revolution, many monasteries, including the Chagpori Medical College, were destroyed.

The struggle continues today in Tibet, as a nation of exile attempts to save their ancient culture & medical practice from destruction. Some physicians of Tibetan medicine have brought their knowledge to the United States & England in an attempt to educate the Western world on the benefits of Tibetan medicine. They also hope to save their culture & medical practice by moving out of their exiled nation & into countries where there are more opportunities for further growth & development.

In the Western world, the art of Tibetan medicine is not always regarded as an equivalent treatment to the more modern, allopathic medical treatments. However, Dr. Yeshi Dhonden & other prominent Tibetan physicians indicate that the treatment of some chronic & long-term illnesses is more effective when Western medicine is combined with some of the philosophies of Tibetan medicine. Some of these chronic illnesses include Type II Diabetes, arthritis, Crohn's Disease, & irritable bowl syndrome.

Dr. Yeshi Dhonden considers Western medicine to be the best form of medical treatment when acute injury or illness occurs, such as an automobile accident. On the other hand, Tibetan medicine is more effective in the treatment of long-term illnesses because the slow-healing nature of Tibetan medicine allows the physician to heal the problem from the source. Tibetan medicine is also used to treat the conditions that remain after the acute injury has healed. While some people prefer one form of medicine to another, Dr. Dhonden believes that the most effective treatment is with the use of both Western & Tibetan medical practices.

Tibetan medicine may be more effective in the treatment of these chronic illnesses because it also emphasizes personal responsibility & self-care, whereas Western medicine focuses on "theoretical knowledge & empirical research". In Tibetan medicine, the ingestion of the wrong types of food or the ingestion of incorrect amounts of food can result in an imbalance of the three humors.

This imbalance usually results when certain energy accumulates as a result of the ingestion of a specific type of food. It is thought that the maintenance of a correct & balanced diet will lead to balance within the body. More importantly, a balanced diet can be used to prevent illness so that balance is constantly maintained. Therefore, while it is difficult to completely incorporate all of the practices of Tibetan medicine into our daily lifestyle, modification of our diets is a simple step that can be taken to maintain balance within the body & prevent illness.

The medical system of Tibet is deeply rooted in tradition, as it still follows some of the same standards that were set 2300 years ago when it was established. It closely follows the traditions of Buddhism, which remains a large part of Tibetan medicine. However, in the actual practice of Tibetan medicine, the physician relies heavily on experience when examining & diagnosing a patient. While Tibetan medicine is based largely on tradition, it does incorporate some form of personal experience.

Emphasis was placed on institutional schooling in established monasteries across Tibet. All perspective physicians attended the same style of program in which the same Tantras were taught. The practice of Tibetan medicine relies heavily on this institutional schooling & instruction.

While the theories of Tibetan medicine are heavily influenced by the philosophical principles of Buddhism, the diagnosis & treatment of disease & illness are based on a mixture of the spiritual realm & the visible realities.

The ultimate objective of Tibetan medicine is to maintain physical health, but the basis of physical health lies within the spiritual realm. In order to achieve physical health, one must achieve spiritual health.

In Tibetan medicine, the ultimate powers of health & wellness lie within Dharma, the teachings of Buddha. However, some power lies in the hands of the physician who is responsible for identifying disease or illness. The physician must be there to diagnose the problem, but ultimately, it is the power of the Buddha that controls Tibetan medicine.

Bradley, Tambdin Sither, Dr. Introduction to Tibetan Medicine.

Overall description on the methods of diagnosis & treatment in Tibetan medicine. Dash, Bhagwan. Pharmacopoeia of Tibetan Medicine. Delhi, India: Sri Satguru Publications. 1994. Lists all of the drugs used for specific ailments. The only real commentary regards how to administer the herbs or drugs. Dhonden, Yeshi, Dr. & B. Alan Wallace. Healing from the Source: the Science & Lore of Tibetan Medicine. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications. 2002. Useful in that it is directly from a Tibetan physician. Mostly contains information pertaining to the body in health & illness. It also has questions & answers that address many of the issues that involve Tibetan medicine in the modern world. Khangkar, Tsewang Dolkar. Tibetan Medicine: the Buddhist Way of Healing. New Delhi: Lustre Press. 1998. Excellent overall source on Tibetan Medicine. Gives clear explanations on all of the important aspects of the medical practice, including history, the humors & their relation to the cosmos, The Four Tantras, & diagnosis. Men-Tsee-Khang. Official Website for Tibetan Medical & Astro. Institute of H.H. The Dalai Lama.Provides information on the training of Tibetan physicians in the 20th century. Rinpoche, Rechung. Tibetan Medicine: illustrated in original texts. Berkeley: University of California Press. 1973. It provides English translations of some of the most important medical texts of Tibetan medicine. Also provides some history of Tibetan medicine as well as information on the treatment of patients & the practice of Tibetan medicine.

Tibetan Buddhism. http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~greg.c/tibet.html provides a brief summary of Tibetan Buddhism & its principles & practices. Tokar, Eliot. Tibetan Medicine. Provides information that pertains to the basics of Tibetan medicine such as the five cosmic energies, the three humors, & what results when these are not in equilibrium. Wujastyk, Dominik. The Roots of Ayurveda: selections from Sanskrit medical writings. New Delhi: Penguin Books India. 1998. Provides useful information on Indian Ayurveda that ranges from the basic system of medicine to a variety of treatments for different ailments.

Secondary Sources: Clifford, T. Tibetan Buddhist Medicine & Psychiatry. York Beach, ME: Weiser. 1990. This is an excellent source on Tibetan medicine that discusses the close connection between the physical & spiritual world. It also has one of the most organized historical sections that clearly discusses the origins of Tibetan medicine. Dummer, Thomas G. Tibetan Medicine & Other Holistic Health-Care Systems. London New York: Routledge, 1988. Useful in its description & explanation of Tibetan medicine as a holistic form of health care. Has a useful section regarding the techniques of diagnosis. Llewellyn, Lisa. "Balancing Health - Tibetan Medicine" Positive Health Publications (2001?).

http://www.positivehealth.com/permit/Articles/Ayurveda/llewellyn67.htm Useful article on the applications of Tibetan medicine in lifestyles dominated by the modern, Western culture. Highlights the treatment of certain chronic diseases through diet & behavioral modifications. Sachs, Robert. Health for Life: Secrets of Tibetan Ayurveda. Santa Fe, NM:

Clear Light Publishers. 1995. Useful information on the actual practice of Tibetan medicine. Zysk, Kenneth G. Asceticism & healing in ancient India: medicine in the Buddhist monastery. New York: Oxford University Press. 1991. This book provides useful comparisons on Ayurvedic & Buddhist medicine throughout many different cultures. (References: Health Revolution by Robert Atkins, MD Health at the Cross Roads by Dean Black, Ph.D Save Your Life by Michael Culbert, Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield)