Tibetan Medicine Glossary

Sowa Rigpa is the traditional medical system of Tibet — one of the oldest and most complete healing traditions in the world. Rooted in the Four Medical Tantras (Gyu-Zhi), it understands health as balance among the Three Nyepas (rLung, mKhrispa, Badkan) and integrates Tibetan Buddhist philosophy — including the Three Mental Poisons — as root causes of disease.

• •Literally means 'the science of healing' or 'the knowledge of nourishing life'
• •Integrates ancient Indian Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, Greek medicine, indigenous Bon medicine & more within a Tibetan Buddhist framework
• •It's a corpus of teaching but also a direct and experiential knowledge
• •Treats through diet, lifestyle, herbal medicine, and external therapies

Nyepa is the Tibetan term for the Three Humors — rLung (Wind), mKhrispa (Bile), and Badkan (Phlegm) — that form the physiological and psychological foundation of Sowa Rigpa. Every person is born with a unique combination of the three Nyepas that shapes their constitution, health tendencies, and responses to food, climate, and lifestyle.

• •Every individual has a dominant Nyepa that is their baseline constitutional type
• •Health is the balance of all three; disease arises from imbalance
• •Diet, season, lifestyle, and mental states all influence Nyepa balance
• •Identifying your dominant Nyepa is the starting point for all Sowa Rigpa health guidance

rLung is the Wind humor in Tibetan Medicine. It governs all movement in the body and mind — breathing, the nervous system, sensory perception, circulation, and mental activity. When rLung is in balance it supports creativity, lightness, and clarity. When disturbed it manifests as anxiety, dryness, irregular digestion, insomnia, and scattered or racing thoughts.

• •Associated with the element of Wind and the color blue
• •Arises in connection with the emotion of desire and attachment
• •Predominantly disturbed by irregular eating, excessive mental activity, and cold
• •People with dominant rLung constitutions tend to be creative, light, and energetic

mKhrispa is the Bile humor in Tibetan Medicine. It governs metabolism, digestion, body temperature, intelligence, and the transformation of food and experience. In balance it supports sharpness, determination, confidence, and healthy digestion. In excess it produces inflammation, irritability, skin conditions, and excessive heat.

• •Associated with the element of Fire and the color yellow
• •Arises in connection with the emotion of anger and hatred
• •Disturbed by hot, oily, and pungent foods, as well as excess ambition and anger
• •Dominant mKhrispa types tend to be sharp-minded, determined, and physically warm

Badkan is the Phlegm humor in Tibetan Medicine. It governs cohesion, lubrication, stability, immunity, and the structural integrity of the body. In balance it supports calmness, patience, and endurance. In excess it causes sluggishness, weight gain, congestion, fluid retention, and mental dullness.

• •Associated with the elements of Earth and Water and the color white
• •Arises in connection with the emotion of ignorance and delusion
• •Disturbed by cold, heavy, sweet, and oily foods, as well as excessive sleep and inactivity
• •Dominant Badkan types tend to be calm, steady, patient, and physically strong

The Gyu-Zhi (rGyud bzhi) — the Four Medical Tantras — is the foundational canonical text of Tibetan Medicine. Composed in the 12th century and attributed to the Medicine Buddha and Yuthok Yonten Gonpo the Younger, it systematically covers anatomy, physiology, diagnosis through pulse and urine analysis, treatment, and pharmacology. It remains the primary reference for all Sowa Rigpa practitioners today.

• •Comprises four volumes (or tantras): Root Tantra, Explanatory Tantra, Oral Instruction Tantra, and Subsequent Tantra — for a total of 156 chapters
• •Accompanied by 79 medical thangka illustrations
• •Has several commentaries, the most famous of which is called Blue Beryl
• •Still taught as the core curriculum at Men-Tsee-Khang and other Tibetan Medicine institutes

Kunye (Ku Nye) is the traditional Tibetan therapeutic massage and external therapy system within Sowa Rigpa. It combines oil application, specific massage techniques, and point-pressure work to balance the Three Nyepas, support circulation, release blockages, and relieve musculoskeletal and nervous system conditions.

• •One of the four main external therapies of Sowa Rigpa (alongside moxibustion, bloodletting, and medicinal baths)
• •Oils used are selected according to the patient's dominant Nyepa and current imbalance
• •Addresses physical, energetic, and psychological dimensions of health
• •Included in the treatment curriculum of the Tibetan Medicine Pills course

In Tibetan Medicine, the Three Mental Poisons — ignorance (gti mug), attachment ('dod chags), and aversion (zhe sdang) — are understood as the ultimate root causes of all disease. They disturb the Three Nyepas and initiate the chain of physical and mental imbalance. This integration of Buddhist psychology into medical theory is one of Sowa Rigpa's most distinctive features.

• •Ignorance is said to give rise to Badkan (Phlegm) disturbance
• •Attachment gives rise to rLung (Wind) disturbance
• •Aversion gives rise to mKhrispa (Bile) disturbance
• •Treatment of disease thus includes both physical and psychological dimensions

Men-Tsee-Khang (the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute of His Holiness the Dalai Lama) is the principal institution for Tibetan Medicine education, research, and practice. Founded in Dharamsala, India in 1961, it's the primary authority for the formal training of Sowa Rigpa practitioners and the preservation of classical Tibetan medical texts.

• •Operates hospitals, branch clinics, and a pharmacy producing traditional Tibetan medicines
• •Publishes research on Sowa Rigpa and trains practitioners in a rigorous five-year curriculum
• •Produces authentic Tibetan herbal and mineral medicines (including Precious Pills)
• •The gold standard of institutional Tibetan Medicine practice in exile

The Five Elements — Earth (sa), Water (chu), Fire (me), Air/Wind (rlung), and Space (nam mkha) — are the material foundation of all phenomena in Tibetan Medicine. They constitute the physical body, the environment, and the cosmos. Every tissue, organ, and faculty corresponds to a combination of elements. The Three Nyepas arise directly from these elements: rLung from Wind and Space, mKhrispa from Fire, and Badkan from Earth and Water.

• •Earth: governs solidity, weight, structure, and the sense of smell
• •Water: governs cohesion, moisture, fluidity, and the sense of taste
• •Fire: governs heat, transformation, digestion, and the sense of sight
• •Air/Wind: governs movement, breath, the nervous system, and the sense of touch
• •Space: governs the container for all other elements, sound, and consciousness

The Medicine Buddha (Sangye Menla) is the Buddha of healing in Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan Medicine. His body is lapis lazuli blue, symbolising the purity of healing wisdom. He holds a myrobalan fruit (arura) — the king of medicinal plants in Sowa Rigpa — in his right hand. The Four Medical Tantras (Gyu-Zhi) are said to have been spoken by the Medicine Buddha at Tanadug, a pure realm of healing. He is the ultimate source of Sowa Rigpa's authority.

• •Lapis lazuli blue body symbolises the capacity to cool the heat of disease and illuminate the mind
• •Myrobalan (arura) fruit in his right hand is considered the king of Tibetan medicinal plants
• •Left hand holds a bowl of medicinal nectar
• •Seven Medicine Buddhas appear in the Gyu-Zhi preamble; their teachings form the basis of Sowa Rigpa

Yuthok Yönten Gönpo the Younger (12th century) is revered as the father of Tibetan Medicine. He is credited with compiling and completing the Four Medical Tantras (Gyu-Zhi) in their current form, synthesising the ancient Indian, Chinese, and indigenous Tibetan medical traditions into a unified system. His life story blends biography and hagiography — he is regarded as an emanation of the Medicine Buddha.

• •Lived in the 12th century in Tibet; compiled the Gyu-Zhi in its final canonical form
• •Established a school of Tibetan Medicine near Lhasa that became the template for later medical institutions
• •Considered an emanation of the Medicine Buddha in the Tibetan Medical tradition
• •The Yuthok Nyingthig — a spiritual practice associated with his lineage — is still practised today

Rinchen Rilbu (Precious Pills) are the most complex and revered formulas in Tibetan herbal and mineral medicine. They contain a combination of rare minerals, gems, purified metals, plants, and other ingredients — sometimes over 70 in a single formula. Produced according to highly specific ritual and alchemical procedures, they are used to treat serious or chronic conditions, detoxify the body, and protect vitality. The most famous is Rinchen Ratna Samphel.

• •Contain purified metals (gold, silver, iron) and gems alongside plant-based ingredients
• •Must be prepared under strict astrological and ritual conditions to be effective
• •Produced authentically only by Men-Tsee-Khang and a small number of qualified institutions
• •Different formulas target different conditions: Rinchen Drangjor for digestive disorders, Rinchen Mangjor for neurological conditions, etc.

Nejang is a system of Tibetan healing yoga developed within Sowa Rigpa for the purpose of purifying and balancing the Three Nyepas, the Five Elements, and the subtle body channels (tsa). Unlike physical yoga systems focused on flexibility or strength, Nejang's primary aim is therapeutic: to remove blockages in the channels through specific movement sequences, breath, and visualisation. It is used alongside diet, lifestyle, and herbal medicine as part of Sowa Rigpa's treatment framework.

• •Consists of 23 movements (some traditions count more) targeting specific channels and Nyepas
• •Incorporates visualisation of the Five Elements and the Medicine Buddha
• •Traditionally practised in the early morning before sunrise
• •Used both preventively and therapeutically as part of Tibetan Medicine treatment