A Practice in Perception and Compassion
Published in Sowa Rigpa Journal 3, 2019
Skill in observation, dialogue within the questioning, and investigation of the natural constituents and three nyes pa (humors/defaults) in the Tibetan system are the most important to master as a physician. Confidence in the complexity of the system is a certainty which comes with experience. Yet, without unbiased love and healing intentions radiating towards patients during the diagnostic process, a vital part of the diagnostic and healing process is lost. The more compassion is developed, the more it is practiced, then the more preceptive on subtle energy levels one becomes as a physician. How then can current fast diagnosis be transformed and returned to the slow, detailed understanding of peering deep into a patient’s heart, mind, and experiences? How can the body-mind-spirit be viewed as more than a set of visible and traceable pathology? This sorting out of a person’s needs is what every good Tibetan doctor does, regardless of their background. The key to this is the foundation of developing presence and compassion.