Aims and Objectives
The cardinal aim of this department is to preserve our ancient knowledge of Tibetan Medicine and Astrology as well as to make the wisdom available to interested enthusiasts by compiling an extensive collection of literary resources and by translating important texts on these two systems into English and other languages.
Critical Edition
In an attempt to do analytical research on seminal texts and various commentaries, deep study is done on the research papers dealing with comparative study on the principles, terminologies, styles, expression, etc. Differences seen between various commentaries are studied keenly and put to the notice of the public. Answers and clarifications are provided, when required, to various articles posted by foreign sources on Tibetan Medicine and Astrology, so that the authenticity and the originality of these ancient sciences are maintained intact.
Translation
A team of Tibetan doctors who are fully trained in the system of Tibetan Medicine and who also have a good command on the English language are actively engaged on the translation of the ‘Gyueshi’ (rgyud bzhi) into English language. ‘Gyueshi’ is the fundamental text of Tibetan Medicine that is believed to be first drafted by the Seniior Yuthok Yonten Gonpo in the 8th century B.C. and later edited in the 12th century by the Junior Yuthok Yonten Gonpo. ‘Gyueshi’ contains four Tantras which were written through one hundred and fifty-six chapters covering five thousand and nine hundred verses.
The team came out with the first translated work of the first two Tantras ‘The Root Tantra and The Explanatory Tantra’ in 2008 and it was released on the occasion of 73rd birthday celebration of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama at the main temple in Dharamsala by Venerable Samdhong Rinpoche Lobsang Tenzin, the ‘Kalon Tripa’ chief of the Central Tibetan Administration.
This book was received with much admiration by the enthusiasts of this medical system that one thousand copies of the maiden publication went completely out of stock in a matter of one year and few months. The second revised edition of ‘The Root Tantra and The Explanatory Tantra’ was published and one thousand copies of it were again made available on 23rd March 2011 during the commemoration of the Golden Jubilee Celebration of Men-Tsee-Khang in exile.
The second translated work of this department is the ‘The Subsequent Tantra’ which is the last Tantra of the ‘Gyueshi’. The book was released on 23rd March 2011 by Venerable Samdhong Rinpoche Lobsang Tenzin, the ‘Kalon Tripa’ chief of the Central Tibetan Administration in the presence of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama at main hall of Men-Tsee College on the Golden Jubilee Celebration of Men-Tsee-Khang, Dharamsala. One thousand copies of this translated work were printed.
Translation of the ‘The Oral Instruction Tantra’ which is the third Tantra of the ‘Gyueshi’ is still in process and will come out in three volumes. As this part of the ‘Gyueshi’ deals with multitude of disorders and contains the biggest section, it obviously will take time to wind up the whole task. However, the team is working undeterred with full determination to make it possible and thereby, in a passage of few years, a set of five-volume books of English translated treatise of ‘Gyueshi’ will see the light of the day.
Along with the translation of ‘Gyueshi’, the team is also working on the translation of the Tibetan Medical Dictionary titled ‘Bodlug Sorig Tshig Zoe Chhenmo’ and translation of other documents related with Tibetan Medicine.