The New Light on Tibetan Medicine series brings together Dr. Pasang Yonten's extensive educational materials for the first time. Building on five decades of study, clinical practice, and teaching, this set of comprehensive textbooks aims to provide a unique contemporary overview of the science of healing known as "Sowa Rigpa." No English-language publication of comparable scope has appeared so far. This series is therefore an essential guide and reference for students of Tibetan, Asian, and Buddhist medical traditions, as well as for health professionals, therapists, and researchers.
Foundations is the first textbook of the New Light series. This beautifully illustrated volume introduces the Buddhist roots and historical development of Sowa Rigpa, as well as the structure of the most important Tibetan medical text: the Four Tantras (Gyzhi). Based on this classic yet adding novel insights, the main focus of the book is the systematic explanation of the three humors, metabolism, embryology, and the functions of the organs, channels, and chakras. Summarized in the form of metaphorical tree diagrams and placed in the context of the physician's ethical code, these chapters provide a solid theoretical foundation for understanding the gross and subtle physiology of the body-mind. New Light on Tibetan Medicine: Volume I - Foundations is clearly structured, packed with insightful figures and tables, and backed up by an extensive glossary of Tibetan terms, making this pioneering work easily accessible.