a female line that gained great fame, through which knowledge of Tibetan medicine was passed from generation to generation. This form of knowledge transfer underwent certain changes only after the establishment of large medical academies. The translations turned out to be so accurate that already today part of the ancient knowledge was translated back into Sanskrit (or Hindi) in order to fill in several lost texts on ancient Indian Ayurvedic medicine.

Before Buddhism appeared in Tibet in the 7th century AD, there existed a shamanistic culture - the so-called "Old Bon". This culture was formed approximately in 500-600 years. BC e. Its founder is Tönpa (that is, "teacher") Shen-rab. Tönpa Shenrab originated from the Zhang Zhong area in Western Tibet. He came from a wealthy family whose members were mainly engaged in ritual healing, collecting medicinal plants, astrology and the like. The medicine of that period was dominated by shamanism, which means that the healer acted as an intermediary between the world of deities or demons and the sick, trying to eliminate the imbalances caused by the wrong actions of people.

This tradition is fully consistent with the modern branch of medicine, which is now called psychoneuroimmunology, and works with the body-mind-soul trinity. However, this approach is associated with a certain amount of authority and power of the shaman (as well as the doctor in Western society), and, in all likelihood, such power was not always used for noble purposes.

Perhaps this circumstance could form the basis of the ancient Tibetan custom of greeting each other by sticking out the tongue. It was believed that everyone who studied magic and was engaged in the corresponding magical practices or subsequently suffered (and continued to suffer) from poisoning, the tongue should be black! In ancient cultures, poisoning seems to have been an extremely popular way to gain power. Here is an excerpt from the Explanatory Tantra, translated by Dr. Barry Clark: “He who has given poison to a sick person feels dry mouth, sweats profusely, trembles with fear, is consumed by anxiety, and looks around with guilt and apprehension. Such a person should be wary of harming others in the future.”
The "Old Bon" system at that time already had its own independent form of medicine. But, due to the lack of written language at that time, this medical system was not preserved in handwritten form. Other sources claim that the Bon culture had a written language and date the first medical treatise to the time of Tönpa Shenrab. The work "400 Thousand Ways of Healing", compiled by his son, is considered a traditional example of the medical heritage of the Bon culture. In 1985, a copy of the original Bon text was discovered by archaeologists in Eastern Tibet. In 1993, stones with inscriptions in the language of the indigenous people of the Zhang Zhong region were found in the Ngari region. These stones testify that in 3000-5000 years. BC e. written language already existed in this area. Only historians are able to clarify the question of whether these ancient relics are fakes.

According to historical research, already in the second century of our era, doctors and followers of Buddhism in India had the opportunity to get acquainted with Tibetan culture.

It is said that at that time there was already training in Tibetan medicine, and the first family medical tradition appeared. Other sources date the origin of this family tradition to the 5th century AD. e.

However, the real turning point in the culture of Tibet is considered to be the 7th century AD. e., а точнее период правления 32-го короля Тибета, Сонгтсена Гампо (617-650). He was married to Nepalese and Chinese princesses and strongly supported the Buddhist teachings. This led to the widespread dissemination and acceptance of Buddhist philosophy in Tibet.

The two princesses are sometimes also considered to be the emanations of Green and White Tara. Tara is regarded as the female essence (hypostasis) of mercy of all the Buddhas and is the companion of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion. In turn, Avalokiteshvara is considered the "patron saint" of Tibet, whose earthly incarnation is the Dalai Lama. White Tara grants protection, peace and longevity. Green Tara helps to overcome difficulties and rescues living beings from dangerous situations.

King Songtsen Gampo promoted close cultural exchanges between Tibet and India, and between Tibet and China. The scholar Thomi Sambhota was sent to India to create a written language, and the Indian physician Damakosha, as well as Hashan Mahadeva, a physician from China, subsequently translated the medical texts into Tibetan. It was at that time, at the initiative of the king, that a meeting of three famous doctors took place: Bara Dats (Bharad-vaja) from India, Hen Wong Hong from China and Galeno from Persia. Together (perhaps in collaboration with a Tibetan doctor) they embodied all their experience in a manuscript called "Invincible Weapon". Unfortunately, this treatise has been lost in the maelstrom of time.
Regarding the healer Galeno, the opinions of the authors of historical books differ somewhat. Some believe that he came from Turkestan, others point to old Persia, that is, to modern Iran. In any case, the name of this healer allows us to conclude that he was the personification of the ancient Greek-Persian philosophy of medicine and that this knowledge came to Tibet with his help. Eventually Galeno stayed in Tibet as a court physician and founded a famous family dynasty known in history. Tibetan medicine under the name "Tsoru".

Physicians from India, China and Persia came to Tibet during the reign of the 37th King of Tibet, Me-Ok Tsoma (698-755). Hashan Mahachina (Hashang means "healer, healer") came from China, and Biche Tsen-pashila came from Persia. This Persian physician also founded a family dynasty known as the Bichi dynasty. The famous Tibetan healer Chunpo Tsitssi lived at that time, and the medical work "Soma Rats" ("Moon King") is the fruit of the cooperation of these physicians.

During the reign of the 38th king of Tibet, Trison Detsen (742-796), Buddhism received the status of a state religion. In addition, in 762, the first medical academy was founded, headed by Berotsana (obviously, this is the same historical figure who is known as Vairokana). Berotsana, or Vairokana, was a famous translator and student of the famous adept from India, Padmasambhava, who is called Guru Rinpoche (invaluable teacher) in Tibet. He is considered one of the most prominent experts and interpreters of Tantric Buddhism in Tibet.

It is possible that Berotsana, in collaboration with Yuthok Yonten Go-enpo Sr. (also known as Yuthok Nyingma), collected the ancient healing techniques of the Bon period and combined them into the medical works of his time. It is generally accepted that the Gyushas, ​​the four fundamental medical tantras, were created during that period. According to another version, the Indian adept Chand-rananda, together with Vairokana, translated the fundamental texts from Sanskrit and distributed them.

This text was kept in a hiding place in a column of the Samue monastery as the so-called “precious text” (Tib. terma), so that after a set period of time, people specially appointed for this purpose could retrieve it, thereby preserving this treasure for all mankind.
In the year of the opening of the first medical academy, which was located on the border with Kham, 300 students studied there. After these students completed a ten-year (!) course of study, a new set of students was announced. Now a thousand students studied at the academy, which opened up opportunities for subsequent extensive scientific developments and research. The king had a special love for horses, and thanks to this, veterinary science was included in the academic course. As a result joint efforts of the Indian doctor Dharmaraj, the Chinese doctor Mahachin and Persian healers, the medical work “Precious Vase” (Tib. Rinchen Bumpa) appeared. Unfortunately, only a small fragment of this interesting work has survived to this day.

The golden age of Tibetan culture was followed by an extremely dark period of wars and repression under Langdarma (born 842). The dark period lasted until 1052. Only after that peace reigned in Tibet again.

The Tibetan translator Rinchen Zangro (958-1055) spent most of his life in India and at the end of his life brought to Tibet the medical work Essences of the Eight Branches (Tib. Yenla Jaypa). In its content, this work is very close to the principles of Ayurvedic medicine. Yuthok Sarma (also known as Yuthok Yonten Goenpo Jr.) was still alive at the time and is considered one of the greatest healers of all time. He came from the same family as Yuthok Sr., but was a representative of the fourteenth generation of this family. Based on the work of Yuthok Nyingma and Berotsana (perhaps using The Essence of the Eight Branches), he compiled a fundamental medical work, known today as Gyushi: The Secret of the Oral Tradition of the Eight Branches of the Science of Healing, and divided into four treatises.

Another important stage in the development of Tibetan medicine was the introduction of neutralized mercury by Mahasiddzhoy Urgyenpa (1230-1310), who traveled extensively in Pakistan, Kashmir and neighboring countries. Neutralized mercury is the basic component of all the "precious pills" that Tibetan medicine has become famous for. The same period includes the creation of a collection with a very detailed description of all medicinal substances (Materia medica) - called "The Ocean of Medicinal Substances" (Tib. Men Ming Gyamtso).

Desi Sangye Gyatso (1653-1705), regent for the fifth Dalai Lama, founded a medical university on a mountain near Lhasa, Chagpori. In addition, he is the author of an extremely praiseworthy commentary on "Gyusha" - "Blue Beryl". In 1627, Demar Geshe created an extensive work on medicinal substances "Crystal Mirror" (Tib. Shel Gong, also translated as