Being human in a Buddhist world : an intellectual history of medicine in early modern Tibet

"Critically exploring medical thought in a cultural milieu with no discernible influence from the European Enlightenment, Being Human reveals an otherwise unnoticed intersection of early modern sensibilities and religious values in traditional Tibetan medicine. It further studies the adaptation of Buddhist concepts and values to medical concerns and suggests important dimensions of Buddhism's role in the development of Asian and global civilization. Through its unique focus and sophisticated reading of source materials, Being Human adds a crucial chapter in the larger historiography of science and religion. The book opens with the bold achievements in Tibetan medical illustration, commentary, and institution building during the period of the Fifth Dalai Lama and his regent, Desi Sangye Gyatso, then looks back to the work of earlier thinkers, tracing a strategically astute dialectic between scriptural and empirical authority on questions of history and the nature of human anatomy. It follows key differences between medicine and Buddhism in attitudes toward gender and sex and the moral character of the physician, who had to serve both the patient's and the practitioner's well-being. Being Human ultimately finds that Tibetan medical scholars absorbed ethical and epistemological categories from Buddhism yet shied away from ideal systems and absolutes, instead embracing the imperfectability of the human condition."--Publisher's description. Read more... Abstract: "Critically exploring medical thought in a cultural milieu with no discernible influence from the European Enlightenment, Being Human reveals an otherwise unnoticed intersection of early modern sensibilities and religious values in traditional Tibetan medicine. It further studies the adaptation of Buddhist concepts and values to medical concerns and suggests important dimensions of Buddhism's role in the development of Asian and global civilization. Through its unique focus and sophisticated reading of source materials, Being Human adds a crucial chapter in the larger historiography of science and religion. The book opens with the bold achievements in Tibetan medical illustration, commentary, and institution building during the period of the Fifth Dalai Lama and his regent, Desi Sangye Gyatso, then looks back to the work of earlier thinkers, tracing a strategically astute dialectic between scriptural and empirical authority on questions of history and the nature of human anatomy. It follows key differences between medicine and Buddhism in attitudes toward gender and sex and the moral character of the physician, who had to serve both the patient's and the practitioner's well-being. Being Human ultimately finds that Tibetan medical scholars absorbed ethical and epistemological categories from Buddhism yet shied away from ideal systems and absolutes, instead embracing the imperfectability of the human condition."--Publisher's description Critically Exploring Scientific Thought And Its Relation To Religion In Traditional Tibetan Medicine, Being Human Expands Our Sense Of Tibetan Cultural History, Unpacking The Intersection Of Early Modern Sensibilities And Religious Ideals During The Time Of The Fifth Dalai Lama. Studying The Adaptation Of Buddhist Concepts And Values To Medical Concerns, The Book Also Advances An Appreciation Of BuddhismÕs Role In The Development Of Asian And Global Civilization. Through Its Unique Focus And Sophisticated Reading Of Source Materials, Being Human Captures The Religious Character Of Medicine In Tibet During A Period When It Facilitated A Singular Involvement In Issues Associated With Modernity And Empirical Science, All Without Discernible Influence From The European Enlightenment. The Book Opens With The Bold Achievements Of Medical Illustration, Commentary, And Institution Building, Then Looks Back To The Work Of Earlier Thinkers, Tracing A Subtle Dialectic Between Scriptural And Empirical Authority On Questions Of History And The Nature Of Human Anatomy. It Follows Key Differences Between Medicine And Buddhism In Attitudes Toward Gender And Sex, And The Shaping Of Medical Ethics To Serve Both The Physician And The PatientÕs Well-being. Being Human Ultimately Finds That Tibetan Medical Scholars Absorbed Ethical And Epistemological Categories From Buddhism Yet Shied Away From Ideal System And Absolutes, Embracing Instead The Imperfectability Of The Human Condition. Critically exploring medical thought in a cultural milieu with no discernible influence from the European Enlightenment, Being Human in a Buddhist World reveals an otherwise unnoticed intersection of early modern sensibilities and religious values in traditional Tibetan medicine. It further studies the adaptation of Buddhist concepts and values to medical concerns and suggests important dimensions of Buddhism's role in the development of Asian and global civilization. Through its unique focus and sophisticated reading of source materials, Being Human adds a crucial chapter in the larger historiography of science and religion. The book opens with the bold achievements in Tibetan medical illustration, commentary, and institution building during the period of the Fifth Dalai Lama and his regent, Desi Sangye Gyatso, then looks back to the work of earlier thinkers, tracing a strategically astute dialectic between scriptural and empirical authority on questions of history and the nature of human anatomy. It follows key differences between medicine and Buddhism in attitudes toward gender and sex and the moral character of the physician, who had to serve both the patient's and the practitioner's well-being. Being Human in a Buddhist World ultimately finds that Tibetan medical scholars absorbed ethical and epistemological categories from Buddhism yet shied away from ideal systems and absolutes, instead embracing the imperfectability of the human condition. This volume explores medical thought in Tibet and reveals an otherwise unnoticed intersection of early modern sensibilities and religious values in traditional Tibetan medicine. It looks at how Buddhist concepts and values were adapted to medical concerns and highlights important ways in which Buddhism played a role in the development of Asian and global civilisation. It ultimately finds that Tibetan medical scholars absorbed ethical and epistemological categories from Buddhism yet shied away from ideal systems and absolutes, instead embracing the imperfectability of the human condition Content: Part I: In the Capital -- 1. Reading Paintings, Painting the Medical, Medicalizing the State -- 2. Anatomy of an Attitude: Medicine Comes of Age -- Part II: Bones of Contention -- 3. The Word of the Buddha -- 4. The Evidence of the Body: Medical Channels. Tantric Knowing -- 5. Tangled Up in System: The Heart, in the Text and in the Hand -- Coda: Influence, Rhetoric, and Riding Two Horses at Once -- Part III: Roots of the Profession -- 6. Women and Gender -- 7. The Ethics of Being Human: The Doctor's Formation in a Material Realm -- Conclusion: Ways and Means for Medicine.