142125 PS COVID-19 from the perspective of Tibetan medicine (2022S)

People have suffered from several epidemics over the past centuries, and Tibet has not been spared from such diseases either. Various strategies have been developed within Sowa Rigpa (Tibetan medicine, the "science of healing") to treat epidemic diseases, some of which are documented in the Four Tantras (Rgyud bzhi). In the Oral Tantra we find more than ten chapters (chapters 12 to 23) dealing with febrile infections or heat illnesses, with chapter 23 specifically devoted to the topic of rims nad (epidemic heat illnesses). In this Proseminar we will deal with current articles by contemporary Tibetan physicians and anthropologists. In addition, several lectures by Tibetan doctors on COVID-19 that appeared on YouTube in the pandemic years 2020 and 2021 are analyzed. The course will focus on the questions of how 21st century Tibetan doctors are reacting to the COVID-19 epidemic, how they relate to their centuries-old, traditional knowledge and how they use this know-how with regard to "modern" diseases. How important are the Four Tantras for tibetan doctors? Do the “end-time prophecies” and “evil spirits” (gdon) that can cause epidemics according to the Four Tantras play a role in their disease etiology or therapeutic approaches to COVID-19? If so, how is this articulated? Methodological approach in the individual units: (1) short presentations by the lecturer, (2) discussion of relevant book chapters and articles, (3) presentations by the participants.
No knowledge of Tibetan is required.