Keywords: A Medical Thangka - Root of Treatment.jpg en This painting illustrates a general overview of the treatment process as it is outlined in the Root Tantra Treatment can begin after humoural imbalance has been assessed through the diagnosis process tk 3 The four trunks of the tree from left to right correspond respectively to counsel on diet guidance on conduct appropriate medicinal treatments and external physical therapies For the sake of an example this presentation will go in-depth on counsel of diet and examine the role that the three humors play in this treatment The dietary trunk of the treatment thangka diverges into six blue yellow and white branches Each colour indicates the humoral imbalance to which it relates The blue branches correspond to food and drink which balance rlung wind These foods are generally oily and nutritious foods Seed oil garlic and human donkey marmot and horse flesh are some of foods shown in the rlung leaves The yellow branches depict food and drink to alleviate mkhris-pa bile imbalance Generally these foods are cool and light Fresh butter dandelion leaves and seeds warm water and goat veal and deer meat are all shown on the yellow leaves Finally the white leaves and branches illustrate food and drink for bad-kan phlegm imbalance which is rebalanced through the application of a warming diet Honey boiled water fish mutton and beast and yak meat are shown on the white leaves indicating their bad-kan balancing properties In total there are six branches with 35 leaves on the dietary trunk of the treatment tree each illustrating a food or drink used for rebalancing the humors Sources and Further Reading Averdon pg 110 Old pg 75-78 Gyurme Dorje Sangye Gyamtso 1653-1705 PD-old-100 Medical thangka from Tibet |