This week our attentions turns to Tsultrim Rabsel (aged 16) and Urgen Gyatso (aged 18) who have volunteered to undertake the seven year training to become practitoners of Tibetan medicine.
This entails learning by heart the four main texts - on anatomy, physiology, medicines and philosophy as well as all the other information needed to diagnose and treat patients and collect and prepare medicines.
Training starts within the month: here the monks talk about their thoughts as they embark on this major enterprise
Q -What interests you about medicine?
UG If there is a sick person and I know how to get medicines and check the sick person then people will know that monks are also doctors. I think there are many different ways to serve people and this is my way.
TS Nowadays there are a lot of sick people - we have doctors from outside Nepal and now here we have a clinic and health centre here next to the gompa but we don’t have any doctor monks to help people – so we have to pay for interpreters and other doctors. I thought its good to have more Tibetan doctors here – we can see at our monastery that there are a lot of sick monks and there will be more monks and sick monks in the future. It will be really good for me to help other sentient beings in this way. I am interested in all aspects of study – but most in the medicines and how to give them.
Q How do you feel about the training?
UG / TR I feel good and I wish that it starts soon as possible. I heard that we will be staying at Riwoche.We will have time for self study and two months holiday a year. We will miss our friends a lot! I feel like I am leaving everything I have known for my whole life – and it makes me a little bit worried – if the class was here it would be great.
TR I have never been to Riwoche so I don’t know what it will be like – I heard there is a really strict Captain of the class – but if I do well and study it will be ok. It will be easy learning the language as there will be lots of people speaking Tibetan there. I think it will be good learning the books. I am not so good at grammar and I am learning it here at the moment.
Q: What do you imagine it is like being a doctor?
TR If we study really well and hard we will be good doctors – perfect. But if we don’t study we wont be good!
UG We will feel very relaxed when we have qualified as doctors. There will only be practice then no more study. After we have finished we will come back here to Chapagaon – and whatever Rinpoche says we will do that.
TR It will be really good – helping others – especially the higher monks and Rinpoches –maybe we will be treating them as well! It is dharma actually, helping others, saving others, generosity. It is a dharma practice. It will be like repaying the kindness of our teachers as well, helping them when they are sick.
But it’s hard work! and it’s difficult – what happens if we make a mistake saving and helping others. I feel so sad when I see a sick person – but at the moment I am not able to do much . If I am a doctor I will be able to help them.
UG The wish of Rinpoche is that we monks can help people. I really want to fulfill Rinpoches wish and be a good doctor and study hard and Rinpochela will be happy when he sees that I am a successful doctor.
