SOWA RIGPA - COMPILED SOURCE MATERIAL

(Translated)
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1. What is the colour of the Medicine Buddha? Answer: Blue.
2. How many Sowa Rigpa institutions are there in India? Answer: Six.
3. When was the first Government of India Sowa Rigpa national examination held?
Answer: 6 February 2022.
4. Which institution organized the first Government Sowa Rigpa national examination?
Answer: Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies (CIHTS), Department of Sowa Rigpa.
5. How many traditional systems of medicine are recognized in India? Answer: Six.
6. Which medical systems are included under AYUSH? Answer: Ayurveda; Yoga &
Naturopathy; Unani; Siddha; Sowa Rigpa; Homeopathy.
7. What is the full form of NCISM? Answer: National Commission for Indian System of
Medicine.
8. What is the full form of NEET? Answer: National Eligibility cum Entrance Test.
9. On which date was Sowa Rigpa officially recognized by the Government of India?
Answer: 31 August 2010.
10. When was the Men-Tsee-Khang (Dharamshala) established? Answer: 23 March
1961.
11. How many years had Men-Tsee-Khang completed as of 23 March 2022? Answer: 61
years.
12. How many years had passed since the re-establishment of Men-Tsee-Khang?
Answer: 61 years.
13. Where was the first Tibetan medical school established, and by whom? Answer: It
was established at Kongpo by the Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso.
14. Who founded Chakpori Medical College, and when? Answer: Desi Sangye Gyatso in
1696.
15. When was the Lhasa Men-Tsee-Khang established? Answer: 1916 (Fire Dragon Year
of the 15th Rabjung cycle).
16. Who founded the Lhasa Men-Tsee-Khang? Answer: The 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten
Gyatso.

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17. Who is regarded as the father of the Four Medical Tantras (Gyüshi)? Answer: Yuthok
Yonten Gonpo.
18. What are the Four Medical Tantras (Gyüshi)? Answer: Root Tantra (Tsa Gyü);
Explanatory Tantra (She Gyü); Oral Instruction Tantra (Menngag Gyü); Subsequent
Tantra (Chima Gyü).
19. How many principal chapters are there in the Four Medical Tantras? Answer: 154
chapters.
20. Including the supplementary chapters, how many chapters are there in total?
Answer: 156 chapters.
21. Did Tibetan medicine exist before the Four Medical Tantras were compiled?
Answer: Yes.
22. Who was Tonpa Shenrab? Answer: The teacher who expounded the Four Hundred
Thousand Bon Medical Teachings.
23. Who compiled the Four Hundred Thousand (Bum Zhi) teachings? Answer: Chebu
Trishe.
24. What is the instrument used to examine heart activity? Answer: ECG
(Electrocardiogram).
25. What is the machine used to purify blood when the kidneys fail? Answer: Dialysis.
26. Sowa Rigpa term for Blood Pressure: High blood pressure ( ).
27. Sowa Rigpa term for Tuberculosis: Lung disease / Tuberculosis ( ).
28. Sowa Rigpa term for Diabetes: Diabetes ( ).
29. Vital Organs: The Five Vital Organs (Don Nga).
30. Cancer: Dré ( ).
31. Tumour: Tren ( ).
32. Arthritis: Drum Bu ( ).
33. Piles: Zhang Drum ( ).
34. Ribs: 24.
35. Adult teeth: 32.
36. Sense organs: Five.
37. Sowa Rigpa Day: 11 September.
38. International Yoga Day: 21 June.
39. National Doctors' Day (India): 1 July.
40. Coronavirus term: Crown-shaped epidemic disease ( ).
41. First identified: Wuhan, China.
42. Preventive measures: Maintain physical distance; Wear a face mask.
43. WHO: World Health Organization.

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28. How many Bodhisattvas are in the retinue of the Medicine Buddha? Answer: Eight.
29. Three principal classical texts of Ayurveda: Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdaya; Charaka Saṁhitā;
Suśruta Saṁhitā.
30. Four Essential Principles (Chö Zhi): Subject Matter; Purpose; Ultimate Purpose;
Relationship.
31. Names are classified into two: Proper (Real) Names; Designated (Conventional)
Names.
32. Five Aggregates: Form; Feeling; Perception; Mental Formations; Consciousness.
33. Five Sense Objects: Form; Sound; Smell; Taste; Touch.
34. Root cause of Samsara: Ignorance.
35. Principal cause for Liberation: Practising the Ten Virtuous Actions.
36. Three Realms: Desire Realm; Form Realm; Formless Realm.
37. Classes of beings: Heavenly beings; Human beings; Nāgas.
38. Openings in the body: Nine.
39. Approximately body hairs: 21,000.
40. Eyes perceive form.
41. Ears perceive sound.
42. Nose perceives smell.
43. Tongue perceives taste.
44. Body (skin) perceives touch.
45. Normal human lifespan: 100 years.

Medical Terms & Facts

11. Reproduction — creation or multiplication.
12. Ovary — female reproductive organ.
13. Ovum — female egg cell.
14. Sperm — male sperm cell.
15. Vagina — female organ.
16. Penis — male organ.
17. Heart — heart.
18. Small intestine — small intestine.
19. Spleen — spleen.
20. Stomach — stomach.
21. Kidney — kidney.
22. Endocrine gland — endocrine gland.
23. Lungs — lungs.
24. Large intestine — large intestine.
25. Liver — liver.
26. Gall bladder — gall bladder.
27. Bladder — bladder.
28. Pancreas — pancreas.
29. Digestive system — digestive system.
30. Circulatory system — circulatory system.
31. Respiratory system — respiratory system.
32. Nervous system — nervous system.
33. Nerves — white channels/nerves.
34. Skin — skin.
35. Diaphragm — diaphragm.
36. Spinal cord — spinal cord.
37. Vertebrae — vertebrae.
38. Joints — major joints.
39. Ligament — ligament.
40. Fallopian tube — fallopian tube.
41. Uterus — womb/uterus.
42. Rectum — rectum.
43. Testes — testes.
44. Skeleton — skeleton.
45. Muscle — muscle.
46. Immune — complexion/vital energy, as written in the file.
47. Microscope — microscope.
48. Human — human.
49. Cell — cell.
50. Artery — artery.

Important facts:
1. Sowa Rigpa was brought under the relevant Indian council in 2007.
2. The meeting was chaired by K. Zangdong Rinpoche.
3. The Cabinet approved recognition in 2009.
4. The Indian Prime Minister at that time was Dr. Manmohan Singh.
5. Final recognition was issued on 10 June 2010.
6. Practical implementation permission was granted in 2011.
7. Registration for practitioners and graduates under the council happened in 2018.
8. The medical college in Varanasi was newly established in 1967.
9. The section for medicine and surgery in Varanasi was established in 1993.
10. The Tibetan medical college began in 2004.
11. The first use of the title “doctor” and “scholar”: 763 CE, Yuthog Yonten Gonpo.
12. BUSS controls Sowa Rigpa under the council.
13. BUSS = Board of Unani, Siddha & Sowa Rigpa.
14. President of NCISM: Deopujari Jayant Yeshwant.
15. Chairman of NCISM: Sarbananda Sonowal.
16. Head of BUSS: Dr. K. Jaggannathan.
17. Sowa Rigpa section in the college of philosophy: 1989.
18. Founded by Bese Pema La Rinpo Che.
19. Sowa Rigpa College in India: 1992.
20. Men-Tsee-Khang founded by Khenrab Norbu Rinpoche.
21. Medical faculty founded on 24/8/2017.
22. Spread in India, Nepal, Mongolia and China.
23. Outside Asia: America, Canada, Australia, France and others.
24. Years since renaming: 19 years.
25. First lecture after re-establishment by Naman Menrab Norbu.
26. The first person to teach in the exile community was Dr. Yeshe Donden.