Let Meditation be thy Medicine
A Book Talk with Dr. Nida Chenagtsang
May 17, 7pm
AT PURE LAND FARMS & LIVESTREAMED
The beauty of Tantric Buddhism is its diversity of process—there are many types of practice. But that means it is easy to feel lost—which practice is best for you? In this teaching, Let Meditation be thy Medicine, Dr. Nida explores the two treasures of the 12th century yogi-physician, Yuthok Yönten Gönpo — Sowa Rigpa and the Yuthok Nyingthig — to help us find our spiritual match. Sowa Rigpa (Tibetan medical) diagnosis and treatment revolves around elemental type, similar to Ayurveda. The Yuthok Nyingthig Buddhist path likewise offers practices that are particularly well suited for each type—wind, fire, and earth/water. In this unique presentation of the interconnectedness of Tibetan medicine and Buddhist tantra, Dr. Nida introduces traditional meditation techniques alongside diet and lifestyle recommendations that teach us how to nourish, detox, or fast — physically, psychologically, and spiritually — in order to balance our unique elemental type.
When Yuthok composed his teachings in the 12th century he predicted that future students would be busy, lacking the time and resources to do long and elaborate practices and retreats like the practitioners of the past. We are those students. This teaching shows us how to make the most of our precious time and effort on the spiritual path by helping us find the practices that best balance our body, energy, and mind. It serves as an introduction to Tantric Buddhism and the Yuthok Nyingthig as well as to Sowa Rigpa, and is suitable for both new and experienced meditators.
Book signing will follow the talk.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Amdo, in Northeastern Tibet, Dr. Nida began his early studies of Sowa Rigpa at the local Tibetan medical hospital. Later, he was awarded a scholarship to enter the Lhasa Mentseekhang or Tibetan Medical University, where he completed his degree in 1996, with practical training at the Tibetan Medicine hospitals in Lhasa and Lhoka.
Alongside his medical education, Dr. Nida trained in Vajrayana with teachers from every school of Tibetan Buddhism. In particular, he trained in the Longchen Nyingthig tradition of the Nyingma school with his root guru Ani Ngawang Gyaltsen and in the Dudjom Tersar tradition with Chönyi Rinpoche and Semo Dechen Yudrön. He received complete instruction in the Yuthok Nyingthig lineage, the unique spiritual tradition of Tibetan Medicine, from his teachers Khenpo Tsultrim Gyaltsen and Khenchen Troru Tsenam, and was requested to continue the Yuthok Nyingthig lineage by Jamyang Rinpoche of the Rebkong ngakpa and ngakma community.
A well-known poet in his youth, Dr. Nida later published many articles and books on Sowa Rigpa and the Yuthok Nyingthig tradition in Tibetan and English, which have been translated into several languages. He has extensively researched ancient Tibetan healing methods, and has gained acclaim in East and West for his revival of little-known Tibetan external therapies.
