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China / Tibet: Thangka anatomical drawing: the front of a male body showing the bones and organs.

Anatomical drawing of a male body showing the bones and organs. Tibet - Early 20th century Thangka, Gouache on paper.

Tibetan medicine or Sowa-Rigpa ('Healing Science') is a centuries-old traditional medical system that employs a complex approach to diagnosis, incorporating techniques such as pulse analysis and urinalysis, and utilizes behavior and dietary modification, medicines composed of natural materials (e.g., herbs and minerals) and physical therapies (e.g. Tibetan acupuncture, moxabustion, etc.) to treat illness.

The Tibetan medical system is based upon a synthesis of the Indian (Ayurveda), Persian (Unani), Greek, indigenous Tibetan, and Chinese medical systems, and it continues to be practiced in Tibet, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Ladakh, Siberia, China and Mongolia, as well as more recently in parts of Europe and North America. It embraces the traditional Buddhist belief that all illness ultimately results from the 'three poisons' of the mind: ignorance, attachment and aversion.