ABSTRACT
Sowa Rigpa refers to the science of healing with sowa meaning heal and rigpa meaning science or knowledge. Diseases can be classified into four hundred and four types: one hundred and one diseases of this lifetime, one hundred and one minor transient diseases, one hundred and one diseases caused by evil spirit influences, and one hundred and one diseases influenced by negative imprints of past lives. Of these, the one hundred and one diseases caused by negative imprints of past lives can not be treated simply with medicines but one has to take up religious rituals as remedial measures. Since the other diseases have nothing to do with past life imprints, it is said that these can be treated with medicines. This chapter describes the Sowa Rigpa medical system in a nutshell.
