2.A comparative study of the original articles about the springs in the explanatory literature on the Ma la ya'i mystery
Bilegsaikhan B ; Zolzaya B ; Buyant B ; Boldsaikhan B
Mongolian Medical Sciences 2023;203(1):30-34
Introduction:
There is a sutra named “Detail explanatory of Ma la ya'i mystery and the giver everything wanted” (Ma la ya'i dka' 'grel 'dod pa 'jo ba) written by Mi'i nyi ma mthong ba don ldan, a Tibetan, which is considered as one of the undisputed ancient articles of Indian and Tibetan Medicines and to which Mongolian medical researchers in Mongolia and in Inner Mongolia, China haven't paid attention yet, so it is still not included in the scope of medical research work until now.
The sutra has an advantage that the place where the spring comes out is written in detail. Therefore, we now should thoroughly analyze the source place and features of the springs in order to convey a clear orderly understanding to future scholars by summarizing the research aligning it with traditional medical theory, and schematically mapping.
Goal:
To make clearer the scholars' views of the four mountains included in the book “Rsta b’ai rgyud” and its theoretical and other concepts, as well as to analyze and conclude the interrelationships and features of springs in Ma la ya'i mountain.
Materials and Methods:
In this research, I have studied the theory of Four mountains included in the book “Rsta b’ai rgyud” using the analyzing methods for original and source documents and summarized by the method of analysis and synthesis, as well as chosen the literature named “Detail explanation of Ma la ya'i mystery and the giver everything wanted” by sampling method and shown making sketch for the interrelations and features of springs by Hermeneutic method.
Results:
As descried by a person named Gyutog yontan mgonpo (Gyutog yontan mgonpo) in terms of Foreign, Domestic and Secret Medicine Palaces, and according to the relevant sutras and mantras that said about them, the springs have the ability to heal diseases with the participation of earth directions, flora and fauna around the mountain and other factors. The sketch was clearly shown for the springs.
Conclusion
I believe that the debates about the Medicine Palace are highly dependent on the chronology in which the researchers lived and their own traditional ways. Currently, the five explanatory manuscripts written through XII - XX centuries about Medicine Palaces and Springs in Ma la ya'i Mountain have been found, among which, specially, the section written about the springs in the sutra named “Detail explanatory of Ma la ya'i mystery and the giver everything wanted” is a big thick book that was made at the level of "Great Explanation" in terms of its content. Therefore, I consider that this literature has become a new cognitive valuables added to the modern research resource because the knowledge of springs was presented greatly in depth and detail in this paper work.
3.A Comparative Textual Analysis of the Medicinal Mandala and Numerical Concepts in the Sources “Sorig Bumshi” and “Gyudshi”: Establishing the Primacy of Sorig Bumshi
Da leng tai ; Boldsaikhan B ; Bold Sh ; Jin yong li ; Vaanchigsuren S ; Seesregdorj S
Mongolian Journal of Health Sciences 2025;87(3):54-59
Background:
A comparative study of classical medical texts within Traditional
Medicine provides a vital framework for uncovering the origins, development,
transmission, and historical significance of healing traditions. This approach
highlights a specific culture’s contribution to medical knowledge and reflects
the intricate interplay of religion, culture, and philosophical thought embedded
in those eras.
Aim:
To conduct a comparative analysis of the depictions of the “Medicinal
Mandala” as described in the first chapter of the “Root Tantra” section in the
two classical medical sources Sorig Bumshi and Gyudshi.
Materials and Methods:
This research examines two foundational Tibetan
medical texts—Sorig Bumshi and Gyudshi—using theme-based classification
and content analysis methodologies grounded in textual source criticism.
Results:
The findings confirm that Sorig Bumshi, a Bönpo medical text from
the ancient Zhangzhung civilization, was composed earlier. The great translator
Byaruzana translated it from the Zhangzhung language, after which Yuthok
Yönten Gönpo and collaborators edited, revised, and systematized the text to
form Gyudshi, embedding it in Buddhist epistemological frameworks.
Conclusions
1. The medicinal mandala of Gyudshi—structured around a central "beautiful
medicinal city" surrounded by four directional mountains—demonstrates a
refined adaptation of the more expansive, sacred mandala depicted in Sorig
Bumshi, which is centered on Olmo Lung Ring, a Bönpo pure land rich in symbolic
geography.
2. The numerical values recorded in both texts—particularly the recurring use
of 360 and 404—suggest different paradigms in medical theory. Sorig Bumshi
embeds these numbers within a Bön cosmological and ritual context (e.g.,
360 deities, mountains, and healing lakes), while Gyudshi reinterprets them
under Buddhist causal reasoning (e.g., 404 diseases derived from wind, bile,
phlegm, and karma). This transformation reflects a shift from Bön to Buddhist
medical epistemology through selective integration and doctrinal refinement.