Abstract
Amchi system of medicine is one of the oldest living and well-documented medical traditions of the world. It is practised in the regions lying in the Himalayas of India, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, parts of China and Mongolia. Popularly known as Sowa-Rigpa, “the art of healing” has effectively supplemented the modern healthcare system in the Ladakh region of the Himalayas. It has been added to the acronym of AYUSH recently. However, in recent times, this traditional form of healing faces challenges posed by modernisation drive across the regions of the Himalayas. The inception of globalisation has compounded the fear among the practitioners of this system even further. This paper attempts to analyse the range of difficulties the Amchi system faces both for the discipline and practitioners in Ladakh.
A Short History of Medicine
2000 B.C.—“Here, eat this root.”
1000 B.C.—“That root is heathen, say this prayer.”
1850 A.D.—“That prayer is superstition. Drink this potion.”
1940 A.D.—“That potion is snake oil. Swallow this pill.”
1985 A.D.—“That pill is ineffective. Take this antibiotic.”
2000 A.D.—“That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root.”
(Author Unknown)
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Notes
- 1.
Buddha of Medicine (Skt. Bhaisajyaguru; Tib. Sangye Menla) is an important Buddha in the Mahayana tradition.
- 2.
Word Amchi is derived from the Mongolian word Am-rjai that means “superior to all”.
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Smanla, T., Mehta, S. (2023). Amchi System in Ladakh: Challenges in the New World. In: Reddy, S., Guite, N., Subedi, B. (eds) Ethnomedicine and Tribal Healing Practices in India. People, Cultures and Societies: Exploring and Documenting Diversities . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4286-0_11
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