Tibetan Medical Paintings Exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History

This is the last weekend for the exhibit of Tibetan Medical Paintings: Body and Spirit at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.  We went a few weeks ago and it was definitely worth seeing, particularly if you are interested in this area of study.  On display are 64 paintings from the Museum's  collection.  It's the first time that these paintings have been displayed together.  They are hand-painted, reproductions of traditional scroll paintings which detail some of the history, early medical knowledge, and procedures used in Tibet and are believed to be among only a handful of such sets in existence.

The images are extremely detailed and are painted in vegetable and mineral dyes.  Each of the paintings on display was painstakingly reproduced by hand in the 1990s by Romio Shrestha, a Nepalese artist, and his students.  The originals were created in the 1600s. The exhibit ends July 17th, 2011.

I had taken photos of the exhibition, but ran across an informative tutorial on YouTube (posted below) which explains the Collection pretty thoroughly.  Probably one of my favorite pieces, however, was the explanation in a group of paintings that catalogs various health problems and their origins according to the Tibetan Buddhist system.

"The primary, or deepest, causes for disease are three negative emotions or states:  Craving, Ignorance and Hatred.  These can predispose a person to disease by contributing to humoral imbalance.  Secondary causes of humoral imbalance include improper diet or behavior, change of seasons or weather and toxins or poisons. Even injuries or wounds are associated with changes in the Humors.

Evil Spirits or demons are also seen as affecting health in a variety of ways.  Many illnesses caused by demons must be cured with rituals."

Negative thoughts and emotions...  An obvious heath issue that has plagued the human race for centuries.




If you haven't visited the American Museum of Natural History in a while, or at all, you should know in advance that the Museum has become very, very busy due to the popularity generated by the Night at the Museum movie franchise.  I recommend that you get there when it first opens and that you go in through the side entrance.  We visited on a Sunday morning and were there when they first opened, entered through the side and went right in. When we came outside a few hours later there were so many people we could barely make our way out of the front of the building. Double lines were down both sides of the block and I have no doubt that people were waiting for hours to get in (if they got in at all).  That said, you should still definitely try to go. 

Eating With The Tai Chi Diagram Part 2

ASK YOURSELF

I once read an article that stated that each one of us has his or her own reason for seeking, and sticking with Tai Chi, at the time I was not aware of my reason. For two years I contemplated going to a Tai Chi school. I stepped it to my first Tai Chi class six month after I became aware that my food consumption was hurting me.

I wanted a solution to my problems NOW, and the market had always been willing to provide me with quick and short-lived options. Tai Chi never claimed it would help. Looking back, the best way I can describe what happened is that with consistent practice, over time, Tai Chi taught me how to take good care of myself. It made me sensitive to what was going on in my body, mind, and spirit, and guided me to healthy solutions.

You may say, OK, that’s a nice story, but “How do you eat with the tai chi diagram?”

The story goes that a man passing by a master’s school asked a student exiting a weekly tai chi class: “Have you finished doing tai chi?” “You do not ‘do’ Tai Chi,” answered the student, “You live Tai Chi.” The man looked at him and said: “It’s not possible to live once a week.”

I am changing into living Tai chi. it takes time, practice, and hard work. It is an adventure. Here are a few notes from my journey so far in the hope that they may be of help:

If you are searching high and low for the “right” diet, food combination, book, nutritionist, or secret that once and for all will eliminate your struggle, please consider Jou Tsung Hwa famous saying: “There is no secret, only hard work.” Take a chance, make a 180 degree turn from the society you are living in and come to believe that work may become your salvation. (Please note that the hard work I discuss here is not busy work but the work that needs to be done within you. Many times that will be exactly the work you rather not do. That is what makes it hard!)

Also from Jou Tsung Hwa: “Don’t ask the teacher, ask yourself.”  And: “You don’t need a teacher, only common sense.” You know what is right for you. If you do not know, it may be because you have learned to hide the truth from yourself. Over time Tai Chi will help you uncover what you already know, and become yourself. In the meantime, “Do your best, don’t overdo,” ask for help, and spend time looking, contemplating, meditating on the Tai Chi diagram. The lack of balance and sanity in your food and/or life may be a reflection of something in need of balance within you.

~ Miriam Shankman

End of Part 2
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You can read Part 1 of this article here
You can read Part 3 here


Photo courtsey of Creative Commons

Miriam Shankman  is a practitioner and instructor of Tai Chi and Chi Kung in the New York, Tri-State area.  If you would like to contact her, you can visit her website at:  http://www.mir-yam.com
or drop her an email at:  miriam@mir-yam.com

You may also enjoy reading this post by Mirian:
Slow Down We Move Too Fast:  A Prelude to the Holiday Season