Contents: Birth, Life and Death According to Tibetan Medicine and the Dzogchen Teaching
	Foreword	7
	Preface	9
	BIRTH, LIFE AND DEATH	13
	INTRODUCTION TO THE PRINCIPLES OF TIBETAN MEDICINE	15
	The Nature of the Humours and the Organic Components of the Body	17
	Types of Humours	19
	Five Types of Wind	19
	Five Types of Bile	19
	Five Types of Phlegm	19
	The Six Main Characteristics of the Wind Humour	20
	The Seven Main Characteristics of the Bile Humour	21
	The Seven Main Characteristics of the Phlegm Humour	22
	General Locations of the Wind Humour	23
	Specific Locations of the Wind Humour	24
	General Locations of the Bile Humour	24
	Specific Locations of the Bile Humour	24
	General Locations of the Phlegm Humour	24
	Specific Locations of the Phlegm Humour	24
	General Functions of the Wind Humour	25
	Specific Functions of the Wind Humour	25
	General Functions of the Bile Humour	25
	Specific Functions of the Bile Humour	26
	General Functions of the Phlegm Humour	26
	Specific Functions of the Phlegm Humour	26
	Organic Components	28
	The Functions of the Organic Components	28
	The Relationship Between the Humours and the Organic Components	29
	BIRTH	31
	The Causes of Conception	33
	The Fertile Period	34
	Signs of Pregnancy	34
	The Formation of the Fetus in the Womb	35
	Functions of the Elements in the Fetus	37
	Secondary Causes for the Gender of the Fetus	38
	The Stages of Intrauterine Development	39
	The Fish Stage	39
	The Tortoise Stage	40
	The Pig Stage	41
	The Nature of the Fetal Development	41
	The Seven Possible Constitutions of the Child's Body	41
	Characteristics of the Seven Constitutions	42
	The Digestive Heat in Relation to the Seven Constitutions	43
	How the Different Constitutions of the Child are Formed	43
	Diet and Behavior of the Pregnant Woman	44
	The Pregnant Woman's Diet	44
	The Pregnant Woman's Behavior	45
	The Pregnant Woman's Behavior Regarding the Body	45
	The Pregnant Woman's Behavior Regarding the Voice	46
	The Pregnant Woman's Behavior Regarding the Mind	47
	Calculation of the Duration of Pregnancy	48
	Signs Indicating the Male or Female Gender of the Child	49
	Signs of Approaching Birth	49
	How to Prepare for Childbirth	50
	How to Assist Childbirth	51
	How to Attend to the Newborn Baby	53
	LIFE	55
	Living in Good Health	`57
	The Nature of the Three Doors of the Individual	57
	The Nature of the Body and the Maintenance of Its Life	59
	The Development of the Metabolic Heat of the Organic Components that Sustain Life	60
	The Nature of the Humours and Organic Components	62
	How Disturbances of the Humours and Organic Components Arise	62
	The Secondary Causes of Disturbances of the Humours and Organic Components	64
	The General Secondary Causes of Disturbances	65
	The Specific Secondary Causes of the Arising of Disturbances	65
	The Secondary Causes of Wind Disturbances	65
	The Secondary Causes of Bile Disturbances	66
	The Secondary Causes of Phlegm Disturbances	66
	Specific Secondary Causes of Disturbances	67
	The Meaning of Accumulation, Manifestation and Pacification	68
	How the Three Periods of Life are Related to the Humours and Their Disturbing Factors	68
	How the Seasons are Related to the Humours and Their Disturbing Factors	69
	Specific Details on the Manner of Accumulation and Manifestation	69
	Specific Details on the Manner of Pacification	70
	Diet and Behaviour That Pacify Wind Disturbances	71
	Diet and Behaviour That Pacify Bile Disturbances	72
	Diet and Behaviour That Pacify Phlegm Disturbances	72
	The Meaning of Lack, Excess and Conflict	73
	How to Deal with Lack, Excess and Conflict	73
	How to be in Harmony with the Periods of Life	74
	The Contact of the Senses with Objects	74
	Behavior of Body, Voice and Mind	75
	The Manner of Accumulation, Manifestation and Pacification of Illnesses of a Single Humour	77
	The Manner of Increase and Consumption in the Illnesses of Two Humours	79
	The Manner of Increase and Consumption in the Illnesses of Three Humours Joined Together	79
	The Manner of the Combination of Increase and Consumption in the Illnesses of the Three Humours Joined Together	80
	Critical Illnesses	81
	How to Observe a Correct Daily Behavior	82
	Harmful Food Combinations	83
	Beneficial and Harmful Aspect of Foods	84
	Cereals and Legumes	84
	Meat	86
	Oils and Fats	89
	Vegetables	89
	Fruit	91
	Ingredients and Spices Used in Prepared Foods	91
	Beverages	94
	Appropriate Foods and Mealtimes	98
	Eating the Right Amount	99
	Aspects of Correct Behavior	100
	Correct Daily Behavior	100
	Correct Seasonal Behavior	102
	Correct Occasional Behavior	104
	The Properties and Qualities of Tastes	105
	The Nature of the Six Tastes	106
	The Eight Qualities	107
	The Seventeen Curative Properties of Foods	108
	The Continuity of Correct Presence and Awareness	111
	The Need to Diminish Selfishness	115
	The Need to Free Ourselves of Worries	116
	The Nature of Dream	117
	The Need to be Content With Our Lot	118
	The Fundamental Nature of Mind	119
	Self-Perfected Primordial Potentiality	120
	Instant Presence	122
	The Principle of Primordial Total Perfection or Ati Dzogpa Chenpo	125
	DEATH	129
	The Nature of Death	131
	The Certainty of Death	131
	No Certainty as to the Moment of Death	132
	No Certainty as to the Secondary Causes of Death	133
	The Fear of Death is Useless	134
	The Moment of Death	134
	The Intermediate State Between Birth and Death	136
	The Intermediate State of the Moment of Death	138
	The Intermediate State of the Real Condition	144
	The Vision of the Clusters of the Buddhas of the Five Families that is the Entrance	146
	Instant Presence which Enters into Light	146
	Light Which Enters into Instant Presence	147
	The Vision of Wisdom that is Liberation	147
	The Vision of Self-Perfection that is the Final Realization	149
	The Intermediate State of Existence	153
	Index of Tibetan Terms	161
	Selected Bibliography	165