"50 Years of Wellbeing"
(Friends of Tibet: Kerala, September 5-8, 2011)

Welcome: Former Supreme Court Judge and former Minister in the Kerala Government Padma Vibhushan Justice Dr VR Krishna Iyer being welcomed by Yesudasan (Political Cartoonist), Sethu Das and VJ Jose (Friends of Tibet Campaigners), Rev Fr Monsignor Joseph Thannikkottu (Director, Ashirbhavan) and others at Ashirbhavan, Kochi. Justice Dr VR Krishna Iyer joined the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Men-Tsee-Khang, Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on September 6, 2011. (Photos: Sylvie Bantle, Katharina Jourdan and Appu J John)

Kochi: "Pathology is a curse while theology is a cure" said the former Supreme Court Judge and former Minister of Kerala Padma Vibhushan Justice *Dr VR Krishna Iyer. Justice Dr VR Krishna Iyer was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Men-Tsee-Khang, Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute of His Holiness the Dalai Lama here at Ashirbhavan, Kerala on September 6, 2011. Justice Krishna Iyer also added that "all medical systems are accepted in the state as long it heals ailments". True love means caring for our neighbours. Loving our neighbour means curing neighbour's troubles which should be our dictum for future. The nonagenarian was the best example of health management. He also encouraged fellow Indians to accept Tibetans as their brothers and vice versa cure each other. Justice Dr VR Krishna Iyer formally inaugurated the golden jubilee celebrations by lighting a traditional Tibetan butter lamp.

The significance of 50 Years of Men-Tsee-Khang and the Kochi camps that completed one year in the state was explained to gathering by Yeldtho Mathew, Friends of Tibet Campaigner. Dr Dorjee Rapten Neshar, Chief Medical Officer, Men-Tsee-Khang Bangalore branch welcomed the gathering and spoke briefly about the developments of the Tibetan Medical Centre in the last fifty years in exile under the unquestionable leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Dr V Madhavachandran, Head, R&D Department of Nagarjuna Ayurvedic; Yesudasan, eminent political cartoonist and Rev Fr Monsignor Joseph Thannikkottu, Director, Ashirbhavan, facilitated the inaugural ceremony meeting.

Inauguration: Padma Vibhushan Justice Dr VR Krishna Iyer inaugurates the golden jubilee celebrations of Men-Tsee-Khang by lighting a traditional Tibetan butter lamp on September 6, 2011. Dr Dr Dorjee Rapten Neshar (Chief Medical Officer, Men-Tsee-Khang Bangalore branch); Rev Fr Monsignor Joseph Thannikkottu (Director, Ashirbhavan); Dr Lobsang Zoepa (Men-Tsee-Khang, Dharamshala) and Men-Tsee-Khang staffs next to him.

Dr V Madhavachandran, Head of the R&D wing of Nagarjuna Ayurvedic compared the Tibetan medical system as an enigma which was explained through Dr Dorjee Rapten Neshar to him during the visit of the Tibetan doctors for an interaction with Ayurvedic doctors of Nagarjuna in January this year. He talked about the legacy of love which had continued the Tibetan healthcare practice all over the world. Dr Madhavachandran also mentioned that even when Ayurveda had forgotten the practices of Nadichikitsa and Agnikarma, they were perfected by the Tibetan school of medicine. He reminded the gathering that it is the sage 'Nagarjuna' who initiated the school of medicine to Tibet which has now come back to us in India.

Speakers: Rev Fr Monsignor Joseph Thannikkottu (Director, Ashirbhavan); Dr V Madhavachandran (Head, R&D Department of Nagarjuna Ayurvedic); Yesudasan (Political Cartoonist); Dr Dr Dorjee Rapten Neshar (Chief Medical Officer, Men-Tsee-Khang, Bangalore); Yeldtho Mathew (Friends of Tibet Campaigner); Kalsang Dechen (Editor, Men-Tsee-Khang) and Justice Dr VR Krishna Iyer.

Using his genuine humour, political cartoonist Yesudasan had cautioned people about the threat of counterfeit Chinese drugs prevailing in the Indian market and the way they continue to kill and make people sick. Our ill health is due to our lack of concern for our own self. He ironically commented that we have left our bodies to the hands of corporate pharmaceutical companies in such a way as the tribal farm lands of Attappadi village were handed over to a multinational wind energy company by the state government.

Rev Fr Monsignor Joseph Thannikkottu, Director, Ashirbhavan spoke about how he was deeply moved by the faith of the Tibetan Buddhist doctors and nurses who come to city every month. He compared the Tibetan Buddhist prayers to the rosary chants and appreciated the efforts of the Tibetan Medical Centre in making medical care affordable for people. He asserted that affordable medical care is the need of the hour and he is extremely thankful to both Men-Tsee-Khang and Friends of Tibet for bringing the Tibetan medicines to the state and also for organising the medical camps every month for the last one year.

Medical Camp: Dr Lobsang Zoepa does pulse diagnosis during the 50th Anniversary of Men-Tsee-Khang, the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Kochi, Kerala with two-day long exhibition and free medical and astrological consultation on Tibetan Medicine and Astrological Calculation. The 11th Tibetan Medical Camp at Kochi organised jointly by Men-Tsee-Khang and Friends of Tibet (Kerala) was held at Ashirbhavan, Ernakulam from September 5-8, 2011.

Five volunteers and supporters of the last twelve medical camps organised by the Friends of Tibet in association with the Men-Tsee-Khang were honoured during the function. Ahmed Shah, Dr Janaki Sankaran, Rajsankar, Marykutty Cherian and Jose Antony were honoured by Dr Lobsang Zoepa of Men-Tsee-Khang Dharamshala for their continuous help and support in organising the Kochi medical camps.

The detailed exhibition of photos showcased the development stages of Men-Tsee-Khang in exile, from its humble beginning to a full-fledged Institute of Tibetan Medicine and Astrology in India; its progress and advancement, research, publications, traditional therapies and astrological paintings, skin and health care products, and its health care services practiced for thousands of years in Tibet and the Himalayan regions. The two-day long exhibition of photographs, Tibetan medical thangkas or scroll paintings based on sacred Tibetan medical text, medicines and medical instruments displayed attracted hundreds of visitors to the exhibition hall. A free medical and astrological consultation by the doctors and a Tibetan astrologer from Men-Tsee-Khang were arranged for the people to interact. Kalsang Dechen, Editor, Men-Tsee-Khang Central Office, Dharmashala proposed the vote of thanks.

Dr Lobsang Zoepa of Men-Tsee-Khang, Dharamshala honors Ahmed Shah and Marykutty Cherian for their continued support to the Tibetan medical camps at Kochi during the golden jubilee celebrations of Men-Tsee-Khang on September 6, 2011.

The four-day event coincided with the first anniversary of the Tibetan medical camps which started at Kochi during the first visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to city on September 4, 2011. The exhibition and consultations was held at Ashirbhavan, Kochi and organised jointly by Men-Tsee-Khang and Friends of Tibet concluded on September 8, 2011.

(*Vaidyanathapura Rama Krishna Iyer, popularly known as Justice VR Krishna Iyer, is a former judge in the Supreme Court of India. He was born in a village in Malabar region of Kerala. In 1952, he was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly; in 1957, he became a minister in the first Communist government in Kerala, serving until 1959. Having been the minister of law, power, prisons, irrigation and social welfare in the Government of Kerala, he was instrumental in bringing about many significant changes in thse sector. In 1973, he was sworn in as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India; as of 2011, he is the last Supreme Court judge to have previously served as a politician. He was conferred with Padma Vibhushan in the year 1999. - Wikipedia)

More about Friends of Tibet Wellbeing Programme: www.friendsoftibet.org/wellbeing/

Dr Dr Dorjee Rapten Neshar of Men-Tsee-Khang reads a chapter from Shel Gong Shel Treng, the most authentic book on Materia Medica of Tibetan Medicine by Demar Tenzin Phuntsok in 18th century. The book contains a total of 2294 different ingredients with their complete descriptions, potency, uses and synonyms. Rev Fr Monsignor Joseph Thannikkottu (Director, Ashirbhavan); Yesudasan (Political Cartoonist) and Dr V Madhavachandran (Head, R&D Department of Nagarjuna Ayurvedic) listen to him.