Amchi Doctors in Mustang

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Amchi Doctors in Mustang

The fabled Mustang, today situated in the north of Nepal behind the high Himalaya peaks. Was one of the three kingdoms, which separated the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan high-plateau .
Some of the last Tibetan kings withdraw themselves to Mustang, founding here a new dynasty of rulers. They could retain some of their old delivered traditions into present days.
Dr. Tashi Choezang, one of the last important physicians of traditional Tibetan medicine (Amchi) from Lo Mantang, the old capital of Mustang, trained his sons in traditional Tibetan medicine. Meanwhile they became teachers themselves, handing over their knowledge and experience in traditional Tibetan medicine to their students.
During the last years, the illegal trade of threatened wild medicinal plants increased enormously. The high demand from India and China for many of these plants led to the fact, that in some Himalayan areas certain plants became already extinct. People can not be blamed using this demand as a source of income, but it has to be avoided that more and mare plants are threatened.
In summer 1999 NRA decided to support a project run by Himal Asia. The objectives of this project are to ensure the survival and spread of the traditional knowledge of Amchi physicians, to train young people in this field and increase their revenue by cultivating plants, so that uncontrolled collection of plants in the mountains of the Himalaya can be prevented.
In Lo Mantang, NRA bought some property where in the meantime eleven different herbs are cultivated. The number of Amchi students rose to more than 20. 25 Students, 4 teachers and 1 assistant (the regular size of the class) can move to a firm house in Simle above the Phewa lake of Pokhara during the hard winter months in Mustang. This gives them the opportunity to continue their studies without interruption, which is of large importance as the training proceeds over several years. The house was build by Himal Asia and is cared by Dzingsar Ngari Things Rinpoche. NRA has been asked to support the furnishing of the house and paid for the entire kitchen equipment and 30 beds with mattresses. Beside this school an Amchi hospital for the local population has been established, which is running in summer times, so that the house is being used throughout the year.