Written by one of the greatest authorities on Tibetan medicine, A Mirror of Beryl presents an in-depth overview of the Tibetan medical system and its history. Covered are the Tibetan understanding of human physiology and anatomy, the various methods of diagnosis, such as pulse reading and urinalysis, and the typologies of disease and their corresponding remedies, including surgical treatments. Unlike Gyatso's other well-known medical work, The Blue Beryl, which is a detailed commentary on The Four Tantras (a collection of traditional Tibetan medical scripture), this work stands alone. Packed with information, it provides fascinating insight into one of the world's most valuable and holistic systems of medicine.

Mirror of Beryl: A Historical Introduction to Tibetan Medical Science, Desi Sangye Gyatso, translated by Gavin Kilty, Wisdom Publications, Hardcover, 696 Pages, $59.95

Desi Sangye Gyatso (1653-1705), the heart disciple of the Fifth Dalai Lama, became the ruler of Tibet at age twenty-six and held sway over the country for over twenty-five years before his tragic death in a power struggle with the Mongol chieftain Lhasang Khan. A layman his entire life, he was a thorough administrator, setting up many new institutions, such as the renowned Tibetan Medical Institute in Lhasa. He famously commissioned a set of seventy-nine medical paintings, and he composed White Beryl, an authoritative work on all aspects of astronomical calculation and divination practiced in Tibet at his time.

Gavin Kilty has worked as a translator and teacher of the Tibetan language since 1970 and teaches Tibetan and Mahayana Buddhism at numerous colleges and Buddhist centers. The translator of the inaugural volume in The Library of Tibetan Classics series, Ornament of Stainless Light, he also translated Tsongkhapa's poetic works in Splendor of an Autumn Moon. He lives in Buckfasleigh, England.

	Contents: Mirror of Beryl - A Historical Introduction to Tibetan Medicine
	General Editor's Preface	xi
	Translator's Introduction	1
	Technical Note	17
	MIRROR OF BERYL: A Well-Explained History of the Glorious Science of Medicine, A Feast to Delight the Rishis
	Introduction	31
1.	Homage and Verses of Auspiciousness	33
2.	Medical Science	41
3.	Origins of the Science of Healing in the Celestial Realms	51
	PART 1. The Science of Healing in India	67
4.	Early Indian Medical Traditions	69
5.	Kumara Jivaka	105
6.	Nagarjuna, Pitrceta, and Candranandana	123
	PART 2. Earlier Development of Medical Science in Tibet	145
7.	Earliest Developments	147
8.	From Vairocana to Shangton Siji Bar	159
9.	The Treasure Tradition and Drapa Ngonshe	175
10.	The Earlier and Later Yuthok Yonten Gonpo	193
11.	The Word of the Buddha	209
12.	The Meaning of "Treatise"	229
13.	Yuthok's Legacy	247
14.	The Drangti Lineage and a Summary	161
	PART 3. Later Development of Medical Science in Tibet	273
15.	The Jang Tradition	275
16.	The Sur Tradition	293
17.	The Gongmen Tradition	319
18.	The Great Fifth Dalai Lama and Desi Sangye Gyatso	323
	PART 4. The Study of Medicine and the Three Sets of Vows	347
19.	The Reason to Practice Medicine	349
20.	Devotion to a Master	353
21.	The Pratimoksa Vows	363
22.	The Bodhisattva Vows	373
23.	Vidyadhara Tantric Vows	389
24.	Changes in Vow Status and the Preceptor Question	421
25.	Benefits	437
26.	Qualities of a Master of Medicine	445
27.	Examining Disciples and Studying with the Master	465
28.	Chakri Medical College and the Author's Own Practice of Medicine	481
	Conclusion	491
29.	Dedication	493
30.	Previous Histories of Medicine	497
31.	Colophon	503
	Notes	507
	Materia Medica	555
	Glossary	559
	Bibliography	581
	Index	629
	About the Contributors	663