Secrets of longevity of Tibetan monks. Tibetan longevity Ancient monks of Tibet
Everything about Tibet is mysterious and mystical in itself - this region is too isolated from the rest of the world, the natural conditions here are too exotic, the esoteric reputation of the local residents is too stable. Everything that concerns monasticism is mysterious and mystical - for most people, the decision of some to abandon the joys of ordinary life for the sake of spiritual purification and improvement seems incomprehensible. And Tibetan monks are doubly mysterious and mystical...
Life of Tibetan monks: abstinence, meditation, martial arts?
There are at least three ideas about Tibetan monks, that is, about novices of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries - Tibetan Buddhism is a special branch of Buddhism, characterized, in particular, by the doctrine of the transfer of spiritual knowledge and power through rebirth (Lamaism). One of them is purely Western and is based primarily on cinema. According to him, Tibetan monks and martial arts are inseparable concepts. Monks are strong, shaven-headed men who, from morning to evening, do nothing but train or meditate. . Thanks to this, they acquire unique physical and paranormal abilities: all the ancient secrets of Tibetan monks boil down to the ability to crush stones and trees with their hands, levitate, as well as control internal energy and kill enemies with one or two touches.
The second view is less subject to stereotypes, but it is also idealized. This picture of life in Tibetan monasteries is common among Western intellectuals seeking some spiritual wisdom and enlightenment from the esoteric teachings of the East. For these people, at a certain stage of life, there is simply no other dream than to become a Tibetan monk. Because Tibetan monks are people who have chosen the path of complete renunciation of everything earthly. Every day begins with prayer and ends with prayer. During the day, they perform physical work, study Buddhist wisdom and are in a state of meditation. They are silent and reserved, no negative emotions or thoughts bother them, they strive only for dispassion and achieving Nirvana. And the most perfect of monks are hermits who go into mountain caves or lock themselves in tiny huts and take a vow of silence.
And there is a third option, which opens up with direct acquaintance with real life in the Buddhist monasteries of Tibet. With the very life in which the characteristic yellow or brown clothes of Tibetan monks not only command respect from local residents, but can also become a cause of persecution from the Chinese authorities. That life in which the legendary martial arts are almost not practiced among Buddhist monks: one part of the monks bears physical obedience and performs specific work, the other part is focused on meditative practices and rarely moves. That life in which many Buddhist monasteries have turned into a kind of tourist centers for foreigners, where colorful but irrelevant scenes and spectacles are shown to them, and no supernatural events occur.
Doesn't Tibetan monks' meditation prolong life?
One of the main modern information trends associated with Tibetan Buddhism is the belief that local monks have some unique and miraculous theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of health. Allegedly, there is a certain recipe for the longevity of Tibetan monks, which allows them to live at least 80 years and at the same time be absolutely healthy all their lives. At the same time, the treatment of Tibetan monks is carried out exclusively by non-traditional methods that have nothing in common with modern Western medicine. True, none of the European popularizers of Tibetan wisdom are in any hurry to use these traditional remedies on themselves: since they include not only all kinds of compresses and infusions of medicinal herbs, but also bloodletting with cauterization.
In addition, the diet of Tibetan monks has gained great popularity on the Internet - supposedly a special nutritional system that not only does not contain any harmful components, but also promotes fast and effective weight loss. It is difficult to say why the monks of high-mountain Tibetan monasteries need recipes for weight loss. However, numerous women concerned about this problem have actively taken up the promotion of “Tibetan” diets. The secret of this recipe is called not only the composition of the menu (complete refusal of meat, an abundance of plant foods), but also a special order of nutrition - a certain order of consumed products, a leisurely and thoughtful meal, active consumption of water, and the like. True, it does not explain how a leisurely and thoughtful meal is combined with the permissibility of “snacks” in order to avoid the very feeling of hunger. It turns out that the monks eat leisurely and thoughtfully all day long, fighting hunger. It is equally difficult to explain why, despite all the supernatural knowledge of Tibetan monks in medicine and gastronomy, they are by no means long-livers, and the average life expectancy in Tibet does not even reach 70 years.
Music of Tibetan monks
Another aspect of the spiritual and cultural life of Tibetan monks, which has recently received wide coverage in the West, is the musical and literary component of Buddhist rituals. The secrets of Tibetan monks, it turns out, also lie in their prayers, spells, and mantras, either read or chanted. Mantras performed by Tibetan monks, according to some Buddhists and adherents of esoteric teachings, have magical powers. This power is supported by a special vital energy activated during the reading of mantras.
But mantras alone as a text are not enough - the special throat singing of Tibetan monks is also necessary. Only when mantras are pronounced in a special throat way, accompanied by special music or without it (throat singing can be considered as an independent musical instrument), can the desired effect be achieved. The throat singing of Buddhist monks in the monasteries of Tibet is truly an original manifestation of cultural life and is actively studied by both professional musicians and ethnographers. However, in the fashion for mantras, the statement that the books of Tibetan monks contain mantra-spells that can provide a person with happiness, health, wealth, and even weight loss is alarming. It is highly doubtful that real Tibetan monks need wealth, or even more so, to reduce their body weight in a magical way.
Alexander Babitsky
Hello, dear readers – seekers of knowledge and truth!
The monks of Tibet and their abilities have long been the subject of debate. There are stories and legends about them. Some people dream of imitating them and, like them, living away from the bustle of the world, while others call them eccentrics. Some admire their capabilities, others roll their eyes skeptically.
In this article we will try to dispel your doubts and help you get closer to the truth. We invite you to use your imagination and live the day of the Tibetan Lama to learn the secrets of the remarkable talents of these amazing people.
One day in the life of a monk
The life of a monk smoothly flows from one day to another. Time passes measuredly, smoothly, calmly. Almost always a monk is alone with his thoughts, in solitude - if not physical, then certainly spiritual.
The caravan supplying food is all that connects him with the outside world. He rarely communicates even with other monks, and when this happens, the lama is usually taciturn.
At 6 am, day begins in the mountains. The monks greet him by climbing to the mountain peak, where group morning exercises are performed. They know how important it is to keep the physical body and soul in harmony: reading mantras is replaced by dousing with ice water and exercises aimed at increasing endurance.
Mountain air in combination with sunbathing, at least a quarter of an hour a day, can give you a good psychophysical state, charge you with the energy of the sun, and merge with nature.
Meditations take you into the spiritual world and allow you to abstract from the vanity of human life, which is why lamas practice throughout the day. During breaks, they do the usual things that need to be done for the functioning of the monastery: cultivating the land, cooking, cleaning, washing.
Monastery novices pay special attention to their diet. The serving size and its calorie content are calculated individually; they depend on height, weight, and physical activity.
The main secret is not to overeat, because this inevitably leads to excess weight, problems with the cardiovascular system and the musculoskeletal system.
At the same time, food should be satiating and rich in vitamins, so that there is enough energy and useful elements for the whole day. Llamas eat simple food, many of them are predominantly vegetarian, although the consumption of eggs and dairy products is not prohibited.
Eating in a monastery does not turn into a meal with accompanying small talk. They even eat here silently, slowly, carefully.
Life in the temple is thoroughly permeated with vibrations and measured whispers, into which mantras are composed. This is a kind of music of the Tibetan space.
By the way, about music. A special, even sacred form of it, known to mankind, belongs to monks - this is throat singing. It does not need to be accompanied by musical instruments; it is one of the aspects of Tibetan culture and a way of expressing the philosophical canon.
Many are surprised at the equanimity, detachment and calmness of Tibetan lamas, their health, and longevity. The key to this is their immutable rules:
- privacy;
- peace;
- prayers;
- concentration;
- physical activity;
- meditation;
- proper nutrition;
- hardening;
- bright thoughts;
- unity with nature.
Superpowers or fiction?
We often hear stories in which people enthusiastically talk about, for example, levitation and flying monks, and counterbalance them with refuting stories. For ordinary people, this knowledge is mystical and covered with a veil of secrecy, while scientists from different countries study abilities, conduct research, and measure physical indicators.
Lamas, through their actions, confirm that regular meditation and yogic practices can give a lot. One ability appears so often among Tibetan practitioners that it was even given the name “tummo.”
They learned to increase their body temperature in order to withstand long periods of time, sometimes even months, in the cold at an altitude of three to four thousand meters in light clothing.
In the 80s, a doctor of medical sciences from Harvard University found that some representatives are able to increase the temperature of the extremities by eight degrees - and this is exactly the opposite of the body’s normal reaction to cold. A few years later, scientists from the same alma mater managed to record on video how a monk used his body to dry wet, cold underwear.
As they say, checkmate for skeptics who do not believe in the veracity of real Tibetan exams, when a student must sit all night on snow or ice only in wet clothes, which are constantly lowered into the hole until dawn every time it dries.
Researchers have also proven that llamas have learned to slow down the body's metabolism - this helps to spend energy more slowly, as happens, say, during sleep. Compare: the metabolism of an ordinary person automatically decreases by 15% when falling asleep, while among meditating monks this figure reaches 64%.
Another stunning skill is called “lung-gom”. It manifests itself in the development of incredible speed when walking in the snow with the help of meditations that reduce body weight.
Scientists claim that they recorded a record speed of 57 kilometers per hour. At the same time, “runners” can cover hundreds of kilometers without rest or food.
Miracles of incorruptibility
In the history of Buddhism there are unique cases that over time no longer seem so unprecedented. One of them is the Itigelov phenomenon. Each of us can see with our own eyes the veracity of this story by going to the Ivolginsky datsan, which is located thirty kilometers from the capital of Buryatia.
In the twentieth century, the Hambo Lama Dashi-George Itigelov was famous. In 1927, at the age of 75, the Master plunged into meditation, leaving instructions to his followers to exhume him after three decades.
Everything was done as expected, but the results were shocking. The body of a seemingly sleeping person was removed from the barrel, unchanged, undeformed. Moreover, observers say that sometimes the Teacher’s temperature changes and sweat appears on the skin.
The facts are obvious, the results are recorded, the monks prove by their example that human capabilities are limitless. Trust or verify - the choice is yours.
Conclusion
Thank you very much for your attention, dear readers! Let miracles never leave you. Recommend our articles on social networks, and we will search for the truth together.
Tibetan monks: possessors of superpowers or eccentrics from the mountains? The religious life of Tibet is, first of all, concentrated in numerous monasteries, where amazing people live - Tibetan monks. They seem surprising and mysterious to most people, those who have never been to Tibet and are not particularly familiar with the basics of Buddhism.
Even though monks spend most of their time in their monasteries, these people play a very important role in the lives of all Tibetans. Tibetan monks not only conduct religious ceremonies and manage the affairs of the monastery, they turn to lamas in case of family disputes, they are sought for help in solving problems of a personal and psychological nature. A Tibetan monk helps with words, telling a person about practices that can help him, showing ways to solve a problem, presenting it in a philosophical aspect. And, according to the Tibetans, it really works. Often the youngest son in Tibetan families becomes a monk, sometimes this is done in order to avoid the division of inheritance among several sons or when it becomes difficult for a large family to cope with the household and feed all its members. In many Tibetan families, one of the sons (or even several) are monks and live in monasteries on a permanent basis. In 1959, almost half of the male population of Tibet were monks, but over time the number of Tibetan monks has decreased significantly. If in 1950 there were 120,000, then in 1987 there were only 14,000. However, today, according to the latest data, about 467,000 monks live in Tibet.
The life of Tibetan monks The life of monks is simple to the point of impossibility, Tibetans for the most part try to follow as much as possible the life model of the Buddha, who changed his clothes to a simple dress, monks shave their faces and heads so as not to feel vanity, eat the simplest food and spend a lot of time in meditation and philosophical disputes. Living together is a common thing for monks; one of the monks, recalling his childhood and youth in the monastery with the allegory typical of Tibetans, compared his stay there with the life of frogs caught in a deep well. The whole world for these young men, according to the monk, then lay only in the walls of this well and a piece of sky above their heads. However, many monks remember their years in the monastery as the happiest time of their lives. Secular affairs and concerns remain for those who decide to become a monk in another world, the monk does not need to graze cattle and take care of the herd, he shifts the care of his elderly relatives onto the shoulders of others, all worries and problems remain outside the walls of the monastery. Life in the lap of nature, communication with peers, spiritual and physical development - you are unlikely to hear words of regret from a Tibetan monk about the decision he once made to become what he became.
Tibetan monks are children Boys enter monasteries at a very young age, about five years old, in order to become a little monk, the child needs to pass a special exam and receive the lama's blessing. In the monastery, the little Buddhist will have classes in logic, study of sacred texts, lessons in meditation and rhetoric. The practice of recruiting such young creatures as monks has been criticized more than once, even a representative of the Dalai Lama once admitted that children at that age still do not really understand where and why they get there, but on the other hand, as the press secretary of the main person of Tibet notes, the best theologians and teachers became monks at a very young age. Monks enjoy universal respect in Tibet; mothers, parting with their babies, understand that their child is entering a special world that will give them a lot, from knowledge to a well-known “profession.” In general, children in Tibet are treated in a special way; it seems that all the children there enjoy universal love and care, friends look after the children of their friends, neighbors feed the children living nearby, and so on. To enter a monastery as a teenager, a young man will also have to pass an exam and memorize more than a hundred sacred texts.
Daily life of Tibetan monks The daily life of monks looks measured and orderly. The monks wake up at 5:30 am, light yak butter lamps in honor of Buddha and the Dalai Lama, and spend the next five hours in meditation and prayer. In the afternoon, two monks climb the central tower of the temple and blow the horn, calling the senior monks to prayer. The daytime is devoted to studies, discussions on religious topics, prayers for the dead, philosophical debates and the study of manuscripts. At the same time, the monks’ schedule includes up to nine breaks for a simple meal and tea. Many monks constantly carry a wooden bowl with them, attached to their clothes. People who are well acquainted with monastic life can determine from the shape of the bowl which monastery its owner is from. Among the monks, “professional” education is fairly well organized; monks are taught culinary arts, the basics of teaching or administration. In the past, many monasteries had special teams of “combat monks” whose mission was to protect the monastery in case of any threat. The monks live off the food they receive from their work, donations from farmers and financial support from their families. Enrolling a son in a monastery is considered a special merit; the parents of monks are invariably proud of their offspring and support them in every possible way on the path of searching for truth and enlightenment.
Tibetan monks: meditation Tibetan monks devote a fairly large part of their time to meditation. Following the saying that relaxation is life and tension is death, students first gain knowledge of the art of relaxation. Meditation is not only relaxation, it is getting used to a positive, good way of thinking, to a good, positive state of mind. Monks practice techniques every day that allow them to get rid of desires and attachments as much as possible. One such practice, for example, looks like this: a monk should look without looking away at the Buddha statue and literally absorb every detail, shape, color, and so on, while simultaneously reflecting on the teachings of the Buddha. Plunging into his thoughts, the monk begins to visualize details, an arm, a leg, a vajra in the Buddha’s hand. The more a monk concentrates on the deity, the less his thoughts are occupied with worldly realities. This technique requires constant practice. Everything in this world, according to the Tibetan monk, is impermanent and fleeting. So what if the floor is stone and the bowl is made of wood, all this is an illusion; when leaving this world, a person cannot take anything with him, not even his body, so paying too much attention to material things does not make any sense. That's the philosophy.
Tibetan monks in everyday life The life of a Tibetan monk is not only reflection and meditation, beginners and junior monks are busy with housework, they do laundry, clean rooms, fetch water, scurry back and forth with teapots intended for elders’ tea parties. To earn the teacher's encouragement in honor of Buddha's birthday, some monks spend the whole day on their feet, carrying heavy wooden-bound prayer books from one place to another. In many classrooms you can see buckets, these vessels are a kind of punishment tool: if a student does not know the text that he must read from memory, he must hang a bucket of water around his neck and carry it until the text is learned. Many monks practice rewriting sacred texts, others spend time discussing seemingly paradoxical questions, such as “does a rabbit have a horn?” Priests and teachers stand during classes, and students sit on the floor. In their free time, the monks play football and other sports, just fool around, or gather in the main hall of the monastery, not really paying attention to the gaze of curious tourists. In 1989, in one of the monasteries in the southeast of Sichuan province, the first and so far only fire brigade consisting of monks was organized. 80 of the 130 monks are members of this fire brigade, and newcomers are also trained in firefighting.
Tibetan hermit monks In Buddhism, there is a tradition of hermitism; monks have great respect for people who have dedicated their lives to voluntary imprisonment, while their lives are a secret and are practically not discussed. Monks become hermits of their own free will, a person simply makes such a decision and informs the abbot of the temple about it; there are no initiations or tests that accompany becoming a hermit. Each hermit chooses his own path to knowledge of the truth and spiritual enlightenment, some, retiring to the mountains, retain the privilege of communicating with the outside world, while others, who have chosen the most severe path, literally wall themselves up in a hut, where neither air nor sunlight reaches . This man takes a vow of silence; next to him, or rather outside the walls of his hut, there is a man, as silent as the hermit himself, who brings food and water to the chosen one. Food is passed to the hermit through a narrow window in the wall.
Nutrition principles of Tibetan monks Many monasteries run their own households. When cultivating the land, sowing and harvesting, Tibetan monks use the most primitive technologies, since maximum contact with the earth and nature is very important to them. There is a lot of talk about the diet of Tibetan monks; those who want to lose weight are even offered the so-called “Tibetan monk diet”, which in fact has nothing to do with the eating style of the monastery residents. The monks adhere to a separate diet system and practice vegetarianism. An exception is made only for eggs and dairy products, but in very limited quantities. Tea ceremonies play a very important role in the life of monks. Every morning the lamas gather for morning prayer under the guidance of a sutra teacher, after prayer everyone drinks tea with tsampa. Daytime prayers and reading of sacred texts are also accompanied by drinking tea. Evening tea is more informal.
Tibetan monks: creating a sand mandala Creating a sand mandala is a special type of art in which Tibetan monks have reached unprecedented heights. The mandala is created from colored sand, sometimes it is made from grains, marble chips or colored powders. The drawing is created from small particles painstakingly laid out in a certain order. The process of creating a sand mandala can take whole weeks; special meanings in this sacred drawing have internal, external and secret forms. The monks believe that by creating a mandala, they are cleansed of everything unnecessary; this is a kind of art therapy, and it is aimed not only at those who are involved in the process of creating a sand mandala, but also at the place where it is created. The most amazing thing is that after many hours of folding grains of sand into a complex multi-level pattern, the mandala is destroyed. The process of destruction of the mandala symbolizes the frailty and impermanence of the surrounding world. The colored sand from which the mandala was made is poured into the river so that the water carries positive energy where it is needed. The process of destroying a mandala for monks carries no less meaning than its creation. In extremely rare cases, the mandala is preserved.
Attire of Tibetan monks In the wardrobe of Tibetan lamas there are no lush clothes and luxurious headdresses; the robes of monks are another manifestation of asceticism and canons laid down in the sacred texts. The standard set of clothing for a Tibetan monk consists of three items: antaravasaka - a piece of fabric that covers the lower part of the body and is attached to the belt, uttara sanga - a large piece of fabric that is draped in the upper part of the silhouette and sangati - “outer clothing” made of dense material, which protects the monk from cold and bad weather. The traditional colors of the Tibetan monastic costume are yellow-orange and burgundy. Modern monks wear a dhonku shirt, an outer sarong, and a cape, and sometimes you can find cloth shoes, a headdress and trousers. Monks take care of their clothes themselves; old clothes can be replaced with new ones only if the number of patches on it exceeds ten.
Singing of Tibetan monks Buddhist rituals, in particular the recitation of mantras, are often accompanied by musical accompaniment. The singing of Tibetan monks, according to some adherents of Buddhism, has its own magic. While chanting mantras, a special energy is activated, which gives this music magical power. Chanting mantras is sometimes accompanied by playing musical instruments, most often traditional Tibetan wind instruments. The monks' singing is very peculiar, it is something between reading and singing with a throaty effect. Some musicologists even distinguish the throat singing of Buddhist monks as a separate musical genre, interesting not only to musicians, but also to representatives of a wide variety of sciences.
Tibetan monks - lamas Lamas are the central figures of Tibetan monasteries, these people are spiritual mentors and leading teachers who orally teach the monks meditation techniques and disciplines, and also perform religious rituals. A reverent attitude towards lamas and deep respect for them sometimes takes on the form of extreme worship, when the lama is treated as a living deity. Lamas lead religious meetings and preside over debates; it is believed that these people have superpowers, with the help of which lamas kill demons, attract good luck, prosperity and good health. Residents of Tibet believe that after the death of a lama, his soul finds a new body, and as soon as The lama goes to another world, and the search begins for the person whose body is supposedly possessed by the spirit of the deceased lama. Traditionally, the search for such a person should be based on the visions of oracles, sacred texts, or information left by the deceased, but in reality this process is often dependent on politics and factional intrigue. Theoretically, both a woman and a non-Tibetan resident can become a lama, but almost always only men become lamas. When searching for a lama, attention is paid to the smallest details; a new lama, for example, must have beautiful hands, since he must perform special ritual movements with his hands.
Tibetan monks are revered lamas Before becoming a lama, young people undergo a five-year course of study, usually starting at a very early age, around the age of six. Lamas are revered throughout Tibet; their portraits can be found in almost every home. There is a custom of presenting a scarf to the lama, according to which when meeting a lama, he must be given a scarf. Such scarves can be bought at the monastery. When meeting a revered lama, Tibetans often fall on their faces, trying to lift the monk's robe and touch his feet as a sign of special respect. The lama does not burden himself with property; all he owns is a ceremonial bowl made of a human skull, silver amulets that repel dogs and diseases , and a triangular ritual blade that protects against ignorance, passion and aggression. Most Tibetan villages are home to a lama, who serves as mayor, priest, healer and oracle. Many lamas break away from their vow of celibacy and start their own families. Some lamas, taking advantage of their position, do not miss the opportunity to earn extra money: they consecrate houses, livestock and people, for which they receive money, goods or food.
Modern Tibetan monks Modern Tibetan monks, with all the traditionalism of Buddhism, do not so strictly adhere to the rules and canons that were strictly observed earlier. Monks change. These days, a monk wearing bright sneakers and holding a cell phone is not that uncommon. Some monks freely smoke a cigarette after meditation, enjoy a popsicle on a stick, or ride a scooter, and no one kicks them out of the monastery for such behavior. Monks can refuse clothes made of rough fabric and wear clothes made of softer and more comfortable materials, they are allowed to learn foreign languages and follow advanced technologies in the world of electronics. There are known cases of monks being involved in smuggling antiques and works of art; some sold Buddha statues stolen from the monastery to tourists at prices ranging from five to fifty thousand dollars. But these are, of course, exceptions. For all their closedness and mystery, the monks are open to the world; at least they are not shy about onlookers and tourists, although they really do not like to answer their questions.
You may have heard or read legends about Tibetan longevity on the Internet. I propose to investigate this issue right now.
By the way, the authors consider the source of Tibetan youth to be an elixir of garlic, lemons (all 10 heads each) and 700 ml of honey. They promise that a teaspoon of this elixir three times a day before meals will work a miracle: acne will go away, the skin will smooth out, chronic fatigue will go away, potency and the menstrual cycle will improve, immunity will increase, and there will be relief in chronic diseases. In general, youth will return, and you will live happily ever after.
I will not dwell on the complex effects on the body (especially with chronic diseases) of a daily combination of garlic, lemons and honey. I won’t suggest thinking about the liver, tooth enamel and cholecystitis..
Let's think about a more general and important question: Does Tibetan longevity really exist?
In the legends about Tibetan longevity they say that the minimum life of a Tibetan monk was 100 years, but mostly more...About the fact that some monks are still alive from the 16th century...The fact that youth and longevity for more than 100 years occur due to spiritual development and special Tibetan medicine..
But is this really so?
Of course, as part of our “Longevity” project, we could not ignore this interesting and important topic, so we tried to understand the issue.
What is Tibet
Tibet is a region of Central Asia, located on the Tibetan Plateau. Distinctive features are Tibetan language and religion: Tibetan Buddhism.
In 1950, the Chinese army annexed Tibet. The former government of Tibet, headed by the Dalai Lama (literally great teacher) signed the documents of accession to China and has been in India since then.
Since then, Tibet has been part of China as the Tibet Autonomous Region and several autonomous regions in the provinces, the capital being Lhasa.
Living conditions and longevity in Tibet
How do the indigenous people of Tibet live?
While researching the issue of longevity in Tibet, I came across an interesting document - the preliminary minutes of WHO meeting No. 20 (download) in Geneva, dated May 29, 1975.
I will quote an excerpt from it:
Ms TZUJENCHOKA (China) explained:
Until 1951 the masses of the Tibetan population were not provided with any medical care or medicine, and therefore there was a very high mortality rate for mothers and children.Immunization campaigns have been carried out against certain diseases, and smallpox and cholera were eradicated.
There is no reason not to trust the eyewitness: she tells in detail how many hospitals have been opened, how many doctors have been trained, how much the population is covered by medical posts.
Here's more data:
During Chinese rule in the Tibet Autonomous Region, grain harvests and livestock numbers tripled.
The average life expectancy of the population increased from 36 to 67 years, the population itself has grown almost 3 times and in 2009 approached 3 million people.
Wikipedia
The picture of Tibetan longevity is not very pretty.
In recent years, Tibetans have had two serious problems.
1 problem: death of many Tibetans during a protracted conflict with the Chinese authorities. And this conflict essentially continues to this day: the last major performance was in 2008 before the Olympics in Beijing
US Congress Opinion, 1987:
Section 1243.
...more than 1,000,000 Tibetans died from 1959 to 1979, which was a direct consequence of political instability, executions, imprisonments and large-scale famine
Problem 2: the indigenous population of Tibet is experiencing difficulties due to the fact that it is being crowded out by Chinese migrants to the detriment of the indigenous population. Accordingly, difficulties with getting a job, low standard of living, etc.
Is longevity possible in this situation, at least for the general population?
Obviously the answer is no. For the bulk of the Tibetan indigenous population, the question of longevity is not an issue.
Facts about the longevity of Tibetan monks
Tibetan medicine was concentrated in monasteries, and only initiates, monks, possessed knowledge. And the main keeper of the secrets of Tibetan medicine are the Dalai Lamas.
It is logical in this case to assume that it is the highest monks who should have maximum health and longevity.
Let's look at the facts. Below is a table with the dates of life of the Dalai Lamas since 1391 (Wiki)
We see that there is no talk of any life expectancy of 100 years or more.
Conclusion about Tibetan longevity:
Rumors about Tibetan longevity are greatly exaggerated.
However, I would like to believe in a miracle that somewhere far away people have finally mastered the miracle of longevity...
At the same time, we in no way deny Tibetan medicine or its effectiveness- this issue was simply not considered within the framework of this article.
People from Tibet are famous for their incredible endurance, calmness, self-control, and legends are made about their physical abilities. In our modern hectic world, these people can be role models. No wonder we want to know their secrets.
Today we will talk about such an interesting topic as the life of Tibetan monks. The article below will take us into one day in the life of the monastery, show what kind of routine the monks live by, what time they get up, what they do, what they eat, how they maintain the health of body and spirit, and how they study.
Schedule
Life in a monastery cannot be called easy. This is constant work: on oneself, one’s own body, mind, spirit, work on agricultural land to feed oneself, in classrooms, in one’s own time.
There is no place for entertainment, amusements, or attachments. It doesn’t matter here who your parents are or what social status you had.
Personal belongings include only hygiene items, clothes that are the same for everyone, and a stack of books. From connection with the outside world - a car that delivers groceries a couple of times a week.
But it is precisely this detached, solitary, modest, even ascetic lifestyle that makes monks so strong. They know that everything depends on the daily routine, on habits that can sometimes control us. That is why monks constantly cultivate positive qualities, willpower, purity of thought, and strength of spirit.
The daily routine in the monastery is strict, cyclical, and it may seem that every day is similar to the previous one. But this is not entirely true: every day is struggle, self-education, self-discipline, self-improvement.
The basis of everything is quality sleep. Lamas try to get enough sleep and practice early bedtime and early rise. The morning begins with the first rays of the sun.
Each monastery may have its own routine, but the approximate daily routine of the monks is as follows:
- 6.00 – rise, climbing to the top of a mountain or slope, group morning exercises, hardening, sunbathing, meditation;
- 7.00 – breakfast;
- 7.30 – reading mantras, meditation;
- 9.00 – study, debates with classmates;
- 11.00 – lunch;
- 12.00 – performing general monastic work (cleaning, washing, cooking), studying, studying philosophy, medicine, Buddhist texts, sometimes martial arts, physical exercises;
- 17.00 – dinner;
- 18.00 – training, debates, debates on philosophical topics;
- 23.00 – lights out.
It is important that the monks arrange the life of the monastery themselves, so every day they, in addition to physical and spiritual practices and educational activities, also do household chores. For example, they clean cells, classrooms, in the yard, cultivate agricultural land, and are on duty in the kitchen.
Body health
The healing of the body begins in the morning, with the first breath of fresh mountain air, which saturates the entire body with the oxygen it needs. Immediately after awakening, the monks go to an open area, most often to the top of a hill, where they engage in physical exercise.
The most common set of morning exercises is the Suryanamaskar yoga complex, which is translated as “salutations to the Sun.” The luminary saturates a person with positive qi energy and awakens all internal functions of the body.
Gymnastics is combined with breathing exercises and ends with meditative practices. The difficulty and duration varies depending on each monastery and the level of training of the novices.
In addition, monks harden themselves by dousing themselves with cold water or wiping themselves with snow if the monastery is located at the top of a snow-capped mountain peak. Hardening improves immunity, improving overall health.
This is followed by sunbathing, which lasts at least 10-15 minutes. In addition to the powerful charge of energy that the sun gives, it becomes a good prevention of skin diseases. Throughout the day, monks often continue physical and breathing practices.
Nutrition
Another secret to the health of llamas is what and how they eat. A meal in a monastery is not a noisy feast and an occasion to gossip. Usually meals here are held in leisurely silence, in a good mood, accompanied by prayers.
As for food, they believe that the main mistake here may be overeating, which entails laziness, apathy, and with them illnesses and obesity. Monks eat nutritious meals that can satiate them for physical labor, but at the same time they leave the table with a feeling of slight hunger.
Some novices are vegetarians, but usually eat eggs. But even those who eat meat and fish adhere to the principles of separate nutrition: foods rich in proteins cannot be served together with carbohydrate foods, and it is better to eat a single dish at one meal.
I wonder what TIbetans usually do not drink coffee, but their favorite drink is chasuyma. It is a mixture of pu-erh tea, milk, butter and a fair amount of salt.
Peace of mind
Getting a Tibetan monk off balance is an impossible task for anyone. They are laconic and do not even have long dialogues or intimate conversations among themselves. At the same time, it’s as if all the energy is directed towards internal contemplation and calming the mind.
This state is achieved through long training and meditation. But there is one universal aid - sound.
Conclusion
Thank you very much for your attention, dear readers! May health, vigor, harmony of body and spirit not leave you.
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