Astronomy and Medicine
Medicine
Tibetan Medicine adheres to the principle that "medicine cannot be separated from calculation." As such, astronomical calculation provides a crucial time coordinate and environmental reference for specific medical practices. In diagnosis, physicians rely on precise calendrical calculation to master the corresponding relationships and changing patterns of the four-season pulse signs. This understanding is essential for accurately interpreting the complex effects of different seasons and climates on a patient's pulse. In pharmacology, the efficacy of Tibetan medicine is directly tied to the timing of herb collection. Calendrical experts, therefore, calculate the "right time and right place" for harvesting, ensuring the herbs possess their strongest potency and guaranteeing the medication's quality. Furthermore, the philosophy of preventive healthcare (treating pre-disease) is heavily reliant on calculation, which guides people in adjusting their daily routines, diet, and behavior based on the precise calculation of the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang and the succession of the seasons.
Human Body
Tibetan Medicine views astronomy (the Macrocosm) and the human body (the Microcosm) as a unified entity that shares a common origin and structure, and mutually influences one another. The core of this relationship is that both are fundamentally based on the Five Great Elements (Five Sources) theory—Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Space. These five elements not only constitute the laws governing the material world and celestial movements but also form the vital life elements within the human body. Astronomical calculation (or Yisi, the calculation of medicine) specifically studies the laws of change in the "Macrocosm" and how these periodic changes affect the human body. This guides Tibetan doctors to understand the profound connection between human physiological and pathological changes and the sun, moon, stars, seasons, and climate. Therefore, Tibetan medical diagnosis and health preservation do not view disease in isolation, but analyze and treat the body within a specific cosmic time and environmental context, thereby achieving the holistic view of "Heaven and Humanity Corresponding" and selecting the optimal timing for treatment, medication, and wellness.