Verses of Praise and Denigration: Finding Poetic Creativity in the Tibetan Election in Exile

Between October 2015 and March 2016, over ninety-thousand Tibetans in exile prepared to elect either Lobsang Sangay or Penpa Tsering as the new political leader of the Tibetan government in exile. In a negative campaign style, which was unprecedented in the history of the Tibetan democracy in exile, the two candidates were pitted against each other. Many Tibetans now reminisce with some remorse about how this election campaign stirred up tensions and animosity in the exile community. The campaign offered a germane platform to many Tibetan poets all over the world to express their opinions about their potential future leaders in the Tibetan language. One forum where they disseminated their poems about the two candidates was an exile-based Tibetan-language website devoted to poetry, news, essays, and songs. In this piece, I offer an English translation of four of these poems and discuss the issues and themes that concerned the poets as well as the Tibetan electorate

Health Impacts of Traditional Medicines and Bio-prospecting: A World Scenario Accentuating Bhutan's Perspective

Life without natural products is unimaginable. It has provided mankind with oxygen, water, fire, food, clothing, shelter and medicine. Its public health impact is considerably high, especially of traditional medicines and nature-based modern drugs. The traditional medicines, despite its limitations, are addressing the health needs of millions of people worldwide. It is estimated that about 65-85% of the world population uses traditional medicines for their primary health cares. It is also estimated that about 39% of all 520 new approved drugs in 1983-1994 were natural products and out of that 74% were discovered as a result of bio-prospecting from plants used in traditional medicines. Traditional medicines are increasingly getting more popular mainly because: a) it is holistic system with less side effects; b) it is evolving as an evidence-based medicine; c) its ethno-medical knowledge is applicable to modern drug discovery programs. As there are many diseases that cannot be cured by the existing drugs and as there are increasing cases of drug resistance, there is urgent need for drugs that are effective against these pathogens. Probably, traditional medicines could provide a solution in fighting them both as a health care delivery mechanism and as a means of chemotherapeutic pool. Bhutan is fortunate to be gifted with rich natural bio-diversity and rich traditional medical knowledge. The positive health impacts of the Bhutanese traditional medicines are resoundingly felt by Bhutanese. Besides, there is huge potential for bio-prospecting in Bhutan. This paper highlights world scenario on the health impacts of the: 1) natural product-based traditional medicines, 2) the natural product-based drug discoveries, and 3) Bhutanese traditional medicine and potential of bio-prospecting in Bhutan

Historical Roots, Spiritual Significance and the Health Benefits of mKhempa-lJong gNyes Tshachu (hot spring) in Lhuntshe

Bhutan is a country blessed with many rich natural medicinal resources such as minerals, animals, plants, sman-chu (medicinal waters) and tshachu (hot springs). While minerals, animal parts and medicinal plants are used by the Institute of Traditional Medicine Services (ITMS) for compounding herbal medicines to provide health care services in Bhutan, tshachu are popularly used by the public as an alternative curative therapy for treating various diseases. Given such inherent health benefits that the tshachu reportedly have, the ITMS has carried out research on seven popular tshachu in Bhutan with a view to document, identify, validate and classify them according to the therapeutic properties described in the gSo-ba Rig-pa texts. Amongst all the seven tshachu studied, Kurtoe mKhem-pa lJong gNyes tshachu (in Lhuntshe-located in the north-east of Bhutan) was found to have profound religious, spiritual and historical significance, supported in many texts going back as far as the 8th century. It was reported that this tshachu was blessed by Guru Rimpoche and for the benefit of all sentient beings his manifestation Terton Pema Lingpa revealed it in the year 1475. Mainly for these reasons, it is considered the most sacred tshachu in Bhutan and people believe that it also cleanses one's defilements and sins. The literature reports the presence of nine related pools in the mKhem-pa lJong gNyes areas. However, only three pools in close proximity, called Guru tshachu, Tshe-dpag-med-tshachu and mKha'-'gro'i tshachu exist today. The users of this tshachu are mainly the people of Kurtoe, Kurman, Mongar, Tashigang, Tashi Yangtse and Bumthang. It is estimated that every year about twenty groups of at least 10 people each, visit this sacred tshachu. The study carried out by ITMS in 23rd January 2001 identified and established the main medicinal substances as well as the therapeutic properties of these three pools. The identification was based on their organoleptic properties

Unheard Voices in the Trans-Himalayan Politics - Tibetan Reincarnation and the Larger Political Goal of CCP

This research paper through empirical research aims to analyze the unique tradition of the reincarnation system of Tibetan Buddhism since the 11th century and the role of China. The first part of the paper will deal with the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and the various traditional methods used to recognize the reincarnation in Tibetan Buddhism starting from 11th century to present, as rituals are playing a vital role in the process of finding Trulku or reincarnation of enlightened individuals at the time of death of an individual. The second part will examine the role of CCP in Tibetan reincarnation through its state-approved religious laws, how CCP is planning to recognize the 14th Dalai Lama’s reincarnation to fulfill the larger political goal of Chinese Communist Party. The third part aims to understand China’s cultural assimilation policy in Tibet, similar to that of the ‘Go West Han population’ employed in Xinjiang

Bioactive alkaloids from medicinal plants of Bhutan

Natural products had been indispensably used by many cultures and traditions in folklore medicines for thousands of years. These traditional medicines cater to about 85% of the world population for their primary health care needs. Natural products have been intensively explored also for their bioactive pharmacophores by modern pharmaceutical companies. In fact they are the skeletal framework of about 60% of the modern drugs that are available today. Of these, about 80% of antibacterial drugs and 90% of antimalarial drugs are natural derivatives. One of the interesting secondary metabolite groups which provides these potent drug leads are the alkaloids. Owing to their broad range of bioactivities, bioprospecting for these natural products are undertaken in many countries. In this study, on the molecular basis of traditional medicine of Bhutan, particularly those with potential antimicrobial components, four alkaloid positive medicinal plants, i.e. Aconitum orochryseum Stapf, Corydalis gerdae Fedde, Rununculus brotherusi Freyn and an Australian naturalized plant Tribulus terrestris Linn, but also used in Bhutan, were selected for phytochemical analysis. Bhutanese traditional medicines use Aconitum orochryseum (whole parts) for the treatment of bilious fever or high fever related to bile disorders including cold and flu, fever of bile (liver), fever caused by malaria, snake bites and for treating blood infections. Corydalis gerdae (whole parts) is used for the treatment of malaria and infections. Ranunculus brotherusi (aerial parts) is used for treating wounds, pus, infections and as antipyretics. Tribulus terrestris (fruit) is used for the treatment of arthritis, kidney diseases and as a diuretic. Though Tribulus terrestris and Ranunculus brotherusi failed to give any alkaloids, a number of new as well as known alkaloids were isolated from Aconitum orochryseum and Corydalis gerdae. Three new hetisane type diterpenoid alkaloids named orochrine, 2-O-acetylorochrine, and lingshinaline, together with two known alkaloids atisinium chloride and virescenine and six other unidentified alkaloids, were isolated from Aconitum orochryseum. The structures of the new alkaloids were elucidated by (superscript 1)H-NMR, gCOSY, gNOESY, TOCSY, (superscript 13)C-NMR, DEPT, gHSQC and gHMBC spectral data analysis. Atisinium chloride, a major alkaloid of the plant, was identified by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Four known protopine type and protoberberine type isoquinoline alkaloids (protopine, scoulerine, cheilanthifoline, and stylopine) along with one unidentified alkaloid were isolated from Corydalis gerdae. The protopine was the major alkaloid of this plant. The alkaloids were identified by MS and (superscript 1)H-NMR spectral data comparison. The antibacterial testing of crude methanol extracts, crude alkaloids and the major alkaloids (atisinium chloride, orochrine and protopine) of these two plants were found inactive against the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = greater than 125 ?g/ml) and Vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium (MIC = greater than 125 ?g/ml). But the in vitro antimalarial assay of crude methanol extracts, crude alkaloids, atisinium chloride, protopine, and cheilanthifoline gave very significant activity against Plasmodium falciparum, TM4 and K1 strains. Crude methanol extract (AO-ME) of Aconitum orochryseum was not that active (IC(subscript 50) of greater than10 ?g/ml for both the strains). Increased activity was observed for its crude alkaloid (AO-CEA) with IC(subscript 50) values of 20.40 ?g/ml against TM4 and 19.20 ?g/ml against K1 strains. The activity was further increased for atisinium chloride with IC(subscript 50) values of 4.02 ?M against TM4/8.2 and 3.59 ?M against K1CB1 strains. The antimalarial activity was better for the extracts and alkaloids of Corydalis gerdae. Its crude methanol extract (CG-ME) had the IC(subscript 50) values of 1.00 ?g/ml against TM4 strain and 2.56 ?g/ml against K1 strain. The activity of crude alkaloid of this plant was far better with IC(subscript 50) values of 0.33 ?g/ml against TM4 strain and 0.63 ?g/ml against K1 strain. Protopine had IC(subscript 50) values of 4.25 ?M against TM4/8.2 and 4.29 ?M against K1CB1 strains. Cheilanthifoline had the IC(subscript 50) values of 3.76 ?M against K1 and 2.78 ?M against TM4 strains. These alkaloids have the potential to become candidates for antimalarial leads. Similar activities may be expected from other alkaloids including new ones isolated from these two plants. Therefore, the combination of these two plant extracts would make the best antimalarial herbal mixture for Bhutanese traditional medicines. The results proved that ethno-directed biorational approach, combined with an alkaloid focus, is an efficient strategy for drug lead discovery. The results also proved for the first time at the molecular level that Bhutanese traditional medicines have clinical efficacy. The medicinal plants of Bhutan thus have potential to provide important new drug leads. Bioprospecting them would benefit local people, pharmaceutical industries and the patients at large. [Note: this abstract contained scientific formulae that would not come across on this form. Please see the 01Front files abstract for the full details.