As You Sowa, So Shall You Rigpa

Cupping  bloodletting, moxibustion…the next Indo-China battle is being fought on these fronts. After India approached UNESCO to enlist Sowa-Rigpa (Tibetan medicine) as ‘intangible cultural heritage’, China raised objections. The medicine system is quite similar to Ayurveda and incorporates elements of Chinese medicine as well. It’s said to be propagated by the Buddha and popular in the high Himalayas. Sowa Rigpa once knew no borders, but now looks like it will be as hotly contested as the border between the two nations.