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Vimalamitra's semde pills

Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:32 am
by Paul
I spent quite a lot of time with a Tibetan lama this week who recommended that I take some specific Tibetan medicine - he said it was a recipe created by Vimalamitra and is called semde. There are two types, and these are in the photo attached.

Can anyone tell me what they are and what they're used for? I know they're meant to be good for lung disorders, which I have real trouble with. I'm going to be interested in what they are like - I've never taken Tibetan medicine before.

A good UK/European supplier would be welcome, too.

Re: Vimalamitra's semde pills

Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 1:17 pm
by Malcolm
Hayagriva wrote:I spent quite a lot of time with a Tibetan lama this week who recommended that I take some specific Tibetan medicine - he said it was a recipe created by Vimalamitra and is called semde. There are two types, and these are in the photo attached.

Can anyone tell me what they are and what they're used for? I know they're meant to be good for lung disorders, which I have real trouble with. I'm going to be interested in what they are like - I've never taken Tibetan medicine before.

A good UK/European supplier would be welcome, too.

Vimalamitra did not create sems bde. He created a formula which is popularly called "Vimala".

sems dbe occurs in 18th century Treasury of Beneficial Jewels by the eastern Tibetan doctor, karma nges legs bstan 'dzin phrin las rab rgyas. So it is a relatively recent formula.

One if its main uses is for disorders of the prana vāyu which often results in cycling depression.

Vimala (Nutmeg 25) on the other hand is a medicine also used for vātta disorders, but mainly for sleep disorders. Vimala was originally created by Vimalamitra to combat provocations by Gyalpos.

If you have trouble with rlung/vatta, one of the best treatments you can have is massage, especially ayurvedic massage with the proper oil. Also your diet should have a moderate amount of lamb, you should regularly take small quantity of ghee, avoid all caffeine, etc. Follow a diet and behavior for vatta person.

N

Re: Vimalamitra's semde pills

Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:24 pm
by Paul
Thanks for the help, loppon.
One if its main uses is for disorders of the prana vāyu which often results in cycling depression.
This seems to be the main purpose looking at internet TB medicine stores, although they may obviously not be very accurate or complete. I genuinely don't feel depressed at all (quite the opposite in fact) but maybe I looked miserable to the lama that I talked to. I was absolutely exhausted. :shrug:
If you have trouble with rlung/vatta, one of the best treatments you can have is massage, especially ayurvedic massage with the proper oil. Also your diet should have a moderate amount of lamb, you should regularly take small quantity of ghee, avoid all caffeine, etc. Follow a diet and behavior for vatta person.
I have some serious lung problems, with my body feeling tight and unpleasently quick and jumpy a lot of the time. A neurologist I don't particularly have a lot of confidence in thinks I may have a minor genetic startle reaction disorder. I think it's more like the after effects of problems I had with anxiety in the past that have imprinted themselves on my nervous system. I don't feel emotionally unwell at all - by which I mean unhappy or over-stressed. Will the medication I have work on this?

I will certainly look at your diet/massage recommendation.

Thanks again.

Re: Vimalamitra's semde pills

Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:27 pm
by Malcolm
Hayagriva wrote:Thanks for the help, loppon.
One if its main uses is for disorders of the prana vāyu which often results in cycling depression.
This seems to be the main purpose looking at internet TB medicine stores, although they may obviously not be very accurate or complete. I genuinely don't feel depressed at all (quite the opposite in fact) but maybe I looked miserable to the lama that I talked to. I was absolutely exhausted. :shrug:
If you have trouble with rlung/vatta, one of the best treatments you can have is massage, especially ayurvedic massage with the proper oil. Also your diet should have a moderate amount of lamb, you should regularly take small quantity of ghee, avoid all caffeine, etc. Follow a diet and behavior for vatta person.
I have some serious lung problems, with my body feeling tight and unpleasently quick and jumpy a lot of the time. A neurologist I don't particularly have a lot of confidence in thinks I may have a minor genetic startle reaction disorder. I think it's more like the after effects of problems I had with anxiety in the past that have imprinted themselves on my nervous system. I don't feel emotionally unwell at all - by which I mean unhappy or over-stressed. Will the medication I have work on this?

I will certainly look at your diet/massage recommendation.

Thanks again.

The main use for a medicine does not obviate its uses in other conditions. The semde will work on the condition you describe, but herbs work much better in conjunction with therapies, diet and behavior. Yoga should also help.

N

Re: Vimalamitra's semde pills

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 10:39 pm
by Paul
Namdrol wrote: The main use for a medicine does not obviate its uses in other conditions. The semde will work on the condition you describe, but herbs work much better in conjunction with therapies, diet and behavior. Yoga should also help.

N
These pills are surprisingly powerful. I'm not sure I like the effect they have, especially the reddish ones. They're kind of soporific and seem to make me feel spaced out.

Through personal experience I am kind of averse to any medication and believe that things that might be psychogenic are best dealt with by attacking the source of the problem through other means. You mention yoga as a help - would assume pranayama would be best? I have found vajra recitation is amazingly effective if I do it for substantial parts of the day. I also love the 'four beat' method of breathing from Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche's teachings of Yantra Yoga.

Thanks again, loppon.

Re: Vimalamitra's semde pills

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 1:23 am
by Pema Rigdzin
Hayagriva wrote: These pills are surprisingly powerful. I'm not sure I like the effect they have, especially the reddish ones. They're kind of soporific and seem to make me feel spaced out.

Through personal experience I am kind of averse to any medication and believe that things that might be psychogenic are best dealt with by attacking the source of the problem through other means. You mention yoga as a help - would assume pranayama would be best? I have found vajra recitation is amazingly effective if I do it for substantial parts of the day. I also love the 'four beat' method of breathing from Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche's teachings of Yantra Yoga.

Thanks again, loppon.
I had the same experience with them for the first 2 or 3 days, but later it leveled out and I began to feel much better than before beginning the treatment. Did you continue taking the pills until they were gone and still have that effect until the very end?

Re: Vimalamitra's semde pills

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 6:01 pm
by Paul
Pema Rigdzin wrote: I had the same experience with them for the first 2 or 3 days, but later it leveled out and I began to feel much better than before beginning the treatment. Did you continue taking the pills until they were gone and still have that effect until the very end?
I took them for a week and then stopped. They were certainly far more powerful than I was expecting, but I really didn't like the effect - especially as it was making meditation very difficult.

Re: Vimalamitra's semde pills

Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 6:07 pm
by Malcolm
Hayagriva wrote:
Pema Rigdzin wrote: I had the same experience with them for the first 2 or 3 days, but later it leveled out and I began to feel much better than before beginning the treatment. Did you continue taking the pills until they were gone and still have that effect until the very end?
I took them for a week and then stopped. They were certainly far more powerful than I was expecting, but I really didn't like the effect - especially as it was making meditation very difficult.
Cut the dose in half.

They are mainly aloeswood, with other ingrediants.

Re: Vimalamitra's semde pills

Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 2:09 am
by Virgo
Namdrol wrote: sems dbe
Mmm yummy.
Namdrol wrote: If you have trouble with rlung/vatta, one of the best treatments you can have is massage, especially ayurvedic massage with the proper oil. Also your diet should have a moderate amount of lamb, you should regularly take small quantity of ghee, avoid all caffeine, etc. Follow a diet and behavior for vatta person.

N
I am not a doctor or a physician. I am, however, a vatta type person who has suffered from vatta problems for most of my life. I can assure you that what Namdrol says is correct about the massage oil (as well as everything else he says about the topic; he is, after all, a trained doctor). Wet, oily, heavy, warming. These qualities oppose vatta. Standing there with your body drenched with oil is like heavenly bliss. It starts to work in no time as long as you have regular, consistent usage of it (ideally every day at the same time). It's also nice to stand there for a while after rubbing it in. Just stand there and feel its heavy, grounding, soaking quality. Give it time before washing it off and it soaks into all the dhatus and tissues. Also, don't rub it off too vigorously when you shower. Just wash some off, dry with a towel, and leave whatever remains to soak into your skin more.

Vatta imalances should be seen like a red flag. Vatta imbalances will age you, dry you up, give you all types of physical problems, make you nervous, anxious, and make you fly around like a windstorm. Your pranas can also become displaced and function wrongly after time, which will hurt your spiritual practice.

One of the main priorities in life of any person suffering from vatta problems, or any person with a lot of vatta in their constitution, should be keeping it in check. This is doubly true if you are a spiritual practitioner.

I also like putting small quantities of extra virgin olive oil on my food for its warming and grounding qualities. For example, if you have salad, skip the ranch... use some EVO.

The summer is ending here in the States and many people have accumulated a lot of heat. Now we are moving into the windy fall and the seasons will be changing quickly. Times of seasonal change, and the season of fall, are especially important times to watch and balance vatta.

Oh how I can't wait for the season of the water element! I can't wait to take all those hot drinks and make sure my body is well covered to protect from the cold which increases vatta. But how beautiful is the season that is the longest, the most stable.. the one that doesn't seem to change!!!

Kevin

Re: Vimalamitra's semde pills

Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 7:24 am
by rose
Virgo wrote:*snip*
... I am not a doctor or a physician. ...
POLITE REMINDER

This particular forum (as can be see by the specific Guidlines) was created so that members could ask questions of and get responses from a qualified practitioner of Tibetan Medicine and not as a general discussion forum. For those wanting responses of a more general nature there are other forums here at Dharma Wheel where such questions/discussions can be placed, for example Help Required, Lounge and Dharma-free-for-all. It would be greatly appreciated if all members would abide by the guidelines for this forum. Thank you for your co-operation.

Regards,