Sowa-Rigpa principles: five elements and three humours

This review explains the ideas that Sowa-Rigpa uses to describe the body and health, as the Ministry of Ayush summarises them. These are the system's own concepts. They are not modern anatomy or physiology, and this article makes no claim that any therapy works for any disease.

1. Introduction

Every traditional medical system has its own vocabulary. In Sowa-Rigpa, the Ministry of Ayush says the theoretical framework is deeply rooted in Buddhist philosophy and emphasises interdependence, karma, love and compassion ^[1]. The Ministry also describes Sowa Rigpa as one of the oldest traditional medical systems in the world, and WHO reports that 170 of its 194 Member States have reported on the use of herbal medicines, acupuncture, yoga and other traditional systems ^{[1, 3]}. On top of that sit several core concepts about the body, listed below. Reading them helps you understand what a practitioner means when they talk about balance.

2. The five elements

The Ministry says the first concept is the five elements, called Byung-ba lnga: earth, water, fire, air and space. In the system's view these form the basis of all matter and all living beings ^[1]. This idea is a way of describing nature and the body. It is not a list of chemical elements.

3. The three humours

The next concept is the three humours, called Nyes-pa gsum ^[1]:

• Wind, called rLung.
• Bile, called mKhris-pa.
• Phlegm, called Bad-kan.

A humour here means a body principle in the traditional framework, not a fluid that a doctor measures in a laboratory. The Ministry says the humours govern physiological and psychological functions, meaning how the body and mind work ^[1]. According to the system, the humours should stay in harmony, and disturbance of that harmony leads to physical and mental ailments ^[1].

4. Seven bodily constituents and three excretions

The Ministry lists seven bodily constituents, called Lus-zungs bdun. They are nutritional essence, blood, muscle, fat, bone, marrow and reproductive fluids ^[1]. It also lists three excretions, called Dri-ma gsum: urine, faeces and sweat, which help the body remove waste and toxins ^[1].

5. How the system explains imbalance

According to the Ministry, Sowa Rigpa holds that the root cause of human suffering and disease lies in ignorance, called ma-rig-pa, together with three afflictive emotions: desire, hatred and delusion. These inner imbalances are said to disturb the harmony of the three humours ^[1]. This is a philosophical explanation. It is different from the causes that modern medicine identifies, such as infections, genes, injuries or long-term risk factors, and it should not be used to explain a symptom you have not had checked.

6. Prevention, diet and lifestyle

Preventive care plays a vital role in the system, according to the Ministry. It puts great emphasis on proper diet, lifestyle, seasonal routines and mental discipline as keys to staying healthy ^[1]. Each person's constitution is taken into account, and recommendations are personalised to harmonise the elements and humours ^[1]. A second Ministry page says the system is perceived to be similar to Ayurvedic philosophy, and lists pulse examination, do's and don'ts and dietary guidelines among its features ^[2].

General advice about diet, activity and routine can be sensible, but any change in food or lifestyle should be checked with your doctor if you have a medical condition or take medicines.

7. How to read these ideas safely

• Treat the framework as a traditional way of explaining health. WHO says traditional medicine has an experience-based origin and is evolving with science for current use. It says establishing efficacy and safety through rigorous scientific validation is crucial, even for remedies used for a long time ^[3].
• WHO also points out that safety depends on practitioner competence, product quality, effective communication and strong regulatory support ^[3]. It describes traditional medicine as emphasising nature-based remedies and holistic, personalised approaches that aim to restore balance of mind, body and environment, which is close to the language Sowa-Rigpa uses ^[3].
• NIH says that "natural" does not necessarily mean "safe". It adds that, for a practice, the practitioner's training, skill and experience matter, and that for a supplement the specific ingredients and the quality of manufacture matter ^[4].
• The NIH's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health advises people to look for scientific evidence rather than personal stories and to be wary of claims that sound too good to be true ^[4]. It says evidence from research studies is stronger and more reliable than something seen in an advertisement or on a website ^[4].
• The Ministry pages describe the concepts. They do not state that any single therapy works for a named disease, so you should not assume that.

8. When to see a doctor

Explanations in terms of humours or elements are not a diagnosis. See a doctor for new, severe, persistent or worrying symptoms, for a change in weight, bowel habit, bleeding, pain or breathing, and before stopping any prescribed medicine. Tell the doctor about any traditional treatment you use. In an emergency, call your local emergency number (112 in India, 911 in the United States).

9. Conclusion

The Ministry of Ayush describes Sowa-Rigpa as built on five elements, three humours, seven bodily constituents and three excretions, with ignorance and the emotions of desire, hatred and delusion named as root causes of imbalance. It puts diet, lifestyle, seasonal routine and mental discipline at the centre of prevention and personalises advice by constitution. These are traditional concepts. Use them to understand a practitioner, check claims against reliable evidence, and keep your doctor informed.