Tibetan medicine lures patients seeking drug-free cures

Dharamsala, India

BEFORE dawn in the Indian Himalayas, scores of patients clutching small vials of urine queue patiently to see Yeshi Dhonden, a Tibetan monk who became a legend as personal healer to the Dalai Lama.

Tibetan medicine, known as Sowa-Rigpa, draws on centuries-old techniques such as blood-letting, cupping, and moxibustion - burning herbs on energy points of the body - to try to heal ailments.

The practice draws on aspects of traditional Chinese medicine and India's Ayurvedic system as well as its own unique theories and treatments. It also features spiritual practices including meditation and Buddhist prayer.

Today it attracts devotees from all over the globe, hoping fo…