Sultim
In the 1850s General Muravyev-Amurski's army faced a typhoid epidemic during its mission to protect the eastern border of Russia with Japan. The General sought help from a well-known Buryat lama and Tibetan doctor. His name was Sultim Badma. He managed to get the epidemic under control. Muravyev was impressed and invited Badma to St Petersburg.
With Muravyev's help, Sultim Badma established a pharmacy in St Petersburg, probably the first Asian medical office in Europe. Sultim was baptized. Tsar Alexander was his godfather. His new name was Alexander Aleksandrovich Badmayev. He had to pass a test under the surveillance of the Military Medical Academy and prove the efficiency of his methods and remedies against various diseases, especially tuberculosis, which was very widespread at that time. A few years later his younger brother Shamsaran Badma joined him in St Petersburg. He was baptized as well. His Christian name was Pyotr Aleksandrovich Badmayev.
Sultim died in 1873. His brother stayed in St Petersburg and got involved in various activities. He had contacts to the Russian high society, especially to a circle of influential orientalists, and maintained ties to the Tsar's court. He also established a school for promising young Buryats in St Petersburg.
With Muravyev's help, Sultim Badma established a pharmacy in St Petersburg, probably the first Asian medical office in Europe. Sultim was baptized. Tsar Alexander was his godfather. His new name was Alexander Aleksandrovich Badmayev. He had to pass a test under the surveillance of the Military Medical Academy and prove the efficiency of his methods and remedies against various diseases, especially tuberculosis, which was very widespread at that time. A few years later his younger brother Shamsaran Badma joined him in St Petersburg. He was baptized as well. His Christian name was Pyotr Aleksandrovich Badmayev.Sultim died in 1873. His brother stayed in St Petersburg and got involved in various activities. He had contacts to the Russian high society, especially to a circle of influential orientalists, and maintained ties to the Tsar's court. He also established a school for promising young Buryats in St Petersburg.
Pyotr Aleksandrovich BadmayevIt was the time of the Great Game – the secret struggle between the British Empire and Tsarist Russia over spheres of influence in Central and East Asia. Pyotr Badmayev started being politically active: he wrote a letter to the Tsar suggesting that Russia should peacefully annex Mongolia and Tibet. He received money to establish a trading house in Chita, Siberia, that served as outpost for Russian agents.
Two of Pyotr's nephews, Nikolai Nikolayevich und Vladimir Nikolayevich, came to the capital and started learning Tibetan medicine. Both of them also got a Western medical education.
During World War I Tsar Nikolai's power dwindled, and finally the Romanovs` rule came to an end in 1917 with the February revolution. Russia fell into civil war. Pyotr Badmayev was imprisoned several times and died in 1920 shortly after being released from prison.
Vladimir left Russia and immigrated to Poland. Nikolai, the elder brother, stayed in Russia.
Two of Pyotr's nephews, Nikolai Nikolayevich und Vladimir Nikolayevich, came to the capital and started learning Tibetan medicine. Both of them also got a Western medical education.
During World War I Tsar Nikolai's power dwindled, and finally the Romanovs` rule came to an end in 1917 with the February revolution. Russia fell into civil war. Pyotr Badmayev was imprisoned several times and died in 1920 shortly after being released from prison.
Vladimir left Russia and immigrated to Poland. Nikolai, the elder brother, stayed in Russia.
Nikolai Badmayev
What looked for a short period of time to be the sudden death of Buddhism and Tibetan medicine in the young Soviet state turned out to become a strange revival. For one, the Bolsheviks were not confident that they could capture and hold the vast territories of eastern Siberia because of internal resistance and because of the Japanese who were present on the eastern coast. In addition, a Buddhist reform movement was emerging in Buryatia. This movement welcomed the Communist Revolution and saw it as an opportunity to change the monastic social structure. A forum of Amchis, Tibetan physicians, met in 1926 and elected a council of Tibetan doctors. The reformers promoted free access for everyone to the monastic medical schools, including women and lay people. However, the congeniality of Buddhism and Communism soon turned out to be an illusion.
In the 1930s the conditions became increasingly difficult. The monasteries' properties were confiscated and turned into agricultural collectives, monks were accused of being parasitic subjects and were forced to work. It became illegal for religious institutions to provide medical treatment. By 1938 most of the Buddhist monasteries in Buryatia had been destroyed, and monks and Tibetan doctors arrested. Most of them were shot or died in prison camps.
After Stalin's death in 1953 a hesitant revival of Tibetan medicine was again possible. It was a different Tibetan Medicine, a Soviet one: without Philosophy and Religion, and completely in line with the methods and spirit of natural science.
In the 1930s the conditions became increasingly difficult. The monasteries' properties were confiscated and turned into agricultural collectives, monks were accused of being parasitic subjects and were forced to work. It became illegal for religious institutions to provide medical treatment. By 1938 most of the Buddhist monasteries in Buryatia had been destroyed, and monks and Tibetan doctors arrested. Most of them were shot or died in prison camps.
After Stalin's death in 1953 a hesitant revival of Tibetan medicine was again possible. It was a different Tibetan Medicine, a Soviet one: without Philosophy and Religion, and completely in line with the methods and spirit of natural science.
Vladimir BadmajeffVladimir, the other of Pyotr's nephews, went to Poland in the early 1920s. He received permission to practice in Poland. Vladimir was very successful in Poland; he became the personal physician of two Polish prime ministers. Vladimir died in 1961.
In the 1960s Vladimir's son, Peter, met the Swiss entrepreneur Karl Lutz. A cooperation ensued, and the production of Tibetan medicines on the basis of the Badmayev formulas started. The time was ripe for Tibetan medicine, as many people felt a need for an alternative to the prevailing biomedicine. Several scientific studies on Tibetan remedies were made, and eventually Padma's formula “Padma 28” was the first officially recognized Tibetan drug in Switzerland. Peter himself moved further west, leaving Switzerland for the United States.
Continue with: The basic principles of Tibetan medicine
In the 1960s Vladimir's son, Peter, met the Swiss entrepreneur Karl Lutz. A cooperation ensued, and the production of Tibetan medicines on the basis of the Badmayev formulas started. The time was ripe for Tibetan medicine, as many people felt a need for an alternative to the prevailing biomedicine. Several scientific studies on Tibetan remedies were made, and eventually Padma's formula “Padma 28” was the first officially recognized Tibetan drug in Switzerland. Peter himself moved further west, leaving Switzerland for the United States.
Continue with: The basic principles of Tibetan medicine