Beyond Borders: Mindol Qutuɣtu and His Early Approach to Combined Medical Practice

The spread of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia brought with it a wealth of Buddhist knowledge. Over time, Mongolian scholars and practitioners engaged with this knowledge and produced numerous works encompassing Buddhist learning, particularly in medicine. A prominent figure in this intellectual landsca...

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Main Authors: Tsetsenbaatar Gunsennyam, Batsaikhan Norov, Alimaa Tugjamba, Chimedragchaa Chimedtseren
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Religions
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/7/807
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author Tsetsenbaatar Gunsennyam
Batsaikhan Norov
Alimaa Tugjamba
Chimedragchaa Chimedtseren
author_facet Tsetsenbaatar Gunsennyam
Batsaikhan Norov
Alimaa Tugjamba
Chimedragchaa Chimedtseren
author_sort Tsetsenbaatar Gunsennyam
collection DOAJ
description The spread of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia brought with it a wealth of Buddhist knowledge. Over time, Mongolian scholars and practitioners engaged with this knowledge and produced numerous works encompassing Buddhist learning, particularly in medicine. A prominent figure in this intellectual landscape is the Fourth Mindol Nomun Khan, Jambalchoijidanzanperenley (1789–1839), commonly known as Mindol Qutuɣtu (or Mindol Hutugtu). Despite being recognized for his remarkable contributions to the development of Mongolian medicine, considerable uncertainty has surrounded Mindol Qutuɣtu’s ethnic identity. This article aims to clarify Mindol Qutuɣtu’s ethnic origin and examine the broader medical context of his seminal work, <i>The Treasury of All Precious Instructions</i> (<i>Man ngag rin chen ’byung gnas</i>), highlighting the visionary concepts he presented. While the basis of Mindol Qutuɣtu’s work lies in Tibetan medicine, he boldly introduced treatment methodologies from other medical traditions, including Indian (Ayurvedic), Chinese, and European medicine, into the realm of Mongolian medicine. His insightful work reflects both intellectual ambition and practical occupation on increasing healing efficacy, as evidenced by his influential contributions to a combined and multicultural approach to medicine. Today, his innovative and inceptive contributions remain essential in understanding the historical development and current diverse character of Mongolian traditional medical practices.
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spelling doaj-art-c72b655c869a479b8c84d1db79328cda2025-08-20T03:07:56ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442025-06-0116780710.3390/rel16070807Beyond Borders: Mindol Qutuɣtu and His Early Approach to Combined Medical PracticeTsetsenbaatar Gunsennyam0Batsaikhan Norov1Alimaa Tugjamba2Chimedragchaa Chimedtseren3International School of Mongolian Medicine, Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, S. Zorig Street, P.O. Box 48/111, Ulaanbaatar 14210, MongoliaInternational School of Mongolian Medicine, Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, S. Zorig Street, P.O. Box 48/111, Ulaanbaatar 14210, MongoliaInternational School of Mongolian Medicine, Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, S. Zorig Street, P.O. Box 48/111, Ulaanbaatar 14210, MongoliaInstitute of Traditional Medicine and Technology, Ministry of Economy and Development, Chinggis Avenue, Khan-Uul District P.O. Box 495/36, Ulaanbaatar 17032, MongoliaThe spread of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia brought with it a wealth of Buddhist knowledge. Over time, Mongolian scholars and practitioners engaged with this knowledge and produced numerous works encompassing Buddhist learning, particularly in medicine. A prominent figure in this intellectual landscape is the Fourth Mindol Nomun Khan, Jambalchoijidanzanperenley (1789–1839), commonly known as Mindol Qutuɣtu (or Mindol Hutugtu). Despite being recognized for his remarkable contributions to the development of Mongolian medicine, considerable uncertainty has surrounded Mindol Qutuɣtu’s ethnic identity. This article aims to clarify Mindol Qutuɣtu’s ethnic origin and examine the broader medical context of his seminal work, <i>The Treasury of All Precious Instructions</i> (<i>Man ngag rin chen ’byung gnas</i>), highlighting the visionary concepts he presented. While the basis of Mindol Qutuɣtu’s work lies in Tibetan medicine, he boldly introduced treatment methodologies from other medical traditions, including Indian (Ayurvedic), Chinese, and European medicine, into the realm of Mongolian medicine. His insightful work reflects both intellectual ambition and practical occupation on increasing healing efficacy, as evidenced by his influential contributions to a combined and multicultural approach to medicine. Today, his innovative and inceptive contributions remain essential in understanding the historical development and current diverse character of Mongolian traditional medical practices.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/7/807Mongolian traditional medicineTibetan medicinecombined medical practicetraditional healingmedical historycultural exchange
spellingShingle Tsetsenbaatar Gunsennyam
Batsaikhan Norov
Alimaa Tugjamba
Chimedragchaa Chimedtseren
Beyond Borders: Mindol Qutuɣtu and His Early Approach to Combined Medical Practice
Religions
Mongolian traditional medicine
Tibetan medicine
combined medical practice
traditional healing
medical history
cultural exchange
title Beyond Borders: Mindol Qutuɣtu and His Early Approach to Combined Medical Practice
title_full Beyond Borders: Mindol Qutuɣtu and His Early Approach to Combined Medical Practice
title_fullStr Beyond Borders: Mindol Qutuɣtu and His Early Approach to Combined Medical Practice
title_full_unstemmed Beyond Borders: Mindol Qutuɣtu and His Early Approach to Combined Medical Practice
title_short Beyond Borders: Mindol Qutuɣtu and His Early Approach to Combined Medical Practice
title_sort beyond borders mindol qutuɣtu and his early approach to combined medical practice
topic Mongolian traditional medicine
Tibetan medicine
combined medical practice
traditional healing
medical history
cultural exchange
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/7/807
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