Shrīmālā

19/08/2024

Coming up this Thursday:

The System of the Sages: History and Historiography in Tibetan Medicine

"In this class, we will explore the historical development of the Four Ta**ras (rGyud bZhi), the foundational corpus of Traditional Tibetan Medicine composed by Yuthok Yönten Gönpo in the 12th century. Steeped in healing wisdom, ancient history, myth, and controversy, these seminal texts have been a hot topic of conversation for many centuries on the Tibetan plateau.

The Four Ta**ras have been described as a sūtra, ta**ra, commentarial śāstra, revealed treasure, and scientific masterpiece, making it one of the most enigmatic texts in the Tibetan corpus.

Drawing upon contemporary textual and historical analysis, we will explore both the charter myth of the Four Ta**ras as well as the leading alternate theories for this literature’s development, exploring some of the ways that cross-cultural medical knowledge helped to form Tibetan Medicine as we know it today.

We will investigate Tibet’s historical position not as a secluded and isolated sanctuary of secret materials, but as a cosmopolitan crossroads for the great scientific developments of the ancient world.

This presentation is perfect for Sowa Rigpa students and practitioners, but also for historians, Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine enthusiasts, Tibetan Buddhist practitioners, and anybody who is interested in learning more about the development of traditional medicine across the ancient world."

You can sign up now using the link below:

In this Shrīmālā Masterclass, we will explore the history and development of the Four Ta**ras, a seminal collection of Tibetan medical literature with a history that is every bit as fascinating as its contents.

12/08/2024

Check out our updated selection of self-paced online courses at https://www.shrimala.com/online-courses

This includes a few recent workshops/classes, as well as new enrolment options for our existing courses. More material coming soon!

Self-Paced Online Courses Taught by Erik Jampa Online Courses Current Offerings Into the Perilous Realm: Faërie and Fantasy on the Path to Recovery £139.00 One time £70.00 For 2 months An in-depth exploration of Tolkien's seminal essay 'On Fairy-stories', investigating the nature, origins, and pr...

29/04/2024

https://www.shrimala.com/events-and-workshops/the-dharma-of-deconstruction

A two-hour workshop exploring the role of religious deconstruction on the Buddhist path, and the construction of a no-nonsense approach to spirituality.

16/04/2024

For those that may be interested -

Exploring history, ecology, spirituality, stories, and what it means to be human in a more-than-human world, from the author of 'Unseen Beings.'. Click to read The Spirited and Storied Earth, by Erik Jampa Andersson, a Substack publication. Launched 2 months ago.

15/11/2022

Yuthok Nyingthig Chöd: Online Course

Registration is now open for our brand new online course on the Yuthok Nyingthig Chöd (Lujin) practice!

This self-paced course includes over 10 hours of exclusive content, including a thorough explanation of the practice, instrument tutorials, historical context, video and audio downloads, study support, and regular webcast sessions, this is a wonderful opportunity to dive into this profound and pithy practice from the comfort of your own home.

While many Chöd teachings tend to focus on the 'psychological approach,' this course is quite unique in many ways. In it, we will explore the distinctly animistic context of the Chöd practice, and the many ways that Machig Labdrön, Yuthok Yönten Gönpo, and other Tibetan masters combined Buddhist wisdom with indigenous knowledge to foster more compassionate and dynamic engagement with the more-than-human world.

In commemoration of Lhabab Düchen, we're happy to offer a special discount for those who register before Saturday, November 19th. Just use the discount code MAYADEVI to receive £50 off the registration fee.

For more information and registration, please visit

Instructions on the Yuthok Nyingthig Lujin (Chöd) practice with Erik Jampa Andersson, with an overview of the history, philosophy, and ritual praxis of the Chöd tradition - over 10 hours of exclusive content!

07/11/2022

Registration is open for my next online retreat, Nurturing the Unseen: Buddhism and the More-than-Human World, hosted by Tara Mandala. This is my first *real* course to deal with the topics of my upcoming book, 'Unseen Beings,' which comes out in May.

In this class, we'll talk about non-human beings both within and outside of Buddhism, including spirit paradigms and approaches to animal/vegetal/microbial sentience. We'll also take a deep dive into the so-called Anthropocene, the 'Epoch of Humans,' and explore what Buddhist teachings might offer us in our dire planetary circumstances.

Click below for more details, and to register:

Explore the world of ‘unseen beings’ and cultivate a deeper awareness and appreciation for the many forms of life with whom we share our world.

26/04/2022

It's been awhile since I've posted on here (which is quite unlikely to change any time soon), but I wanted to share this post about an upcoming course I'll be teaching online with Tara Mandala Retreat Center from May 12th-16th.

The Four Ta**ras (rGyud bZhi) of Tibetan Medicine have been the core of my studies and practice over the past 10 years, including both my classical Sowa Rigpa education and my more recent pivot into the History of Medicine. There are so many fascinating dimensions to this magnum opus of Tibetan Medicine - not only is it a brilliant example of the medical sophistication of premodern Tibet, but also a testament to the profound value of cross-cultural exchange in the evolution of science and medicine.

This relatively short course will introduce a great many of the core principles and theories of Tibetan Medicine, including elemental and humoural theory, basic physiology, pathology, diagnostics, and traditional therapeutics, creating a solid foundation for further engagements with this incredible system. But we will also explore the historical and cultural context of Tibetan Medicine, investigating the many ways that Indian Buddhist philosophy, indigenous knowledge, and a powerful position along the ancient Silk Roads created a most fertile ground for advanced interdisciplinary research into the nature of health and disease in the Tibetan world.

Naturally, given the topics of my upcoming book, we will spend a bit of time discussing traditional perceptions of 'provocation' disorders and illnesses conditioned by external 'unseen beings.' This field of study has become unjustly stigmatised in the modern era, including in systems like Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine, but this Tibetan approach offers some truly poignant and timely advice regarding the links between environmental desecration, human health, and pandemic infections. By breaking free from our limiting and anthropocentric view of 'nature,' we can better understand the ways that our individual health is inextricably interdependent with the welfare of our living environment.

Perhaps most importantly, we'll also look at some of the ways that Tibetan Medicine has responded to dynamics of modernisation and globalisation over recent centuries, and see why the future of this ancient tradition remains every bit as bright and revolutionary as its past. While many folks tend to contort 'traditional medicine' into some kind of perennial antiquarian adversary to modernity and progress, this is in fact a deep misunderstanding of the nature of such traditions. Sowa Rigpa reminds us that progress IS in fact entirely 'traditional,' and that we can simultaneously ground ourselves in a holistic approach to health and disease while celebrating and supporting the crucial advancements of modern science.

As usual, this post is waaaay too long for a short social media plug, but 🤷‍♂️. Basically, if you want to have your mind blown for a few days, check out this retreat. I guarantee that it will be a unique and enriching experience, regardless of your background or interests. Whether you're a medical practitioner, a student, a meditator, or simply a bit of a science and history buff, this course will be unlike anything you've experienced before. It may even change your entire view of health, disease, nature, and the evolution of medical science.
Hope to see you there!

05/04/2022

There's a few hours left to register for this evening's workshop on Zodiacal Aphesis (Zodiacal 'Releasing'), a time-lord technique from the Hellenistic astrological tradition, recorded by Vettius Valens in the 2nd century CE. This technique is considered by many to be the 'crowning jewel' of Hellenistic Astrology, though it largely fell out of practice for 1,500 years.

As a natural skeptic, I was never terribly interested in 'western' astrology. I wasn't even that interested in Tibetan Astrology, but as it was a required supplementary course in my Tibetan Medicine school I didn't have much of a choice. I certainly never would have thought that I'd end up practicing astrology professionally.

Things began to change during astrology intensive at my Tibetan Medicine school in Massachusetts, when a classmate decided to book me an appointment with his Hellenistic Astrologer, Chris Brennan. I very reluctantly agreed, and sent him my birth data expecting a predictably generic reading. But my two-hour phone consultation with Chris was positively earth-shattering. The specificity and precision of his interpretations were shocking enough that I decided to put aside my reservations and study a bit of the Hellenistic tradition.

Over the past 8 years, I have done well over a hundred astrological consultations for clients, and the results continue to be shocking. Zodiacal Aphesis, in particular, is always the method that derives the most gasps and existential revelations. It is best described as a detailed personal study in causality, taking the dynamics of our natal chart and breaking them down into a chronological narrative journey. It is similar, in some ways, to the dasha system of Indian Astrology, and it's likely that both emerged from a common theoretical basis - though the Indian system was the only one to retain it over the centuries.

While I feel I am reaching the end of my astrological career, I have no choice but to respect the evident efficacy of Hellenistic methods like Zodiacal Aphesis. I think it's important that these methods are remembered and retained in the western tradition. I feel this is particularly important in the study of history, especially the history of science. For too many years, scholars have avoided learning 'too much' about astrology out of fear that they might be 'tainted with the pseudoscientific lunacy' of the system itself. But this is quite unhelpful if we want to better understand the evolution of science as a whole, in which astrology has long played a central role.

If you have any interest in astrology, I highly recommend joining this workshop. It is certainly not a beginner's class, but it's accessible enough to provide a glimpse of the depth of the Hellenistic system, and to learn some methods to better understand the trajectory of your own life. It will be recorded for later viewing for those who cannot attend in person.

You can register at https://www.shrimala.com/events-and-workshops/23tz5mibpt0vca6gb30mgb8w4uz04x

Topics covered include:

- An overview of the Hellenistic Lots (the original "Arabic Parts").
- Calculation and interpretation of the Lots of Fortune and Spirit.
- The relationship between the lots and karmic causes/conditions.
- The history of Zodiacal Aphesis in the western tradition.
- The principal factors for interpretation in Zodiacal Aphesis.
- The identification of 'peak periods' of karmic fruition.
- Analysis of benefic and malefic influences on a native's experience.
- Loosing of the Bond as a plot-twist.
- Guided examples of the process and resources to cast your own Zodiacal Releasing chart.

A rare opportunity to learn Zodiacal Aphesis, a 2nd century time-lord recorded by Vettius Valens.

05/02/2022

Join Erik Jampa and others this afternoon for this fascinating panel discussion on "Buddhism and Q***rness through the Ages," exploring the interconnections between Q***r identity, Buddhism, and environmental justice - as well as the experiences of LGBTQIA+ people within traditional Tibetan communities.

This is a free online event hosted by Jamyang Buddhist Centre in honour of LGBT History Month here in the UK - register now at

Join us online to explore the intersections of Buddhist and LGBTQ+ identities. This dialogue will navigate topics as diverse as gender and sexuality in Tibetan medicine, the links between Q***r…