Ten heavenly bodies are treated in the Kalachakra system, all of which are called “planets.” A common feature with the ancient Greek and Hindu systems is the naming of the days of the week after the planets.

The Chinese-derived, or “black calculations,” also called “element calculations,” adds a few more features to the Tibetan calendar, such as correlations with animal and element cycles.

Magic-squares consist of a grid of three by three with numbers in each row and column adding to 15. Each number is correlated with a color and one of the five Chinese elements. In the Tibetan astro system, each year and each date has a magic-square number.

An overview of the history of astrology in China and India, how they came to and developed in Tibet and, from there, to Mongolia and Central Asia.

A comparison of the Kalachakra, Hindu and Chinese New Years as well as the Chinese and Kalachakra systems of seasons. Although the Tibetan element-animal assignment system may be reminiscent of the Chinese, yet on closer examination there are significant differences.

The daily positions of the planets are calculated according to complex arithmetic formulas. The Tibetan mathematical model of the motion of the planets differs greatly from the Indian and Chinese ones.

The unique Tibetan system of calculations of the lunar weekday and date, used to bring the lunar and solar calendars into harmony, lead to the features of doubled and skipped lunar dates and leap-months, all of which differ from those features in the Chinese and Indian...

Learn about the distinct features of the Tibetan almanac such as the “arising from the vowels” system, special dates and combination and action periods.

An overview of the history of Tibetan medicine from the pre-Buddhist Bon tradition, the Indian Buddhist medical tradi­tion introduced by Vairochana, to the spread of the Tibetan medical system to the Mongol regions.

There are various systems of classification of diseases in Tibetan medicine in which they are viewed as imbalances caused by internal or external factors or both. The most common classifications are in terms of imbalances of the three humors (wind, bile and phlegm) and the...