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The Medical Gardens and Plantations
The establishment of medical herb gardens and plantations is a major objective of Sacred Land. The gardens will be used to cultivate plants used in traditional herbal medicines. The gardens are also intended to provide information on the medicinal plants and the mountain ecology for visitors and local people alike. They will also be an important source of research into the best ways of protecting the wild plants. Over 7000 species of vascular plants are found in Nepal: 252 are endemic and over 600 are medicinal. Over 150 of these medicinal plants grow naturally in the high lands of the Khumbu.
Although the uses of plants in medicines is highly sophisticated and refined in traditional medicine, the cultivation of plants is almost unknown. This is because, traditionally, plants were collected in the wild in a sustainable way for the use of a small population. Now as the demand for Tibetan, ayurvedic and Chinese medicine is increasing so rapidly, it is essential that research be undertaken in how to propagate these precious plants, which are used in all three medical systems.
Devoche.
In the small sheltered valley at 3780m just below Tengboche monastery is the Sacred Land medical herb garden at Devoche. On the request of Tengboche Rinpoche the area was given by the monastery to establish the garden there. Some funds were provided by IUCN to build the high protection wall that encircles the area. Ms Kate Armstrong, an ethno botanist from America now studying at the Royal Botanical Gardens of Edinburgh, Scotland, established the first nursery beds and planted six different kinds of medical herbs. The garden is in a sheltered and sunny spot and typically rocky. It is surrounded by
rhododendron and birch forest and has water and electricity. As it lies on the main trail, this garden is perfectly located as an exhibition garden to provide
visitors with information on medical herbs. A tree plantation is also planned, as deforestation, especially on the northern slopes, is a major problem in the area.
In autumn 2000, H.H. Trulshik Rinpoche visited Tengboche and opened the Eco-Information Centre at Tengboche Monastery. Trulshik Rinpoche came to the plantation at Devoche to bless the land and medical plantation and make prayers and aspirations that the project would flourish and benefit many people.
Techo.
Techo means iris in Tibetan, and in this small sheltered valley the wild irises flourish, as do many other wild herbs. Tengboche Rinpoche has said this is a special valley where the natural elements and spirits are in Harmony. The valley is about one hour's walk from Namche on the trail going northwest to Thamo Monastery and the passes to Rawling and the Nagpa La to Tibet. At 3400m it is a lower altitude and faces southeast which provides different conditions than Devoche. The dramatic
surrounding cliffs protect the area. The land is also rich in minerals. People used to collect salt here. Above Techo are the retreat hermitages of Lhado connected with Lama Zopa and Khopan monastery, as well as the nunnery of Khari.
In Techo we plan a small medical display garden, plantation for the most common herbs and the pharmacy. Medicines should be made in a quite secluded place and not in a busy town so the medicines will all be made here in Techo. At the moment the medicines and incense are made in a small cave. It is also good if the medicines are made by Buddhist monks and nuns. The nuns of Khari are happy to do this. They very poor but are a young and lively community, mostly refugees with little or no family support. By helping with the plantation they can make a little extra funds for their proposed new prayer hall.
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