Overarching Cause of Illness
Ignorance (ma-rig-pa) is the root of all suffering and illness, and generates the three poisons: Desire, Anger/Hatred, and Delusion
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Short-Term Causes
The short-term causes of illness are improper diet and lifestyle, seasonal changes, and spirits. These factors can create variation in the humors, which presents itself as illness. Essentially all aspects of life, such as foods, actions, and seasons have associated descriptors, which are also used for the three humors. Performing an action or consuming a food with qualities similar to a certain humor can result in the humor’s excess, deficiency, or disruption. See below for the qualities of the humors. Also shown are examples of situations that have similar qualities as each humor, and thus the potential for causing an imbalance in that associated humor: