Arura, the myrobalan fruit held by the Medicine Buddha. It is central to Tibetan medicine but is not a plant of the Tibetan Plateau: it is a lowland tree, imported into Tibet.

  • Group: Plant
  • Plant type: Medicinal
  • Habitats: Lowland forest

Habitat and distribution

Sparse lowland forest and forest margins below 1,800 m, native from India and Nepal to South-East Asia and western Yunnan (Flora of China).

Ecological and cultural significance

In Tibetan art the Medicine Buddha holds the stem of the arura plant in his right hand; arura is one of the three fundamental Tibetan medicines (Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive; dictionary entries).

Threats

No threats documented for the wild tree.

Conservation

Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (category from GBIF's index of the Red List; assessment year not confirmed).

Sources & References for all of Understanding Tibet