The Four Temperaments and Mental Training

Unani and Greco-Islamic medicine classify individuals into four primary temperaments: sanguine (hot-wet, cheerful), choleric (hot-dry, irritable), phlegmatic (cold-wet, apathetic), and melancholic (cold-dry, anxious). Each temperament carries distinct vulnerabilities and strengths. Dipa Ma's meditation teachings, refined through decades of working with diverse practitioners, offer targeted approaches for each type. The sanguine person learns to deepen concentration through sustained focus; the choleric develops compassion and cooling investigation of anger; the phlegmatic cultivates warmth and motivation through vivid awareness; the melancholic transforms rumination into wisdom through patient self-inquiry. Rather than fighting one's constitutional nature, practitioners work skillfully within it, using mental training to restore balance. This synthesis recognizes that healing the body requires understanding its psychological terrain, a principle both Buddhist psychology and Islamic medicine have always held central.