Medicine Buddha’s Garden: Doctrine of Signatures
A Practical Workshop in Herbalism and Plant Journeying

With Dr. Ed Coughlin
Saturday April 25th, 2026

10am - 5pm
Includes a vegetarian lunch

The Doctrine of Signatures is an ancient concept in herbalism and traditional medicine that suggests nature provides signs, symbols, and patterns to indicate the medicinal properties of plants. In this outdoor workshop, participants will be taken on a profound and experiential journey through Tanaduk Garden at Pure Land Farms, modeled after the Pure Land of the Medicine Buddha.

Intercultural herbalist, Ed Coughlin will teach us about the particular plants that thrive in this environment and their medicinal properties following the Doctrine of Signatures. In order deepen our connection to these healing plants, he will then guide us in an intuitive practice to help us connect with plants on a deeper level, beyond just their physical form through meditation, observation, and direct engagement with the plant’s environment.

By combining the Doctrine of Signatures with plant journeying, herbalists and nature enthusiasts can develop a more profound relationship with plant medicine. This approach blends scientific understanding with intuitive wisdom, enhancing both practical and spiritual herbal practices. Embracing this ancient wisdom, we gain not only medicinal knowledge but also a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of life and nature’s guiding intelligence.

This workshop is open to herbalists of all traditions, as well as lovers of plants and nature with no formal training in herbalism.

REGISTRATION

This event is offered in person only, it will not be livestreamed

EDWARD J COUGHLIN AP, DOM

Edward Coughlin is a licensed acupuncturist, Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and certified Sowa Rigpa practitioner with nearly three decades of experience in Florida, where he runs his private practice, Jade Lotus. He is a Diplomate in Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, and herbal medicine through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. As one of the first acupuncturists in Florida to earn hospital staff privileges, he has performed over 50,000 treatments, bringing deep expertise to his clinical work.

In addition to his clinical practice, Edward is a dedicated educator, teaching herbalism and materia medica for the Sowa Rigpa Institute’s certification programs. He has also trained in Eclectic Western Herbal Medicine with the Matthew Wood Institute and Alchemy, para-chemistry and spagyrics with Robert A. Bartlett at the Spagyricus Institute, blending Eastern and Western healing traditions.

Beyond his work in medicine, Edward is a senior student of Master Kao San Lun and a 35th-generation disciple of the Little Nine Heaven system of martial arts. With over 30 years of training in this rare lineage, he embodies the integration of traditional healing arts and martial discipline.