Ayurveda,
can be translated as the art and science of living, it originally
derives from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (knowledge).
It is a systematic approach which utilizes all which nature provides
(foods, spices, herbal medicines, colors, metals, gems, sound,
prayers and the performance of sacred rituals). The applications
of these tools will help to not only overcome illness but to continually
strengthen oneself as a best means to prevent and stop a vicious
circle, most commonly addressed as Iatrogenic or a disease acquired
by treating another disease.
Ayurveda evolved
in an ancient culture which understood the human condition to
be limitless; the day to day implementation of Ayurvedic principles
creates a strong body, clarity of mind and tranquillity of spirit
so the individual may move closer to realizing her/his true potential.
In order
to further this movement the disciplines of Yoga and Tantra are
complementing the work of healing .
Genesis
and Development:
Ayurveda,
is regarded as the oldest system of medicine, it traces its roots
to the Vedic period in ancient India (1500 B.C.). The Rig Veda,
a compilation of verse on the nature of existence, is the oldest
surviving book of any Indo-European language (1500 B.C.).
The Rig Veda
refers to the cosmology known as Sankhya which lies at the base
of both Ayurveda and Yoga; in it are verses on the nature of health
and disease, pathogenesis and principles of treatment. The Pandits
refer to The Atreya Samhita as the oldest medical book , it survives
from Taksashila University which was operating as early as 800
B.C.
The Atharva
Veda (800 B.C.) lists the Eight Divisions of Ayurveda:
· Internal
Medicine,
· Surgery of Head and Neck,
· Opthamology and ..Otorinolaryngology,
· Surgery,
· Toxicology,
· Psychiatry,
· Pediatrics,
· Gerontology or Science of ..Rejuvenation,
· The Science of Fertility.
In 500 B.C.
at the university of Benares, Sushruta, a surgeon who developed
the operative techniques of rhinoplasty (plastic surgery), wrote
the Sushruta Samhita which describes a highly developed surgery.
In l00 A.D., the physician Charaka revised and supplemented the
Atreya Samhita; the Charaka Samhita is a major work on internal
medicine.
By 400 A.D.,
Ayurvedic works were translated into Chinese; by 700 A.D., Chinese
scholars were studying medicine in India at Nalanda University
.
In 800 A.D.,
Ayurvedic works were translated into Arabic. A century later,
under physicians such as Avicenna and Razi Serapion, both of whom
quoted Indian texts, Islamic medicine became very influential
in Europe, helping to form the foundation of the European tradition
in medicine.
In 16th century
Europe, Paracelsus, who is known as the father of modern Western
medicine, practiced and propagated a system of medicine which
according to some pandits it was borrowed heavily from Ayurveda.
An Ayurvedic
physician utilizes her/his observation skills to not only diagnose
patterns of imbalance but also to determine the constitution of
the individual and hence is able to deduce inherent strengths,
weaknesses and tendencies. An Ayurvedic physician is trained in
the use of diet, cooking, yoga, breath-work, meditation and a
vast pharmacopoeia. He can use both Allopathic or conventional
medicine and Homeopathic if it is needed, in order to help the
individual achieve balance. Ayurveda not only treats persons who
are ill but brings to life the concepts of preventive health care
and health promotion.
Ayurveda
Today: In the modern world, Ayurveda is increasingly popular
because it speaks to those elementary concepts of:
(1) contact
with nature
(2) holistic
(3) In part we are what we eat.
Ayurveda forms
an integral part of the daily routine of hundreds of millions
of people worldwide. Its principles are utilized not only to treat
people who are ill but also to prepare a balanced meal, in fact
the kitchen is in itself a wonderful pharmacy and helps to construct
a harmonious environment.
At present, most of us no longer knows how to maintain our own
health, on the contrary it seems that we are either actively or
passively engaged in the destruction of the Earth's balance. Deep
inside us we have a desire to realize unity with God and its nature.
Ayurveda is the knowledge of what nature in her generosity provides.
Yoga and Tantra are sisters and are interwoven with
each other and deepen our knowledge of who we are, and how we
can self correct unbalances.
Yoga, which
means union, is an approach which brings together the diverse
elements within a human being; Yoga is not just postures but anything
which serves to unify the individual into the whole.
Within us
all there are different motivations, desires and goals which are
contradictory to each other; every circumstance brings forth courage
and fear, prospects of pleasure and pain, judgments of good and
bad. Our actions do not satisfy all the different needs and desires
that exist within; whatever is left unsatisfied expresses itself
through the body/ mind as illness. The path of Yoga calls for
an intense awareness of mind and body so that our actions arise
from the totality of who and what we are. A yogi aspires to incorporate
elements generally unavailable to conscious awareness, into her/his
daily life.
Tantra is
a systematic approach to dissolve personal limitations. As our
limitations have intimately to do with our notions of good and
bad, real and unreal, the Tantric approach is to continually redefine
personal reality. A Tantric is a person for whom The removal of
limitations is more compelling than the maintenance of any given
personal reality, no matter how pleasant or beautiful it may be...
Tantra is the path of real freedom: The Tantric aspires to recognize
the unity of the Human with the Divine.
In Ayurvedic
medicine, health is defined as soundness of body (shrira), mind
(manas) and Self (atman). Each of these must be nurtured if the
individual is to create health. Ayurveda offers a holistic approach
based upon the understanding that no single agent by itself causes
disease or brings health.
Life-Force
Ayurveda views the person as a composite of 3 forces:
1. Vata The
force symbolized by AIR
2. Pitta The force symbolized by FIRE
3. Kapha The force symbolized by WATER /EARTH
The quality
and the relative balance of these forces determines health and
disease. When these forces act harmoniously, the functions of
digestion, absorption and elimination (physically & mentally)
contribute to the storage of health and wealth. As these 3 forces
are responsible for specific areas of body/mind function, the
symptoms of imbalance indicate which of these forces is deficient
or excessive.
Constitution
The concept of constitution (prakriti) is central to Ayurveda.
Individuals are comprised of the 3 forces (Vata, Pitta, Kapha)
in unique combinations so that no 2 persons are alike.
To know about
our constitution will provide a clue of the disease tendencies,
and inherited weaknesses of an individual but when and how this
factors will trigger a pathology so that a preventive lifestyle
may be planned; also, health promotion for individuals of different
constitutions can follow a rational, time tested approach utilizing
all that nature provides
It will also
be possible to become more aware of the foods, substances, herbal
medicines, emotions, thoughts, climates, colors, activities, and
so on that tend to either create a balance or unbalance to a particular
individual and to either improve or aggravate various types of
illness.
Treatment
A disease will manifest in different constitutions in different
ways. An individual with a predominantly Vata constitution will
experience symptoms that are different than those for Pitta or
Kapha, even though they all have been diagnosed with the same
disease . Constitutional treatment of the individual is a priority
since the constitution is fundamental to health and illness.
