Ayurveda
Ayurveda is a 3,000 year old system of medicine based on the idea that establishing and maintaining balance and ease in our bodies creates and maintains longevity and good health.
It is the most complete form of holistic medicine practiced in the world today. Ayurveda recognizes that each individual is unique and considers all aspects of the human being – emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual.
In addition to the methods of experiment and observation, which are the sources of knowledge in the Modern Sciences, Ayurveda accepts concentrated meditation and intuition (Yoga) as a method of acquiring knowledge.
The methods of investigation in Ayurveda are more synthetic leading to oneness, Adwaita, whereas the tendency in Modern Medicine is more analytical leading to dissipation of ideas.
The mechanistic view of man prevailed progressively during the last two or three centuries, and any disease was considered to be a breakdown in the machine, which should be set right by adjusting or repairing the damaged parts. The attention to the part or organ assumes greater importance than the consideration of the whole man. Ayurveda considers man as a complex and inseparable combination of the material body, the senses, the mind and the soul.
Constitutional traits or inborn tendencies or qualities are classified in Ayurveda into three categories called Trigunas. The constitutional factors leading to emotions are due to Rajoguna.
Vata, Pitta and Kapha are the nutritive fluids that feed the living organisms through the nervous, digestive and lymphatic systems respectively. Vata is constituted predominantly of Rajas, Pitta of Sattwa and Kapha of Tamas. Their equilibrium is health; their imbalance is disease.
Emotions like anger, greed and hurry are potent sources of diseases. Desire produces anger. Anger results in infatuation. Both have their origin in Rajas (Gita). The senses, mind and intellect are the seats for these emotions. Therefore one should develop control over these emotions which are the worst enemies of health.
The four points which are fundamental to the study of Ayurveda.
(1) Ayurveda can incorporate all the advances of Modern Science, but Modern Science, cannot adopt all that Ayurveda teaches, unless it accepts the existence of the Soul in the human as the Director of the several processes of life.
(2) The human body is not to be treated as machine. The factor of personality is greatly responsible for the happiness or misery of the individual.
(3) Modern Medicine should not be extended into the villages, unless it is integrated with Ayurveda by adopting its basic principles of self-control to prevent disease.
(4) Research in Ayurveda should be conducted by adequate personal of the right type, proficient in Ayurveda, with the co-operation of modern Scientists.
The scope of Ayurveda is endless. Although ancient, it has the capacity to grow and be ever new.
Puranama cha Punarnavam (Charaka Siddhi).