Ayurveda is a science that is widely acknowledged to be the world’s oldest system of health. It is an oral tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. Only in the last 5000 years was it actually written down. The word Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit roots ayu and Veda, or, “life” and “knowledge.” Thus in the name “Ayurveda,” we find its essential meaning and purpose – the complete knowledge of how to live daily life in harmony with cosmic life.
Ayurveda is not just a health-care system but a complete approach to living. It offers a rich and comprehensive conception of life and health that takes into account all parts of human existence, from its most abstract, transcendental value to its most concrete expressions in human physiology. In addition, it clearly upholds the intimate connection between human life and cosmic life.
Why has this ancient paradigm withstood the test of time and continued to this day to be a successful approach to health-care? The first and foremost reason is that it is based on principles which are as old as life itself and are intimately tied to how nature functions everywhere in creation. There are at least seven basic concepts that help to define Ayurveda as a unique and complete “science of life.” Some of these may seem initially to be a bit foreign, as they are not a part of modern, scientific thought. But as they are elaborated upon in the succeeding chapters, you will come to appreciate the profound and comprehensive logic upon which they are based.
1. The Unchanging Nature of Ayurvedic Science
Through the thousands of years that Ayurveda has been in recorded existence, its basic principles have never changed because they derive from universal laws of nature which are eternally true. This contrasts with the modern scientific paradigm, where new theories often render previous understandings completely obsolete within a short period of time.
2. The Subjective Methods of Understanding
One of the most defining features of the Ayurvedic system concerns its methods for deriving knowledge. Ayurveda recognizes that much of life is non-physical and cannot be studied objectively. It therefore incorporates a more subjective or intuitive approach to gaining knowledge in addition to objective means. The unseen intelligence which, for instance, orchestrates the process of growth and differentiation in a fetus or in the healing of a disease cannot be analyzed or investigated by the senses, even with the aid of technological means.
Ayurveda therefore relies on in-depth observation of nature’s functioning to understand how the non-physical and the physical aspects of life function in a coordinated fashion. It also recognizes there to be an extremely intimate connection between the processes occurring in nature and those going on inside our bodies. The Ayurvedic practitioner is therefore able to draw comparisons between his observations of life as it functions around him and what is happening with his patient.
This process can be illustrated by the phenomenon of fire. In the physical world, fire can be observed transforming the structure of a substance like wood into something different (ash). The Ayurvedic scientist takes note of this and compares how this same principle in nature works within the body to convert raw food stuffs into nutrients through the aid of digestive enzymes and stomach acids.
3. The Five Element Theory
The third concept which sets Ayurveda apart from other healing modalities is the recognition that human life is part and parcel of nature. The specific intelligences that are responsible for orchestrating the natural world also guide all physiological processes within us.
Ayurveda calls these fundamental principles which guide nature’s functioning in creation mahabhutas or cosmic elements. They are the underlying intelligences that give rise to the five elements commonly known as space, air, fire, water and earth. These elements are the basic building blocks of nature which are responsible for all physical existence. The coordinated interaction of these elements controls all the functions in creation.
4. The Theory of the Three Doshas
One of the most powerful conceptual tools in Ayurveda is the three dosha theory. This theory explains how the five elements which make up physical creation dynamically combine to control all processes within the human physiology. These three functional capacities are called: vata, the principle governing all motion or movement; pitta, which controls all transforming processes; and kapha, which is responsible for cohesion, growth and liquefaction. Without any one of these processes, there would be no human life.
5. Prakruti: Constitutional Type
The fifth premise of Ayurveda, called prakruti, is the most useful tool that this science has to offer for maintaining an ideal state of health. It recognizes that each human being is born with a unique combination of the three doshas, and that this natural balance is what is responsible for the physical, mental and emotional differences among people. By identifying and maintaining an individual’s prakruti, Ayurveda can help each person create his or her own state of ideal health.
6. The Effects of the Seasons
The next major foundation stone of Ayurveda recognizes the very intimate relationship between the individual and all aspects of his or her environment. Ayurveda considers seasonal changes and climatic conditions to have a particularly important effect on health. Each change of season brings shifts in wind conditions, temperature and humidity or rainfall. As the predominance of the elements in the environment change, it will impact the balance of the doshas within our bodies. If we can recognize and respond to these environmental changes, we will better be able to maintain a functional homeostasis, an ideal equilibrium of the doshas within our bodies.
An example of this might be the greater predominance of the “fire” element that occurs during the summer months. As heat grows in the environment, pitta dosha will tend to increase within the body. When this particular functional capacity becomes too predominant, its relationship with the other two doshas becomes imbalanced, disrupting various physiological processes. This then causes us to feel acidic, hot, physically uncomfortable and sometimes emotionally irritable. When we possess the knowledge of our prakruti or unique body type, these potential imbalances can be easily avoided by making the appropriate changes in our diet and lifestyle.
7. Panchakarma: The Science of Rejuvenation
The miracle of the human body is that it has a natural healing intelligence which is capable of constantly rejuvenating itself. However, when doshic imbalance and weakened digestive capacity allow toxic impurities to form, this natural capacity of the body gets blocked. To remedy this situation, Ayurveda offers the gift of Panchakarma, the “science of rejuvenation.” In this process, the body is purified of the degenerating influence of these foreign substances, thus freeing it to naturally exercise its inherent rejuve-native abilities.
Many more key concepts could be listed here, but these seven are sufficient to demonstrate the uniqueness of the Ayurvedic approach. This ancient science has always understood health to be a coordinated functioning of spirit, mind and body in intimate relationship with everything else in creation, material and non-material. It recognizes that human life cannot be separated from cosmic life.
Ayurveda is the world’s oldest existing health-care system. India continued to be the custodian of this complete science of life, even when it was essentially lost to the rest of the world for many centuries, but Ayurveda does not belong only to India. It is a science of health based on universal principles and profound insights into the connection between mind and body and the laws of nature which structure all progress in life. Ayurveda offers health and fulfillment for every man and woman in every culture on earth.