PART I: The Vision
As with all things whose origins are shrouded in the mists of time, the beginnings of Ayurveda are rooted in a mythological past. A myth is not necessarily a lie. Very much like a parable, it usually expresses a higher truth.
It is believed that the Ashwini twins gave the secrets of “the science of self-healing” to Indra and he, in turn, passed it on to Bharadwaja, one of the seven seers of the Rgveda. As Indra, the king of the Devas, represents Prana, and the Ashwini twins represent the duality of all cosmic creation, this myth can be seen symbolically as the natural progression of the eternal life force into the two sustaining forces of the Universe: inhalation and exhalation: the cosmic “spanda” or pulsation of all life. Bharadwaja represents the ability of man to access deep truths when in a state of full awareness or “samadhi.”
Similar to this are other myths with other persona, some divine, some mystical and some human. What is easier for us to comprehend is the belief that the great Rishis (seers) of India, moved by compassion for the welfare of all living beings, went into a deep state of samadhi (absorption) from which they extracted and made available the “science of life.”
The root words for Ayurveda are “Ayus” and “Veda”. Since Ayus refers to all life and Veda is pure knowledge, Ayurveda is much more than a medical codification; it is actually the knowledge of all life. As all healing arises from a “knowing” of health and what constitutes ill health, Ayurveda is thus best suited to address our well being and the lack of such.
It is said that perfect health is equated with happiness. It follows thus that perfect health means not thinking about your health. This is not as simple as it sounds. Every day we think about our aches and pains, about whether we have a headache, are stressed, are tired and worn out and even about whether we are constipated or worse! Imagine living in a state of such harmony that none of these factors are an issue. We are not talking about cancer, heart disease or immune system deficiency. We are talking about states that we consider normal! If we accept headaches and/or constipation as our “normal” state, worrying instead about the arising of any of the major diseases that afflict modern man, imagine what our lives would be like if even our “normal” state of discomfort did not exist! That we had no aches and pains, no stress related exhaustion, always fresh and alert, able to rest exactly when we need to, eat correctly and wisely and function with clear, content minds, what would our lives be like?
This is the goal of Ayurveda and to achieve this goal, this wonderful science has mapped the human terrain: physical, mental and spiritual. It has mapped the terrain of the world that we live in. It has mapped the interaction between the two and found that the microcosm and the macrocosm do not exist independently, that when the two do not support each other harmoniously, we suffer ill health. That the further we get away from nature, the unhappier our lives become.
Ayurveda believes that each one of us has an original “blueprint”, not unlike that of RNA/DNA. As long as we stay true to this “blueprint” which we call Prakruti, we will be healthy. Prakruti refers to our unique constitution or our “first nature”. Over our lives we deviate from this Prakruti for a variety of reasons, of which Ayurveda lists eleven. We move away from harmony, which is nothing less than the correct balance of the forces and elements within us, not unlike the perfect “idle” of a car. Just as a car, over a period of time, needs to be serviced and the idle brought back to normal, similarly, to counteract the forces that shift us away from our Prakruti, we need to “be serviced” and then we need to “maintain”.
Ayurveda is a living science in that it is based upon universal truths and not upon external circumstances that may and do change constantly. This allows it to be as valid to our lives today as it was to the lives of the people of the Indus/Saraswati Valley Civilization from where it arose, thousands of years ago. It has stood the test of time; it has survived countless invasions, the burning and other losses of its texts, the suppression of its practice and the lack of faith in its own homeland after the advent of western medicine.
Today, it is recognized once again as a valid, holistic science whose theories and texts are responsible for the discovery of many modern medicines and techniques. Many of our medicines today have arisen from research into the qualities and effects of herbs that were listed in the Charaka Samhita at least 1500 years ago. There is a society of surgeons in the United States named after Sushruta, who wrote surgical texts just as long ago. The two German scientists responsible for plastic surgery and rhinoplasty credit and acknowledge this same text as their primary source and inspiration.
Ayurveda has stood the test of time because it is a living science. It has and continues to evolve to meet the needs of all people at all times. Many great physicians have come along and using the theories of Ayurveda, created new healing modalities to address new illnesses. From the original texts of Charaka and Sushruta, through Vagbhatta and Madhava to present day scholars and teachers such as Drs. Lad, Robert Svoboda and David Frawley. What remain true and unchanging are the original principles. Principles that explain the very fabric of our existence and what that is woven from.
Next month we will address these very principles and, among other things, delve into the world of the now infamous Doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha!
Namaste!
Arun Deva
