History of Ayurveda

[jamesmayur]

Ayurveda is an ancient system of health care. The word ` Ayur` literally means life and Veda, the science or knowledge. Ayurveda elucidates the do`s and don`ts one has to follow, which favours the well being of each individual to lead a healthy, happy, comfortable and advantageous life physically, mentally and socially. Ayurveda also emphasis the proverb, `prevention is better than cure`. Ayurveda is the oldest and most holistic medical system available on the planet today. It was placed in written form over 5,000 years ago in India, it was said to be a world medicine dealing with both the body and the spirit. Before the beginning of writing, the ancient wisdom of this healing system was a part of the spiritual tradition of the Sanatana Dharma (Universal Religion), or Vedic Religion. Veda Vyasa, the famous sage, shaktavesha avatar of Vishnu, put into writing the complete knowledge of Ayurveda, along with the more directly spiritual insights of self-awareness into a body of scriptural literature called the Vedas and the Vedic literatures.

There were originally four main books of spirituality, which included among other topics, health, astrology, spiritual business, government, army, poetry and spiritual living and behaviour. These books are known as the four Vedas Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva. The Rig Veda, a compilation of verse on the nature of existence, is the oldest surviving book of any Indo-European language (3000 B.C.). The Rik Veda (also known as Rig Veda) refers to the cosmology known as Sankhya, which lies at the base of both Ayurveda and Yoga, contains verses on the nature of health and disease, pathogenesis and principles of treatment. Among the Rig Veda are found discussions of the three dosas, Vayu, Pitta and Kapha, and the use of herbs to heal the diseases of the mind and body and to foster longevity.

The Atharva Veda 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, and the Science of Fertility. The Vedic Sages took the passages from the Vedic Scriptures relating to Ayurveda and compiled separate books dealing only with Ayurveda. One of these books, called the `Atreya Samhita` is the oldest medical book in the world. The Vedic Brahmanas were not only priests performing religious rites and ceremonies; they also became Vaidyas (physicians of Ayurveda). The sage-physician-surgeons of the time were the same sages or seers, deeply devoted holy people, who saw health as an integral part of spiritual life. It is said that they received their training of Ayurveda through direct cognition during meditation. In other words, the knowledge of the use of various methods of healing, prevention, long life and surgery came through Divine exposure; there was no guessing or testing and harming animals. These revelation (exposure) were transcribed from the oral tradition into book form, interspersed with the other aspects of life and spirituality.

Around 1500 B.C., Ayurveda was delineated into eight specific branches of medicine. There were two main schools of Ayurveda at that time. Atreya- the school of physicians and Dhanvantari - the school of surgeons. These two schools made Ayurveda a more scientifically certifiable and classifiable medical system.People from numerous countries came to Indian Ayurvedic schools to learn about this world medicine and the religious scriptures it sprang from. Learned men from China, Tibet, the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Afghanistanis, Persians, and more traveled to learn the complete wisdom and bring it back to their own countries. Ayurvedic texts were translated in Arabic and under physicians such as Avicenna and Razi Sempion, both of who quoted Indian Ayurvedic texts, established Islamic medicine. This style became popular in Europe, and helped to form the foundation of the European tradition in medicine.

In 16th Century Europe, `Paracelsus`, who is known as the father of modem Western medicine, practiced and propagated a system of medicine, which borrowed heavily from Ayurveda. There are two main re-organizers of Ayurveda whose works still exist intact today - Charak and Sushrut. The third major treatise is called the Ashtanga Hridaya, which is a summarizing version of the works of Charak and Sushrut. Thus the three main Ayurvedic texts that are still used today are the Charak Samhita (compilation of the oldest book Atreya Samhita), Sushrut Samhita and the Ashtangha Hridaya Samhita.

These books are believed to be over 1,200 years old. It is because these texts still contain the original and complete knowledge of this Ayurvedic world medicine, that Ayurveda is known today as the only complete medical system still in existence.

Philosophy of Ayurveda
Ayurvedic theory believes that health results from harmony within one`s self. To be healthy, harmony must exist between your purpose for being, your thoughts, your feelings, and your physical actions. Your purpose is peaceful, yet if your thoughts are fearful and your emotions negative, your physical body will manifest some disease as a `wake up call to change`. In Ayurveda, the manifestation of disease is actually considered to be a good sign, because it reveals a peviously-hidden aspect of oneself an aspect to be healed. Health is harmony within hidden aspect of self.

The goal of Ayurveda is true freedom from death and disease; enjoyment of uninterrupted physical, mental, and spiritual happiness and fulfillment. It may sound surprising, but according to Ayurvedic philosophy, enjoyment is one of life`s purposes.

Ayurveda`s Four Goals in Life
1. The fulfillment of your duties to society.
2. The accumulation of possessions while fulfilling duties.
3. Satisfying legitimate desires with the assistance of one`s possessions.
4. The realization that there is more to life than duties, possessions and desires.

Ayurvedic philosophy believes that only a person with a strong immune system can be healthy. The practitioners identify the immune system as a fragment of nature (the divine mother). This gift from her creates us, sustains us, nourishes us, and protects us from outside invasion. As long as our immune system is strong, we suffer no disease. The ancient vedic word for immunity means "forgiveness of disease" from the concept that negative thoughts and lifestyle cause disease. Spiritual health, then, is a dynamic balance between a strongly integrated individual personality and nature. In short, Ayurveda believes that health results from the relationship between self, personality and everything that goes into our mental, emotional, psychic and spiritual being. It believes that health also results from good relations with others, from an acknowledged indebtedness to mother nature, from the realization of one`s purpose, and from the pursuit of legitimate goals in life. Ayurvedic philosophy maintains the importance of a strong immune system, that forgiveness is strengthening, and that immortality is possible.

Recent History
Before Ayurveda began its recent renewal in the West, it went through a period of decline in India when Western medical education became dominant during the era of British rule. Ayurveda became a second-class option used primarily by traditional spiritual practitioners and the poor. After India gained its independence in 1947, Ayurveda gained ground and new schools began to be established. Today more than five hundred Ayurvedic companies and hospitals have opened in the last ten years, and several hundred schools have been established.

Although Ayurveda remains a secondary system of health care in India, the trend toward complementary care is emerging, and Western and Ayurvedic physicians often work side by side. Interest of Ayurveda in the West began in the mid 1970`s as Ayurvedic teachers from India began visiting the United States and Europe. By sharing their knowledge they have inspired a vast movement toward body-mind-spirit medicine. Today Ayurvedic colleges are opening throughout Europe, Australia, and the United States.

[jamesmayur]

Ashtang Ayurveda suggests various protective and remedial therapies along with various methods of cleansing and rejuvenation. Panchakarma is Ayurveda`s primary purification and detoxification treatment. Panchakarma literally signifies the "five therapies". It is an all-inclusive system of knowledge and practices to remove toxins from the body and restore the body`s harmony with nature. These five curative means of eliminating toxins from the body are Vamana, Virechana, Nasya, Basti and Raktamoskshana. They facilitate the removal of toxins that cause anxiety and illness, and also restore the proper balance of the three doshas. Panchakarma does not yield any significant result if special detoxification diet is not given along with the treatments. Panchakarma should not be used to treat those below seven years and those above 80 years. If it is done properly, proper healing along with lucid intelligence, sharpness of the senses, stability of the body, normalized capability of digestion and absorption, prolongation of youth are all achieved. Panchakarma is in fact only a part of a group of remedial measures belonging to a set of purification procedures called shodana.

Panchakarma includes three serial procedures. These are Poorva Karma (Preparatory Methods) which constitutes Paachan (Digestion), Snehan (Internal and external oleation) and Swedan (Fomentation), Pradhan Karma (Main methods) which comprises Vaman (Induced vomiting), Virechan (Induced purgation), Basti (Medicated enema), Nasya (Nasal medicine) and Rakta Mokshan (Artificial bloodletting), Pashchat Karma (Post-Therapeutic Measures) which consists of Sansarjan Karma (Specific dietetics) and Rasayana (rejuvenation therapy).

Process of Panchakarma
The extensive process involves a series of procedures categorized under purva karma, pradhan karma & paschat karma. Purvakarma part of Panchakarma is needed to prepare the body before the actual process of purification begins. The two procedures are `snehan` and `swedan`. In snehan oil is massaged in a special way that facilitates the movement of the toxins towards the gastro-intestinal tract. Swedan is induced sweating that loosens the toxins from the body of the individual. Pradhan Karma is the main cleansing procedure, which incorporates five basic cleansing methods.

Vaman or Emesis Therapy: When there is blockage in the lungs leading to recurrent attacks of bronchitis, colds, cough or asthma, the Ayurvedic treatment is therapeutic vomiting or vaman, to eliminate the kapha that is responsible for the deposition of the excess mucus within the body.

Virechan or Purgation Therapy: When excess of bile or pitta is secreted, it often gets accumulated in the gall bladder, liver and small intestine. This in turns results in rashes, spots, skin inflammation, persistent attacks of fever, vomiting, feeling of nausea and jaundice. In such cases, therapeutic purgation or virechan helps to normalise the bodily activities.

Basti or Enema Therapy: Ayurvedic basti involves the introduction of herbal preparations of sesame oil and the like into the rectum. It relieves chronic fever, constipation, cold, sexual disorders, heart pain, kidney stones, backache, sciatica and other pains in the joints. Many other vata disorders such as rheumatism, arthritis, gout, muscle spasms and headaches may also be cured through basti.

Nasya or Nasal Administration: The administration of medication through the nasal passage is called nasya. A surplus of bodily humors accumulated in the sinus, throat, nose or head areas is eliminated by means of nasya.

Raktamoksha : Toxins present in the gastro-intestinal tract get mixed with blood and are circulated throughout the body. The body suffers from various skin disorders. In such cases, the purification of blood or raktamoksha becomes necessary along with internal medication. Raktamoksha is also followed in case of ailments like enlarged liver, spleen and gout.

After panchakarma the procedures sansarjan karma and rasayana are followed. Sansarjan karma involves the administration of a special diet that strengthens the digestive power of the patient. Rasayana includes rejuvenating methods that must be undertaken after all the five main procedures or pradhan karma has been completed.

Purva karma in Panchkarma
It refers to the procedures that prepare the body for pradhankarma, the main stage of panchakarma.It includes Paachan (Digestion), Snehan (Internal and external oleation) and Swedan (Fomentation).

Pradhan karma in Panchkarma
Pradhan karma constitutes the main step of panchakarma and includes five main procedures of cleansing the body.Pradhan karma comes after purva karma and constitutes the five procedures of Vaman (Induced vomiting), Virechan (Induced purgation), Basti (Medicated enema), Nasya (Nasal medicine) and Rakta Mokshan (Artificial bloodletting).

Paschat Karma
It refers to the procedures that should be followed after pradhan karma for restoring the balance of the doshas.Paschat karma is a third and concluding phase of panchakarma. It involves re-establishment of the digestive enzymes and the replenishment of the body tissues that have been detoxified. If this process is followed after pradhan karma, then the patient experiences an amplified energy level, strengthened immune system and increased longevity.

Panchakarma is of enormous importance in Ayurveda because it covers a wide range of preventive and curative measures. This process eliminates the deep-seated toxins from the body thus helping the body to regain its normal potential. Due to its immense utility, panchakarma has been given a special place in all the ancient Ayurvedic texts. Aacharya Charak, the writer of the most important ancient text on internal medicine, lays down various uses of Panchakarma therapy for almost every major disease. Two separate sections in Charak Samhita, Kalpa Sthanam and Siddhi Sthanam extensively discuss the procedures of panchakarma.