Philosophy of Ayurveda

Philosophy of Ayurveda

Ayurveda , the ancient Indian Knowledge of Life, like a mystical mountain , a magical ocean , remains one of the most antique and enigmatic of sciences and yet an enthralling one. Unraveling the story of a civilization ,encapsulating the quintessence of its culture , Ayurveda offers us a view of sublime India.

PHILSOPHY OF AYURVEDA

MAIN STREAMS OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHY

SANKHYA EPISTEMMOLOGY

BIRTH OF THE UNIVERSE

THE COSMIC IN THE HAUMAN

MAN AND THE COSMIC

Main Streams of Indian Philosophy

Indian philosophy may be divided in to two streams –Astika and Nastika. The Astikans believed in god , a life after death and the supreme authority of the Vedas- the sacred scriptures of Hinduism . The Nastikans negated all these holy concepts .

The Astika stream has six main darsanas or philosophies – Nyaya, Vaiseshika , Sankhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanda. Of these it is the Sankhya philosophy that has influenced Ayurveda the most in developing its fundamental theory of humoral pathology . According to this theory , the human body is composed of five elements – space , air , fire , water and earth --which in various combinations from three somatic humors –Vata, Pitta and Khapa. Ayurveda propounds that when these humors are in equilibrium , the body enjoys perfect health . It is their state of disequilibrium that leads to ill health.

Philosophy of Beginnings

The sage Kapila is believed to be the founder of the Sankhya philosophy and the earliest extant work is the Sankhya- karika by Isvara Krisna ( 5 th century BC). The Sankhya epistemology explains the evolution of the material world on the premise that the universe is made of five elements .

Prakruti

The universe , according to Sankhya , was created as a result of the transformation of Prakruti or primal matter. Ominipresent and in a state of constant change . Prakurti can only be inferred not directly perceived . Therefore it is called Avyakta – the Unmanifested .

Purusha

Purusha is the cosmic spirit for the sake of which Prakurti evolves . Cause and effect combine in Purusha . It is responsible for life and independent reality , and exists beyond time , space and causation . Purusha is the sprit for which Prakurti is the body .

Trigunas

Literally the tri-component factors , these are the three gunas or factors which Prakurti is composed of namely Satva , Rajas and Tamas .

Satva

Pure , fine and devoid of mass or gravity , Satva is the essence that manifests itself into intelligence . Only through such manifestation is existence possible in the world of consciousness .

Rajas

Whatever is active or kinetic in a phenomenon is Rajas . It is characterized by a tendency to do work or overcome resistance .

Tamas

Whatever is passive is Tamas . It is mass in inertia and offers resistance .

The Birth of the Universe

The process of evolution takes place within Prakurti when Purusha acts on it disturbing the equilibrium of its three gunas. The first evolute is Mahat , a state of transcendent intelligence . This is the seed of the world . From Mahat ,Ahamkara – the principle of egoism , the sense of ‘I’ – evolves . From here , the evolutionary course bifurcates into two branches : the physical (rajasik) and the physical (tamasik).

Under the rajasik are the Pancha Tanmatras ( Five substle Elements ) of Sabda (sound) , Sparsa (touch ), Rupa (form) , Rasa (taste) and Gandha (odur ) . From each of these Tanmatras evolve the Pancha Maha Bhutas or the Five great Elements that make up the physical universe . They are Akasa (ether or space ), Vayu (air), Agni (fire) , Jala ( water) , Prithvi(earth )- the elements that make up all matter in the universe .

The primary characteristic of every gross element of Great Element is similar to that of the subtle element from which it came in to being.

The Pancha Maha Bhutas

Akasa (Either or space )

The first element to come into existence , this is also the subtlest . It is the expansive and least dense., and though it seems a vast expanse of nothingness and its existence is a paradox of sorts, it is the matrix for all the other elements . Being an evolute of the Sabda (sound) Tanmatra, It is capable of carrying sound energy . The entire spectrum of vibration travels in the form of waves through this medium .

The Pancha Maha Bhutas

Vayu (Air)

Vayu emerges from Sparsa (touch ) Tanmatra. It is light , cold and transparent and more tangible than ether. Movement and sense of touch are the chief properties ascribed to Vayu.

The Pancha Maha Bhutas

Agni (fire)

An evolute of Rupa (form ) Tanmatra , Agni is hot, light , penetrative and luminous . Almost all the transformations that substances undergo are with the help of the Agni Bhuta. It plays a vital role in our body , as it is responsible for conversion of food into various forms for assimilation . Ayurveda calls it antaragni , the digestive fire .

The Pancha Maha Bhutas

Jala (water)

Jala evolves from the Rasa(taste) Tanmatra . This is the major component of all forms of life and necessary for substaining life . Substances that predominantly have the water element are viscous , cold , soft , moistening and permeating . It holds and binds things together .

The Pancha Maha Bhutas

Prithvi(Earth)

Anything that is solid , heavy ,inert,dense and opaque is of Prithvi bhuta . This is the most concrete of all elements and stimulates the sense of smell as it an evolute of the Gandha(smell) Tanmatra.

The Cosmic in the Human

Even as Ayurveda reveals the cosmic equations, it views the human body as the stage set for the interaction between the human body as the cosmic . In the human body , each of the Five Elements has a corresponding sense organ by which interaction with its cosmic counterpart takes place – the ear for Akasha, the medium of sound , the skin for Vayu, characterized by sense of touch , the eyes for Agni, characterized by light , the tongue for Jala, and the nostrils for Prithvi.

Man and the Cosmic

If all matter in the universe is composed of the same five elements , how is man different from animals or from other forms of matter ? Charaka , author of the Charaka Samhita , the oldest recorded work on Indian Medicine has an answer .
Khadaya chetana sasta dhatava purusha smrta
Chetana dhatura pyeka smrta purusha samjnaka

In these lines he difines the human being as a congregation of the Five Great elements and an additional sixth element called Chitanya (the soul) . Ayurveda views the human entity as a confluence of the Five Great Elements , the five cognitive senses (Jnanendriyas ) , the five active senses (karmendriyas), the thinking mind and the individual soul (Atma or Chitanya). Life thus embodied and enlightened by such a philosophy is the subject of Ayurveda.