Ayurvedainfo.net
Guide to ayurvedic medicines & remedies

THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF AYURVEDA

The religions that are known as Semitic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, are based on revelation. The western tradition, divided between the good and the evil, does not accept the shades of gray and thus has developed a doctrinaire approach to all aspects of life. The Indian tradition on the other hand is based on philosophy, a product of ages of contemplation by the sages. In such a traditions, the approach to life is not in terms of black or white, or between good and evil. The Indian tradition attempts to reconcile the prevalent contradictions and come to a more wholesome approach. Ayurveda, the universal art of healing has developed from the foundations of such a cultural civilization.

One of the basic principles of Ayurveda, the recognition of the inner reflecting the outer. Healthy thoughts create a healthy human being, while dark and hopeless thoughts make the body lose hope and surrender to disease. The study of Ayurveda can be a door towards the in depth study of spirituality, as the stress here is on the maintenance of physical health, which is a stepping stone towards the attainment of mental and spiritual health. Individual health determines the health of the family, community, nation and the entire world. Similarly, ill health also has negative consequences on the same institutions.

The health of the person, in turn is determined by the level of his self-knowledge. The principle word for health in Sanskrit is Svastha, which means, 'established in oneself'. To establish individuals in themselves, this is what Ayurveda fundamentally tries to achieve.

A healthy life would not be possible without the proper intake of the Right Food, which provides us with the energy and strength to live out the day at our best as well as having clarity of thought. The concept of the three doshas; Vata, pitta and kapha brings a person closer to the understanding of Ayurveda. These doshas are the waste products that arise out of the five great elements, earth, water, air, fire and ether. Vata arising out of air and ether, pitta from fire and water and kapha from water and earth.

The bodies excess wastes, urine, faeces and sweat should flow out continuously and the levels of vata, pitta and kapha should maintain their balance with each other. The health of the body is dependent on the proper elimination of wastes, urine carrying the excess kapha force, sweat carries away the pitta force and defecation expels the excess vata force. Healthy levels of the doshas keep the organism healthy and its adaptability strong, there is very little waste produced. In ill health, there is more waste.

The abnormal functions of vata include the impairment of strength, complexion and well being; disturbance of the mind and senses; obstruction of the vital functions, deformation of the foetus and the production of fear, grief, depression and delirium. The normal functions of pitta are digestion, vision, normal body temperature, body lustre, courage, intelligence and lucidity, while abnormal pitta produces there opposite effects.

Normal kapha produces compactness, cohesion, firmness, plumpness, strength, virility, knowledge, understanding, forgiveness and fortitude. Abnormal kapha produces the opposite effect in us.

The Vata, Pitta and Kapha are the reactive forms of the three elements air, fire and water. The essences of these reactive forms are Prana, Tejas and Ojas. Prana is that life force that integrates mind, body and spirit together. Tejas removes away all the barriers between the mind, body and spirit and makes interaction between them possible. Ojas is the cementing bond between mind, body and spirit creating a functioning and a well-integrated individual.

Vedic medicine dealt life at the level of Prana, Tejas and Ojas; it did away with the doshas. The Ayurvedic system, meant for the masses, makes use of the doshas because its principal field of activity is the physical body, where the doshas hold sway.