History of Ayurveda

History of Ayurveda

Five thousand years ago in the magnificent Himalayas, one of the greatest sages of India, Srila Vyasadeva wrote down the Vedas for the first time, this included a branch which is called Ayurveda: "The science of Life" (Ayur means life and Veda means science).
The Vedas came from an oral tradition that reached back into antiquity. Srila Vyasadev entrusted the original copies of the texts with his most erudite and enlightened disciples, who, along with other great sages, inaugurated a very long sacrificial ceremony for hundreds of years for the purification and blessings of the entire world. Remember people lived for one to two thousand years back then. During that time, they studied and discussed these ancient texts with their own disciples, who wrote commentaries, and expanded and developed these original and eternal truths without ever altering them.
During the years after the conclusion of this sacrifice, copies of this perfect Vedic texts were placed in various temples and libraries throughout India. They were written down in the original Sanskrit language for the benefit of the general population. (Sanskrit is the father of Latin and most of the world languages).
As far as the science of life was concerned - Ayurveda - volumes of wisdom poured forth like the rains during the monsoon season. Beside Vyasadeva's information about hundreds of herbal drugs in the Vedas, there were descriptions later on, by other sages like Sushruta, Charaka, etc. on how to perform prosthetic surgery to replace limbs, cosmetic surgery on the nose and elsewhere, caesarean section, and even brain surgery!
Everything was described in great detail and archaeological research has uncovered evidence that proves that some of these operations were performed successfully between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago. The great sage Charaka has given information in Ayurveda about the development of the child within the womb week by week, month by month, limb by limb, from conception to birth, that equals our modern medical texts in accuracy.
There is information about atomic energy, gynecology, pediatrics, surgery, anatomy, herbal drugs, Ayurvedic dieting and nutrition. All are described in the most simple and profound manner so as to make it easy enough for any person to have a basic working knowledge of this great science of life - Ayurveda. I know this sounds incredible and you may be wondering, "How is it possible to have one system embrace all systems" How would it be applied? The answer is simple. The first step is to ascertain the individual's "Biological Mode" , and than to treat the person accordingly.

Prakruti - The Unique Genetic Code of an Individual
Everyone knows that there are no two fingerprints alike. No two voice modulations and no two genetic codes are exactly alike. What makes anyone think we all have the same liver, lungs, kidneys, or anything else the same as the next person. Therefore to propose that we all eat the same foods, take the same drugs when we are ill, or perform the same exercise is more than ludicrous. It is unscientific! Ayurveda uses a system of historical analysis and physical examination done almost entirely by observation (with the exception of pulse reading), to ascertain one's original nature and current imbalances.
A diet and health plan are given to the individual according to the needs to correct the imbalance. The basis for all other concepts in Ayurveda is Sankhya (the analytical study of the elements that comprise the universe). Although the modern physicist would delineate well over one hundred elements, Sankhya states there are twenty-four, of which five are the foundation of the gross world: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether.
Dr. Robert Svoboda compares earth to everything which is solid in the table of the elements. Water is everything liquid, and air is everything gaseous. Ether is the field in quantum mechanics upon which everything rests, and fire is the transformer of one thing to another.
These five elements, when joined in different combinations, make up the three "doshas" or "biological modes" which are the "Prakruti" or nature of an individual and the nature of all things.

The combination of air and ether gives us Vata or the Kinetic Biological Mode. Vata is that which is electric in the body and causes all movement in and out of the system (breathing, urination, defecation, menstruation, etc.)
The combination of fire and water gives us Pitta or the Transformative Biological Mode. Pitta is that which mutates or transforms the outside elements of the macrocosm into the inside elements of the body (the microcosm). Pitta governs the digestion of physical, mental, and emotional elements.
Finally, the combination of earth and water gives us Kapha or the Structive Biological mode. Kapha is that which makes for both lubrication (mucus, synovial fluid) and structure (bones, muscles, fat, joints, etc).

Generally speaking most people are a combination of two modes. One is the primary and the other is the secondary. But there are those who are purely dominated by one mode, and in rare cases, those who are a mixture of all three. This elemental theory broken down into divisions of modes identifies not only body types for humans, but also for animals, vegetables, plants, herbs, geographical locations, times of day, seasons of the years, and activities performed.
Everything in the universe is categorized by this system. Ascertaining one's Prakruti (nature of constitution) and imbalances is the service rendered by the Ayurvedic analysis using the processes stated earlier. Then the Ayurvedic practitioner constructs a diet and recommends herbs which would be helpful to regain balance with one's original nature.
In Ayurveda different people with the same disease sometimes receive different diet and herb plans. The constitution, the imbalance, and the various nuances of the development of the disease in each individual must be studied to determine the nature of the imbalance whether Vata, Pitta, or Kapha for that disease.
For example: Two people have a history of weak lungs and chronic coughing. One is dominated by a Vata constitution with a Vata imbalance. The other is dominated by a Kapha constitution with a Kapha imbalance. The Vata has a tendency towards a dry hacking cough in which no mucus or phlegm is present or being expelled. The Kapha has a less frequent, but heavy wet cough which expels large quantities of mucus and phlegm.
For the Kapha dry, hot, spicy herbs and foods are what is necessary for burning up and drying up the excess mucus. Dry ginger, and long pepper are useful while all dairy, fruit juices, and cold food in general are to be avoided. But for the dry Vata cough, hot milk with turmeric is a great healer to soothe and calm the cough, while disinfecting and moistening the dry, hot lungs. Fresh curd with unleavened whole wheat bread (chapatis) and cooling fruit juices are also useful. So a cough is not just a cough according to ayurveda. But according to the constitution and imbalance, "One man's food is another man's poison".
Unfortunately people will give up trying holistic health practices because good food was given to the wrong person. The secret of understanding the dynamics of food and which food is for whom is in the taste, therefore, the appropriate tastes with their elements will correct the imbalance of elements in one's constitution if taken correctly.
The proof is in the tasting.
There are six taste according to Ayurveda: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Pungent, Bitter, and Astringent. Each is comprised of two elements:
Sweet (earth and water) examples: wheat, sugar, milk, rice, dates;Sour (earth and fire) examples: yogurt, lemon, tamarind;Salty (water and fire) examples: sea salt, rock salt, kelp;Pungent (fire and air) examples: onion, radish, ginger, chilly;Bitter (air and ether) examples: dandelion root, rhubarb root, bitter melon;Astringent (air and earth) examples: plantain, pomegranate, apples;
There are two other considerations in Ayurveda. First, whether a foods action is heating or cooling. The taste sweet, bitter, and astringent are cooling. Sour, salty, and pungent are all heating. The second is the post-digestive effect or how the foods "taste" to the tissues during and after assimilation. Sweet and salty are sweet in post-digestive effect. Sour is sour, and pungent, bitter, and astringent are pungent.
Taste, action, and post-digestive effect are known is Sanskrit as rasa, virya, and vipack respectively in Ayurveda. They are the keys to understanding food and herbs. With this knowledge, one can unlock the mysteries of the energetic dynamics of food and be able to make the right choices for oneself.
Raw Foods According To Ayurveda
Raw foods and juices are magnificent in that they are cleansing and energizing. Sprouts are especially wonderful because they contain large amounts of enzymes and nourishment which help with digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Some of the spicier sprouts help to destroy and eliminate toxins in the system known as ama in Ayurveda.
Fenugreek sprouts can even help in cases of seminal debility. But in general, raw food is very cold and hard to digest in the Vedic sense as it releases its Prana or nourishing life giving energy in the upper portion of the body between the mouth and the stomach. This gives quick, short-term energy, but not long-term tissue building nourishment. This is good for pittas, and some raw foods are good for kaphas, but this is not very good for vatas.
Cooking Foods According to Ayurveda
Well cooked grains, beans, and vegetables release their Prana in the colon. This provides long-term tissue building energy. However, these energies cannot be released from complex carbohydrates without the assistance of enzymes. A Clean intestinal tract is also essential for proper absorption.This coincides with two of the modern holistic health theories of colon cleansing and enzyme consumption. But the Ayurvedic approach again is practical and individualized. Which herbs for which constitution will produce the best colon cleansing varies. Therefore, some people find some of the standard colon cleansing products ineffectual or difficult for their bodies to tolerate.
Triphala ("the three fruits"), used in Ayurveda, is one of the best colon cleansers because it strengthens and tones the muscle action of the colon. It does not cause laxative dependency by doing the work for the colon. Similarly, the consumption of enzyme tablets will cause the digestive organs natural ability to produce enzymes for digestion to become suppressed and lazy and possibly lose their ability to function all together. Ayurvedic cooking uses certain herbs and spices to help stimulate the body to produce its own digestive enzymes.
The Secret of spices in Ayurvedic Cooking
I can hear the sighs now as you read the subtitle and you are asking yourself, "Is he going to advocate eating that hot Indian restaurant style food?" Absolutely not! That is, unfortunately, only a bastardization of the original system. Spices used in small to moderate proportions according to the food being prepared and the person's constitution will stimulate all the digestive organs to produce the enzymes required for total absorption and assimilation. This lets your organs do their work through nourishment without "putting them in a wheelchair" while the chemicals do it. Thus cooked food and spices are better for the poor digestion of kaphas and vatas. Pittas should use only mild spicing, as their "fire of digestion" is generally strong.
As you can see there is no good or bad food, just which food is your food. Once you understand your body type, you can structure a diet for yourself that will really work to make you feel totally balanced and harmonized. How soon you feel balanced, depends on how much you have abused yourself in the past. Generally, it takes month of healing for every year of abuse. That's why the Ayurvedic practitioner asks many questions about your health history. It is very important to ascertain when the problem began and what emotional and mental imbalances preceded it, so that your diet and health plan can solve your health problem by going to the source.
Consciousness and Food
This is probably the most important aspect of Ayurveda: Your state of consciousness when you eat and when you cook. One of the great sages of India, Rupa Goswami wrote: "If you eat food prepared by the wicked, you will become wicked". I' m not calling anyone wicked, but rather I'm pointing out that if the person who is cooking has fears, insecurities, anger, jealousy, greed or any of many emotions we experience everyday, the chef will infuse that preparation with that emotion.
This is important to remember in eating - at home or away - that the consciousness of the cook is in the food. And the consciousness of the animal or vegetable one is eating is in there as well. So in Ayurveda, food preparation is considered a sacred act. Animal food is generally not recommended because of the extreme pain, agony, suffering, fear, anger and terror the animal experiences has gone into the food. Add the highly toxic chemical contamination of modern factory farming like hormones, steroids, antibiotics, pesticides, etc., and you have a prescription for death not life.
Vegetables have life also and they also feel pain and discomfort at being eaten. The great scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose showed through extensive research that plants are living, feeling beings that experience emotions like humans on their own level. The Vedas teach that each living being, from the king to the bacteria, has a soul and is therefore sacred. The kitchen is considered the extension of the altar in Vedic culture. In early Christianity, the people would bring their crops and lay them at the altar for sacrifice and blessing.
This was done much earlier in Ancient India, only there everything was prepared in the kitchen according to the principles of taste and elemental energetics and then offered with great devotion to the deities: Lakshmi-Narayana, Sita-Rama, Radha-Krishna and others. Therefore, the act of cooking, the place of preparation, the act of offering, and the offering place were all sacred. The consciousness of the cooks was focused on how all the foods were to be prepared in elemental balance.
Knowing that they were also made of these same elements and the ability to balance them and prepare them were direct gifts from God, they offered back those elements and abilities to the Lord, and through spiritual consciousness cleansed the vegetarian foodstuff of all negative karma by bathing it in love and devotion.
You can do this at home by preparing your food with love according to Ayurvedic energetic principles and offering prayers and meditations of thanks and love to God. You will transform food into prasad or God's mercy. Thus you will raise your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health to the highest possible levels. There is no greater nourishment than this in all the world.
The Right Food for the Right Person
As I think back to the 1985 Whole Life Expo, I can still see the bewildered looks of the crowd. I hope this article helps put things in proper perspective for the confused public. All foods are good, but not all foods are good for all people. You must eat the proper foods for your constitution in the proper consciousness if you want the best nourishment and optimum physical and spiritual health.
The Three Doshas: VATA
A Vata's frame is usually tall or short, and always thin and low in weight with prominent bones and joints. They have thin skin which is rough and dry with a tendency to tan or be dark, with prominent veins and cold to the touch. They will have curly, kinky, coarse, dry hair that's dark brown or blackish. Their teeth will usually be large, crooked and protrude. Both their head and eyes will be small, quick and unsteady. The eyes will also be dark brown or black, dry, thin and dull.
Vatas have variable and scanty appetites. They will be thin as children and have troubles gaining weight. They like sweet, salty and sour foods like cake, crackers, and pickles. Their thirst varies and they will nurse hot drinks to keep them warm. Their bowels are usually hard and dry, or constipated. They are hyperactive and can exhaust easily with restless minds that fantasize. They are extremely creative, artistic, and often musical, with extreme moods of joyfulness and fear, accomplishment and insecurity, and often anxious.
They are erratic and always unpredictable. Their faith is changed easily. Their memory is good if they study the night before the test. But a week later they will have forgotten everything. If they remember dreams at all, they usually are running, jumping and flying, or a nightmare full of fear. They are light sleepers with scanty, interrupted sleep patterns.
They usually speak in a high pitched voice faster than they think. They think and fantasize about sex often, but perform poorly having already expended their energy mentally. They generally spend money impulsively and so stay relatively poor. Their pulse is thin and feeble, and threads like a snake.
PITTA
Pitta stands with medium build, height, and bone structure, with soft, oily skin, that's warm to the touch. They have fair complexions, burning easily. The have a reddish or yellowish hue. Their hair is soft and oily and will bald and gray early. Until then it will generally be reddish or yellow-blonde. They have moderate size, yellowish teeth with soft gums that bleed easily. Their eyes are green or hazel, with a sharp, penetrating, lustrous look, set below a large forehead.
They have strong appetites and need large meals to be satisfied, but will not snack. They like sweet, bitter and astringent foods, like candy, green salads and bananas. This is washed down all day long with cold drinks. They have frequent bowel movements with soft, oily, loose, discharges. They must evacuate immediately when they feel the urge. They are moderately active, but with intensely competitive spirits.
They can be overly aggressive and assertive, highly intelligent and organized, with nearly photographic memories. They become teachers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, - and angry when not fed on time! They are easily irritated and can be dangerous when jealous, which happens often. They are fanatical about their faith.
They sleep short and deep, with fiery dreams of war and violence, or long conversations with exchanges of money. It's always an epic. They are good orators, but can be sharp and cutting with their speech. They know how to save, but usually for the purchase of luxuries, that make a statement about their position in life and enhance their ego. When not too busy trying to organize the world, they can be roused to passion and perform competently. Their pulse is moderate, and jumps like a frog.
KAPHA
Kaphas are large, thick, big boned and strong. They stand not too tall, but often as the foundation of society. They have a tendency to be overweight and can become heavy by just looking at food! Their skin is thick, smooth, oily, and cool, with a tendency to be pale.
Their hair is thick, wavy, oily, dark black or light blonde with strong even white teeth. They seldom get a cavity. Their eyes are large and well formed with ample whites showing and deep blue irises, decorated with thick, long lashes. These are called the lotus eyes in India because they look like lotus petals and because they adorn the lotus face of the supreme Lord Krishna.
Kaphas have small appetites and eat slowly - many small meals a day - the big snackers of society.They like pungent, bitter, and astringent foods like spicy dishes, green salads, and pomegranates. But they especially like dry, crispy things. They rarely drink, and have one full and heavy bowel movement daily.
They are not very active and must study repeatedly to understand, but will never forget once they learn. Therefore they often prefer repetitious jobs where little innovation is necessary. They make good bankers, insurance agents, or factory workers. Kapha people in general are slow, steady and reliable.
They are good with money which they know how to conserve to an extreme. They can become overly greedy and attached. But they are extremely compassionate, forgiving, loving, and patient, becoming nurses, social workers, and the clergy of different religions. They have a deep, steady faith and highly developed spiritual feelings.
They sleep deep and long, dreaming of romantic settings by lakes and rivers, or swimming. They speak slowly in a monotonous voice, and are not sexually aroused easily, but perform most admirably once inclined. Their pulse is broad and slow like the swan.

What is Rasayana?

What is Rasayana?
• Ayurveda, India's ancient science of natural and herbal holistic healing, which was developed thousands of years ago by the spiritually elite, is now finally manifesting in the western world. The main part of Ayurveda is it's Herbal Tonics or Rasayana formulas which were originally created by the sages of the past.
• Rasayana simply means, that which makes new again or helps restore ones youthful state of physical and mental health as well as expand our state of happiness.
• Our products are formulated with the intention of bringing back into balance one or more of the five elements, which get put out of balance from improper diet etc. In return this promotes balance on the physical, mental and subtle levels of our being which will add life to our years as well as years to your life.
• Ayurvedic Rasayanas are prepared according to the Vedic traditional standards practiced in ancient times. They are made of only 100% natural ingredients, using only the best of the Ayurveda and Western herbs and spices, ghee (purified butter), raw honey, dried fruits, Sucanat (unprocessed sugar) and natural flavors. They are prepared by hand (the old custom), using utensils of copper, iron and clay. Being highly nutritious and antioxidant they provide many elements which are lacking in the modern diet.
• These Rasayanas can be used by anyone, young or old, without any ill side effect, however they should not take the place of a qualified doctor when in need due to some acute disease. Being gentle in their healing effects they work by assisting nature in its own healing powers. Ayurveda does not believe in trying to kill viruses in the body with powerful chemicals, but believes in assisting the bodies own healing energies with the proper harmonizing herbs and the ideal individual diet. This way the immune system will work the way nature intended it to.
• Most of these Rasayanas can be used regularly as a food for maintaining balanced mental and physical health.
Paste verses Pills
Rasayanas are a whole line of traditional Alternative Medicines. They are the Classical form of Indian herbal medicine in a concentrated herbal paste similar to the famous Chyavan-Prash. The word Rasayana literally means any herbal alternative medicine or special food which helps to bring about the renewal and preservation of a youthful physical and mental state of being. What makes Rasayanas unique over ordinary pills is that they are prepared with special foods that carry the active oils and extracts of the herbs to a deeper tissue level.The traditional Rasayanas were prepared with honey and ghee ( purified butter). Any alternative medicine prepared with honey, ghee and sugar is far superior over the common pills and gelatin capsules we are custom to taking in the west. The potency and preservation of the herbs is permanently locked into the ghee and honey. According to Ayurvedic texts, ghee that is older than ten years develops strong medicinal qualities, and the astringent property of honey that is older than one year also contains medicinal effects. Rasayanas are strongly anti-aging, tissue preserving and antioxidant. The best ways of taking alternative medicines is their freshly squeezed juices or in the form of a Rasayana. Most Rasayanas are made corresponding to the different body types with emphasis on harmonizing one or more of the elements that have gone out of balance due to a persons lack of Knowledge about his or her proper constitution.
Advantages of Rasayanas over pills, capsules ect.
• Rasayanas do not loose their potency and aroma like pills do.
• When where your pills made and how much of their aroma is left?
• Honey and ghee act as the best natural preservatives and carrier of the herbs oils.
• Assimilation is greatly increased and they increase the herbs effects.
• The medicinal properties of honey and ghee increase with age.
• Can be stored away for old age.
• Rasayanas allow you to taste the herbs on the tongue where predigestion and absorption begins.
• Honey and ghee are considered food of the Gods in most folklore books.
• Made from many complimentry herbs which gives more effect than one single herb.
• Rasayanas curb the need for sweets, overeating and snacking.
• Rasayanas are the most traditional form of medicine.
• They increase the subtle invigorating fluids, Ojas and inner most sap of the body (Semen).
• They all have a strong fragrance and aromatic aroma.
• The good tasting ones can be eaten by children to have a calming effect.
For those who count their fat intake
Ghee is butter with all the impurities and artery clogging substances removed. If ghee has a fattening effect on you the herbs that are preserved in it will counteract that because of their strong anti-fat properties. ie. Nobody is getting fat from our products. The history of ghee is long and fascinating. In ancient time they called it "The Royal Oil", appreciated as supreme food for health and longevity. If taken in moderate quantity it gives strength to mind and body, helps digestion, slows down the ageing process of human cells especially recommended to children and elder people because of it's ability to regulate metabolism naturally. It promotes vitality, memory and intelligence.
If you have Candida
Honey is a natural antibiotic and will not increase candida nor will ghee. Using triphala (No.29) regularily will help remove candida.
Disclaimer: (None of these products have been FDA endorsed nor have they been proven through clinical studies to cure any disease, however their formulation is based on traditional Ayurvedic medical texts in which similar products have been proven through hundreds of years of use to be helpful in health and disease.)
We recommend that for acute problems one should consume a jar over a 5 to 7 day period until the symptoms subside. For chronic problems one should consume one jar over a three week period and use for at least 3 to 12 months. It is usually the case that for every year of wrong eating it takes one month of treatment with herbs and diet to reverse the wrong you have done. There is no fast way or single pill that will cure you of a disease but only through perseverance on the right path can it be done in the most natural way. These products are mostly in a herbal concentrate food paste form which in most cases is very tasty and pleasant to consume.
Dosage: The dosage on any of the products can vary from 1 tsp. to 3 tsp. depending on your sensitivity, body size, age, seriousness of your health problem and financial status. We recommend that you start with small doses and experiment to see how much you feel comfortable with. One teaspoon is the minimum dosage for any age. There is no over-dosing but it is best to not exceed more than 1/4 th of a jar in a days time. Each jar contains 100,000 milligrams of herbs. In most cases one jar last about 2 to 3 weeks.

Ayurveda diet

Charaka Samhita 1.41The Ayurvedic healers usually begin the cure of disease by arranging the diet that is to be followed by the patient. So much do the Ayurvedic physicians rely on diet that they declare that all diseases can be cured by following dietetic rules carefully along with the proper herbal supplements; but if a patient does not attend to his diet, a hundred good medicines will not cure him.
Ayurveda, India's holistic, integrated, physiotherapeutic medical system is based upon the universal natural law of balancing the five elements (ether, air, fire, water and earth) that make up the physical body. When one or more of these elements go out of balance because of improper diet and life style, various diseases and mental disturbances can manifest. Ayurveda explains that these five elements are kept intact in the body by three subtle forces called doshas. The key to maintaining physical and mental health is in keeping these elements and doshas in harmonic balance through proper diet, herbs and life style, otherwise early aging and various diseases can manifest. The three doshas are called Vata (sattva), Pitta (raga) and Kapha (tama). These three doshas can even be traced back to the very beginning of creation as representing the three Gods in Vedic wisdom Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma. Vata is the underlying subtle force ruling over ether and air, Pitta rules fire and Kapha is responsible for keeping the water and earth elements in balance. One or more of these doshas or elements will predominate in every individual living entity creating seven possible body types. By knowing which type you are by symptoms the proper diet and herbal treatment can be established for you.
The old saying, "One man's food is another man's poison", is perfectly applicable in Ayurveda, because every food contains these five elements and doshas in different proportions, and our ingesting them will effect our elemental balance in a positive or negative way. Each element by its inherent property, joins with that which is a part of the body. If to much of one element is ingested by a person who already has that element in a sufficient quantity by inheritance, an imbalance can manifest. For example, if a person who has more of the Pitta dosha (fire) eats spicy, sour or to salty foods (which increase heat in the body,) disturbances related to the fire element can manifest. The mind can be afflicted by anger, aggression, impatience, stress, and egotism, and the body can get disturbances like toxic blood, fever, infections, cancer, skin diseases, boils, liver problems and acid indigestion etc. By eating foods and Ayurvedic Rasayanas which have a cooling effect on body and mind, the fire element or heat will be reduced to normal.

AYURVEDA

Ayurveda is the oldest surviving complete medical system in the world. Derived from its ancient Sanskrit roots - ‘ayus' (life) and ‘ved' (knowledge) – and offering a rich, comprehensive outlook to a healthy life, its origins go back nearly 5000 years. To when it was expounded and practiced by the same spiritual rishis, who laid the foundations of the Vedic civilisation in India, by organising the fundamentals of life into proper systems.
The main source of knowledge in this field therefore remain the Vedas, the divine books of knowledge they propounded, and more specifically the fourth of the series, namely Atharvaveda that dates back to around 1000 BC. Of the few other treatises on Ayurveda that have survived from around the same time, the most famous are Charaka Samhita and the Sushruta Samhita which concentrate on internal medicine and surgery respectively. The Astanga Hridayam is a more concise compilation of earlier texts that was created about a thousand years ago. These between them forming a greater part of the knowledge base on Ayurveda as it is practiced today.
The art of Ayurveda had spread around in the 6th century BC to Tibet, China, Mongolia, Korea and Sri Lanka, carried over by the Buddhist monks travelling to those lands. Although not much of it survives in original form, its effects can be seen in the various new age concepts that have originated from there.
No philosophy has had greater influence on Ayurveda than Sankhaya’s philosophy of creation and manifestation. Which professes that behind all creation there is a state of pure existence or awareness, which is beyond time and space, has no beginning or end, and no qualities. Within pure existence, there arises a desire to experience itself, which results in disequilibrium and causes the manifestation of the primordial physical energy. And the two unite to make the "dance of creation" come alive.
Imponderable, indescribable and extremely subtle, this primordial energy – which and all that flows from it existing only in pure existence – is the creative force of all action, a source of form that has qualities. Matter and energy are so closely related that when energy takes form, we tend to think of it in terms of matter only. And much modified, it ultimately leads to the manifestation of our familiar mental and physical worlds.
It also gives rise to cosmic consciousness, which is the universal order that prevades all life. Individual intelligence, as distinct from the everyday intellectual mind, is derived from and is part of this consciousness. It is the inner wisdom, the part of individuality that remains unswayed by the demands of daily life, or by Ahamkara, the sense of `I-ness’.
A Sanskrit word with no exact translation, Ahamkara, is a concept not quite understood by everyone as it is often misleadingly equated to `ego’. Embracing much more than just that, it is in essence that part of ‘me’ which knows which parts of the universal creation are ‘me’. Since ‘I’ am not separate from the universal consciousness, but ‘I’ has an identity that differentiates and defines the boundaries of `me’. All creations therefore have Ahamkara, not just human beings.
There arises from Ahamkara a two-fold creation. The first is Satwa, the subjective world, which is able to perceive and manipulate matter. It comprises the subtle body (the mind), the capacity of the five sense organs to hear, feel, see, taste and smell, and for the five organs of action to speak, grasp, move, procreate and excrete. The mind and the subtle organs providing the bridge between the body, the Ahamkara and the inner wisdom, which three together is considered the essential nature of humans.
The second is Tamas, the objective world of the five elements of sound, touch, vision, taste and smell – the five subtle elements that give rise to the dense elements of ether or space, air, fire, water and the earth – from which all matter of the physical world is derived. And it is Rajas, the force or the energy of movement, which brings together parts of these two worlds.

It is worth noting that even at the stage of the dense elements the philosophy of creation –which according to Sankaya is now and in the present, without any past and any future – is still dealing with aspects of existence beyond our simple physical realms. The point of contention being that we are the first and foremost spirit experiencing existence. To use Ayurveda in daily life, one has neither to accept nor even understand this philosophy. But it does provide a deeper insight into how Ayurveda works towards betterment of your health.
Ayurveda therefore is not simply a health care system but a form of lifestyle adopted to maintain perfect balance and harmony within the human existence, from the most abstract transcendental values to the most concrete physiological expressions. Based on the premise that life represents an intelligent co-ordination of the Atma (Soul), Mana (Mind), Indriya (Senses) and Sharira (Body). That revolves around the five dense elements that go into the making of the constitution of each individual, called Prakriti. Which in turn is determined by the vital balance of the three physical energies - Vata, Pitta, Kapha and the three mental energies - Satwa, Rajas, Tamas.
The Hindu God of creation revealed the science of ayurveda to the sage Atreya
Ayurveda thus offers a unique blend of science and philosophy that balances the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual components necessary for holistic health.