Ayurveda: Ayurveda - the way life could be, should be!

By Jennifer Beckman

Ayurveda - the way life could be, should be!

Imagine a culture thousands of years ago, a great civilisation known as Indus. So advanced was the culture, that they had superior architecture, engineering, education and commerce. Above all, it was a spiritual place where all living creatures were respected and the vulnerable were protected, even the animals.

He who regards kindness to humanity as the supreme religion and treats his patients accordingly, succeeds best in achieving the aims of life and obtains the greatest happiness.

These peoples lived by the laws of the Vedas, given to them by the great rishis, who in turn had got them from heavenly sources. The Vedas covered all aspects of life and death and were passed down, generation after generation, by mantra, in beautiful verse.

Part of this ancient vedic knowledge was the Ayurveda "the science of life". A complete holistic system of medicine igniting the doctor and patient into the truth that every living thing is connected to the cosmos and the creator. The microcosm within and the macrocosm without - the universe within the universe. This system included psychology and spirituality, considering the laws of nature known as karma, rebirth and transcendental consciousness.

The structure was based on the source of all as Cosmic Consciousness, seen as male and female . For creation to take place Purusha (male), pure consciousness, and Prakruti (female), responsible for diversity, unite. She initalises the creati on, he takes no active part. When they combine, so creation begins, when they detach, creation ceases. Her first creation is cosmic intelligence, then ego. This manifests into five senses, enabling man to perceive his environment and five motor organs, it's agent being satva (Creation). The same ego goes on to manifest five elements; ether, air, fire, water and earth, the ego's agent being tamas (Destruction). Rajas moves the life force to initiate creation and destruction.

The five elements are manifest in the body as three basic principles known as the tridosha - VATA from ETHER and AIR, PITTA from FIRE and WATER and KAPHA from EARTH and WATER. They balance creation, maintenance and destruction of the body tissue. The basic constitution of every single person is determined at conception, although it may vary slightly according to our environment. When out of balance they cause disease, meaning dis,' deprived of' and ease, `comfort'. Therefore, harmony and balance should be maintained for a healthy, long life. The longer we live, the more knowledge we should gain as to who we really are, and where we really come from - that we are eternal spirit soul, atman. Only the outer body is finite.

The aim of Ayurveda is:

1 To achieve positive health for the individual

2 Protection of the masses

3 Ultimate liberation

In Ayurveda, when an imbalance occurred, nature was used to cure...plants, sun, water, wind, gems, mantras, oils, rest and the food we eat! Amazing to imagine... to imagine is to believe in a way of life that fits past, present and future for just as the cosmos lives so do we, together in harmony.

Dr. David Frawley and Dr Vasant Lad, really put it so beautifully in their book "The Yoga of Herbs" when they said "Ayurveda is not of the east or the west, of ancient or modem time. it is one with all life, a knowledge that belongs to all living beings-not a system imposed upon them, but a resource to be drawn upon freely and to be adapted to the unique needs of the individuals in his or her particular environment".

I have greatly simplified this explanation of the great science of Ayurveda, and hope it has been a taster for you to explore further into the healing science and the way of life known as the Vedas. 

There is no end to the learning of Ayurveda. Hence you should carefully and constantly devote yourself to it. You should increase your skill by learning from others without jealousy. The wise regard the whole world as their teacher, whereas the ignorant consider it to be their enemy.

In our Vision, it is our wish to bring about the oneness with all life once again, propagate it further, so future generations won't have to imagine!

The mission of the Vedic Cultural Fellowship (VCF) is to bring vedic spirituality to the enchanting land of New Mexico, establishing a center that can be visited by people from around the globe. Vedic culture is inherently spiritual in outlook, making kindness, charity, compassion, and honesty the main values for harmony in life. We will seek to teach and apply the sciences of natural ayurvedic medicine, yoga, meditation, and vedic astrology, along with the varied arts which have their origin in the Vedas. Our desire is to help individuals overcome physical, emotional, or spiritual problems naturally, gaining a higher outlook on life both individually and collectively.

For more information, please visit http://www.vedicworld.org