CHAPTER 1
Ayurveda: An Ancient Universal Healing System
“In reality it is not bacteria themselves that produce the disease, but we believe it is the chemical constituents of these microorganisms enacting upon unbalanced cell metabolism of the human body that actually produces the disease. We also believe that if the metabolism of human body is perfectly balanced or poised, it is susceptible to no disease.”
Royal Rafe
Ayurveda which means science of life and longevity. It is the oldest medical science in the Indian subcontinent and has been practiced in India, Sri Lanka and Asian countries since 10th centuy BC. It has a sound philosophical and experiential basis. It is not easy to decide the exact period of origin of Ayurveda. Because it is not the contribution a single individual and of few years. But it is a contribution of thousands of sages through centuries. Ayurveda originated in heavan from Lord Brahma (creator of universe)then transferred to Ashwinikumars who transmitted to Lord Indra, at later date rishi Charak, Sushruta and Vagbhatta wrote Charak samhita (5th century BC), Sushruta Samhita(6th and 5th Century BC) and Ashtanga Hridaya (7th Century AD), respectively. Charaka, Susrutha and Vagbhatta are considered the pioneer ancient scholars who contributed much to the development of Ayurveda through their compilations, interpretations and experiments in Ayurveda. It was Charak who gave for the first time the medical history, the principles of immunity, metabolism, embriology etc. Charak’s knowledge on anatomy and various organs of human body was astonishing. He gave the fundamentals of ayurvedic treatments and detailed description of herbs and their importance in health. Considering the tremendous contribution, Charak is considered “father of medicines”; while Sushruta developed around 125 types of surgical instruments including scalpels, needles mostly designed from the jaws of animals and used horse’s hair as stiching thread. He developed protocols for 300 surgical operations. Considering his enormous contribution in the field of human surgery Sushrutra is known as “father of surgery”. Ayurveda is evolved with a intension to have a happy human life, free from diseases long life. Rishis revealed the deepest truths related to human anatomy, physiology, psychology, health, diseases and their managements. Remember at that time no CT scan, MRI and sonography were available. Ayurveda is a complete science. It is a qualitative holistic science of health and longevity. It is universally fact that everybody wants to live long with sound health. No body wants to become old and die. Our desire for longevity is mentioned in “Atharvaveda”. There is an in built desire of every individual to live for 100 years and more and that too in healthy state of body, mind and, all sense organs especially vision and hearing. A long healthy life has been the cherished desire of man since ancient times. In this stressful, over-busy and toxic world, our natural health, happiness and the inner sense of well-being are masked by the accumulation of impurities. These impurities or toxins called ama causes deterioration of normal body functioning. A rejuvenation therapy can revitalize senses, detoxify the body, restore good health and young look and even increase resistance to diseases. Ancient texts say that rejuvenation therapy can bring back the youthfulness long after one has past that age and it can also increase the life span by many years. Rejuvenation therapy is known to have cured chronic diseases for which otherwise it was impossible to find any treatment.
If you want to live a long healthy active life free from diseases, apart from following Ayurvedic lifestyle, you should also explore other ways of achieving this aim. Regular exercise is one of the most effective ways of overcoming a number of age related problems. To keep your body physically fit and moving the following exercises are recommended.
Suitable nutrition should also be high on your priority. There is a growing tendency in modern times to make the diet as pleasing to the eyes as possible and tasty to the taste buds ingloring to their ultimate effect on health. This has lead to the refining of cereals and sugar and addition of salts to various food stuffs to make them tasty and delicious. Remember all antiaging treatments are a matter of balance between administration of appropriate Rasayana, balanced diet, regular exercises and stress free Lifestyle. Our organs are created to live over 300 years provided right nourishment is received and sufficient care is taken. Today in overbusy world no body has got time visit gym regularly or to think about food, so wear tear occur rapidly as a result signs of aging are noticed.
In addition to good nutrition, exercise, mental attitudes and positive thinking are also essential in fighting aging. There is no point in taking a few antioxidant pills and doing some exercise, when your brain remains neglected and your thoughts become vivid.
This is only possible when a person remain free from disease by taking adequate measures.
Importance of Rasayana Therapy
Acharya Charak has categorically mentioned that with short span of our life and non-healthy state of living, one cannot achieve moksha which is the ultimate goal of life. Acharya Charak said that one should give utmost importance to one’s heath, leaving aside everything. It is said that “if wealth is lost nothing is lost but if health is lost everything is lost”. Because if there is no body, there is nothing can be made available to the individual. Therefore a wise person should make special efforts for achieving this objective. Remember maintainance of health is in your hand and do not expect to happen miracle.
This is possible by promoting rejuvenation, healing, and regeneration of living tissue in the body with the help of this Rasayana therapy. The classical Ayurvedic text says that medicine therapy is divided into prophylactic (preventive) and therapeutic (curative) therapy. Rasayana therapy is included into preventive therapy which is furhter divided into Kuti Praveshika or Indoor-Patient Department and Vatatapika or Outdoor-Patient Department. This unique class of Rasayana therapy enhances the life span, delays aging, improves the intelligence and memory power, promotes health, provides youthful states of the body, betters the body lustier and voice improves the efficiency of the different cognitive abilities and enhances the innate health. It cures diseases how ever deep seated they are. It also reverses the disease process and prevents the re-occurrence. Rasayana replenish the vital fluids of our body, thus keeping us away from life threating diseases.
Everybody knows that aging and death both are natural phenomenon and Acharya Charak considers them inevitable or incurable. No one is immortal. Who so ever born with physical body on this planet has to go one day. There is no exception. But certainly we can extend our life in diseasefree state by taking appropriate steps. Acharya Charak mentions that aging over top most amongst the diseases which can not be cured but the patient be kept free by proper treatment. Acharya Chakrapani mentions that ordinary treatment has got no effect on aging, but Rasayana Therapy particularly Kuti Praveshika is highly effective against aging. It has been mentioned in Charak Samhita that old saint Chyavan became young after the use of Rasayana. Similarly in Vedic literature references of rejuvenation of several rishes are found. In this way premature aging can be treated by Rasayana therapy. However, one should bear in mind that Rasayana is not the final answer to the problem but definitely it can delay the aging process for some time.
Rasayana Therapy
Rasayana is one of the eight clinical specialties of Ayurveda. Rasayana replenish the vital fluids of our body, thus keeping us away from diseases. The Rasayana therapy enhance the qualities of rasa, enriches it with nutrients so one can attains longevity, memory, intelligence, freedom from disorder, youthfulness, excellence of luster, complexion and voice, optimum development of physique and sense organs, mastery over phonetics and brilliance. Taking Rasayana is helpful to increase the immunity of the person to keep him away from disease and also reverses the disease process and prevents the re-occurrence. The Rasayana are rejuvenators, nutritional supplements and possess strong antioxidant activity.
Taking Rasayana is helpful to increase the immunity of the person to keep him away from disease and also reverses the disease process and prevents the re-occurrence. The Rasayana are rejuvenators, nutritional supplements and possess strong antioxidant activity. With the help of Rasayana therpy our sages/ rishis lived for thousands of years in disease free state.
Ayurvedic Concept of Aging
Charak has mentioned that growth period is only up to 30 years after that growth stops and aging start to continue. It has been mentioned that each particular thing (organ) is being lost after passing the each decade of life; from early childhood, first three decades, there is incremental growth. After that body start losing some dhatus. This process goes on till death. At the end of sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth decades of life, remaining functions of motor special senses are lost, respectively.
It is apparent from the preceding that aging is slow and continuous process, which affects various bodily parts at different time. In this way the process of aging definitely begins in the fourth decade of life.
Modern Concept of Aging and Their Control
According to latest concept of Modern medicine, aging occurs because of malfunctioning of DNA repair mechanism and if we could reverse this action by any means, it will slow down the process of aging. Aging is like cancer and many neurological disorders occur due to damaged DNA.
Though damage of DNA in cells is a continuous phenomenon in our body, but cells keep them repairing. But aging retards such a capacity. The accumulated DNA damage in the body results in wrong kinds of signals (mRNA) as result wrong proteins is being synthesized, which will lead into cell death because of accumulating of toxic substances eventually cell dies. The repair of DNA involves many enzymes; out of this DNA polymerse is of prime importance. The malfunction this enzyme causes aging in brain neurons. Somehow correction in this defect may give chance that DNA repair can be resurrected. Allopathic medicine research indicates that for the damage of DNA, free radicals are the real culprit which are produced during oxidation of food we eat. To neutralize these free radicals vitamin A, vitamin E etc. are used. These compounds are called antioxidants. So, use of antioxidants is the master key to this universal problem. Environmental pollution, irregular habit, junk food, processed food etc. are significant contributor of aging. Symptoms of aging grey hair, wrinkles, loss of sleep, impairment of sight and hearing; brital bones (osteoporosis, arthritis, stiffness, weakened spine). Other sign of aging incluses pain, giddiness, Parkinson’s disease, heart, arteries and blood pressure problem, decrased mental function.
We all know that prevention is better than cure. We prevent to rebuild our car engines by changing the engine oil at every 3000 miles; much cheaper. Similarly our medical system is full of expensive high priced “fixes”. (Open heart surgery, heart bypass), which can be saved by simple health practices (good health) will prevent heart attacks.