Introduction

Ayurveda, the “science of life,” or longevity,is the holistic alternative science from India,
and is more than 5,000 years old. It is believed to be the oldest healing science in existence,
forming the foundation of all others. Buddhism,Taoism, Tibetan, and other cultural medicines
have many similar parallels to Áyurveda. The secret of Áyurveda’s individualized healing method was preserved in India, whereas it has been lost or superseded in other cultures.The First World Medicine Áyurveda (pronounced Aa-yer-vay-da), said to be a world medicine, is the most holistic or comprehensive medical system available. Before the
arrival of writing, the ancient wisdom of healing, prevention, and longevity was a part of the spiritual tradition of a universal religion. Healers gathered from the world over, bringing their medical knowledge to India. Veda Vyasa, the famous sage, preserved the complete knowledge of Áyurveda in writing, along with the more spiritual insights of ethics, virtue, and Self-Realization. Others say Áyurveda was passed down from God to his angels, and finally to humans.The methods used to find this knowledge of herbs, foods, aromas, gems, colors, yoga, mantras,lifestyle, and surgery are fascinating and varied.The sage, physicians/surgeons of the time were the same sages or seers, deeply devoted holy people,who saw health as an integral part of spiritual life.It is said that they received their training of Áyurveda through direct cognition during meditation.That is, the knowledge of the use of the various methods of healing, prevention, longevity, and surgery came through Divine revelation; guessing or animal testing was unnecessary. These revelations were transcribed from oral tradition into written
form, interspersed with aspects of mortal life and spirituality.Originally four main books of Vedic spirituality existed. Topics included health, astrology, spiritual business, government, military, poetry, and ethical living. These are known as the Vedas: ¼ik,
Sama, Yajur, and Atharva. Áyurveda was used along with Vedic astrology (called Jyotißh, that is,one’s “inner light”). Eventually, Áyurveda was organized into its own compact system of health and considered a branch of Atharva Veda. This upaveda/branch dealt with the healing aspects of spirituality; although, it did not directly treat spiritual development. Passages related to Áyurveda from the various Vedas were combined into separate books dealing only with Áyurveda. Among the ¼ik Veda’s 10,572 hymns are discussions of the three constitutions (doßhas): air (Váyu), fire(Pitta), and water (Kapha). Topics comprised organ transplants, artificial limbs, and the use of herbs to heal diseases of the mind and body and to foster
longevity. Within the Atharva Veda’s 5,977 hymns are discussions of anatomy, physiology, and surgery.There were two schools of Áyurveda at the time of Átreya, the school of physicians and the school of surgeons. These two schools transformed Áyurveda into a scientifically verifiable and classifiable medical system. Through research and testing, they dispelled the doubts of the more practical and scientific minded, removing the aura of mystery that surrounded Divine
revelation. Consequently, Áyurveda grew in respect and became a widely used system of healing in India. People from many countries came to Indian Áyurvedic schools to learn about this medicine in its entirety. Chinese, Tibetans, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Afghanis, Persians, and others traveled to absorb the wisdom and bring it back to their own countries. India’s Silk Road, an established trade route between Asia (China, Tibet, etc.), the Middle East (Afghanistan, Persia, etc.), and Europe (Rome, Greece, etc.), provided a link between
cultures. On this route travelers first discovered Áyurveda.Charak and Sußhrut are two reorganizers of Áyurveda whose works are still extant. The third major treatise is called the Aßhþáñga H^idayam, a concise version of the works of Charak and Sußhrut. Thus, the three main ancient Áyurvedic texts still in use are the Charak Saåhitá (compilation),Sußhrut Saåhitá, and the Aßhþáñga H^idayam Saåhitá. These books are believed to be over1,200 years old and contain the original and complete knowledge of this Áyurvedic world medicine.
Consequently, Áyurveda is the only complete ancient medical system in existence.
Charak represents the Átreya school of physicians, discussing physiology, anatomy, etiology,
pathogenesis, symptoms and signs of disease,
methodology of diagnosis, treatment and prescription
for patients, prevention, and longevity. Internal
and external causes of illness are also considered.
Charak maintains that the first cause of illness
is the loss of faith in the Divine. In other words,
when people do not recognize that God dwells
within all things, including themselves, this separation
of vision creates a gap. This gap causes a
longing or suffering for oneness of vision. This
suffering then manifests itself as the beginning of
spiritual, mental, and physical disease. External
influences on health include time of day, the seasons,
diet, and lifestyle. An entire section is devoted
to discussions of the medicinal aspects of
herbs, diet, and reversal of aging.
Sußhruta comes from the Dhanvantari school
of surgeons. In America, a society of surgeons
named themselves the Sußhruta Society in remembrance
of the Áyurvedic father of surgery. This text
presents sophisticated accounts of surgical equipment,
classification of abscesses, burns, fractures,
and wounds, amputation, plastic surgery, and anal/
rectal surgery. Human anatomy is described in
great detail, including descriptions of the bones,
joints, nerves, heart, blood vessels, circulatory system, etc., again, corroborated by today’s methods
of mechanical investigation. From the Sußhrut Saåhitá, the first science of massage is described
using marma points or vital body points, later adapted into Chinese acupuncture. Even the popular
Polarity Massage Therapy in America was developed after advocates studied massage in India.