History of 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 5,000 years. When it was expounded and practised by the same spiritual Rishis who laid the foundations of the Vedic civilisation in India, by organising the fundamentals of life into proper systems.

It also gives rise to cosmic consciousness, which is the universal order that pervades 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’ have 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 5 sense organs to hear, feel, see, taste, and smell, and for the 5 organs of action to speak, grasp, move, procreate, and excrete. The mind and the subtle organs provide the bridge between the body, the Ahamkara and the inner wisdom, which 3 together are considered the essential nature of humans.

The second is Tamas, the objective world of the 5 elements of sound, touch, vision, taste, and smell – the 5 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 2 worlds.

Ayurveda is founded on the belief that every individual is made up of 5 fundamental elements that shape their unique constitution, known as Prakriti. This constitution is determined by the vital balance of three physical energies—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha—and 3 mental energies—Satwa, Rajas, and Tamas. Ayurveda thus offers a unique blend of science and philosophy that harmonises the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects essential for holistic wellbeing.