The main source of information in this field remains in the Vedas – the divine books of knowledge. Of the few other treatises on Ayurveda that have survived through the years, the most famous are the Charaka Samhita and the Sushruta Samhita, which concentrate on internal medicine and surgery, respectively. The Vedas and the Astanga Hridayam, a more concise compilation of earlier texts created about 1000 years ago, lay the foundation upon which Ayurveda is practiced today.
Carried over by the Buddhist monks travelling to Tibet, China, Mongolia, Korea, and Sri Lanka, the art of Ayurveda spread during the 6th Century B.C. Although not much of its survives in original form, the influences of these countries can be seen in various ways.
No philosophy has had a greater influence on Ayurveda that 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 this pure existence, there arises a desire of experience, which results in disequilibrium and causes the manifestation of the primordial physical energy. When both the energy and existence unite, the “dance of creation” comes alive.
Imponderable, indescribable and extremely subtle, this primordial energy is the creative force of all action, a source of form that yields a variety of 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 after being modified, it ultimately leads to the manifestation of our familiar mental and physical worlds.
This pure energy also gives rise to cosmic consciousness, which is the universal order that pervades all life. It should also be noted that individual intelligence is derived from and is part of this consciousness; it is the inner wisdom the part of individuality that remains untouched by the demands of daily life, or by Ahamkara, the sense of individuality.
Ahamkara, is a two-fold creation: the first is Satwa –the subjective world, which is able to perceive and manipulate matter. It comprises the mind, the capacity of the five senses to hear, feel, see, taste, and smell, and the five 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, all three of which 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 either or space, air, fire, water, and the earth, from which all matter of the physical world is derived.
The Satva the Tamas is connected by the Rajas –the force, or the energy of movement.
| Dense Element | Subtle Element | Sense Organ | Motor Organ | Function |
| Space | Sound | Ears | Vocal Chords | Speaking |
| Air | Touch | Skin | Hands | Grasping |
| Fire | Sight | Eyes | Feet | Moving |
| Water | Taste | Tongue | Genitals | Procreating |
| Earth | Smell | Nose | Anus | Excreting |
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 healing your health.
Ayurveda, therefore, is simply not a health-care system, but rather a lifestyle adopted to maintain perfect balance and harmony within the human body, from the most abstract transcendental experiences to the most concrete physiological expressions. It is based on the premise that life represents an intelligent co-ordination of the Atma (soul), Mana (Mind), Indriya (Senses) and Sharira (Body), all of which revolve around the five dense elements that go into the making of the constitution of each individual, called Prakriti. This in turn, is determined by the vital balance of the three physical energies –Vata, Pitta, Kapha, and the three mental energies – Satva, Tamas, and Rajas.
Ayurveda thus offers a unique blend of science and philosophy that balances the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual components necessary for holistic health.
