AYURVEDIC HEALING: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE (Dr. David Frawley, O.M.D.

(Motilal Banarsidass Publishers - Dehli)

INTRODUCTION

AN OVERVIEW OF THE DISEASE PROCESS

The two causes of diseases:

1) They can arise from physical or biological causes - the imbalance of biological humors, the elements and prime energies of the physical body. Treatment involves mainly physical or medical methods with a naturalistic basis including herbs, diet, body work and asanas. In more extreme cases mineral and drug medicines or surgery may be required.

2) From karmic causes - from the effects of wrong actions we have done in life, meaning from psychological or spiritual causes. These may be wrong occupation, problems in relationship or emotional difficulties, and treatment may require changes in life-style and attitude. Such causes include not living up to our inner purpose or spiritual will in life, what is called in Sanskrit our “dharma”. Diseases can arise from wrong actions in a previous life, primarily those which brought harm to other beings or misused our power or resources.

Such karmic diseases may require some form of atonement or sacrifice, an “inner rectification” to reestablich our well being in life. For this Ayurveda uses yoga and a system of divine or spiritual therapy (daiva cikitsa) which includes the use of gems, mantras, prayers, rituals and meditations. These are not medieval superstition but reflect a profound understanding of the deeper levels of the mind and the means of healing the subtler aspects of our being.

According to Ayurveda, the human being consists of three bodies: the physical, astral and causal, or what could be called in Western terms, body, mind and soul. Its system of diagnosis and treatment, though focused on the physical, considers the other two also. Many Ayurvedic methods are ways of correcting disorders in the energy field behind the physical body, as well as the field of consciousness behind it.

Most disease conditions involve both physical and spiritual factors and require treatment on both levels. Ayurveda, traditionally, involves a holistic treatment of the entire human being.

RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY AND HEALING

· The word ‘God’ (negative connotations because of misrepresentation)

· lack of faith in the Divine, which is something like a lack of faith in life or a positive will to live, is found in many diseases

· disease is often a lack of love, including a lack of caring for oneself and one’s physical body

· hence, the first step in healing is often to open up to Krsna and accept the flow of grace

· This requires understanding that one’s life has a purpose and meaning in the development of the soul and in the spiritual evolution of humanity as a whole

· Most of us are today sick because this spiritual meaning is not present in our lives. We are trapped in the tedium of stimulation of the outer world with practically nothing to nourish our hearts (the bird in the cage).

· Sanatana-dharma

· Self-examination is the first step and fundamental basis of understanding and resolving any disease

· to use disease as a tool for understanding ourselves in both our superficial and deeper layers

· Once this communion with Paramatma is gained, we wil find and inner harmony and hoy that can overcome all external difficulties

· It is on this developing self-awareness that the healing methods and remedial measures suggested herein should be employed

· There is no final way of looking at or treating a disease. Ayurveda provides energetic guidelines, but thes have to be applied on an individual basis

PART ONE

THE PRINCIPLES AND THERAPIES OF THE SCIENCE OF LIFE

· Vata, Pitta and Kapha, the group of the three biological humors, in their natural and disturbed states, give life to the body and destroy it. (Ashtanga Hridaya 1.6)

THE BILOGICAL HUMORS - THE DYNAMICS OF THE LIFE-FORCE

THE THREE GREAT COSMIC FORCES

THE THREE BIOLOGICAL HUMORS

QUALITIES OF THE HUMORS

ACTIONS OF THE HUMORS

AGGRAVATED STATES OF TDHE HUMORS SITES OF TSHE HUMORS THE FIVE FORMS OF VATA (AIR)

THE FIVE FORMS OF PITTA (FIRE)

THE FIVE FORMS OF KAPHA (WATER)

TISSUES (DHATUS)

BODILY SYSTEMS (SROTAS)

PART TWO

THE SIX TASTES - THE ENERGETICS OF HEALING SUBSTANCES

HEATING AND COOLING EFFECTS

HEAVY AND LIGHT PROPERTIES

MOIST AND DRY PROPERTIES

TASTES AND HUMORS

ACTIONS OF THE TASTES

AMOUNTS OF TYHE SIC TASTES NEEDED

COMPARATIVE NUTRITIVE AND MEDICINAL VALUES OF TASTES

AGGRAVATION OF HUMORS BY THE SIX TASTES

EXCESS OF THE TASTES

DEFICIENCY OF THE TASTES

TASTES AND ORGANS

TASTES AND EMOTIONS

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE SIX TASTES

SIX TASTES PILLS

Equal parts of shatavari (sweet), amalaki (sour), rock salt, ginger, barberry (bitter) and haritaki (astringent), or Licorice (sweet), hawthorne berries (sour), sea salt, ginger, barberry (bitter) and red raspberry (astringent).

· To insure adequate amounts of tastes received daily

· They educate our sense of taste and harmonize its function, and

· useful fora strengthening digestion and improving absorption, for chronic digestive system disorders and as an intestinal corrective - particularly good for those with chronic low appetite and anorexia - Modifications:

Vata can take twice the amount proportionally of the sweet, sour and

salty herbs

Pitta sweet, bitter and astringent, and

Kapha pungent, bitter and astringent

· Dosage: One gram tablets every morning

PART THREE

CONSTITUTIONAL EXAMINATION - HOW TO DETERMINE YOUR UNIQUE PSYCHO-PHYSICAL

NATURE