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Australasian Association of Ayurveda Inc
Ayurveda, or Ayurvedic Medicine is a classical traditional medical system originated in India.

The origin of Ayurveda can be attributed to the ancient sages of India who, by observation and reflection of the laws of nature around them, laid down some fundamental rules of longevity and happy life.

Ayurveda belongs to the ancient Indian tradition of the Vedas meaning – knowledge or scientia in Latin. The Vedas are comprised of four major books that deal with various aspects of life namely, Rig Veda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharveda. Notwithstanding, there are references of more than 60 recipes described in the Rig Veda, the oldest of the four Vedas, written about 6000 years ago, almost all scholars agree that Ayurveda is an Upa-Veda -subsidiary – of the Atharva Veda – the latest of the four Vedas. written about the 1200-900 BCE.

Ayurveda was first described by Agnivesha, in his book Agnivesh Tantra, which was later refined by Rishi Charaka in Charaka Samhita, the form in which it is handed down to us today, and subsequently by Sushruta (Sushruta Samhita) and Bagbhata (Ashtanga Hridayam).

Etymology of Ayurveda is the Sandhi (combination) of Ayuh (life or life Span) + Veda (scientia or science, knowledge, understanding). It may be worth noting that prior to 17th century scientia or science was closely associated with philosophy and was used interchangeably.

In understanding Ayurveda (life-science) its philosophical aspect cannot be ignored.


Ayurveda is part of the Samkhya Philosophy
Samkhya is one of the 6 principal schools of Indian philosophy attributed to Rishi Kapila:

Samkhya philosophy offers a framework for all levels of manifestation, from the subtlest to the grossest.
It is of dualistic nature, where the opposites create the “tension” to bring equilibrium of existence.
Samkhya comes from samyag akhyate, which literally means that which explains the whole. It is enumerationist philosophy, nothing remains the same – ever changing and dynamic.
Samkhya deals with Purusha (consciousness), and Prakriti (matter), Buddhi or Mahat (intelligence), Ahamkara (I-am-ness).
Samkyha distinguishes between the Purusha, the fixed and unchangeable and the Prakriti, the ever-changing and dynamic.
Purusha is the Transcendental Self or Pure Consciousness, beyond any words or explanation, it is eternal.
Prakriti is the first cause of the universe, it is the manifestation we perceive and experience in the form of matter or substance.
Samkhya explains the following:

Mind (manas) or Buddhi (the faculty of discrimination),
Three gunas or “qualities” or “attributes”:
Sattva – fineness, lightness, illumination, and joy.
Rajas – activity, excitation and pain.
Tamas – coarseness, heaviness, obstruction, inertia and sloth.
Cognitive and Active senses (the indriyas)
Gyanendriyas and Karmendriyas through which we experience the manifest world
Ignorance is the misunderstanding of temporal as permanent.
As we live in this dualistic world we cannot experience the “joy” without “suffering”, yet to live in suffering defeats the purpose of life.
Moksha (Liberation) is the ultimate aim, when we break the bondage of material manifestation, which is the cause of all suffering.
Samkhya and Yoga are the two parallel paths of “Liberation”:
Samkhya is the path of pure understanding and
Yoga is the path of Dhyana (Meditation)
When the ancient Indian sages observed and pondered on this temporal and terrestrial human existence they came to the understanding that “the end is the ultimate aim of the beginning” – that is, we come to realise the meaning that the dynamic aspect of life is eternally changing.
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