Scientific Exposition of Ayurveda A Wholistic Medical Science

Making of the book

During my study of Ayurveda, I witnessed expression of extreme nature towards the system of Ayurveda from shear disdain to wonderfully pleasing. On one hand was rejection of the Ayurvedic system by people in Ayurveda itself and on the other hand was appreciation of Ayurvedic system by the people of Modern Medical stream. It was all confusing. I suddenly became interested in study of Ayurveda more out of curiosity than any sort of commitment. To my surprise, I found study of Ayurveda very satisfying under the guidance of ever-respected Prof. J.N. Mishra of State Ayurvedic College, Lucknow during my Post Graduation. I was strongly convinced that Ayurveda deserves a better place in  world than it currently holds. My association with people in Modern Medical Science revealed to me that they do appreciate results of the Ayurvedic treatment but are unable to recognize its validity due to faulty projection of Ayurvedic system. Fault lies in presentation of Ayurvedic system of medicine, not in Ayurveda. Fortunately, I was well trained and capable enough to understand the methodology of the modern medical system, along with other postgraduates of present era, so I was better equipped to understand the needs of  Modern Medical Science. So I decided to put query into Ayurvedic concepts with modern outlook. I was surprised to find the sustenance power of the universal principles of Ayurveda during my critical examination of concepts. In fact, Ayurveda always add something into the existing knowledge of Modern Medical Science. Ayurveda complements the Modern Medical Science in a very beautiful way by adding subjectivity to advance objectivity of the latter.

Even this point had been and still being debated whether it is necessary to put forth Ayurvedic system of medicine in terminology of Modern Medical Science and that Ayurveda loses its nature as soon as we try to bring it at a platform of Modern Medical System. It is quite a wasteful debate in my view. Ayurveda is universal in nature so belongs to every one and it cannot lose its identity. Yes! a wrongful perception of Medical System can certainly bring this situation.

In spite of all discussions, Ayurveda remains a system that must be extended to every practitioner due to its shear universality. Appreciation of Ayurveda from people in stream of Modern Medical Science encouraged me to do this work. I have a strong conviction that the Modern System of Medicine has come to stay and it has undisputed usefulness in its own special way. Incorporation of universality of Ayurveda into the Modern System will solve the existing deficiencies of the Modern Medicine also.

About the book

This book has been specially designed to present the concepts of Ayurveda in universal perspective for the general readers, students and practitioners of the Modern Medical Science.

This book looks into understanding of Philosophy of true medical science, the Ayurveda. Study of Ayurveda primarily deals in the philosophy of development of Ayurveda. It is not the compilation of the text available in the ancient scriptures but it is approach of a constructionist. Since Ayurveda deals in the formulation of fundamentals of medical science with a true holistic approach so fundamentals of Ayurveda have universal application. Most important aspect is consideration of space and time as the part of human body. It is interesting to appreciate the human body in its cosmic relevance.

This book is a part of the series of works in understanding the philosophy of Ayurveda. This book deals in the knowledge of substances of Ayurveda. The presented work is formulated into different part. 

1) Study of different principles governing the direction of methods employed in gaining knowledge (epistemology).

2) Application of epistemology to understand the normal structure, normal function, causes of abnormality, diagnosis, line of treatment and treatment in the human body.

We need to look into the philosophy of knowledge (epistemology) and apply the principles of epistemology to understand the true medical science. It is not a new field. In fact, Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine is just that.  Ayurveda is application of philosophy to understand the mechanisms of human body. Purpose of the presented text is not merely talking Ayurveda but look into the philosophy of medical science by studying the methods employed in the deduction of the principles of medical science.  Attempt is also made to strengthen the theory of gaining knowledge by studying the history and consequent evolution of the knowledge in medical field. We find that various steps in the evolution of science conform only to the steps of methods of gaining the knowledge. 

History of science reveals the change in paradigms in explanations of the reality. But these changes in paradigms have only further strengthened the universal viewpoint. These paradigm shifts are not the failure of scientific methods but are the essential components of process of gaining the knowledge. 

Purpose of the presented work is not criticism of a particular scientific method but appreciation of different scientific methods in universal view. Science is not different from philosophy.   Science only relates to the usefulness of philosophy in context of humans. Whereas purpose of science is to look into the usefulness of various discoveries and inventions, the purpose of the philosophy is to look into universality of the usefulness. When the usefulness becomes universal then there is no distinction left between the science and philosophy. 

The above statement will be appreciated by looking into the history of science in context of scientific methodology employed and gradual change into perception of reality from the sheer objectivity to subjectivity. Subjectivity of reality prevails at the end but objective approach helps in understanding the subjectivity of our approach.