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THE AYURVEDA LIFESTYLE NETWORK

Ayurveda in the Modern World

Andrew Johnson

You might find this article more interesting if before reading it you first try this meditation exercise.

Meditative exercise. Sit in meditation for a while and when your mind is more quiet consider the following question: What would Ayurveda be like if it were re-invented today to help address the ills of modern life? Consider the problems we have today that did not exist when Ayurveda was originated. Consider the types of suffering not only of humanity but of the planet as a whole. When you have some idea of the problems then start searching for insight and guidance for the answers. Imagine if you like what the Rishis (the wise Seers of ancient India who developed Ayurveda) would consider as an appropriate form of Ayurveda for these modern problems. Imagine if you like that you are talking with a wise and compassionate Rishi who is giving you advice and information that updates and adapts Ayurveda for today. You can even pretend that you are a kind of fledgling Rishi just starting to help develop a system of ‘life knowledge’ suitable for the relief of suffering today.

The ancient Sanskrit texts tell us that Ayurveda was born out of compassion so allow your own heart to guide you. Adopt a humble and open minded approach and consider the needs of today with the deepest compassion. You may wish to ask for help from a higher compassionate source as did the ancient sages when they communed with Brahman (God). As much of the ills of today relate to ‘mother earth’ you may also want to ask a form of the Goddess to give you help and guidance.

Make notes of any of the ideas and insights that come up in this meditation, you might find you will get insights later in your dreams or at other times. When you have finished the meditation exercise read the following article and compare or add the ideas that have come up for you in answering this question.

Background to the question. In the year 2000 I returned from studying Ayurveda in India and the above question kept coming up in my meditations. The question presented itself in different ways at different times but it can be summarised in the way I have above for the meditation exercise. Like many reading this, I have a profound respect for Ayurveda. My last trip to India was the culmination of a ten year period of study and use of its principles. It is arguably the most holistic healing system available and it is based upon fundamental principles which make it as useful today as it was when it was originated. These principles are also universal ones which makes it adaptable for use in all cultures and environments. In fact adaptability is one of its strong points that has allowed it to survive and evolve and flourish through a long history of use. For these reasons I was initially confused as to why this question kept coming up and why in fact it needed answering at all?

The answers I have come up with are partly based upon meditation and insight, partly on considering what I know of Ayurveda and the state of the world today, partly on my experience as a practitioner of natural medicine. I have answered it here mainly with the Western world in mind rather than India. For me the answer is in process and I do not pretend to have it all clearly defined in this article. I have found the search itself very useful as it has broadened and deepened my understanding and appreciation of Ayurveda and related Vedic sciences. You may have different ideas in response to this question than I have. Ayurveda was developed by a group of Rishis over a period of time so it would be foolish to think any one person could answer this question in one short article.

Some fundamental principles to consider. One of the principles that has allowed Ayurveda to persist, evolve and still be useful and effective is that of adaption to what is appropriate for different cultures, environments (geographical and climatic) as well on an individual level. This is a good quality and until recent times this adaption has always retained the strongly holistic or integral quality of Ayurveda in relation to its spiritual foundations and the other Vedic sciences. Although Ayurveda needs to adapt to the problems and environment of the West it could in some ways be in danger of ‘throwing the baby out with the bath water’. in the process The tendency of modern culture is to disconnect and fragment everything including healing and wellbeing into specialist areas and we might end up loosing the holistic nature of Ayurveda.

The fundamental concern and ethos of Ayurveda when it was originally developed was to give relief to the suffering of humanity and this was obviously done in a way most appropriate to the needs of the people and culture of that time i.e. mainly of ancient India. Today we have many of the same forms of suffering but we also have many new forms with causes that did not even exist when Ayurveda was developed. The Rishis considered life in a much more holistic way than we often do today and they also considered suffering and its causes from a fundamentally spiritual philosophy as understood in the Vedic Laws of Nature and the Universe.

In order to allow Ayurveda to adapt to the needs of the modern and Western world we need to hold fast to the universal holistic principles whilst letting go of those aspects of the system most suited to ancient India. We also need to reassess the needs of the modern world in the light of these universal principles. There are still many problems that the modern West has in common with both modern and ancient India but there are also a great many differences. I have a great respect and admiration for the Ayurvedic doctors I met and trained with in India but it was obvious that they were dealing a lot of the time with very different problems and causes than our own. We cannot therefore simply sit back and use Ayurveda in its modern Indian form without some consideration of what is appropriate for the West.

Ancient wisdom for modern problems. One of the biggest problems we have today in the modern world is the illusion that we and all things are separate, whereas the Vedas consider that everything is connected. We are, for example, disconnected and unaware of natural cycles and nature in general (not a problem in ancient India) and this contributes to health problems. Ayurveda in the West can help us to reconnect and work with the laws of nature. Simply by becoming more aware of nature and cycles and by spending time in nature we can balance and counteract some of the adverse effects of modern life.

One result of this disconnection from nature is our environmental problems. New forms of pollution and stress effect the body, mind and spirit and are a major contributor to illness. This problem directly endangers not only our health but our survival along with the rest of life as we know it on this planet. Ayurveda has always had an awareness of the environment but it was never designed to face the problems we have today. Through the greater use of Ayurvedic awareness of environment and natural cycles we can help address these threats. The use of Vastu (a form of Vedic Feng Shui) for example would help along with using modern systems of ‘deep ecology’ such as Permaculture, which in many ways considers the same principles as the Vedas in terms of working with the Natural Laws of Nature and the Universe.

We also separate the body from the mind and the heart and therefore it is important to work with the whole person as much as is possible. Disconnection of the heart is a major cause of all the other problems as we are often no longer guided by compassion and ethical principles as given by all spiritual systems and which are the basis of Ayurveda. The lifestyle guidance and aspects of Ayurveda and Yoga that relate to the mind can help providing they are emphasised. Awareness of the subtle and spiritual side of Ayurveda through the use of Jyotish (Vedic astrology) and mantra meditation would be good to integrate back into use along with the rest of the system. The major sickness of humanity today is that the head does not work along with the heart as it was intended in the Vedic philosophy. There is a danger from this tendency for disconnection that as Ayurveda is fitted into the modern world that it could become just a clever system used for fixing problems instead of dealing with the causes and prevention on a fundamental level. With professional training in Ayurveda as a medical system these fundamental spiritual aspects may become less important whereas in fact they should be brought to the fore.

If you ask the questions, ‘what is missing in health care today?’ and ‘what can be done with a minimum of resources that would have the most benefit?’ Then it is likely that you will come up with the idea to help fill the gap in healthcare that falls between health professionals and the average person who knows very little about health. Ayurveda can help fill this gap by educating and empowering people to look after themselves. Much of Ayurveda is ideally suited to this purpose in fact. This is a principle that was very important in the development of ancient Ayurveda, i.e. awareness and the use of simple practical methods of health care. A general awareness of simple and natural methods of preventing and treating health problems that everyone can safely learn and use safely is likely to save the NHS enormous amounts of money.

Ayurvedic education in the West would fulfil some of this function by not just aiming at professional training but by also offering training for people in the ‘knowledge of life’ that empowers them in self help and prevention. This should ideally cover a wide range of health care in a integral and holistic way and consider the environment as well as the individual, the body, mind and spirit. The ‘knowledge of life’ is in fact the knowledge of integral living. In some ways this can be summed up by the saying from the Bible which I quote only very approximately: "If you teach someone how to fish you can feed them for life, whereas if you give someone a fish you only feed them once".

Many of the herbs used in Ayurveda in India are either not allowed here because they are considered potentially toxic or they are not really needed because there is already a Western equivalent. Ayurveda in the West could easily continue to use some of the most unique and useful Ayurvedic herbs and formulae for which there is no local equivalent whilst also learning about more common local herbs which are equally useful and in some ways more appropriate for our use. There is a principle in Ayurveda which encourages us to use that which is naturally available in each season and which grows around us so we should focus on these herbs and foods.

In summary I feel that Ayurveda is a profoundly useful system that we should honour and use in an integral way along with the related Vedic philosophy and sciences that share its origins. We should also recognise the needs in the West today and allow Ayurveda to continue to evolve in an appropriate way to meet them. It is my belief that if the Rishis were here they would evolve Ayurveda along similar lines to those that I have mentioned here. I have in fact only mentioned some of the ideas that have come up and there is little doubt that they would benefit from further insight and consideration. I hope you will endeavour to add your own insights and ideas to my own. I believe this to be in keeping with the original ethos of Ayurveda because it was born out of compassion and at its core it is simply a practical response to a spiritual need.

Andrew Johnson is a qualified practitioner of Herbal Medicine, Nutritional Therapy, Iridology & Kinesiology. Registered with BANT (The British Association for Nutritional Therapy), & the AMH (The Association of Master Herbalists, affiliated with the EHPA). www.glastonburynaturalhealth.co.uk

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