Defining Life from an Ayurvedic Point of View!

By now we have clearly understood that Ayurveda is a natural science that believes that we are all a part of Mother Nature. We also mentioned in one of our earlier posts that the knowledge of Ayurveda was acquired by the sages or rishis of India after understanding the universe and its creation in detail, which they passed on to future generations through Atharva Veda and several other classical Ayurvedic texts and scriptures.

Ayurveda views human beings as a whole – one that includes the internal and the external environment. Both these environments - the internal and the external, are constantly interacting with each other and understand the same language. They, in fact, are made up of the same material and energy. The variation in the form happens due to a variation in the concentration of the material and the energy. This is applicable to all living and non-living beings. So, there is not much of a difference between say a human being, a dog, a tree or a stone. We are all made up of the same material and energy. The only difference is in the concentration of the material and the energy, and that’s why the different forms.

While other medical sciences describe ‘Life’ as an event that comes to an end through the means of ‘Death’, Ayurveda believes that ‘Life’ is a continuum that never ceases to exist.

Ayurveda defines ‘Life’ as a continuous, incessant flow of material and energy. This flow is taking place in some form or the other – either as a human being, an animal, a plant or any other living being. Once this form, i.e. a human being or any other living being ceases to exist, ‘Life’ moves on and takes up another form.

We are born out of nature, we eat the food provided by nature, we breathe the air provided by nature, we drink the water provided by nature and when we cease to exist… our body will also go back to the nature and take up another form – be it a plant, an animal or any other living being.

That’s the reason why they probably say ‘what goes around comes around’. If we throw something as waste, then that will either be consumed by another animal or take up the form of a plant, and will come back to us in the form of our food. Likewise, water thrown as waste will go back to the earth, mix with the water table and then come back in the form of a river, a lake or even our drinking water.

It’s the concept of oneness that sets Ayurveda apart from all other healing systems. Follow this series to know more about the various disciplines of Ayurveda.