The Guild of Aeonic Alchemy

Āyurveda, Ally of Animals

This is a talk I gave at the 2008 Vegan Festival Adelaide

Hello,

Today I will be speaking on the natural medicine system of India, known as Āyurveda. The word 'Āyurveda' is from the Sanskrit language, and translates literally as 'wisdom of life'. I will begin by introducing a little about Āyurveda, and then move on to talk about how it supports a non-animal diet and way of life, and how its vast knowledge can be used to rediscover our place as caretakers of this planet and all it's creatures, as an aid to fostering in a new world-age of harmony. I will speak also about how this system can be used for one's own spiritual evolution, leading to a life of greater health, happiness and purpose.

A long time ago, in a land far from here, known as the Himalaya, the 'abode of cold', a large gathering of sages took place. At this time, the sages had gathered out of concern for the people of the world, for they had noticed that disease amongst humanity was increasing, and this was creating obstacles to the people's happiness, wealth, virtue and freedom.
The sages discussed how to find a solution to this problem. They agreed one of them should journey to the abode of Indra, King of Heaven, to acquire knowledge on medicine. A sage by the name of Bharadvāja agreed to go. He ascended to the higher heavenly realm where Indra lived, and received the teachings of Āyurveda, and returned to pass them on to the sages. From this Āyurveda spread widely.

This is how the story is told in one of the foundational texts of Āyurvedic medicine, known as the Caraka Samhita. To quote from it, a simple explanations of what Āyurveda is:

“Āyurveda is that which deals with good, bad, happy and unhappy life, its promoters and non-promoters, measurement and nature.” (Caraka Samhita, 1.1.41)

The exact date of this text has been lost in antiquity, some say it existed largely in its current form around 200 BCE, though its original form, before the revision by the sage named Caraka, is said to have an origin as least before 700 BCE, perhaps being formed around 1500 B.C.E. Though tradition says the knowledge of Āyurveda is as old as life itself.
Āyurveda is 'life knowledge', and is simply the understanding of living in harmony with nature's forces for optimum health in a holistic sense. Thus to say such a system is as old as life itself is not so far fetched, given our long history as a species existing in relationship to the natural world and being able to survive till this day. The way to understand how to live in harmony with nature is to be found by studying nature itself, as was understood by many ancient peoples. This is reflected in Āyurveda which understands the human body as essentially no different from the movements and patterns of the natural world. Though Āyurveda is not based on a simple physical world-view of nature, it includes knowledge related to the life-force within matter (known as prāna), as well as the natural balance of the mind and emotions, the healing of intelligence, and the development of our innermost being and it's spiritual relationship to the Universe as a whole (as found in the original Yoga system).
Āyurveda reflects like a clear mirror this natural law for us to discover and apply as a way of life, for greater health, happiness, purpose and abundance. Such knowledge was understood by the ancient sages of India, who were able to cultivate through their meditation and sacred way of life the vision and intelligence and patience to grasp the workings of Nature on all levels of the human being. This has been preserved in both oral and written tradition for thousands of years and has reached us today through the work of many modern Āyurvedic doctors and scholars from India and around the world.
Āyurveda can be found in India and surrounding regions in both villages and modern hospitals. It has recently spread world-wide and is becoming more popular as many realize its value. It is perhaps the oldest and most diverse natural medicine system on the planet. It has continued to develop and is still relevant today, if not more than before, in our time of neglecting the natural world. Interest in this profound system of natural healing is growing, gaining the interest of many natural healers, health enthusiasts, medical practitioners and students of yoga. There is a new enthusiasm for it's growth and development in recent times, just as Yoga has grown in popularity over the past century, Āyurveda is becoming more accepted as it's effectiveness is becoming apparent.
It is said to be the sister science of Yoga. Both systems use the same terminology and concepts, and are deeply integrated to the point of being able to use them as one single system. In this light, Āyurveda is the healing aspect of Yoga, while Yoga is the spiritual aspect of Āyurveda. In India, the two were mostly practiced together originally. Where Āyurveda would prepare the foundation of a healthy body and mind, Yoga would utilize this state of body and mind to achieve perfect peace, clarity and blissful being.

Now to explain some basic concepts of Āyurveda. It is primarily based upon the three humors, the tridoṣa; vāta, pitta and kapha, or wind, bile and phlegm. The physical body is seen as a dynamic energy system composed of these three, which form a harmonious relationship when a person is healthy, and become aggravated, deficient or excessive in an unhealthy person, when these forces are out of balance. They exist also in the mind and deeper levels of consciousness in more subtle forms. Each contains an element with holds its main properties and an element which serves as a vehicle or container for it.
Vāta is commonly known as the wind or air humor, but also contains the space or ether element. The wind requires space to move and blow. Vāta when out of balance can cause various problems, some examples are respiratory problems, poor circulation, dizziness, dryness, bone structural problems, or premature aging. On a mental level imbalances may appear as nervousness, anxiety, fear, delirium, or in extreme cases, insanity. These conditions are reflections in the human body of wind as seen in nature when stagnant, polluted or disturbed in movement.
When harmonious, Vāta will create harmony among all bodily functions and rhythms, ease of movement, vibrant energy, enthusiasm, inspiration, communication ability and quick comprehension of many different perspectives or ideas. This again reflects natural forms of wind that flow in open, clean and balanced ways.
Pitta is primarily the fire element, though it's container is water, as seen in our stomach acid as our 'digestive fire'. When Pitta is excessive or aggravated, conditions such as ulcers, fever, skin rash, acne, liver problems, heart conditions or infections become apparent. On a mental and emotional level, high Pitta reveals itself with aggression, over competitiveness, irritability, anger, hatred and violent action. Such conditions show an excess of fire in the body, where it begins to damage certain tissues, organs or functions of the body and mind.
Those whom have balanced and developed the positive aspects of Pitta, will be courageous, perceptive, intelligent, clear-minded and confident, they will have a strong digestion, good circulation and good self-discipline. The fire element in such people is considered to be burning harmoniously, evenly and brightly. Such people can provide a sense of warmth and encouragement to others around them.
Kapha is primarily the water element, with a vehicle of earth. This is seen in the body as the bulk of fluids, tissue, organs and 'solid parts' of our being. Kapha provides us with structure, stability, nourishment and support. Those who are imbalanced in Kapha will show conditions such as excess mucus, obesity, poor-digestion, mental-dullness or low-energy. Kapha is a major factor in emotional health, and when aggravated or excessive, can cause mental conditions such as depression, apathy, neediness or confusion.
When balanced, Kapha creates a strong, well formed body, a clear melodious voice, and many beneficial emotional qualities such as care for others, compassion, love and empathy. Kapha is the factor that holds things together, be it physically in the body, emotionally in the content heart, or socially in a loving community.
Each of these doṣa are found in every person, though not always in the same way. Usually one, or perhaps two, will appear prominent in a person's nature, giving definition to their physical and mental structure. On rare occasions, all three will be found in even quantity. Āyurveda understands we are all similar, but also uniquely ourselves. Though there is a general level of mass treatment present in Āyurveda, where certain therapies may apply to any number of people, the emphasis is on understanding the uniqueness of the individual – showing how the path to health is a personal discovery that brings each person to an understanding of themselves.
This self-understanding is very important as it provides a deeper basis in consciousness to one's own existence. Āyurveda ultimately leads us to a spiritual understanding of ourselves, as nothing could be closer to us, and this is something no-one else can give you, though they may help along the way. This spiritual health is considered the most important factor for good general health and happiness. Without healing our spirituality, our experience of oneness with all things, we cannot truly heal the more superficial levels of physical and mental/emotional disease we may experience.
On a more outer level than our spirituality, Āyurveda provides an understanding and delineates practices and therapies for developing intelligence. It states; All disease comes from misuse of intelligence, or intelligence applied wrongly. There are various tools such as meditation, chanting, and the therapeutic use of colors, herbs and oils, as well as other yogic practices, that bring clarity to the mind, aid in discrimination, and develop powers of reason, memory and insight. This subject is quite detailed and I will not go into it much here. Suffice to say, when the intelligence is well developed, the ability to weigh up the value of things is based more on wisdom, so good decisions are made and acted upon, which bring a return of good results towards health. Willpower is another factor closely connected with Intelligence; the enthusiasm to act positively and persist in wholesome action.
Emotions also play a major role in health. Perhaps the two main ways we use our emotions are to either express them, or suppress them. Of these, expression is considered healthier. One should avoid suppressing feelings as this harms the nervous system and leads to eventual blockages in energy flow, much in the same way a blocked drain becomes a problem.
Though expression can also be misapplied. Emotion may not be expressed appropriately, causing harm to others through action stemming from emotions such as anger, or perhaps emotion is overly expressed leading to exhaustion such as in irrational or confused states of sadness and despair.
There is a skill we can learn in healthy use of emotion. This is something we in modern times perhaps tend to overlook. For example, I am unaware of a current curriculum in schools that teaches children about healthy use of emotion that is on par in importance with learning Mathematics or English, or a University Degree, A PhD in Empathic Emotional Relating would be wonderful to see. Perhaps there is hope for us yet.
We can learn to use the energy of emotion in a beneficial way for ourselves and those around us, and in doing so, live healthier, happier and more harmonious lives. This entails using the guidance of our intelligence. Every emotion has its place and is valid as part of our being, the challenge we face is in wise expression of this energy of life. Misuse of emotional energy is the cause of war, crime, abuse, isolation, destruction of the environment and many other modern issues we face. This occurs both on a collective and individual level. Of course, one major effect of misuse of emotion is the 'need' for violence upon other living beings, animals being one of the most common victims of this. This emotional misplacement is interwoven with survival instincts and because of this is maybe not considered an issue. It takes a level of empathic feeling to recognize that our survival is not dependent on the death of lifeforms that also feel pain and joy as we do.
So to summarize this introduction to Āyurveda, through its practice a greater balance is achieved on the physical level, as well as the vital, emotional, intellectual and spiritual levels. This of course, affects our social being, and also our way of relating to the non-human world, such as animals, plants and inanimate objects. We learn the value of cultivating a harmonious way of relating to all other beings and things, firstly for our own health and happiness, but no-less important is the consideration of others. We can learn to respect all things of this world and acknowledge their place and purpose in the greater interconnected web of life. We can recognize the need to acknowledge their value as part of life, and not solely there as our utilities.

I will now move onto the consideration of veganism (as well as vegetarianism) in Āyurveda.
Āyurveda is part of the Vedic Tradition of India, the Ancient Wisdom of India. This view places great importance on noble conduct and compassion as a way of life. Though such conduct is not seen as something that exists above or apart from the natural laws of the Universe, it is seen as the natural way to act for humankind; it is seen as a way to co-exist with the Universe, to enter into a sacred relationship with how things are. It states that we cannot expect peace if we are at war with others, we cannot expect health if we cause harm to others, we cannot expect fortune if we rob the fortune of others. Such is the well known law of karma; cause and effect, reaping what one sows. So naturally a diet of veganism, which has a primary motive of non-harm to animals, is completely at one with Āyurveda.
To recognize that another living, breathing, perceiving and knowing creature values life and freedom as much as ourselves shows a developed sense of ethics and awareness of life. Life is interwoven with freedom and joy, which is clearly seen at moments we feel most alive, we are happy, glowing and joyful to others. This is the natural quality of life, whereas its compliment, death, is often a time of seriousness, solemnness and sadness, gray and pale, dark and motionless. To claim that an animal's death is not somehow similar to our own death, is to practically categorize animals not as living beings, but perhaps only as useful beings. I have seen birds flying freely high in the sky, or horse running freely across the open plains, and dolphins leisurely surfacing and submerging at the beach, their joy so obvious and amazing. I don't expect any animal to somehow not mind loosing this way of existence, which is a state of freedom and oneness with Nature.
Perhaps as humans we have, in the past, known a harsh life in the wild, without the claws and teeth to slash and slay, or the fur to keep us warm, or the wings to fly away safely, we have had to struggle out of the instinctual mind, to form our rational intelligence and find a way to survive amongst the sometimes hostile natural world. So we learned to make tools and weapons, fur clothing and cages, chicken salt and steak-knives. The struggle is not over, and if we are not able to take the next evolutionary step, Nature may give us a few wake up calls. She perhaps already is, and we are still learning how to listen.
Nature is calling through her wisdom to us, that we take a further step, to exist in balance and respect with her creation. The human being must now develop its ethical brain. I'm not sure what age we are in now, it was the space age, then came the information age, it seems to change often... perhaps we need to embark into the ethical age, the age of empathy and compassion. We must recognize the sanctity of life we are part of. Our future depends on this, yet so many of us are having a marvelous time thinking otherwise. We are certainly in interesting times.
Along with explaining the value of an animal free diet, Āyurveda outlines the principles of a healthy vegetarian or vegan diet. Today there are many shifts occurring in perspectives on food and diet, every few years, a new fad emerges, riding the enthusiasm of the pioneers, and facing the criticism of the self-appointed 'sensible' skeptics. That we are constantly changing our philosophy of diet highlights the fact that we have not found the final solution. Each new solution seems to be better than the last in terms of environmental awareness and health. While this is a positive thing, a healthy level of neutrality and intelligent contemplation can only aid the development of well-rounded and balanced ways of diet.
Generally, there is no hard and fast restrictions placed by Āyurveda on what is to be eaten and what is not. Rather than separating foods into the 'eat' or 'don't eat' groups, the effects of foods are looked at according to conditions. Various diets are recommended for particular conditions, climates, aims and types of people.
Of course, although there is no idea of 'one hat fits all' in Āyurveda, there are still general guidelines and understandings of the effects of food, and of improper and proper diet.
Meat in general is considered only acceptable in the case of extreme weakness, and perhaps only when life is at stake. To eat flesh, is to embody the pain and loss of life the animal felt, and to invite a decaying food into the body. Meat is considered to cause many diseases, to darken the mind and intelligence, and to destroy inner peace.
Āyurveda recommends a diet of whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables and herbs and spices as a balanced diet. It also views dairy as a very nourishing food, coming from the love of the animal. Unfortunately, today we keep such animals in poor conditions, then steal their milk, and murder them. The milk is made under poor conditions, chemical hormones and antibiotics, and factory processing. This renders dairy products into a form largely harmful for the body. Thus veganism has risen in popularity. Āyurveda would not consider modern milk producing methods as those which would promote health, unless the animals are treated with love and kindness, and given freedom and respect in natural environments. So veganism is respected by Āyurveda as a wise and sensible way of diet.
Natural whole foods, unprocessed, organically grown and freshly picked are considered the best for health, as they carry the most life-force, or prana. This may be harder to find in today's shops, though still possible. This can only encourage backyard or balcony gardening. To grow one's own food is not difficult, saves money, and encourages many good qualities such as health, sharing, understanding of nature and self-care. Anything as simple as spinach in a pot-plant or as extensive as your whole backyard is bound to improve quality of life.
Another importance today is clean drinking water. The best water is fresh rain water. Water holds prana in our bodies, and also holds our emotions on a subtler level, so we need to consider what liquids we are taking in. Given the reduced rainfall in current times, and the dwindling Murray river, we need to look at alternatives to healthy clean water, which should be free for all beings to drink. If every building in Adelaide had a rainwater tank with filter, and dripper system to a small garden patch underneath it, our food and water needs would largely be taken care of. Imagine walking down the street and being able to pick strawberrys, or some parsley or mint whenever you feel like it. Bus shelters could collect rain and water fruit trees nearby, a good way to grab an apple on the way to work.
The most important principle for good health in Āyurveda is good digestion. The analogy of the digestive system being like a fire is used, to show how the food we eat is consumed by our digestive fluids as fuel for our biological and psychological systems. If our ability to digest food is strong and balanced, our health is guaranteed. We are better able to extract nourishment from food to provide strength and energy, and are better able to release waste, to cleanse the body of toxic and harmful substances that may be in the digestive tract or stored in the body tissues.
Many things contribute to good digestion, such as moderation in eating, regular meal times, exercise, digestive herbs and spices, and foods suitable for one's constitution and condition. A diet full of life-force, prepared with love and in balance with oneself and the world, eaten with awareness, is recommended.
Factors that disturb and weaken digestion include stress, poor eating habits, sedentary lifestyle, overeating and undereating, and bad food combinations. A diet of food derived from harm to others, eating improperly and unconsciously, combined with an out-of-balance lifestyle can only breed sickness in the long run, both to the planet and ourselves.
The popular model today for food is that of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other components of foods. Many people wonder how a non-animal diet is possible thinking it lacks the components that are found in meat. The solutions that come from non-animal perspectives attempt to fill the missing gaps that meat provided, showing how we can get the required amount of iron, protein, calcium, B12 and so on. It seems a new essential component of the meat based diet is discovered every so often, which keeps the non-meat eaters doing their research. What will non-meat eaters lack next? Underlying all these seems to be the idea that meat is and has always been the ultimate food that cannot be replaced with other non-animal foods, and as soon as the non-animal eaters find a substitute for one food-component, another question regarding lack of nourishment for their diet will arise to put the non-meat eaters on the spot. Meanwhile, there are innumerable surviving vegans and vegetarians, some having lived that way for 60 years or more. Change requires all the doubts to be weeded out, and this takes time, facing any opposition with respect and intelligence. One can consider that despite our modern scientific sophistication and complexity, people and even whole societies have survived without animal-products, way before the invention of modern health science.
We must remember our modern models such as science, philosophy and religious truth are only one way of looking at things. We may consider them holy writ, but this will change in time. We can only benefit from exploring other ways of understanding the world, and would be wise to, before they are wiped out and lost. As one benefits from learning languages other than one's vernacular tongue, gaining a broader understanding of language and the world, one can also learn other knowledge systems. Āyurveda is one system of a different structure, based on observation of nature, a spiritual science, taking a more integrative and spiritual approach when compared to the positivist reductionist view of the material sciences. It can only serve to complement and improve modern science through its intuitive and natural wisdom.
There is a story from the time of the Buddha. One day, the Buddha sent out his disciples to search the land and bring something back to him that was not medicine. The disciples began to search and after some time, some returned, holding various objects they considered to have no medicinal value, perhaps some dog hair, a brush, a rock or a poisonous plant. Over time, the disciples had all returned each bringing something that they thought could not possibly be medicine. The Buddha waited, knowing that one of his disciples had not yet returned. Finally after many days, the disciple returned exhausted, falling at the Buddha's feet, “I searched far and wide Tathagata, and could not find anything that was not medicine!”.
“He understands”, the Buddha proclaimed.
So what does this story mean? The Buddha was implying that everything has its right use, and used rightly is able to cure some form of dis-ease, or suffering. Widening our concept of medicine for a moment, we can see how everything we do has an effect on our health. To learn the right way of living to be healthy, and hence happy and successful is simply, in the Āyurvedic perspective, a matter of appropriate action. Appropriate action brings healthy results, again the law of karma. Action that is healthy relative to our unique nature, environment and way of life is the road to health. Considering this, diet is a significant and important part of our life, and done wisely, leads to a greater understanding of life itself.
This story of the Buddha can be applied in modern times, showing us that today, when animals are either on the verge of extinction, or are caged or penned up, or sick from pollution and lack of clean food and water, that our relationship with them is not as wholesome as it needs to be. We are misusing our animal medicine (to used a somewhat Native American term), by consuming their bodies in that state, we are also emotionally consuming their lifestyle of lack of freedom and lack of love we so much yearn for ourselves. We are not in a healing relationship with Animals, our brothers and sisters, our teachers. We must, for our own survival as a species, recognize the right that other species have to survive as we would ourselves. Animals are not there for us to use as we see fit any more than our Mother or Father is there for us to use as we see fit. As the Native American, Chief Seattle said in 1854, 'Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons (and daughters) of the earth.'
So perhaps in the story about the Buddha, the correct use of Animals as medicine would be to learn our place in relation to them, not as master/slave, but in a symbiotic balance and respect. This shows ethical medicine in the form of proper relationship, an example of the broader view of health in Āyurveda, going beyond diet into way of life. Medicine must be seen as being more than just what you put in your mouth, it is much more than this. It involves everything one does and is, and includes everything else around oneself.

I have spoken here some basics of the Āyurvedic understanding, and how this relates to non-animal diets, though this is only a glimpse of what it can teach us. As humans, we have the opportunity to exist and act from the center of our own hearts. In doing so, we will see we are living at the center of the Universe, a center of boundless love and wisdom. This is yoga, the fruit of Āyurveda. This is the journey of each individual to learn the Wisdom of Life, each in their unique and valued way. It is the journey of humanity to rediscover their relationship with the Cosmos.
So that is my small understanding. I wanted to talk more about environment, spirituality, the sacred and our place as humans on Earth and in the future, but my time is limited, so I will simply mention a few ideas to consider and take with you if you wish:
To allow cruelty free living to be an entrance-way into the sacred-relationship humans have with the world of nature.
To study natural health systems that understand the physical, energetic and spiritual aspects of our being.
To consider visions for the future, in establishing harmony between technology, humankind and the natural world.
To explore systems such as Deep Ecology, Natural Medicine, Indigenous Wisdom (particularly one's own ancestry), Spiritual Traditions, Earth Energy placement such as Feng-Shui or Vastu, Holistic Psychology, and Sacred Art and Language.
And most of all, to understand Nature and Her Wisdom, for that is the essence of Āyurveda, whether it is spoken or kept silent.