Right after the session on the basic principles of Ayurveda, when a few students retiring to their hermitages invited me for breakfast together, I followed them to the nearest restaurant. Caressing the mystic soil of the ancient city known as Hampi, the mighty river Tungabhadra flows tranquil!
During the early hours of the morning, Tungabhadra looks more beautiful. Upon the waters, we can see coracles travelling between the riverside. The flow of tourists is spontaneous in Hampi where each and every inch of the temple city is ready to welcome them day and night.
“What would you like to have?” – It was the voice of the supplier that brought me back to senses. Students hailing from various parts of Europe had already placed their order. Though the class had ended, they were still discussing each other the topics discussed, often throwing me some questions. Teaching is always a great learning experience, especially when we are with those who yearn for knowledge. The students were so and they often left me to ponder how eager the West is to gather knowledge from India whereas I could see Indian students less interested in even looking at the treasure our culture has placed in front of us.
The waiter came back with a number of dishes, I found students helping each other to grab their order and in a few moments, they started tasting their food.
“Oh no!” – I heard a student screaming! “I wouldn’t prefer this food!” It was Elena, a girl in twenties from France.
“What happened Elena? But it was you who placed the order” – I reminded her.
“I agree, Sir, but guess I was not sure the possible taste of the item I ordered. This is sweet in taste which would increase the quality of Kapha (the watery element) in my body. As per our discussions, I am Kapha in nature and I have some ailments connected to the same too. If I further add sweetness to my diet. it would get certainly aggravated”
As she concluded she called the supplier again and asked to serve another dish. In a few minutes, the food was ready and she started tasting it happily too.
The experience I had during the first few years of my career, with the students from the west, is something that I quote even today – at least to describe the differences between knowledge and wisdom and also to throw light upon the approach to education by Indian and Western students. Nevertheless, the way the Western students grabbed the basic principles of Indian philosophy as well as Ayurveda literally astonished me whereas the eagerness they showed to apply this in their lives made me a proud teacher.
It is food that defines us. Ashtanga Samgraha, one among the principal texts of Ayurveda, describes Ayuskamiya (desire for long 1ife), Dinacarya (daily regimen), Ritucharya (seasonal regimen), Roganutpadaniya (prevention of diseases), Dravadravya vijnaniya (knowledge of liquid materials), annaswarupa vijnaniya (knowledge of nature of foods), Annarasaksha vidhi(protection of food), mãtrâsitiya (determination of quantity of food) in detail and says the rest of the chapters are about diseases that result from not following the above-enumeratedinstructions on food. The very sentence itself tells us how important diet is in our day-to-day life.
The traditional Indian food is based on the knowledge that we have from Ayurveda that is passed from generation to generation and that has probably all those solutions for the ailments that we suffer even today. Food itself is the first medicine – thus says Ayurveda. While it is an astounding fact that most of the food thus indicated by Ayurveda is now classified as ‘super food’ by modern scientists and the world is behind the same – the funniest part is that Indians who have the very knowledge in their genes are still trying to find reasons to use those food materials in our diet. Ginger, garlic, turmeric, gooseberry, Tulsi, Brahmi, Ashwagandha Root…the list is endless and the multinational companies have already started making use of the publicity given to the available list. Thousands of products based on ‘superfood’ are being marketed by companies across the world whereas the quality of the products remains unverified.
In a country like India where every region has distinctive climate conditions, it is hard to propose a standard food regimen. For instance, from Chikmagalore of Karnataka one travels to Bellary which is approximately at a distance of 300 kilometres, preference of taste changes from sweet to spicy. The change is inevitable too for the climates demands the same. Probably this is a tragedy that happened during the spread of religions across the world, for people respected the food prescribed in their religious text (that are written considering the climatic condition of where the religion has originated) than the local tradition to where they were migrated. As a result, say, for example, the Muslim community while migrated from the Gulf region brought the habit of non-vegetarian diet while a vegetarian diet would be more suitable for the Indian climate. I have heard many physicians in India suggesting their patients a vegetarian food for this could be a cure to most of their illnesses.
It has to be noted that Ayurveda which is a universal science doesn’t prescribe a diet but suggests a few food substances which could be mentioned as mere examples for a suitable diet. While Ayurveda proposes locally available food best for good health it even suggests drinking water available in a locality rather than carrying it from another region. The food regimen that we follow in Northern India wouldn’t be suitable for the South India and vice-versa too. Similarly, the food regimen that we follow in certain seasons wouldn’t be suitable for another season. This is complicated; however, the solution that our culture has found is to apply the same in the name of local traditions. Following local traditions is perhaps the best way to stay healthy. This is not only applicable in diet, but in local customs too as a whole for they are the results of hundreds of years of research on health and wellbeing.
If there is an attempt to help the coming up generations to lead a healthy and harmonious life, that has to be by incorporating the lessons of Ayurveda throughout the school curriculum as early as from primary classes. As mentioned earlier, the introductory chapters (Sootra sthana) in classical Ayurveda texts has almost everything about health and longevity which can not only enlighten little minds about leading a harmonious life in a society but also help them grow as an ideal human being. Let it be about treating the environment judiciously or looking at the world with empathy, the knowledge is right there! It is appalling to find that when the whole world is looking at Ayurveda for a ray of hope the country where it has originated is blind towards the profound wisdom of our ancient seers. What else can we expect from a curriculum designed in the colonial era?
“Nityam hitahara-vihara-sevi samikshyakari vishayeshvasaktah
Data samah satyaparah kshamavan aptopasevi cha bhavati arogah”
“A person who practices regularly a wholesome lifestyle, eats wholesome food, is deliberate in all his actions, not involved in the objects of the mind [i.e. overindulgence in sense pleasures], who is generous, just, truthful, forgiving in nature, who is service-minded and helpful to one’s own kin – will remain unaffected by any disease” – the verses from Charaka Samhita could probably enlighten almost all our apprehensions about health and wellbeing.
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