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One fact about Ayurveda is that its knowledge system is so very different from that of biomedicine. At its root, it is holistic: Ayurveda never loses sight of the whole, while biomedicine remains primarily concerned with parts of the system. Ayurveda begins with properties of the whole organism, starting from the whole system, and moving to smaller and smaller subsystems, so to speak. Biomedicine, on the other hand, being reductionist, is wedded to the idea that, if cause and effect theories are to be properly articulated, tiniest components must be considered most fundamental, then building larger structures out of smaller ones.
The primary objective of the former is to describe integration of systems, of the latter, structural components, and their individual function. Thus, we arrive at two complementary viewpoints: one concerned with the whole person, including ‘Body, Mind and Spirit’ as an inherently ‘integrative’ system; the other regarding inanimate molecules and supra-molecular structures as fundamental, and wondering as a result, where its definition of life has disappeared to. Clearly, translating between these two very different conceptualizations of ‘organism’ and ‘life’ presents a substantial challenge.
It is also scientifically intriguing: how could a good, self-consistent account of human physiology have arisen that is apparently such a challenge to understand in terms of modern science? Especially when its validity is established in the complex tasks of accurately diagnosing pathology, and providing the basis for prescription - of usually highly efficacious treatments for chronic diseases.
The proof of a pudding is in the eating thereof. In truly digesting what initially seems like a ‘pudding of Ayurveda’, students find a rich and an invaluable system of medicine. Nevertheless, even for motivated students, Ayurveda initially seems a mysterious ‘pudding’ indeed. For some of us, its mystery proved bewitching, the challenge to elucidate it, beguiling. The challenge of the mystery has one possible implication. In the very differences making Ayurveda and western thought so different may lie its ability to restore health to those chronically ill.
Indeed, Ayurveda’s potential for treating chronic diseases, even cure them, provides strong motivation to try to make progress on the problem. The central questions are therefore, firstly, ‘How can fundamental concepts of Ayurveda be translated into modern scientific terminology?’ And, secondly, ‘If that were accomplished, would the translations still reflect some value of wholeness?
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