Ayurveda Past
Ayurveda, the science of life, prevention and longevity is believed to be the oldest and most holistic or comprehensive medical system available. It was placed in written form over 2,000 years ago in India, and said to be a "world medicine".Before the advent of writing, the ancient wisdom of healing, prevention and longevity was a part of the spiritual tradition of a universal religion.

Medical knowledge from all areas of the world was said to have gathered in India, and the famous sage Veda Vyasa dictated this wisdom to Lord Ganesh, who put into writing the complete knowledge of Ayurveda, along with the more directly spiritual insights of ethics, virtue and Self-Realization.

What is fascinating how this knowledge of the uses of herbs, foods, aromas, gems, colors, Yoga, mantras, lifestyle and surgery was obtained. The sage-physician/ surgeons of the time were the same sages or seers, deeply devoted holy people, who saw health as an integral part of spiritual life.

It is said that they received their training of Ayurveda through direct cognition during meditation. In other words, the knowledge of the use of the various methods of healing, prevention, longevity and surgery came through Divine revelation; there was no guessing or testing or harming of animals.

These revelations were transcribed from the oral tradition into book form, interspersed with the other aspects of life and spirituality.

There were originally four main books of spirituality, which
included, among other topics, health, astrology, spiritual business, government, army, poetry and ethical living. These books are known as the Vedas, Rik, Sama, Yajur and Atharva.

Ayurveda was used in conjunction with Vedic astrology (Jyotish-inner light). At later dates, Ayurveda was organized into its own compact system of health and considered an auxiliary branch of the Vedas, called an Upaveda (limb of the Veda), because it dealt with the healing aspects of spirituality, and not directly discussing spiritual development). These authors took the passages related to Ayurveda from the various Vedas and made separate books, dealing only with Ayurveda.

Among the Rik Veda's 10,572 hymns, are found discussions of the three doshas, Vayu, Pitta and Kapha; organ transplants, and artificial limbs, the use of herbs to heal the diseases of the mind and body and to foster longevity.

Within the Atharva Veda's 5,977 hymns, are discussions of anatomy, physiology and surgery. This information is nearly identical with modern beliefs.

Around 1500 B.C., Ayurveda was delineated into eight specific branches of medicine. There were two main schools of Ayurveda at that time, Atreya- the school of physicians, and Dhanvantari- the school of surgeons. These two schools made Ayurveda a more scientifically verifiable and classifiable medical system.

Through research and testing, they dispelled the doubts of the more practical and scientific minded; removing the aura of mystery that surrounded the concept of Divine revelation. Consequently Ayurveda grew into a respected and widely used system of healing in India.

People from numerous countries came to Indian Ayurvedic schools to learn about this world medicine- in its completeness. Chinese, Tibetans, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Afghanistanis, Persians, and more traveled to learn the complete wisdom and bring it back to their own countries.

There are two main reorganizers of Ayurveda whose works are still existing in tact today- Charak and Sushrut. The third major treatise is called the Ashtanga Hridaya, which is a concise version of the works of Charak and Sushrut.

Thus the three main ancient Ayurvedic texts still used today are the Charak Samhita (compilation), Sushrut Samhita and the Ashtanga hridaya Samhita. These books are believed to be over 1,200 years old. It is because these texts still contain the original and complete knowledge of this Ayurvedic world medicine that Ayurveda is known today as the only complete medical system still in existence. Other forms of medicine from various cultures, although parallel, are missing parts of the original information.

Charak represented the Atreya school of physicians, discussing physiology, anatomy, etiology, pathogenesis, symptoms and signs of disease; methodology of diagnosis, treatment and prescription of patients; prevention and longevity. Included were internal and external causes of illness.

Charak states that the first cause of illness is the loss of faith in the Divine. In other words, when a person does not have the experience that God is inside us, and, outside- in all things, this separation of vision creates a gap in which longing or suffering for oneness of vision occurs.

This suffering is the beginning of spiritual, mental and physical disease. External causes of health included time of day, seasons, diet and lifestyle. There is a whole section discussing the medicinal aspects of herbs, diet, and reversing of the aging process. For modern skeptics who wonder if this ancient wisdom can be believed they only need to read Charak's month-by-month description of the development of the fetus in the womb to see its exact parallels to what we know today from using modern technical machinery.

Sushrut comes from the Dhanvantari school of surgeons. In America, there is a society of surgeons who named themselves the Sushrut Society, after this great medical author. In this text, there are detailed and sophisticated discussions of surgical equipment; the classification of abscesses, burns, fractures, wounds, amputation, plastic surgery, anal/rectal surgery, which are validated by modern medicines technical equipment and research. There is a complete discussion of the human anatomy; the bones, joints, nerves, heart, blood vessels, circulatory system etc., again, corroborated by today's methods of mechanical investigation.

From the Sushrut Samhita, we learn of the first science of massage, using marma points or vital body points, which parallel Chinese acupuncture. Even the popular Polarity Massage Therapy in America, was developed by a man after studying massage in India.

The Decline of Ayurveda
The alert person may now ask why, if Ayurveda is so exceptional, is it not widely practices in India today. This is a valid question, which has an equally valid answer. Ayurveda, like all of Vedic philosophy follows the belief of `Sanatana dharma', which states, accept everything in its appropriate time and place, and reject nothing.

All aspects of medicine are useful at certain times, just use the required treatment when it is called for. This is why Ayurveda does not reject modern medicine. Like this, the Indian temperament allows for all religions to express themselves freely in India.

Consequently, Buddhism, Jainism and other religions grew in India and began to influence people's thoughts. Then there was a time when all religions lost some degree of their spiritual link and began bickering over which practices were better.
Gentle spiritual medicine began to lose ground over the more harmful black magic.

Then came the numerous conquests of the Moslems in India. They razed cities, closed down Ayurvedic colleges and insisted the Indian people practice only their forms of living, which included medicine.

Finally the British ruled India and closed down the remaining Ayurvedic universities (although Ayurveda was practiced in secret). Only in 1920 did Ayurveda reemerge, and with the help of the Indian government, began to rebuild the universities.

Ayurveda-Present
Now there are over 150 Ayurvedic universities in India, and over 100 Ayurvedic colleges (plans are presently underway to expand Ayurveda even more). However, there are many Ayurvedic pharmacies and herb markets in India that are giving people the wrong herbs.The oldest medicine, Ayurveda, is now the last to be re-discovered.

This world medicine may not only help unite healing practices, but also peoples, cultures and religions. The impact of its reawakening is astounding, as we see its effectiveness and demand in the United States grow in leaps and bounds.Many of the respected Ayurveda teachers are integrating Vedic spiritual principles in their training programs.

Spiritual Ayurveda, the original world medicine will soon find validation and universal acceptance in all areas of society and the world.Ayurveda was introduced in the United States as early as the 1960s. Richard Hittleman, who brought hatha yoga to the attention of westerners, introduced vaidyas to America. However it was not until Dr. Vasant Lad BAMS wrote his book, Ayurveda; Science of Self Healing, that Ayurveda began to take off.

Another important author who brought quality information to the US was Dr. David Frawley OMD. His two books, Yoga of Herbs (co-authored with Dr. Lad) and Ayurvedic Healing now gave the US three information-packed books to better understand Ayurveda.

Both authors also were teaching classes in Ayurveda in the mid to late 1980's. Mostly yoga and meditation oriented people were reading and learning about Ayurveda. The real world was about to learn about this ancient science in a big way.

When I opened my clinic in Bayville in 1991, practically no one had heard of Ayurveda on Long Island. But sometime over the next two years, Oprah Winfrey introduced the world to Dr. Deepak Chopra on one of her TV shows. The next day his book was literally sold out in all of America. Being on Oprah brought Ayurveda to the national attention. Now there are more than 100 introductory books on Ayurveda alone.

Training
Now, in the year 2,000, there are numerous certification training schools; in Massachusetts, California, two in New Mexico, Iowa, Florida, and my school in NY and NJ. Now there are so many vaidyas from India in the US that we cannot keep track of all the developments. Columbia University has a seat of Vedic studies including Ayurveda. Their students are doing research projects on Ayurveda. Recently I have learned of one vaidya who is teaching Ayurveda in a Pennsylvania university. In New Jersey, the state is working with us with our education program.

Two schools, the one in MA and our school are affiliated with a distance-learning school, Westbrook University. Credits from our schools are transferable towards their degree programs including a Ph.D. in Ayurvedic Medicine. Other state colleges accept these courses as transferable credit for certain programs of study.

There are three types of vaidyas in the US today, the vaidyas from India who have received BAMS. American MDs who have studied Ayurveda for 6 months to two years in the US, and non MDs who have studied Ayurveda for 6 months to two years in the US. Sadly I receive too many phone calls, emails and letters from Indian vaidyas who now live in the US but do not work in Ayurveda.

They generally work in candy stores, warehouses, many hold no job at all. It is sadly ironic that Americans are more well-know and teaching Ayurveda than those with the best training.Most of the Ayurveda schools in the US now employ Indian vaidyas. We have gone even further at our center, trying to give help vaidyas we know around the country.

Vaidyas are quite independent people, but a central agency - a truly unbiased agency - might be useful to help vaidyas get jobs. There are several groups trying to create such agencies, but really they seem to be seeking sole gatekeepership of Ayurveda in the US and not truly interested in a non-partisan group. This is a complicated issue and one that has some time before it works out.

Herbs
Nowadays there are over a dozen Ayurvedic herb companies in the US. Some include Indian companies like Zandu and HimalayaUSA. Others import and sell bulk herbs like Banyan. Many others sell tableted herbal products. There is even an association of Ayurvedic product suppliers. In short, you can buy quality raw or tableted herbs quite easily these days.

Online
Do a search online for Ayurveda and you will find hundreds of sites. From India to the US and many countries in between, Ayurveda is on the cutting edge of modern technology. The ancient and the modern woven into a wonderfully useful ability to learn, buy and educate yourself about Ayurveda.

You can go to "medline" and do a search on hundreds of Ayurvedic studies conducted in India...within a few minutes, without travelling, you have your answers. Live in a remote area but want an Ayurveda consultation? Find them online...even video consultations. The modern Ayurvedic practitioners are truly using the internet to help make Ayurveda most accessible. This gives us a glimpse into the possibilities of the future as well.

Ayurveda-Future
This is a more difficult subject to predict. However I will mix a bit of omens with a bit of hope to create a future I would hope to see. Perhaps this discussion will help inspire others to help make it a useful future for Ayurveda. Clearly with more than 50% of Americans practicing some form of holistic health, traditional medicines like Ayurveda are here to stay. The fact that Ayurveda doesn't cause side effects and is so inexpensive compared to allopathic medicines, further suggests the healthcare industry will make good use of Ayurveda.

Research
One area that will grow to help Americans have more faith in Ayurveda, is scientific research. Hopefully Ayurvedic people around the country are moving in this direction as well. As mentioned earlier, respected universities like Columbia are also doing Ayurvedic research. With added research, safety and cost savings factors, the established medical community can't help but be made to believe in Ayurveda's efficacy.

Education
Many books are being published on careers in alternative medicine. Many of the Ayurveda schools are listed there. As the current wave of people enroll in Ayurveda training, Ayurveda will be more available in the future. A number of schools and individual vaidyas are working with States, colleges and universities, teaching Ayurveda to medical students.

So from many directions Ayurveda is gaining recognition and finding its way into mainstream medical education. From the grassroots demands of the citizens, to the work vaidyas are doing on their own, to the interest and respect from universities and state governments, perhaps Ayurveda will become established as a  credible and valuable core of medicine. The main concern is that Ayurveda be seen in its whole context, and not just as a medical system. The main Ayurvedic healing are the free therapies of spiritual development, life purpose (dharma),  balanced lifestyle, harmonious thoughts, and healthy foods.

[2007 Update] The recent trend in the USA is to limit Ayurveda's definition to a medical system, and restrict educational recognition to the 250-year-old British-influenced rote style of training. Ayurveda will be effective to the degree that its spirit can reside within these confines. Beyond this, people will find they need to look further for more spiritual-based training and therapies.

Internet
Like everything else that is being revolutionized by the web, medical help will also be available online. Ayurvedic consultations with video will allow vaidyas to see and consult with clients who live in the remotest of areas. There is even a machine that was recently developed that reads the Ayurvedic dosha pulse. If this machine can be hooked up to your computer the internet may accurately assist in pulse diagnosis someday. Education too will be available online...video classes for those who cannot attend the local schools will be commonplace.

Buy an inexpensive Ayurveda E-book online and download it to your E-book holder.Websites will be able to track your Ayurvedic food and herb plans, reminding you when its time for a seasonal consultation, to order your herbs before they run out, or even play your meditation CD or music therapy DVD...or whatever format comes after DVD. There will be an online referral service to find vaidyas in your own area, read their credentials, contact their clients for referrals.

Want to talk to others about how Ayurveda helped them with a health condition you have? Find the appropriate chat room and make a connection with others. Want to go to an Ayurvedic spa? Search the web for the one you like best and reserve a room for the weekend. Much of the future of Ayurveda online depends on the fascinating future the web holds for us.

India & Indians
Here is the tricky part of the future. It is more a hope than an intuition. America's history includes taking the country from the American Indian. Now, in a sadly ironic repetition of history, it seems that America is trying to wrestle control of Ayurveda from India. One company tried to trademark the name Basmati so no Indian company could use it.

Another company tried to patent haldi as a medicine so no one else in the world could sell it but them. Yet another company tried to patent neem as an insecticidal product and ban India from using or selling it unless they bought it from this company. Fortunately the Indian government has so far successfully proven its case, but there should be some group in the US to instantly defend such nonsensical attempts to falsely usurp the knowledge of Ayurveda in the name of greed.

The same goes for the teaching and practicing of Ayurveda in the US. To date, mostly Americans with one or two years of part time training are the practitioners. Meanwhile most vaidyas with 5 years of full time training don't practice in the US. To be fair, vaidyas in India have a great many illusions about life in America.

We receive many emails, phone calls and letters asking about working in the US. In short, these vaidyas think of America as a place where gold is lying in the street and you can just pick up a piece and live like a king. They don't realize and are not prepared for the very hard and difficult work required to survive in the US. There are very few vaidyas in the US who have chosen the difficult task of hard work to survive as a vaidya in the US.

But still there should be a way for vaidyas to be more involved and for India to be more recognized as the original country from where Ayurveda emerged. Perhaps just as Hindu groups contact and complain to American businesses when Hinduism is portrayed poorly in TV shows, ads, or elsewhere, there will develop an Ayurveda group to insure India receives proper recognition.

With the advent of colleges and universities conducting research, we can only hope they properly give credit to India and not take the credit for themselves. Someday the Nobel Prize in Medicine will go to someone who works with Ayurveda. Let us hope that it is known that India has a role in the recognition.

How this will happen I don't know. Perhaps successful Ayurvedic businesses and other successful Indians will donate to create a truly independent and unbiased organization. Perhaps portions of profits can be donated to help vaidyas start their practices. Otherwise, someday medical students will learn Ayurveda and the only ones practicing Ayurveda will be the western MDs.

It is indeed difficult to stand up to fame and fortune, but the present-day actions of American who have brought about the alternative health revolution and the equaling of the playing field via the web will be the ones to demand and receive fairness in Ayurveda in the future.

This article is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, prescribe or heal any health condition. It is not intended to substitute for care from healthcare professionals.