Ayurveda • Somatic Yoga • Contact
“ The middle path is the way to wisdom.”— Rumi
Ayurveda best functions as a preventative approach to health and well-being. Chapter 7 of the Caraka Samhita, one of the oldest Ayurvedic sources, addresses prevention of diseases with the principle of Prajnaparadha. Prajna meaning intellect or wisdom and aparadha meaning error or fault combine to mean faulty wisdom or put simply poor judgement. This acknowledges decisions made that disturb the body’s ability to self-regulate.
Taking a wise approach to health means to apply a long-term perspective to the decisions we make regarding what we consume and how we live. Ayurvedic practitioner Sebastian Pole views this concept as a self-empowering notion that we have control and responsibility over our health. He states:
“One of the main causes of disease in Ayurveda is ‘crimes against wisdom’ (prajnaparadha). This means violating the inner sense of intuition as well as ignoring past experience. Denying this wisdom results in acting inappropriately for who you are. This gives you great responsibility for your health and is a very empowering tool for taking control of your health.”
For prajnaparadha to be included in this ancient text suggests that thousands of years ago the sages observed poor judgment as a cause of disease. This might reveal that bad judgment is a part of the learning process. But could these sages have predicted our modern cultural environment whereby it seems we needs superhuman will power to fight the various ‘temptation industries’ vying for our consumption?
Behavioral researcher Dan Ariely claims, we are “predictably irrational” in our behaviors. In his lecture, “What can health learn from behavioral economics?”, Ariely states that dying from “bad decisions” has dramatically risen from 10% 100 years ago to an estimated 44%. He states that “temptation is the biggest barrier to health” and according to Ariely, the “temptation industry” is only getting better at triggering our most primal instinct to get immediate rewards now and ignore the detrimental and sometimes fatalistic effects that could occur years down the road.
Future goals around diet and exercise may be overshadowed by the behavioral tendency to make quick decisions in the present. Ariely explains that the brain “doesn’t make a trade off — how much do I want to stay alive — then weigh the options then decide. We focus on the here and now and don’t think about the future.” These choices taken in the moment have a cumulative effect on health outcomes. He asserts that “what really kills us is the little things we do all the time.”
“Do not pay for short-term relief with long-term misery.” — Robert Svoboda
How do we develop such wisdom that considers the consequences of momentary temptation and a deeper question worth exploring with curiosity (and compassion) is if we know certain habits might cause illness down the line, why do we continue to indulge in them?
Prajnaparadha advocates for cultivating a preventative rather than reactive mindset. This is the wisdom that ayurveda promotes by focusing on subtle signs and building on small daily habits. Together this strengthens vitality, clarity and strength which is the best defense against a culture intent on indulgence. If as Ariely states it is about the little things we do all the time that causes illness, Ayurveda flips this model to advocate for little positive things we do every day that leads to a healthier state of being.
Dinacharya
There are three pillars of health in Ayurveda: Ahara (diet), Vihara (lifestyle) and Aushadhi (proper treatment/medicine). Sunil V. Joshi explains:
“The first two of these supports, ahara and vihara, are concerned with diet and lifestyle and are fundamentally preventative in nature. When their principles are followed, the seeds of disease never get sown.”
Vihara (lifestyle) is dissected in detail in ancient texts as the dinacharya, the daily (dina) regimen (charya). While some practices prescribed in the Charaka Samhita seem unrealistic to modern times, (e.g. chewing of herbal sticks to cleanse the teeth has been replaced by toothbrushes), others are based on tried-and-true advice often heard by a caring parent or caregiver. Going to bed by a reasonable hour and eating regularly is familiar advice but there is a wisdom behind it and seeing it printed in some of our oldest sources of knowledge validates these practices as vital to well-being. The dinacharya can be seen as a caring ritual for the self, cleansing and honoring the body and senses that keep us going.
Reflecting on daily habits
What daily habits keep you feeling refreshed, alert and balanced? Is there a habit you do that when you miss or skip it, you notice a difference in your mood or body?
Is there a habit you know would be beneficial but is difficult to include in your daily routine?
Vegavarodha
Along with the concept of Prajnaparadha, Chapter 7 of the Caraka Samhita lists natural urges (vegas) that should not be suppressed (avarodha) or restrained. The Vegas can be signs, reflexes, and sensations that convey our bodily needs. Many of the Vegas are the system’s way of expelling waste or stabilizing the internal balance. Any obstruction or withholding of the Vegas stresses the system contributing to bigger imbalances over time. Giving importance to the Vedas might also help to deepen our connection with the body and its functions which helps guide those small day to day decisions.
Reflecting on the Vegas
From the list of vegas (natural urges), which one(s) do you have a tendency to suppress the most and why?
Are there cultural/gender factors that contribute to the suppression of natural urges eg: burping is considered a sign of enjoying the meal and complements the host in many Asian cultures, but is considered rude in North American culture.
Sources
Jobes, G. (1961). Dictionary of Mythology, Folklore and Symbols. Scarecrow Press.
Joep Lange Institute. (2016, November 9). JLI lecture Dan Ariely: What can health learn from behavioral economics? YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8ls8qppbw0
Joshi, Sunil V. (1998). Ayurveda And Panchakarma: The Science Of Healing and Rejuvenation. Motilal Banarsidass Publisher.
Pole, S. (2013). Ayurvedic medicine : the principles of traditional practice. Singing Dragon, Cop.
Sharma, P.V. (1998) Charaka Samhita Text With English Tanslation. In Internet Archive. from https://archive.org/details/CharakaSamhitaTextWithEnglishTanslationP.V.Sharma/mode/2up
Across traditions, wisdom is symbolized by the sword which is the tool that can cut through illusion. Nepali bodhisattva Manjushri is depicted with prajna’s sword which is used to illuminate the teachings of the Buddha. Perseus, son of Zeus in Greek mythology cuts the head of Medusa whose curse turned onlookers into stone. Ancient systems like Ayurveda have a way of cutting through the confusion surrounding health practices and getting straight to the most basic and simple guidelines. If there is wisdom (prajna) in the small day to day decisions, it can accumulate into seismic shifts promoting prevention, longevity and wellness.