The relevance of Ayurveda in the modern world

 

Glimpses from yesterday's program, "The relevance of Ayurveda in the modern world" by Maa Janani Swasthya Mission & Odisha State Ayurvedic Congress.

The senior ayurvedic physicians, Dr Madan Mohan Padhi, Dr Umesh Chandra Prusty, and Dr Dhaneswar Baliarsingh exhorted the Government dignitaries present to put the holistic healing modalities at the centre of the State's healthcare system.

Sri Sajjan Sharma narrated how ayurveda and the forest based herbal knowledge of tribals brought both fame and wealth to the Indian subcontinent as the entire world gained from it. He said the first step towards health is to understand the value of nature and conserve its wealth.

Padmashree Prof Dr Ashok Mahapatra revealed that he belongs to a family lineage that has promoted ayurveda and other holistic healing methods and therefore he had a keen interest in these sciences and followed the principles even as he pursued a career in modern medicine and practiced as a modern doctor.

He said diseases stemmed from adopting wrong mentality and forgetting the laws of nature. The inflated ego is at the root of all problems, he pointed out. It prevents us from embracing the truth and working selflessly for others.

He said the MBBS doctors understood the nuances of disease. He cited the example of Swami Sivananda the founder of the Divine Life Society who was an MBBS doctor. A deep understanding about the subject of health led him towards God. He moved on to become one of the foremost Saints of India. His clinic at Rishikesh expanded to become the Headquarters of the Divine Life Society, that is today a global institution.

His able disciple Swami Chidananda Saraswati, a person of tremendous intellect, has also written extensively on how one can keep oneself healthy by accepting the divine principles that are the heritage of India. Dr Mahapatra requested the eminent doctors and intellectuals present to go through the volumes written under the title, The Choice is Yours, by him.

He said if people read the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, understand and follow them, they can not only be healthy, but also be productive citizen and build a country that would lead the world. He said he has studied Mantra Therapy in detail and he himself practices it regularly to keep himself healthy. The origin of creation has to be understood to comprehend the tremendous healing powers of mantras like Om and the Gayatri Mantra. Life is about energy and positivity. When these elements deplete disease occurs. Sound and the right vibrations delivered through regular chanting of mantras can open up channels to rectify the situation. The modern medical world must understand this and rectify itself.

He said ayurveda is the reflection of the ancient wisdom that made India the hub of the world. It is the complete understanding of life and health. The principles of vata, pitta, and kapha explain everything and people who understand can take care of their own health. It is about the eternal principles and therefore is always relevant.

He exhorted people to have adequate sleep, avoid stress, cultivate a good mentality, bow down to God everyday in prayer to get rid of the ego that is the root cause of disease, read and understand oriental philosophy, rise early to witness the rising Sun, exercise, eat right and on time, adopt moral principles, and become useful members of society.

Mr Prakash Mishra, advisor to the Chief Minister of Odisha, who was the Chief Guest acknowledged that ayurveda had the answers to the modern days plagues of chronic ailments. He said chronic diseases are not amenable to modern treatment but the holistic healers are setting examples by curing diseases like asthma, eczema, arthritis etc. He said that he is committed to the holistic modalities and he promised to take up the matter at appropriate levels.

Dr Ashok Mahapatra was felicitated on the occasion by the dignitaries present. Mr Prakash Mishra and Sri Sajjan Sharma were also felicitated.

Mr Jagannath Chatterjee delivered the vote of thanks. He said it is not enough to thank everybody. All the eminent participants of the program must take a vow to spread awareness about ayurveda and other healing systems and pledge not to stop until these systems become mainstream in the country of their origin.