।। ओँ । नमो भगवते भैषज्यगुरुवैडूर्यप्रभराजाय तथागतायार्हते सम्यक्सम्बुद्धाय ।। Dear friends, Happy Medicine Buddha Day and also... Happy Halloween!!! When diagnosing imbalance and to manage health there are three aspects of the body one must consider. The first are the three doṣas. Second are the seven dhātus. And third are the three malas. These areas are where we can begin our diagnosis and assessment of a patients health. Below I would like to summarize the information given about doṣas in the Bhesajjamañjūsā of Śrī Laṅka. A wonderful text written in Pāli about medicine. To begin with, when we see the term doṣa we immediately think about vāta, pitta and kapha. These terms are familiar to most of us already. However, it is important to understand that these terms may be used in different ways and are not always refer solely to the doṣa or the afflicted state. Sometimes these terms are used when referring to the supportive aspect, sometimes the affliction and sometimes as an accumulation or waste product. In the first case, it must be supported, in the second it needs to be balanced and in the third it needs to be purged. According to the Bhesajjamañjūsā - Vāta is of the wind element and has the following qualities: rough, light, cold, delicate and mobile. Pitta is of the fire element and has the following qualities: sharp, hot, acrid, pungent and greasy. Kapha is of the water element and has the following qualities: sweet, salty, cold, heavy and viscid. When supporting the body, or in other words, when not vitiated, these three sustain the body in the following ways: Vāta sustains the action of breathing in and out, sustains natural urges, it supports the proper movement of the dhātus and sustains the function of the sense organs. Pitta supports the body with digestion, warmth, sight, hunger, thirst, cravings, aptitude, intelligence, gentleness and luster. Kapha supports the body with stability, unctuousness, cohesion, lubrication of the joints and endurance. Vāta. Location: below navel. Seat: Colon. Other locations: waist, inguinal area (specifically near the femoral artery), the channels, bones and skin. Most predominant manifestation: after digestion. Time: 2 - 6 am & pm. Age: Begins age 32, secondary to Pitta, Predominant after age 64. Pitta. Location: between diaphragm and navel. Seat: Small Intestines. Other locations: stomach, perspiration, pus, lymph, blood, rasa, eyes, skin. Most predominant manifestation: accumulates during digestion. Time: 10 - 2 am & pm. Age: age 8 -16 secondary to Śleṣma, age 16 - 32 predominant. Śleṣma / Kapha. Location: above diaphragm to head. Seat: Lungs. Other locations: head, neck, chest, joints, stomach, rasa, fat, nose, and tongue. Most predominant manifestation: aggravated before digestion. Time: 6 - 10 am & pm. Age: age 0 - 16 predominant with Pitta secondary after age 8. The imbalance of a doṣa can be of three levels: Mild, Moderate or Severe Based on time, season, age, habits and other factors, the doṣas naturally accumulate, manifest and are subdued. It is our responsibility to live in accordance with these cycles by adjusting our daily habits. However, when we do not live accordance with these cycles or when the doṣas are allowed to accumulate and arent balanced there is a progression which they will follow which brings about more serious imbalance. One elaboration of Doṣa process is as follows: First stage: Accumulation - in the seat. At this time it is quite minor, perhaps unnoticeable. The patient will naturally crave foods which will balance and diminish the doṣa (e.g. if pitta is excessive, the patient will naturally crave the sweet taste). Second stage: Provocation - in the seat and other locations. At this stage the doṣa will begin causing imbalances at the seat and may start to manifest in other locations it resides. Third stage: Spreading - begins moving to different parts of the body. The doṣa can move outside its seat and natural locations through three kinds of channels: the GI tract the blood, lymph, seven dhātus nerves and all organs Fourth stage: Deposit - settles in weak area. The doṣa will travel the body and eventually settle in a weak spot of the body which is often a place of injury or other type of weakness. At this point the symptoms will manifest quite strongly and the doṣa will cause cravings which will increase its potency. Final stage: Manifestation - outside of seat or location. This stage is damaging to the body on a physical level. The physical body will be affected (e.g. excess stomach acid causing ulcers). The text also talks about diagnosis and treatment in a general way. One is to look at the qualities of the doṣa to see if those qualities have increased or decreased and to apply the opposite qualities to remedy and bring the doṣa into balance. For example, if vāta has the quality of roughness it can be remedied with softness. Obviously this is just an introduction to the understanding of the doṣas according to the Bhesajjamañjūsā and should not be taken as the final word on doṣas in the Buddhist tradition of medicine. In fact, the various texts often differ in what is said about the doṣa though the basics are more or less the same. I hope this information is beneficial and please feel free to write with any questions or comments you may have. Sarva Maṅgalaṁ Somānanda Yogi
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 22:49:51 +0000
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