Thread by @drmoghes

#Thread on scientificity of Ayurveda and why calling #Ayurveda a pseudoscience itself is unscientific & baseless

First let us understand what the motto of science/medicine w.r.t mankind should be.

Cc @Wikipedia

#SpeakUpVaidyas

The aim of science is to seek the simplest explanations of complex facts.
Going by the definitions of science coined by great modern scientists of our times, let's present the pointers on evidences in Ayurvedic texts that make it a far more superior science than the world knows.

Modern Biology recognizes the cell as the basic unit of life, genes as the unit of heredity & evolution as the engine that propels the production & making of new species.

Ayurvedic biology, on the other hand, explains in-depth how the extrinsic factors affect the internal makeup

Manas (mind) is the entity that can't be perceived by instruments but is the initiator of all activities.
The intimate relationship between Ātmā, Manas, Indriya (sense organs) and Śarīra (body) is what defines Ayurvedic biology.

Modern science has never thought on these lines.

Ayurvedic scriptures explain the exact causes, pathogenesis & effect of external factors (food & lifestyle) on the body.
Also explains how the body responds upon disturbance of intrinsic factors, leading to the diseases; exact symptoms of different variations of the same disease

Microbiology studies microbes in detail. In infections, the entire focus of modern science is on the microbes.
While Ayurvedic science at all times, has the "human body" as the focus.

Our science helps create an "unfavorable environment for the microbes to multiply" in the body

Coming to what #Charak says abt the 6 virtues of a physician:

Vidyā (knowledge)
Tarka (logic)
Vijñāna (science)
Smṛti (memory)
Tatparatā (adaptability)
Kriyā (practical demonstration)

These clearly indicate tht Charaka's system was neither dogmatic nor divorced from research.

#Sushruta has pointedly remarked that one who does not know the practical applications despite being a master in theory, could never be praiseworthy & should be taken to task before the king and sentenced to death.
Surgery was about having utmost mastery in practical aspects.

How we assess that "state of health" has been restored.
1. Alleviation of pain
2. Appearance of normal voice & complexion
3. Increase in strength
4. Desire to eat food
5. Appetite for food during meal-time
6. Proper digestion
7. Proper elimination of wastes
8. Happy awakening

9. Absence of dreams indicating morbidity
10. Unimpairment of mind, intellect & senses & association of all healthy symptoms therewith.

A trained Vaidya would be able to assess the health through the above factors without being overly-obsessed about lab investigations.

Signs of normalcy:

Attainment of spiritual happiness is the result of therapeutic action. It is characterised by the pleasure or satisfaction of the mind, intellect, senses and the body.

This is the highest point in someone's health and so would require no other evidences.

Doing Śuddha Cikitsā or purity of treatment happens to be the goal of Ayurveda.

Goal is, while treating one disease, medicine/drug should not give rise to another symptom/disease.

This entire outlook is maintained by a Vaidya while treating a disease.

It's no secret that #modern drugs available today give rise to a list of side reactions.
While mentioning the drug actions, the separate treatment to cure their side reactions is also specially advocated and yet we call it a "superior science".

Ayurvedists have given various causes responsible for every minute disturbance in the body.

They consider the age (vaya), country (desha), season (kāla), metabolic status (agni), constitution (prakṛti), strength (bala) of the subject before beginning the treatment.

Conclusion:-

Dynamic & lively human beings can be studied only with natural Siddhantā. Ayurveda has the
1) Tridoṣa theorem
2) Saptadhātu concept
3) Pañcamahābhūta theory
for studying & interpreting normal and abnormal status of health.

Hence, understanding various causes, pathologies and means of reversal of diseases are only possible with a deeper understanding of these mechanisms rather than just laboratory parameters like status of hormones, chemicals and proteins in the body.

Criticism can't be one way.

Hope the world wakes up to the "Truth of modern medicine" & questions modern medicine too, just like #Ayurveda has always been the subject of criticism for the pseudo-seculars of our country.

Would be wise to consider reading a text or two before claiming the unscientificity of #Ayurveda while mindlessly labeling it as quackery and pseudo-science.

Final take: If a Vaidya is unable to treat a disease, it is the limitation of the Vaidya, not the science.

Thread ends.