Ayurveda : Few more muses: In continuation

Don't know what reaction the first part created. But I have come across many Indians even educated ones, who believe in our greatness without asking for any proof. Like God, they just believe in it. I am not disrespecting them or ridiculing them or belittling the Indian ethos and culture but the point to be bothered about is, where we stand TODAY in the world ranking? 'Doesn't matter' is not the answer. We should think, introspect, rectify the mistakes done by our ancestors and move on. One should ask questions, try to understand, imbibe, modify and then move on. Unfortunately Indian youth is still living the life their parents want them to live, right from which course to select, which job to accept to which spouse to marry! The one who does not rebel, has no right to call himself youth! 

The human race originated in Africa and then migrated all over the world, our right-wing historians may not agree to this, but that's what the rest of the world accepts today. Wherever medieval man settled, there started a civilization. Thus we have Bushmen in Africa with their beliefs and culture[ Remember 'God must be crazy'], Maoris down under in New Zealand and Australia, Eskimos in Iceland and Alaska and here we Indians in India with our own system of tribals. Not only these civilizations tried to find the meaning of life, but they also developed their own medicinal systems too. We know 'Ayurveda' because it's ours. But how many of us are aware of Medicinal systems being practised in Mid and South America by Maya civilians. And if somebody from Taiwan gets up and says 'We have 100% cure for erectile dysfunction[ They use genitalia of Tiger to make such decoction or thus the word goes !] how many of these pro-porters would volunteer to try it, some may, for extra [!] stamina but what about Diabetes or Hypertension? In short, even Lion knows to eat grass on an upset stomach, it's hardly surprising that human with 100 times more wisdom than lowly cats, observes certain medicinal properties of shrubbery and bushes and pushes it as Herbal Medicine or Ayurveda!     

The problem here is of authentication and standardization [Bio Standardization]. Any drug/medicine developed by Modern Medicine today, say an antibiotic, used in measured proportions gives 99% effect in Chinese, Hispanics, Americans or Asians.

The crux of the problem lies with the  'Research'. The very word, maybe, abhorred by our elders. We as civilized ones were not allowed to ask questions. 'If elders are telling just do it' was the Mantra. The TV invented by Bayard is on display in the museum today. I have 3D V in my house. And it was possible only through research. Moreover, this is not applicable to gazettes only but to every walk of life. That includes Medicines and drugs too. Where we as Indians drag our feet, is in this area. Anything new in the market 'We always knew of this'. The new invention,  ' Oh had this from Ramayana times'. What a vacuous pride!

In 1947 the life expectancy in India was around 37 years. 5000 years old 'Ayurveda' was prevalent then too! Epidemics like Plague, Cholera, Smallpox were rampant. Even Tuberculosis did not have any answer then, in Ayurveda. The death rate in pregnancies, parturition and early childhood was extremely high. What solace Ayurveda did give to these poor victims? None. Today in 2015 the same life expectancy in our own India has reached 67, and I don't think Ayurveda has anything to do with it! Those who feel it is should say goodbye to MRIs, CT scans, ECGs and catch next bullock cart home!

Why today Ayurveda is in demand? The patients of all the diseases, where according to Modern medicine, the fault lies in your genes, like Immune deficiency Diseases, or diseases those are not cured but have to be kept under control like Diabetes, Hypertension, Rheumatoid Arthritis, are tired of taking medicines and do not want to have answer' No'. This one is a gullible lot that falls prey to tall claims made by these alternative medicine experts and suffers a lot in the end. Does Ayurveda really have the answers for ' Myocardial Infarction, Cerebral bleed, simple Tuberculosis later turning in to XDR and so many, so many other diseases which could be lethal if not treated in time? [ It would really be a catastrophe if Indian psyche wouldn't have come out of this mindset!]  

It's not surprising that after being so much in demand, 'Ayurveda' is commercialized. Under the pretext of 'Market demands' Ayurvedic medicines are now available in Capsules and Tablet forms. Now, this is a big puzzle. From where did Ayurveda get the concept of Capsule? ' Get Sugar checked, 'Matra' has to be increased.' Now how Blood sugar is measured by Ayurvedic methods? In that case real, the real Ayurvedacharya should be in a position to tell whether the blood sugar is 60 or 300 by checking the pulse alone, the commonest method adopted by the experts in this field! Then and then only the claim that we knew of Diabetes since olden times will hold water, otherwise it would be like jumping on the bandwagon!  

'Sugar-Free Tooth Paste' is not the lone star in this melee of gross commercialization, there are dime a dozen! This is a glaring example of 'Sugar-Free' fad going on in the society/market as of now. At the outset the concept of 'Tooth Paste' IS western, when did Ayurveda start pro-porting it? And if one wants to use it, how much one can use it, half an inch, one inch? And how much Sugar would be there in that 'One Inch'? Even if we take that children eat toothpaste, does it go in tonnes? and to consume sugar in tonnes is the paste Shrikhand or Gulab Jamun?

'Lowers Insulin Levels in few minutes' '100% reduction in Insulin levels'. These are the claims made by another sugar-lowering Ayurvedic product, making its show daily on TV. Now when did Ayurveda invent 'Insulin'? How do they measure the Insulin levels by Ayurvedic Methods? In what 'Type' of Diabetes is it indicated? If they really know that if Insulin is not used in type One Diabetes it could be fatal, how come this advertizement is allowed on National/ International television?

'Combined Therapy' is another ploy used by these Banias to take advantage of the lack of knowledge of these hapless patients. The highest court of the country has banned the usage of medicines of one discipline by others' experts. Secondly, there are no studies, no research in this respect. Nothing is known about the actions/ interactions of these drugs given together. And perpetrators of this, are en-cashing on the ignorance and the gullibility of these patients.

As said earlier in this propaganda, the victim is a hapless gullible patient suffering from an incurable disease. Moreover, the  'Indian' patient is held between the crossfire, neither here nor there! But the paradox is, that the one who is not bothered while eating anything given under the pretext of 'Prasad', even made a month ago, or any herb given as Herbal medicine, questions about the side effects of Modern medicine in the 1st meeting though hasn't succeeded in crossing even the 4th grade!  

Right from the early morning, even though we all are 100% Indians, we are using practically everything coming from the west. Be it the mattress, with research going in, to decide what material it should be made of to its thickness, what should be the elasticity of inner wear, to how many whistles of a pressure cooker, cooks the rice but not the pulses, a simple watch, 9.27 double fast, 4 number double-decker, this site, the computer used to run this site, the list is really really endless, it would go on even if the brain tires! We celebrate when our spacecraft reaches Mars in the 1st attempt but in the same breath, we reject a girl having 'Mangal' in her horoscope. The real problem lies with the attitude and approach and not with 'Indian ness'! Of Scientific temperament and to practice it on a day-today basis!

Those who believe in our ethos blindly should proclaim unabashedly that we don't believe in Western technology and we won't use it! Why only Modern Medicine be singled out?