AYURVEDA ON "CONTAMINATION OF SEASONS: ENVIRONMENTAL CALAMITIES "(Part 5)
/In concluding this series, the understanding of the corruption of the seasons (kala) will be addressed. In Caraka Vimanasthana (Ca Vi 8/6), the dialogue between Agnivesha and Atreya is a such:
“तमुवाच भगवानात्रेयः- एवमसामान्यावतामप्येभिरग्निवेश! प्रकृत्यादिभिर्भावैर्मनुष्याणां येऽन्ये वाः सामान्यास्तद्वैगुण्यात् समानकालाः समानलिङ्गाश्च व्याधयोऽभिनिर्वर्तमाना जनपदमुद्ध्वंसयन्ति| ते तु खल्विमे भावाः सामान्या जनपदेषु भवन्ति; तद्यथा- वायुः, उदकं, देशः,काल इति||६||
tamuvāca bhagavānātrēyaḥ- ēvamasāmānyāvatāmapyēbhiragnivēśa! prakr̥tyādibhirbhāvairmanuṣyāṇāṁyē'nyē bhāvāḥ sāmānyāstadvaiguṇyāt samānakālāḥ samānaliṅgāśca vyādhayō'bhinirvartamānājanapadamuddhvaṁsayanti| tē tu khalvimē bhāvāḥ sāmānyā janapadēṣu bhavanti; tadyathā- vāyuḥ, udakaṁ, dēśaḥ, kāla iti||6||
Translated as: Lord Atreya replied “Agnivesha! Though a community may be dissimilar with respect to the constitution and other characteristics of its individuals, there are other common factors that often get adversely affected, resulting in simultaneous outbreaks of diseases having similar symptoms that destroy communities. The common factors which affect mass population are vayu (air), jala (water), desha (land), and kala (season). [6]
The state of the current climate concerns is pandemic, versus endemic, because everywhere on the planet is somehow now affected by atypical and extreme weather conditions. It is no longer “their issue” but our issue (the collective/global). How do we determine when the season(s) are affected by pandemic conditions that relate to the progression of global warming and climate change? This is qualified further in Caraka Vimanasthana 8, sloka 7:
कालं तु खलु यथर्तुलिङ्गाद्विपरीतलिङ्गमतिलिङ्गं हीनलिङ्गं चाहितं व्यवस्येत् (४); इमानेवन्दोषयुक्तांश्चतुरो भावाञ्जनपदोद्ध्वंसकरान् वदन्ति कुशलाः; अतोऽन्यथाभूतांस्तु हितानाचक्षते||७||
kālaṁ tu khalu yathartuliṅgādviparītaliṅgamatiliṅgaṁ hīnaliṅgaṁ cāhitaṁ vyavasyēt (4); imānēvandōṣayuktāṁścaturō bhāvāñjanapadōddhvaṁsakarān vadanti kuśalāḥ; atō'nyathābhūtāṁstu hitānācakṣatē||7||
A time is said to be unwholesome if it exhibits characteristics that are opposite to normal or exhibits excessive or deficient characteristics (e.g. early rains, too little rain, excessively hot summers or cold winters, etc) These four environmental factors, affected in the aforesaid way, can be considered the type that causes epidemics, and those having features contrary to these could be considered wholesome. [7]
Carak indicates further in this chapter that it is much easier, in this order, to address issues beginning with vayu (air), jala (water), and desha (environment) than it is to address issues beginning with udaka (water), desha (environment), kala (seasons.) Ca Vi 8/11 Furthermore, Caraka suggests that one of the main means of remediation involves panchakarma at appropriate times (kala), rtu (seasons), rtu sandhi (seasonal transitions), rtucarya (Seasonal practices overall), and aushudha (mineral/plant/animal medicines) that are used to support the body and mind into health by corraling the doshas appropriately. known as shamana cikitsa (palliative care) and returning the body to homeostasis, medicines used to support shodhana (purification/cleansing), and rasayana (rejuvenation therapies) once the doshas have been brought back to their main sthanas (sites/locations.) It is also pertinent to point out that the quality of medicines that come from the earth that is nature-based can also have a determination on the overall outcome of health but this is a very delicate situation, that as the climate is changing where herbs grow, how they are harvested, cultivated, cared for, held sustainably, and when they are harvested will affect the potency or lack thereof. All this matters and it is not as simple as simply growing an herb and expecting it to do what we learned it should do or could do. There is an inherent intelligence to the entire alchemy of the process of medicine production. With climate changes and extreme weather, nothing is left untouched or untainted and it will all come around full circle as we are connected to life in full-circle ways.
It is undeniable now, more than ever, that the perceived cries of the environmentalists 3-4 decades ago (if not longer) were around the changing of the environment. The predictions made back then have been coming more and more to fruition with more to come that we can’t clearly imagine unless we think of “worst-case scenarios.” Each year that passes, we see this forward-moving trajectory of climate concerns through weather patterns, paralleling the increased contamination of the other elements of akash (space), vayu (air), agni (fire), jala(water), and prthvi (earth/soil.) You can’t help but turn on the news and hear (most times or unless it escapes media/governmental control) about one more tornado devastation, one more forest fire, one more extreme flooding, one more opportunity for fracking, one more earthquake, one more hurricane/monsoon/tsunami, one more oil spillage, one more nuclear facility having a leak, one more unnecessary murder, healthcare costs on the rise, so on and so forth. This is all a sign of the times we are in and where we are heading. It’s all around us and there is no longer any “perfect bubble” to hide in or any place on the planet that isn’t or going to be affected by the rippling effects of all these elements out of bounds.
The seasons have their natural cycles, as do the doshas. They can either be positively influenced or negatively influenced based on which choices are made to be either in support of or against. The doshas are forces of nature that are the potential for greatness in life, but when they are out of bounds, vitiated, and corrupted they become forces of death. The practices that we implement from day to day, from season to season, to different periods of life and the lifespan, can be engaged with through dinacarya and rtucarya practices as early as possible. Notice how all of this is affecting your state of health, mind, and body! See any correlations? Ayurveda has known and seen all this for thousands of years predicting the possibility of this momentum. It has been observed within the science and scientists of Ayurveda that some of this was even way back then and in its own phases over time. How profound is this wisdom? Very!
So What to do?
First, foremost, and most importantly per Ayurveda, seasonal cleaning during seasonal transitions is a must! No, if’s, and’s, or but’s! This is noted as a pivotal aspect of healthcare and maintenance to prevent disease, per Classical Ayurvedic Medicine. This mainly consists of Panchakarma but other versions and modifications can be implemented to promote similar positive benefits.
Dress per seasonal appropriateness, as an overall general rule. For example, in Winter, wear layers. In Summer, remove layers. In Spring and Fall, dress preparing for the seasonal change. If it is 85 degrees in October, wear some layers and not shorts, flip-flops, or a tank top. Similarly, in the Spring when some days may shoot up to 85, wear appropriate covering and do not rush into wearing summer attire.
Be in the know, rather than putting your head in the sand! Who knows, but that harsh hurricane may be knocking on your door someday, or that tornado that hasn’t existed in your region is now spinning in your backyard taking your neighbor’s home with it.
You may not be able to change the seasonal patterns directly but what you do day to day in being mindful of leaving less of a carbon footprint, being more earth-friendly and earth-conscious, supporting legislation that also is in favor of more efficient means of cultivating energy resources, supporting farming that doesn’t use volatile fertilizers/pesticides, and even encouraging industries that have more eco-concepts at the forefront of their business plans.
Read the previous articles in this series to increase awareness of how this all comes together and note what changes you can make.
Pay it forward! By this I mean being in the know and then, like a candle lighting another, sharing this knowledge with others; informing them of the importance of such things and encouraging that even the smallest effort in the right direction could cause some changes.
Support Ayurveda because Ayurveda will definitely support you! Ayurveda is an earth-based scientific medical model that has been time-tested and proven for thousands of years, by far longer than any other system and it is truly the most holistic. Not everyone may be for Ayurveda but Ayurveda is for everyone as it is universal.
Do your best! Do your part! But also know there is always room for improvement and that we could all do a little bit more.
Similar to our own health management, the health of the planet also depends on this line of thinking and on us. Of course, the planet would regain its own health after we were gone. However, why would we not want to make an effort in preserving the gift of our lives here on Earth now while we still have some chance? Why put it off until tomorrow, what we can start doing today? We increase the chances of a better tomorrow with the efforts, however big or small, we do today. (food for serious thought.)
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DISCLAIMER: This information is meant for educational purposes only and not considered medical advice. Any changes in lifestyle should be reviewed by a qualified practitioner and/or primary care physician if you are currently under their care for specific conditions.