PhysicalAspects([yurveda)

A Comparative Study of the Buddhist Analysis of Basic Elements of Mentality and the

Ayurvedic Explanation of Three Humors

It is a well-known fact that Buddhism and [yurveda originated in India1. Both the

disciplines were introduced to Sri Lanka in pre-christian era2. However it is a fact that [yurveda

was influenced much by Buddhism during the time of world famous Buddhist University of

N@land@3. It is believed that the famous philosopher N@g@rjuna introduced Ras@yanatantra into

[yurveda, the eighth branch of [yurveda4. In Sri Lanka both [yurveda and local tradition of

medicine were mixed and developed with Buddhism to a great extent. As a result there came into

being a large number of works in Ayurvedic medicine written in Pali, Sanskrit and Sinhala in the

island5. S@r@rthasa>grahaya, A=kaprak@^a and Bhesajjama~jus@ are some of them. In these

works as well as in the Buddhist exegetical literature the Buddhist and Ayurvedic concepts have

been comparatively discussed in order to bring the subject into an identity of Sri Lanka. For

instance Ven. Buddhaghosa explains the different characters with reference to the three humors

in [yurveda and the three unwholesome mental roots in Buddhism6. Our attention in this article

is paid mainly to this aspect.

According to early Buddhism the human personality is analyzed into physical and

mental constituents. Among the analyses the analysis into five aggregates occupies a prominent

place7. In most of the later works on Abhidhamma, the five aggregates have been considered as

the basis of the Buddhist analysis of the psycho-physical personality of human beings8.

According to the analysis of five aggregates r#pa - matter represents the human body and its

related aspects of the external material world. In brief the human body means five senses: eye,

ear, nose, tongue and skin. These are the sense-faculties that come into contact with the forms,

sounds, taste, smell and the temperature of the external world. As a result of the contact between

the senses and sense-objects consciousness arises recognizing the objects in regard to each and

every sense-faculty. The coming together of the three aspects viz. sense-faculty, its object and

the related consciousness creates feelings. Feelings are kept as perceptions or memories for later

reflection and creating the same feelings as to the needs of persons. Because of constant

reflection over the memories they are transformed into concepts. After creating such concepts

they become the guiding principles of human behavior9. Due to this psycho-physical relationship

there arise various types of mental aspects in human mind. In the absence of much attachment to

feelings the human mind is basically involved with likes and dislikes (anunaya pa{igha)10.

These mental tendencies are useful for the survival of beings. But as to the nature of human mind

there is no limit for these mental tendencies. So unknowingly these two aspects are developed

into greed and hate. Greed and hate are considered as unwholesome mental roots in Buddhism.

Because of the impermanent nature of the world no one is able to satisfy greed and hate in one's

life-time. Further these two mental aspects are developed into mental functions as abhijjh@ and

vy@p@da11 (covetousness and ill-will). Motivated by greed and hate people try to achieve what

they desire and to eliminate what they don't like. Sometimes these two attempts become

successful and as a result conceit (m@na)12 arises. When they fail to achieve their aims the

mental condition called delusion (moha)13 arises. Conceit and delusion are but the same mental

condition which can be introduced as mental distortion. However these three mental aspects have

been compared with the three humors in [yurveda. In this context we can assume that there are

six basic features in human personality.

Human Personality

Physical Aspects

([yurveda)

Phlegm (semha)

Bile (pitta)

Air (v@ta)

aspects:

Mental Aspects

(Buddhism)

greed (lobha)

hate (dosa)

delusion (moha)

conceit (m@na)14

According to [yurveda the mental capacity of human beings consists of three

Dh$ - ability to understand anything perfectly

Dh=ti - ability to keep in mind (anything) firmly

Sm=ti - ability to recall the memories at once

These abilities are related to the well-balanced three humors as follows:

Pitta - bile

dh$ - understanding

dh=ti - memory

sm=ti - recalling15

semha - phlegm

v@ta - air

The nature of bile is burning or heat. Intellect means to criticize, break and

analyze anything on a logical basis. The mental behavior of intellect is very similar to the

behavior of fire. Therefore Buddhism compares hate with the intellect characters (Buddhicarita)

in a positive context.

Semha - phlegm possesses the nature of fluidity. It can absorb anything and keep

for a certain period of time. The mental behavior of faith characters is compared with greed-characters. The positive aspect of greed characters is faith. Faith characters are soft-minded and

they can easily believe anything without criticism. Therefore comparison between greed and

memory is reasonable.

V@ta - The nature of air is motion. The act of recalling indicates a kind of motion

in the mental processes. The reflective characters are compared with delusion (moha) in

Buddhism in a positive context. Reflection is an essential aspect of recalling.16

Thus we can expand the Buddhist and Ayurvedic concept of three humors and

three mental roots into a wider context as follows:

greed

hate

phlegm

bile

air

memory faith

intellect

reflection

understanding

recalling delusion

In Pali and Sanskrit the comparison of the English terms with P@li terms is as

follows:

lobha

dosa

moha

semha

pitta

v@ta

dh=ti

dh$

sm=ti

saddh@

intellect

vitakka

The air, bile and phlegm are also connected with three aspects of mind in

[yurveda - Tamas or gloomy aspect of mind is related to air, agitated aspect - rajas to bile and

creative aspect - sattva to phlegm. The starting point of Buddhist path is saddh@ - faith and

positive aspect of mind or balanced nature of human personality is related to greed or faith. As

pointed out above the positive aspect of mind is sattva and it is related to phlegm and greed17.

The Visuddhimagga points out that lust-characters are those whose three do&as viz. air, bile and

phlegm exist in a balanced mood18.

The negative mental aspects of the three characters also mostly resemble with the

illness related to three humors mentioned in [yurveda.

R@gacarita - lust-characters

m@y@ - deciet

s@{heyya - fraud

m@na - pride

p@picchat@ - evilness of wishes

mahicchat@ - greatness of wishes

asantu{{hit@ - discontent

si - foppery

c@palaya> - personal vanity19

Dosacarita - hate-characters

kodha - anger

upan@ha - enmity

makkha - disparaging

pal@sa - domineering

iss@ - envy

macchariya - avarice20

Mohaarita - delusion-characters

th$na - stiffness

middha - torpor

uddacca - agitation

kukkucca - worry

vicikicch@ - uncertainity

@dh@nag@hit@

holding on tenaciously with

refusal to relinquish

21duppa{inissaggit@

The positive aspects of the related three mental aspects are also connected with

relevant positive aspects as follows:

Saddh@carita - faith-characters

muttac@gat@ - free generosity

ariy@na> dassanak@mat@ - desire to see Noble Ones

saddhamma> sotuk@nat@ - desire to hear the Good Dhamma

p@mojjabahutat@ - great gladness

asa>sa{{hat@ - ingenuousness

am@y@vit@ - honesty

pas@dan$yesu {h@nesu pas@do - trust in things that inspire trust22

Buddhicarita - intelligent-characters

sovacassat@ - readiness to be spoken to

kaly@%amittat@ - possession of good friends

bhojane matta~~ut@ - knowledge of the right amount in eating

satisampaja~~a> - mindfulness and full awareness

j@gariy@nuyogo - devotion to wakefulness

sa>vejan$yesu {h@nesu sa>vego - a sense of urgency

sa>viggassa ca yoniso padh@na> - wisely directed endeavour23

Vitakkacarita - speculative-characters

bhassabahulat@ - talkativeness

ga%@r@mat@ - sociability

kusal@nuyoge arati - boredom with devotion to the profitable

anava{{hitocittat@ - failure to finish undertakings

ratti> dh#p@yan@ - hatching plans at night

div@pajjalan@ - putting plans into effect by day

hur@hura> dh@van@ - mental running hither and tither24

The Buddhist [yurvedic Psycho-somatic Chart (BAP Chart) has been prepared as a basic

tool for the counselors, psychiatrists and physicians of the Buddhist [yurvedic System of

Medicine. This system of medicine is a holistic approach to diagnosis and treatment of mental

and physical illnesses followed by ancient doctors of our tradition. The chart though indicates the

facts in brief can be successfully used by the doctors who are trained in the system. In this

system attention was paid to several aspects that are connected with human behavior. According

to Buddhism and [yurveda nothing happens with one cause and nothing happens without causes

(ekahetuv@da and ahetuv@da). Everything happens due to many causes and conditions. So it is a

fact that all kinds of illnesses mental or physical arise due to many causes and conditions.

Seeking one cause for a particular disease through diagnosis is not only a foolish task but also a

useless attempt. The ancient teachers and doctors (vaidya) understood clearly this phenomena

and treated the patients in a holistic manner. This chart indicates more than 26 areas to which

they have paid their attention. They cover several subjects of the tradition such as

i.

ii.

iii.

iv.

v.

vi.

vii.

viii.

Still this is not an exhaustive study and this can be further expanded to cover

many other aspects related to human behavior. In the future an attempt will be taken to make a

universal chart of Buddhist [yurvedic System of Medicine and to explain logically the inter-connection among the factors indicated in the chart. I mention with gratitude the following

sources which have been consulted for making this chart.

Sources:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Carakasa>hit@, tr. Dr. R. Buddhadasa, Government Press, Colombo, 1960

De^$ya Cikits@ Samgrahaya, I, Dept. of [yurveda, Colombo, 1984

Su^rutasa>hit@, tr. Dr. R. Buddhadasa, Government Press, Colombo, 1962

Bhesajjama~jus@, ed. Ven. W. Dharmakirti, Alpitiya, 1967

Vibh@vin${$k@, Ven. W. Pannananda, Colombo, 1898

Vaidyaka S@rarthasa>grahaya, ed. Dr. Aryadasa Kumarasingha, Dept. of National Museums,

Colombo, 1985

7. Visuddhimagga, ed. Ven. P. Buddhadatta, Colombo, 1920

8. The Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga), tr. Bhikkhu Ñ@%amoli, Taiwan, 1956

9. [yurveda Au&adha Sa>grahaya, Dept. of [yurveda, Colombo, 1975

Buddhist philosophy, ethics and culture

[yurveda

Buddhist Psychology (Abhidhamma)

Astrology

Asian rites and rituals

Environment

Aspects of time

Human behavior, etc.

10. Bhagavat Sinh Jee, Aryan Medical Science, New Delhi, 1895

11. Hendric de Silva Hettigoda, J$vitaya h@ Grahayo, Piliyandala, 2008

12. Dr. Piyasena Ratuwitana, Pal@pala Kathanayata Piyagatapela, Colombo, 2011

13. Wickramarachchi Felicitation Volume, ed. W. S. Karunaratna etc, Vidyalankara Press, 1968

14. Dr. R. K. Rohan Sisira Kumara, Lanka Pa~c@

2007

15. Dr. D. M. Jayasingha, Pa~canid@na, Dept. of [yurveda, Colombo, 1984

End Notes

1Vaidyaka S@r@rthasa>grahaya, ed. and tr. Dr. Aryadasa Kumarasingha, Dept. of National Museums, 1985, pp.

ibid.

Wickramarachchi Felicitation Volume, ed. W. S. Karunaratna etc., Vidyalankara Press, 1968, pp. 74-75

ibid.

e. g. S@r@rthasa>grahaya, Bhesajjama~jus@, Yog@r%ava, Prayogaratn@val$, Yogaratn@karaya, Vaidyacint@ma%i,

The Path of Purification, tr. Bhikku Ñ@%amoli, Taiwan, 1956, p. 104

op. cit., pp. 489-541

Vibh@vin${$k@, ed. Rev. Pannananda, Colombo, 1898, p. 4

Galmangoda, Sumanapala, Buddhist Social Philosophy and Ethics, Singapore, 2006, pp. 9-11

Milindapa~ha, PTS (Pali Text Society, London, pp. 44, 122)

D$ghanik@ya, I, PTS, p. 70-71

D$ghanik@ya, III, PTS, p. 234

op. cit., pp. 146, 175

The Path of Purification, op. cit., p. 104

Carakasa>hit@, tr. R. Buddhadasa, Government Dept. of Languages, 1960, pp. 241-249

Jayasingha, D. M., Pa~canid@na, Dept. of Ayurveda, 1984, pp. 68-71

Bhesajjama~jus@, ed. Ven. Wilegoda Dharmakeerti, Alpitiya, 1967, pp. 22-25

The Path of Purification, op. cit., pp. 103-105

op. cit. pp. 108-109

ibid.

ibid.

ibid.

ibid.

ibid.

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