Teaching Reforms Required for Ayurveda
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PEDAGOGY Teaching reforms required for Ayurveda Jayaprakash Narayan Central Council of Indian Medicine, New Delhi, India ABSTRACT This article concerns the 20th century saga of Ayurvedic Education up to the current situation, based on a general appreciation of knowledge in Ayurveda. In this light, it considers how to improve quality of teaching and teachers. This is most important, because in education, teachers are the custodians of tradition and knowledge. As those most responsible for maintaining or restoring quality, teachers have very important roles to play. The article also treats ‘learning and teaching’: who should learn Ayurveda, and how to teach Ayurveda so that it continues from generation to generation, leading to the final area of consideration, reforms in teaching Ayurveda, and future prospects. Key words: Ayurveda, teaching reforms, Ayurveda pedagogy. INTRODUCTION prashamanam": pacifying the disease of the diseased. Of Ayurveda’s significance, Charakacharya states: Ayurveda fundamentals As is well-known, the word Ayurveda means "Science "The wise regard the science of life as the supreme science, because (Veda) of Life (Ayus) or Lifespan". Ayurveda deals it teaches mankind what constitutes good in both worlds, here and with lifespan, it has procedures to determine whether hereafter. That is the importance of Ayurveda.” lifespan will be short or long. It deals with properties and activities of vital and fatal substances. It states: Who needs Ayurveda Education? Is it the student, "Hitahitam, sukham duhkham, Ayustasya Hitahitam, who needs it, or the teacher who needs it? It is said: Manam cha taccha Yatroktam, Ayurvedassa uchyate", a sloka "Cha Adhyetavya, Brahmana Raja, Anya Vaishyah". Not encapsulating all that medical science has said of the as a religion is it to be studied, but by the scientist, the patient. What is sukha or asukha? What is sukha to Mr. A, Brahmana, as in “Brahma jnanam tu Brahmanaha.” Why? may not be sukha to Mr. B. Accordingly, sukha pertains “Praninam Brahmanah”: for the benefit of the fellow to the individual, while hita and ahita are relevant at beings, the Brahmana or scientist has to learn it. “Rajanyah community level. Who is hita, beneficial to the society? arakshatha”, for Kings to give protection to their subjects, Who is ahita, a problem to society? Ayurveda is all- and offer wonderful governance. To achieve this, the encompassing, it covers the entire community, both the ruler, the Raja, needs education in Ayurveda; “Vrittyasya levels of the individual, and society. vaishyah”, businessmen have to know how to conduct their professional business correctly; the people: Samanyato va What is Ayurveda’s objective? What its purpose? Dharma Artha Kama, to obtain Dharma Artha Kama, and "Svasthasya svasthya rakshanam": protection, preservation, finally to attain Moksha. Ayurveda is there for these to and promotion of the health of the healthy. No other obtain trivarga, and maintain it. Ayurveda is not just for medical science today speaks of maintaining the health students wanting to learn it, or for the teacher, it is for of healthy people as one of its objectives. Also, "Vikara the entire community, scientists, administrators, business people, and the general public, Ayurveda is part of life itself. Address for correspondence: Dr. Jayaprakash Narayana, Vice-President Central Council of Indian Medicine, Ayurveda education in India Institutional Area, Janakpuri, New Delhi - 110058, India. The development of the modern system of Ayurveda E-mail: [email protected] education from 1870 to 1970 has been a great saga. Table Received: 15-Apr-2010 1 summarizes it. Ayurvedacharya, the present course, began Revised: 28-Apr-2010 in Jaipur under the name, Ayurveda Shastra, in 1870. In Accepted: 30-May-2010 1906 the Maharaja of Mysore started the first official DOI: 10.4103/0975-9476.65075 college (including Unani). After ups and downs of policy 150 Journal of Ayurveda & Integrative Medicine | April 2010 | Vol 1 | Issue 2 Narayan: Ayurveda teaching reforms Table 1: History of Ayurveda education in India Table 2: Rationalization of Ayurveda degrees 1870 - 1977 Previous UG degrees Previous Graduate degrees Date Place Action diplomas 1870 Jaipur, Ayurveda Shastra (later Ayurvedacharya, DAM GAMS, Graduate in Ayurvedic Rajasthan Ayurvedacharya) Bhishagvara, Medicine Bhishagvaracharya. ABMS, DAMS GCAM, Grad. of Coll. of AV 1906 Mysore Government Ayurvedic and Unani Medicine College, AMS GCIM, Grad. of Coll of Indian Ayurveda ‘Licenciate in Ayurveda Medicine and Medicine Vidvat Surgery’, (LAMS) ASF. (Grad of Course of Integrated 1910 Delhi All India Ayurvedic Congress with its Medicine) Educational Division, Akhil Bharatiya BAMMS, Bachelor of Ayurveda with Modern Medicine and Surgery. Ayurveda Vidyapith (ABAV) + affiliated BSAM, Bachelor of Shuddha Ayurveda Medicine. Vidyalayas Today’s Course 1930 50 Ayurveda Educational Institutions Ayurvedacharya 5½ year Bachelor of Ayurveda Medicine under ABAV (BAMS) course 1946 Delhi Chopra committee, combine Ayurveda Vachaspati 3 year Doctor of Medicine in Ayurveda MD Ayurveda with Western Medicine (Ayurveda) CCIM (Nehru) 1955 Delhi Dave committee recommended a degree course of 5 1/2 years. 1958 Delhi Udupa committee: develop Ayurveda to the BAMS degree course is open to students who have (education) on scientific lines, Fill in passed the second year pre-university examination, and gaps by modern scientific methods as in some states, pre-university,” i.e. 10 years + 2 years of necessary 1962 Delhi Committee under Mudaliar, board examination, or any other equivalent examination. integrated system to be discontinued, For the last three years minimum percentages required in Teaching of Shuddha Ayurveda begins Physics, Chemistry and Biology have been raised to 50%. 1970 Delhi Central Council of Indian Medicine All this rationalization is summarized in Tables 1 and 2, (CCIM) constituted with present day numbers of colleges in Table 3. 1977 Delhi CCIM Ayurvedacharya, currently sole recognized Ayurveda degree This number is more or less equal to the number of Bachelor in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery, BAMS medical colleges, but admission to those is much higher. In MBBS alone, there are 30,000 seats with 10,000 post- graduate seats. reversals by various government committees following independence, the Central Council for Indian Medicine Post Graduate Degrees in Ayurveda are given in Table 4. (CCIM) was constituted by Act of Parliament in 1970. As indicated, old courses combining specialties, have been Minimum qualifications for admission to Ayurveda courses replaced by separate courses e.g. panchakarma is now a were fixed, as were the required number of courses of degree course, instead of coming under Kayachikitsa. study and practical training; subjects of examinations and Manasa roga is completely new; some colleges have already standards of proficiency to be obtained were finalized; started offering it. requirements for staff standards, numbers in each department, equipment, accommodation, training and Present day action other facilities; conduct of professional examinations, Today, the system is in a state of crisis. The Department qualifications for examiners, and conditions for admission of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy to examinations, all were prescribed. (AYUSH), is concerned that the majority of qualified Ayurvedic practitioners have resorted to practicing In 1977, Ayurvedacharya was retained as the sole course biomedicine. To try and help, discrete consultations have leading to an Ayurveda Degree, called Bachelor of been held with practitioners throughout the country. When Ayurveda Medicine (BAMS). Eligibility read, "Admission asked why they are not practicing the system in which Table 3: Colleges System UG Colleges #places PG Options #places Ayurveda 253 12,265 71 1,234 Unani 41 1,865 8 107 Siddha 9 360 4 138 Total 303 A U and S 13,490 83 1,479 Journal of Ayurveda & Integrative Medicine | April 2010 | Vol 1 | Issue 2 151 Narayan: Ayurveda teaching reforms they were trained, the answer comes that they need more Vidhi, diagnostic techniques could be part of a diploma confidence. The knowledge obtained from their colleges in clinical medicine, like those in western medicine. We did not instill it. To practice Ayurveda alone as a specialty, have proposed such courses starting in the next academic they need more effective, confident knowledge. We are year – see Table 4. now going about providing it. The role of the teacher For 35 years, the syllabus was not translated into English. Only teachers can carry through the educational reforms The responsible body is the Central Council of Indian needed to restore Ayurveda, but they must have the right Medicine, of which the President is Vaidya Raghunandan qualities: Charakacharya enumerated wonderful qualities Sharma-ji, one of the most dynamic in our history. The that teachers should exhibit. We need to produce teachers translation has now been done and circulated, so that who exemplify them, then glory will return to Ayurveda. teachers have been able to look into the syllabus. This is This is what Charaka says: teachers should be completely something they felt strongly about, saying it needs a lot conversant with what they teach, and skilful with words. of change. Recently, we held a workshop in Bangalore, to Without the latter, how can they communicate effectively which 500 experts representing the cream of our Ayurveda with students? Unless they are well informed, with internal teachers