Foundations of Indian Psychology, Volume 2

8

The Blending of Healing and Pedagogy in Āyurveda

P. Ram Manohar

Introduction

The medical tradition of Āyurveda has preserved a rather unique concept of education that blends principles of healing with those of pedagogy. With its intense focus on the promotion of positive health and higher states of well-being, Āyurveda has discovered that elevated states of health can be achieved only through a subtle transformation of the inner personality. Diseases can be cured, managed or prevented by medical intervention and other such physical means. However, higher states of health can be achieved only through self-awakening. The process of self-awakening is essentially an educative development, a psycho-spiritual transformation that enables the individual ...