Mathpati Mahesh Madhav, Albert Sandra, Porter John D H
Institute of Trans-disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bangalore, India.
Public Health Foundation of India, India.
J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2020 Jan-Mar;11(1):89-94. doi: 10.1016/j.jaim.2018.06.004. Epub 2018 Nov 17.
Ayurveda translates as 'life science'. Its knowledge is not limited to medicine, cure or therapy and is for laypersons, households, communities, as well as for physicians. Throughout its evolutionary history, Ayurveda and Local Health Traditions have reciprocally influenced each other. In modern times, the influence of biomedicine on Ayurveda is leading to its medicalisation. Over the past century, the introduction and perspective of biomedicine into India has made the human being an object for positive knowledge, a being who can be understood with scientific reason and can be governed and controlled through medical knowledge. This paper explores how this shift towards medicalisation is affecting the knowledge, teaching, and practice of Ayurveda. It examines the impact and contribution of processes like standardisation, professionalisation, bio-medicalisation and pharmaceuticalisation on Ayurveda education, knowledge, practice and policies. To maintain health and wellbeing Ayurveda's ancient knowledge and practice needs to be applied at individual, community and health care provider levels and not be limited to the medical system. The current over medicalisation of society is a potential threat to human health and well-being. Ayurveda and LHT knowledge can provide essential teachings and practices to counter-balance this current trend through encouraging a population's self-reliance in its health.
阿育吠陀的意思是“生命科学”。其知识并不局限于医学、治疗或疗法，适用于外行、家庭、社区以及医生。在其整个发展历程中，阿育吠陀与地方健康传统相互影响。在现代，生物医学对阿育吠陀的影响正使其走向医学化。在过去的一个世纪里，生物医学引入印度并形成相应观念，使得人类成为积极知识的对象，成为一个能用科学理性来理解、并能通过医学知识加以管理和控制的存在。本文探讨这种向医学化的转变如何影响阿育吠陀的知识、教学和实践。它考察了标准化、专业化、生物医学化和制药化等过程对阿育吠陀教育、知识、实践和政策的影响及贡献。为了维持健康和幸福，阿育吠陀的古老知识和实践需要在个人、社区和医疗保健提供者层面加以应用，而不应局限于医疗体系。当前社会过度医学化对人类健康和幸福构成潜在威胁。阿育吠陀和地方健康传统知识可以通过鼓励民众在健康方面自力更生，提供重要的教义和实践方法来平衡当前这一趋势。
