Ayurveda Ethics

ETHICAL NOTES IN ĀYURVEDA

In Āyurvedic texts ethical aspects have been described in all aspect from the time of initiation upto clinical practice. Besides the medical ethics some general ethics are also mentioned in the Āyurvedic classics in order to make physician aware of those conduct and able to give advice to the patient and general persons regarding this.

GENERAL ETHICS FOR HEALTHY LIFE:

1-One should pay respects to the gods, cows and brahmins, preceptors, elderly peoples, those who have accomplished spiritual perfection and teachers and never harm them willingly.

2- one should offer oblation to the fire.

3-one should perform sandhya twice a day.

4-one should clean excretory passage and feet frequently.

5-one should have a haircut, shave and nail cut-thrice every forth night.

6-one should wear good dress; apply oil to head, ears, nostrils and feet every day.

7-one should avoid places with dirty apparel, bones, thorns, impure hairs, garbage, ash, and fragments of vessels.

8- stop exercise before exertion.

ETHICS REGARDING CONDUCT:

1-one should not tell lie.

2-Petitioners should not be disheartened.

3-One should kind enough to all.

4- One should speak delightful and soft manner

5- One should never speak about insult and dissatisfactions of seniors.

6- One should speak beneficial measured and appropriate.

ETHICS TOWARD FEMALE:

1-one should not insult women folks.

2- one should not have too much reliance upon them.

3-one should not confide secrets to them.

4-one should not indulge in sexual activity in wrong manner, time and place and in prohibited circumstances.

ETHICS FOR PREVENTION OF DISEASE:

1-One should wear precious stones and repeat the siddha mantra.

2- One should wear shoes and hold umbrella.

3-One should not sneeze, laugh and yawn without covering mouth.

4- One should not watch sun continuously.

5- One should stop activity of body, mind and speech before exertion.

6- One should not sneeze, eat or sleep in prone position.

7- One should not attain any work under pressure of natural urges.

8- One should not let out sputum, excrete out urine in water or in front of wind and fire.

9- One should not perform sexual activities in during urge of micturition, after exertion, in fast or with diseased partner

ETHICS IN MEDICAL PRACTICE:

1. Always pray for the welfare of all creatures

2. Be modest in his attire and appearance.

3. Not be addicted, indulged in sin and associate with sinners.

4. Speak gentle, pure, righteous, pleasing, worthy, true wholesome and moderate words.

5. Behave with keeping time and place orientation.

MORAL DUTIES DURING STUDY :

1. lead the life of a brahmacāri (bachelor)

2. speak the truth

3. Not eat non-vegetarian food.

4. be free from envy

5. never disobey his (guru's) word except in case that lead to king's wrath, loss of life,

6. be submissive to him (guru)

7. Behave and act without arrogance, carefully and attention, humbleness and constant vigilance, without jealousy and with his (guru) permission.

8. Have good remembrance, egar constantly for knowledge.

MENTAL ETHICS

1-Ones state of mind should remain in balance condition in both calamity and good days.

2-One should have eagerness for knowledge.

3-One should do charity.

4- One should follow the path of friendship, compassion and charity.

5- One should not have harmful intention, jealousy and faithlessness.

ETHICS DURING REJUVENATION THERAPY

1-One should restrain himself from anger, drinking alcohol, sexual intercourse, and exertion.

2- One should remain calm, cool.

3- One should follow path of Jap and suach.

4-One should do penance austerity and oblation.

5- One should wake up in early morning and should go to bed in time.

SURGICAL ETHICS:

1. The vaidya should evaluate other treatment modalities like medical interventions, anushastra (para-surgical process) etc. before surgery.

2. The vaidya should do proper counseling (ashvasana karma) of the patient before and after the true process.

3. The vaidya should evaluate each and every stages about the course of process.

4. The vaidya should take care of detoxification of premises, clothes, wounds in order to avoid exogenous invasion.

5. In life threating conditions or interventions the vaidya should take due permission of patients or family members of the patients.

ETHICAL NOTES DURING INTERNSHIP

1-priority should be given to human life

2-one should wear clean and white dress.

3- one should become friendly to all.

4-one should have calm and cool mind.

ETHICS IN PATIENT’S HOUSE:

1. Never accept any offering by a woman without permission of their husband or guardian.

2. Always be accompanied by a known person whose entry is permitted while entering into the patient's house

3. Be well-dressed and lowering of head, self-possessed and conduct himself after repeated consideration.

4. After having entered his speech, mind, intellect and sense should be entirely devoted to no other thought than that of being helpful to the patient and things concerning him only.

5. The customs of the patient's house should not be disclosed publicly

6. After knowing that the patient's span of life has approached to its end, it shall not be mentioned where it is liable to cause harm to the patient or others.

MORAL quality of Students :

1. The student should be calm or possessed of tranquil disposition (Praśānta).

2. Student should be of noble nature (Āryaprakrti).

3. He should not be indulged in mean act (AkshudraKarmā).

4. Scholar should be without vanity(Anhankrta)

5. He should be broad minded (Udārsatva).

6. He shouldn’t have showy tendency (Auddhatavesha).

7. He should have a family tradition of Ayurveda or having conduct like that (Tadviddhakulaja).

8. He should have inclination for medical science (Tadviddhavritta).

9. He should possess a predilection for knowledge (Tatvāvineveshī).

10. The student shouldn’t have any addiction (Avyāsani).

11. He should possess purity of character, conduct, affection, skill and compliance (Shīla-sauch-ācāra-anurāg-draksha-pradakshinya-uppapanya).

12. He should have passion for study(Adhyāyanābhikāma).

13. He should have no greed (Alubdha).

14. He should have devotion for understanding of ideas and practical knowledge without any distraction. (Arthavijnane Karma darsanecatāananyakārya)

15. The student should have compassion to all creatures (Sarbabhūtahitaishīni).

16. He should follow all the instructions of the teacher (ĀcāryaSarbānuśhisthapratipattikar).

17. He should be affectionate (Anurakta).

18. He should possess proper lineage, age, spirit, humility (Anvaya-vaya-shaurya-vinaya-yukta).

19. He should have tranquility of mind, speech and behavior (Prasannacitta-vaka-ceshta).

20. He should be always devoted to the teacher (Gurubhakta).

21. He should always attach to the teacher (Abhiyukta).

22. He should be abstinence (Brahmacāri).

23. He should not altered by pain and pleasure (Jitadvanta).

24. He should have good conduct (Sucharita).

25. He should have stability of mind (Sthirah).

26. He should have purity of mind (Suklah).

27. He should be endowed with shyness (Lajjyānivtah).

28. He should have clean habits and good lineage (Shaucakulānvitah).

29. He should be complinant (Dakshinah).

30. He should be Sumissive (Anukūlah).

31. He should be able to follow all instruction of teacher (Yathoktakāri).

32. He should be free from arrogance (Anutseka).

33. He should be free from envy (Īrshāvivarjita).

34. He should be truthful (Satyavān).

35. He should possess of determination(Dridhavrata).

36. He should be free from bluster(DambhamātsaryaNirmukta).

ETHICAL TEACHING DURING INITIATION:

He (disciple) should

1. lead the life of a brahmacāri (bachelor)

2. grow his hair and beard

3. speak the truth

4. not eat non-vegetarian food.

5. use pure and intellect-promoting thing.

6. be free from envy

7. possess no weapons.

8. never disobey his (guru's) word except in case that lead to king's wrath, loss of life, committing an act of great unright and act leading to calamity.

9. always sarrender to him (teacher)

10. regar him (guru) as his head.

11. be submissive to him (guru)

12. follow the course which is liked by and useful to him (Guru).

13. Live with him (guru) behaving as son servant and suppliant.

14. behave and act without arrogance, carefully and attention, humbleness and constant vigilance, without jealousy and with his (guru) permission.

15. first make effort as far as possible for achievemeng of teacher's pruposes alone, whether permitted to move out.

16. always pray for the welfare of all creatures beginning with the cows and Brāhma´as when he (pupil) join the medical profession and desirest success, wealth and fame.

17. make effort to provide health to the patients by all means.

18. not desire of illness of the patient even at the cost of his life.

19. not commit adultery even in thought.

20. be modest in his attire and appearance.

21. not be addicted, indulged in sin and associate with sinners.

22. speak gentle, pure, righteous, pleasing, worthy, true wholesome and moderate words.

23. behave with keeping time and place orientation.

24. have good remembrance, egar constantly for knowledge.

25. never accept any offering by a woman without permission of their husband or guardian.

26. not boast too much for own knowledge.