Short list

Today and yesterday have both been mega-storms...thunder, lightning, wrath of the gods, the whole deal. Still, it's a nice break from the sweltering heat during the day. I've been spending way too much time indoors as a result of the weather and all the work that still has to be done for Lehman classes. Classes with Dr. Adhikari and Dr. Lakshmi have finished just today, so I have a notebook nearly full of information on the basics of Ayurvedic pharmacology and clinical examination. At first I wasn't sure how effective classes would be with multiple teachers, but it's turned out that their mini-curricula coincided beautifully. The details of rasa, vipaka, pravada, karma, and so on are probably too detailed to be of interest in a blog, so I'll leave them out. The various laws (Law of Homogeneity, Law of Natural Order, Law of Suppression, Law of Existence) were fascinating as well. They have philosophical names, but the laws are applied to pharmacology. Instead of going into that side of things, I'll post here a tiny part of one lesson on etiology, having to do with wrong use of the will, called volitional transgression.

There is an error known as pragyaparatha, the failure of intelligence by which we resort to substances even after we have experienced them to be harmful. This kind of volitional action can appear to have no effects for a long time, but it also leads to conditions like alcoholism and other addictions, in addition to generally unhealthy and indulgent behavior, which indicates an inability to control or direct the will. This factor relates to causes in our psyche which result in excess perverted, or deficient actions of the body, speech, or mind.

Misuse of our bodily functions either related to misuse of the senses or through either suppression or forced excitation of our natural urges. We should not suppress these urges, but rather attend to them as they naturally arise. The 13 noted urges are listed as follows:

Belching or flatulence
Defecation
Micturition (urination)
Sneezing
Thirst
Hunger
Sleep
Coughing
Breathing caused by overexertion
Yawning
Lacrimation (crying)
Vomiting
Ejaculation

According to Ayurveda, it weakens our life force to suppress these natural impulses. At the same time, it is important not to artificially excite them (for example with laxatives). Without going further into misuse of the senses, we assume that there are four ways the environment or outside world comes into contact with ourselves; minimal, in excess, perverted, or optimal. Of course there are many other things related to the whole sensorial dimension of health, so skip that for now (and a good three more classes' worth of information) and on to the pathogenesis of specific disease!

Actually, maybe not. Lights just went out randomly (though load-shedding hours were not set for this time)...I guess it will have to wait.