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News and Awards
Renowned Sanskrit Scholar and Vedika's Advisor Shri Ram Karan Sharma
Addresses Gurukul Students on Role of Mind and Soul in Ayurveda
Dr. Ram Karan Sharma is a highly accomplished Sanskrit scholar, author and humanitarian who has dedicated his life to the teaching, writing, translation and promotion of Sanskrit. Dr. Sharma began studying Sanskrit at age nine. His own educational background includes five years of traditional gurukul schooling and a doctorate degree in Sanskrit from UC Berkeley. He has been awarded the highest honors including from the Prime Minsiter of India. His visit to Vedika gave students an inspiring perspective on the importance of the deep spirituality that is so central to the study and practice of Ayurveda.
Dr. Sharma highlighted Ayurveda’s unique emphasis on swasthavritta (health promotion and prevention of disease) over mere prescription of medicine. He spoke encouragingly about how lifestyle and maintaining one’s mental equilibrium are the most important elements of Ayurveda. “When the mind is polluted,” he shared, “no medicine can help you.” Dr. Sharma spoke about how Ayurveda offers humanity a powerful path to realize the four goals of life: dharma (purpose), artha (prosperity), kama (pleasure) and moksha (Self-realization: Ayurveda's ultimate goal). Vedika's President Hema Patankar commented joyfully on how she always remembers Dr. Sharma and his wife Annapurna ji for how they embody Ayurveda through their strong ojas (essence of vitality and health). Dr. and Mrs. Sharma lovingly and individually blessed each of the gurukula students before departing.
Dr Sharma explained that when the mind and senses are in a balanced state, this doesn't have to mean that a person no longer experiences emotions, but that they know how to direct that energy positively. For example, Charaka says that you can have healthy envy of the effort that causes another person to achieve something, but you should not envy the fruit of their effort. That envy can inspire you to make similar effort – say to study hard so you become learned and accomplished. But if you envy only the end accomplishment, you will lose sleep, behave badly with learned people and spoil your mind to such an extent that even medicine can't help you.
In the Vedic tradition, the Sanskrit tradition, an important theme is the harmonious co-existence of mutually contradictory elements. Yoga philosophy describes how the three gunas or forces of ignorance, passion and purity, are contradictory in nature yet able to mutually co-exist. They keep each other in check while also protecting each other. In Ayurveda, Charaka describes how the three doshas, though contradictory to each other, have a wholesome, dynamic co-existence within the body. His words seemed to contain a prayer that people with their numerous personal and spiritual beliefs could live together in the same way in this world.
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