Ayurvedic concepts microcosm and macrocosm (five elements theory)Ayurvedic concepts point out that man is basically a part of the universe. It encourages man to live in harmony with nature and follow a healthy lifestyle. It uses the theory of five elements called as panchamahabhutas to point out the similarities between the man and universe. Ayurveda is very closely related to Indian spirituality and takes into account all possible factors which influence human health from genetic to environmental. Indian scriptures explain that everything in creation is made up of five elements (panchamahabhutas) namely space, air, fire, water and earth. According to Ayurveda the same five elements make up the human body. It should be noted that the five elements have both gross and subtle aspects. By earth it not only means a solid structure like a brick but also the quality of strength and mental composure. In the human body earth is represented by the solid matter like bones, teeth, nails etc. modern science has shown that human body consists of 60 % of water. There is space inside the body cavities. Air permeates all tissues in the form of oxygen. Fire in represented by the activity in the nervous system and various chemical processes of metabolism. Thus it can be easily understood that human body is made up of five elements. Ayurveda does not describe human anatomy in detail. The main thrust of Ayurveda is maintaining health. Even modern doctors do not study anatomy with a view to become anatomists. They need not learn all the minute details of anatomy described in text books. They learn enough anatomy to practice medicine. Modern science may use different terms to describe the composition of body, like carbohydrates, proteins, fat and minerals. It is also correct to say that human body is made up of atoms. We can go deeper and say it is made up of elementary particles. Even from this point of view the similarity between microcosm and macrocosm is obvious and Ayurveda has described it much before modern scientists understood.
Page last reviewed on 5th November 2009
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