Description
Traditional Ethics in Ayurveda
By Kj. Nimai Das (formerly Murari Chaitanya das)
Why should anyone care what is the traditional Ayurvedic ethical stance? Are we not free to incorporate Ayurveda's beneficial techniques into a modern practice that accommodates Western sensibilities and eschews ancient moral paradigms? Why must we encumber our modern scientific approach to Ayurveda with those ethical imperatives that some could label "Hindu" or sectarian?
There is a logical rule in Verdic dialectics known by the colorful name of ardha kukkuti nyaya. The Sanskrit term signifies, literally, "half-hen logic," and refers to any effort to take advantage of one aspect of an integral proposition while discarding what is considered inconvenient or burdensome. The name of this logical rule (nyaya) refers to the well-known Indian instructive tale of the farmer who decided to cut off a hen's head (the part that eats) and keep only the posterior (the part that lays eggs). Obviously, half a hen (ardha kukkuti) is no hen at all, and will not produce the expected benefits. Such is the case with traditional Vedic sciences, which constitute and integral whole, and whose benefits derive precisely from such integration.
