Observing Life Processes in Pre Modern Times
Speaker: Indudharan Menon, Visiting Scholar, NCBS
Date: Monday, March 5, 2012
Time: 5-30 pm
Venue: Ground Floor Lecture Hall (LH 1)

Talk will be followed by tea
ALL ARE WELCOME

Location map: http://www.ncbs.res.in/useful/location_map



Abstract:
Knowledge of life cycles interested different disciplines in ancient India and there were a number of theories and speculations about the subject. The lecture will present Ayurveda's views regarding cycles in a human lifetime. Specifically the lecture will focus on the way observations regarding cycles in nature were used to understand human life processes as well as programme procedures of healing. While classical Ayurvedic texts emphasize that their theories are based on rigorous empirical observations, they have also incorporated ideas from other disciplines and diverse socio-religious contexts. Some of the ideas and beliefs from other disciplines that have influenced the ethos of Ayurveda will be examined.