Sri Lankan vs Indian Ayurveda

Historical texts indicates that this system which was endemic to Sri Lanka has been practicing since many centuries even before Buddhism arrived Sri Lanka

Different between Sri Lankan Ayurveda and Indian Ayurveda

Sri Lanka has its own Ayurvedic system known as Hela weda kama or local desheeya chikithsa (Sri lankan traditional system of medicine ),based on a series of prescriptions handed down from generation to generation over a period of 3000 years. The ancient kings, some of whom were also prominent physicians as recorded by historical texts, encourage its use and therefore survival. King Buddhadasa (398 AD) was the most prominent king-physician and wrote the medical treatise Sarartha Sangrahay, which is still being consulted by physicians to date

Ancient inscriptions on rock surfaces reveal the full establishment of the contemporary medical services existing in the country long time before Indian ayurveda reached Sri Lanka . Historical texts indicates that this system which was endemic to Sri Lanka has been practicing since many centuries even before Buddhism arrived Sri Lanka in    BC 306, (i.e., 237 years after the demise of the Buddha) and referred in some books as Buddhist ayurveda.  These ancient hospital sites which were active centuries ago now attract the tourists, who view and marvel at these beautiful ruins, which have come to symbolise a sense of healing and care which was so prevalent at that time. The ayurvedic physicians enjoyed noble position in the social hierarchy in the country due to royal patronage and from this stems a famous Sri Lankan saying: “If you cannot be a king, become a healer”.  This inter-relationship between ayurveda and royalty has brought ayurveda and its connections with Buddhism into in the forefront of Sri Lankan life.

The Hela lived in the tropical paradise Hela-Diva, in the Indian Ocean, an island fortunate to possess a very rich diversity of flora with many endemic species. The species used in herbal medicine is estimated to be over 1100, including many endemic species, which helped to make Hela-Veda not only invaluable but distinct from similar medical systems such as Ayurveda.

Today, the Ayurvedic Medical Council maintains and controls the registration of physicians and code of practice, ethics and conduct. The Ministry of Health controls the Department of Ayurveda, headed by the Commissioner of Ayurveda, the Ayurvedic Drug Corporation and the Ayurvedic Research Institute.Finally, ayurveda has its own unique quality, which encompasses and enraptures the whole being, treating the diseased holistically. It examines the components which construct a particular diseased person, and the factors which influence its development or regression. Thus, it treats the person, rather than the disease.