Ayurveda : Ancient Heritage in the Age of Globalisation - page 165

164 Ayurveda : Ancient Heritage in the Age of Globalisation
Doctor.” Thais have firm belief that Jivok Kumarabhacca
(Jivaka Kumarabhrtya)35 developed herbal medicine,
therapeutic massage36, and other healing practices
himself, and taught these to future generations37. The
course of history tells us that the transmission of Indian
medical knowledge to Southeast Asia was far more
complicated, but it is clear that the roots of much of the
Buddhist world’s medical tradition do lie in the ancient
past, and that Jivaka is an important figure in this tradition.
Howcanwe ignore thisphysicianwhomade thehappening
of patched yellow robe for the Bhikkhu which was a direct
outcome of Buddha’s ordering the Sangha to cut the
golden silk shawl(thus expensive) into small pieces and
sow it back to use it ? This shawl was gifted to Buddha by
Jivaka only, and being expensive thing, Buddha did not
want to have such item which could attract thieves to a
Buddhist monastery? This custom of wearing patched
35 Jivaka was called Komārabhacca in Pali literature. Though mostly as-
sociated with his position with his life in royal palace and with Ku-
mara (Abhaya, the Magadhan prince) It has been also suggested,
however, that Komārabhacca meant master of the Kaumārabhrtya sci-
ence, the treatment of infants. (VT.ii.174). In another Buddhisttext of
the first centuryAD Divyavadana, he is called Kumārabhūta((506-18)).
36 http://www.thaimassagebrighton.com/thai_tradition.html
37 Jivaka is almost synoym with traditional treatment of illness in
Thailand. Pronounced as Jivok, he is known by all from the school
education. ThepeopleofThailandbelievethat JivakaKumarabaccha
was propounder of medicine.Themiracles of medicine and surgery
of Jivaka were extensively described in the Buddhist works.