Ayurveda
: Ancient Heritage in the Age of Globalisation
165
garments still remains among the Bhikkhus in Sangha.
Even their new robes are made of strips of material that
are sewn together so that even the robe they wear would
help them in the practice of non-attachment.
While discussing the issue of Buddhism vis-à-vis
Ayurveda, the contribution of Buddhism to the genesis of
rational medicine has been not only recorded but
acknowledged in the most famous classical Sanskrit work
on Ayurveda,
Caraka Samhita
(first century AD). Caraka,
one of the principal contributors to the ancient art and
science of Ayurveda, provisions to pay respect to the
Chaitya
, a Buddhist shrine
38
. At one place the term
Bhiksu
has been applied to refer to the theorist Atreya
39
. The
Bower Manuscript opens one of its chapters with
salutation to Lord Buddha, the Tathagata
40
. This style is
also discovered at another place in a later Ayurvedic work
the Astanga
Hridaya
41
.
p p p
38
Caraka Samhita
. 1.8.20
39
Ibid
. 1.25.23
40
2.1.O
41
Astanga Hrdya
1.18.18
