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Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c6.s2.t1: Cikitsāvidyā

Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c6.s2.t1

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English

Cikitsāvidyā

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Concerned with suffering and illness as well as healing and deliverance of humankind, Buddhism had a special place for *Cikitsāvidyā*, or *Bhaiṣajyaśāstra* (medicine), since its inception. The Pundit-monks were well acquainted with medicine because of their formal training in *Pañcavidyā*. They practiced various medical specialties including surgery and provided treatment to the residents of monasteries as well as to the lay people in need. They were the first transmitters of ancient Indian medicine to China.

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The monks used *cikitsāvidyā* in three ways. First, the scientific medical terminology for ridding the body of an illness was used as a metaphor to explain the doctrine of deliverance from worldly existence. Second, psychosomatic diseases were treated by magico-religious remedies like prayers or invocations to Buddha, Nagarjuna or Jivaka or charms to be carried to drive away evil spirits. Lastly, medicine and surgery were practiced to relieve the human body of physical suffering. Thus, medicine developed as an integral part of Buddhist culture in China.

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The *cikitsāvidyā* entered China through translation of Buddhist sutras from texts like *Samyuktāgama*. For example, a *sutra* translated in Chinese at the beginning of the fourth century CE invokes Buddha and explains that the great king of physicians is the one 'who is able to realise the following principles; first, to understand the illness well which means to be able to differentiate between the various illnesses; second, to understand the origin of illness whether it be caused by wind, phlegm, saliva or various types of colds, whether the illness is acute or due to the season; third, to understand the antidotes eg there are salves, cough remedies or emetics, laxatives, nose drops or aromatic medication; fourth, to be skilled in treating illnesses without fear of a relapse.' Analysing methods for classification of disease and investigation of its causes, it states the basic *tridoṣa* principle of ancient Indian medicine *kapha* – tan 痰 (phlegm), *vāta* – feng 風 (wind) and *pitta* – danzhi 胆汁 (bile) and general methods of treatment.

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Medical specialties that were prominent in ancient Indian medicine, *Kāyācikitsā*, *Kaumārabhṛtya*, *Śālākya* and *Viṣagārapraśamana* received great fillip with the transmission of the science of medicine. Indian ophthalmology eg was acknowledged for its sophistication. Wang Tao王 焘 (CE 670-755), in his famous medical compilation Waitai miyao 外台秘要 (Medical secrets of an official) included a work on ophthalmology that claimed an Indian origin, viz, Tianzhu jing lunyan 天竺經論眼 (Indian classic of discussion on eyes). Two more Chinese ophthalmic works with Indian connections namely Longshu (pusa) yanlun龍樹菩薩眼論 [Discourse of (Bodhisattva) Nāgārjuna on Eyes] of 9^th^ century CE and Longmu zong lun 龍木總論 [*Nāgārjuna's Comprehensive Treatise*] in late 11^th^ century or early 12^th^ century appeared soon after.

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Primary elements and their role in the formation and working of the human body were transmitted through translation of Buddhist texts like *Viśuddhimagga* of the 5^th^ century CE. These texts informed that: “In this body what is stiffness and harshness is the *Pṛthvī* or earth element. What is fluidity or cohesion is *Āpa* or water element, what is maturing or heat is *Teja* or fire element, and what is distension or movement is *Vāyu* or wind element.”

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Pharmaceutical ideas and medicines were introduced too. One Indian monk named Bao si wei jing 寶思惟靜 or Ratnacintā translated Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara's *Cintāmaṇidharaṇi* classic in the Tang Dynasty. Indian medicines like Hu jiao 胡椒 or pepper, Niu huang 牛黃 or dried gallstone of domestic cattle etc to treat eye diseases are mentioned in this text. Moreover, it includes treatment for diseases like juvenile glaucoma, pterygium using ointments made from the drugs Long nao xiang 龍腦香 and She xiang 麝香. A Buddhist sutra *Suraṅgamasūtra* explains how the Buddhists identified a drug by its physical properties such as taste, its physiological effect (like poisonous or non-poisonous) or its so-called intrinsic nature ie hot/ cold. *Suraṅgamasūtra* was translated by Pāramita around 705 CE and is part of the Chinese Buddhist canon. Earlier, *Suraṅgamasamādhisūtra* was translated by Kumārajiva around CE 350.

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Buddhism can thus be credited for introducing ancient Indian medicine with its concepts, techniques and drugs into Chinese culture thus contributing to the overall evolution of medicine in medieval China.

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(*Vijaya J. Deshpande & Kamal Sheel*)

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