A question was raised during a discussion on Lifestyle about returning to one’s Prakriti from Vikriti. The question was “Why, if we are born with Dosha (disturbance), do we work through short term correction and treatment, dietetics and lifestyle to return home to that already disturbed state?”
Prakriti is our unique constitution that we are born with. That which is fixed and unchanged. This Prakriti assumes its qualities from the special combination of the 5 great elements, and is determined by the Laws of Karma. This special combination gives rise to a condition, termed ‘Dosha’. This term means that which is disturbed, corrupted or even putrefied, depending on the degree of the ‘Dosha’.
Many seem to be confused with the idea that one could be ‘born with a disturbance’ even though they may not have had any kind of symptoms of disturbances or disease at the time of birth! Just because one does not display or express any symptoms of any diseases it does not mean they are healthy or free of any disturbance. So long as we have this Dosha we have to be reminded of the potentials of disturbances arising at any time. This however is dependent on our Lifestyle to some extent and to Karma to a greater extent.
Vikriti is the present state, which often times indicates disturbances which have become further disturbed and may even be expressing some symptoms of some disease. This Vikriti may or may not be the same as the Prakriti; meaning one may have Pitta as their Prakriti but Vikriti could be Pitta or any of the other two Dosha, Vata or Kapha.
The process of Ayurvedic correction and restoration would restore one to their natural state of Prakriti, irrespective of its condition or situation. We must bear in mind that we are born with certain unique qualities which has given rise to a Dosha. These qualities are necessary for our body and mind to be used effectively by Karma.
However if our Prakriti is disturbed to an extent it has been causing some problems, then this Dosha has to be kept pacified with correct Lifestyle management and corrective treatment processes. We would not be able to change or modify this disturbed Prakriti but we could to some extent keep that Dosha pacified and controlled so as to live a life reasonably free of disease and stress. This would then improve the quality of our life and allow us to focus on the purpose of our birth.
