Humours and their Legacy in Early Buddhist Medicine
Journal name: History of Science in South Asia
Original article title:
The journal “History of Science in South Asia” (HSSA) publishes high-quality research on the history of science, focusing on South Asia but also welcoming studies on broader cultural influences. It adopts a broad definition of “science” and encourages theoretical discussions and offers open access. Although initially supported by the Sayahna Foundation, it is now aided by the University of Alberta and Érudit.
Original source:
This page is merely a summary which is automatically generated hence you should visit the source to read the original article which includes the author, publication date, notes and references.
Federico Divino
University of Antwerp (Belgium)
History of Science in South Asia:
(Individual submissions go through peer-review)
Full text available for:
Year: 2025 | Doi: 10.18732/hssa118
Copyright (license): Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Download the PDF file of the original publication
Summary of article contents:
In this paper, I analyze the Buddhist humoral theory primarily presented in the suttas of the Pāli Canon through a comparative study with other medical theories developed within the Indo-European tradition, specifically Hippocratic and Āyurvedic medicine. The aim is to trace possible historical developments of a humoral conception that originates from an Indo-European duality between fire and water, with these elements serving as the original core of humoral theory. The text therefore offers a detailed examination of the mechanisms of the three humours in the medical theory as articulated in the Pāli Canon, and draws parallels with Āyurveda and, where possible, with Greek medicine. In Hippocratic medicine, the fundamental elements πῦρ and ὕδωρ are possibly recognized as remnants of an ancient Indo-European binary concept, a concept also preserved in Āyurvedic theory through the universal principles of Agni and Soma, which classify the properties of foods and characteristics of diseases. Can we find similar traces of such a classification in Buddhist humours? By exploring this question, we aim to outline in greater depth the role of humors in the Pāli suttas, enriching our understanding of the archaic medical theory that these suttas bear witness to.
Other India history Concepts:
Discover the significance of concepts within the article: ‘Humours and their Legacy in Early Buddhist Medicine’. Further sources in the context of India history might help you critically compare this page with similair documents:
Buddha, Sanskrit, Sutta, Dosha, Samana, Buddhist philosophy, Buddhist Text, Apa, Soma, Vayu, Forest Dweller, Agni, Rigveda, Teja, Kamma, Megasthenes, Liver, Medicine, Disease, Digestive fire, Wind, Humour, Woman, Weather, Physician, Breath, Ascetic practice, Vedic text, Ancient India, Buddhist monastery, Whole world, Buddhas life, Meditation practice, Vedic literature, Secondary sources, Fire and water, Pali canon, Blood circulation, Self-neglect, Vedic tradition, Cultural heritage, Four elements, Five element, Buddhist thought, Gastric juice, Common origin, Purgative, Medical ethics, Ayurvedic medicine, Medical knowledge, Sanskrit dictionary, Two powers, External factor, Internal structure, Indo European origin, Buddhist context, Philosopher, South Asia, Vedic idea, Scientific thought, Tibetan medicine, Indo-European, Internal development, Samkhya thought, Theory of humours, Four humours, Greek thought, Etymological Dictionary, Scientific accuracy, History of science.
Concepts being referred in other categories, contexts and sources.
Tejodhatu, Wind Element, Vata, Pitta, Pana, Vishama, Sannipatika, Ashtangahridayasamhita, Five Great Elements, Samnipata, Bile, Affliction, Phlegm, Three humors, Digestive process, Three humours, Fiery nature, Internal water element, Internal fire element, Synovial fluid, Medical practice, Bodily humours, Phlegmatic humour, Potency, Heat of fire, Indian medicine, Anatomical knowledge, Tridosha theory, Ancient Indian medicine, Traditional Indian medicine, Pali-English Dictionary, Siddha medicine, Ayurvedic tradition, Greek medicine, Internal elements, Bile and phlegm, Impure substance, Agni and Soma, Abdominal cavity, Temperament, Humoral theory, Microcosm macrocosm, Breath awareness, Two elements, Humoral Imbalance, Physical constituents, Humoral factors, Temperature, Synonymous term, Clement of Alexandria, Greek text, Bodily substance, Blood and fire, Gymnosophist.