2.10.

The Four Aspects of Life

Ayurveda is a complete philosophy of life. It gives equal important to the non-material

components of human lives like mind thoughts, emotions and consciousness. Avurveda considers
ayu or life as the coordination of four parts of life: atma (soul), manas (mind), Indriyas (senses)
and sharira( the body). Ayurveda focuses on maintaining a balance among them.

2.10.1. Atma (The Soul)

Atma is the motivating intelligence that guides the mind as well as all of life. The ancients could
identify its existence by the way people ascribe ownership to things. They found that atma or
sense of "I" directed all aspects of life. The ancients concluded that there was an unimaginable
intelligence responsible for creating and coordinating the vast diversity of the universe. All the
aspects of life acted in coordination with every other part for the greater good of the whole. This
would only occur if every part was connected to that intelligence which had knowledge of the
whole. The ancients deducted that this governing principle ,existed as a part of us, guiding all
mental, sensory and physical processes. They identified Jivaatma, the quality of intelligence
associated with the individual consciousness within us. They also identified universal quality of
intelligence within us as param atma (universal soul), which is responsible for unifying all
diversity..

2.10.2. Manas (The Mind)

Ayurveda teaches that mind is ultimately responsible for maintaining the harmony between the
parts of human life and the universal intelligence that coordinates all of life. All phenomena in
the universe come under the influence of three phases of activity called the three gunas. Nature is
using its creative mode known as Sattva, to bring life into