Western thoughts on Ayurveda differ considerably from the East. Individuality is greatly generalized and categorized as per the thoughts and concepts of Western medicine. The Western concept of normality states that the common features found in the majority of people becomes the norm. However as per the concepts of Ayurveda, every individual differs in terms of normality and the varied constitution of every human being affects the spontaneous as well as particular functioning and temperament of his or her body.

The key for understanding in the Eastern medicine lies in observation, experience and acceptance, whereas in the West it all depends on logical deduction, analysis and questioning. Objectivity gets greater emphasis in the Western mind while in the East, the subjectivity forms the foundation. In fact the teachings of the Eastern science go beyond the division between objectivity and subjectivity. This significant difference in terms of approach creates difficulty for the Westerners for comprehending the concepts and methodologies of Ayurveda.

In the study of Ayurveda many questions of `How` and `Why` arise which are often unanswerable. The phenomenon is also common many a time in Western medicine. Often certain concepts are proven effective but the reasons behind them remains shrouded in mystery. For instance, many antibiotics are known to destroy the toxin producing bacteria in the body however there is still a considerable lack of explanation for why and how these toxins are produced by the bacteria. Ayurveda is in fact a holistic approach. It is a science, the foundation of which lies in the sum of several elements. Thus a strong overview of the complete science of Ayurveda is essential before questioning its details; otherwise the practice becomes unsatisfactory and unproductive.

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