In Ayurveda, the science of herbal medicine is called Dravya Guna Shastra or the “science of the attributes of substances”. Unfortunately, this science has been unavailable to the vast majority of Westerns due to language, terminology and culture. This textbook is a bridge for the Western doctor, herbalist, practitioner, or therapist to the ancient science of herbal medicines in Ayurveda. It is one of three textbooks that form a series on the important subjects of Ayurvedic diagnosis & pathology, Ayurvedic treatments and Ayurvedic medicines.This textbook is the result of 13 years of clinical research and 10 years of teaching experience in Ayurvedic herbal therapies. The textbook includes 115 herbal monographs that explain in detail the herb according to Ayurveda. Additionally there are 45 herbal formulas indicated by disorders – each adjusted for the cause of the disorder according to vata, pitta, or kapha dosha. Each monograph has a color photo of the medicinal plant and space to make personal notes. This textbook is used by a number of schools in Italy, Holland, Switzerland, France and the USA since 2009.

An authoritative primer to Jyotish, or Vedic Astrology, this book draws on the author's extensive study of the tradition. Andrew Mason explains in detail the practical applications of Jyotish, introduces the planets, signs and houses, as well as the many rich and highly entertaining mythologies of the system with an explanation of how to interpret them. He also covers Vedic Astrology's sister science, Ayurveda, and describes how they interact to provide insight into celestial timing, sustained health and general wellbeing. With sample charts that show the applications throughout, the book provides a complete an accessible resource on Jyotish for students of Indian astrology and Ayurveda practitioners. It will also be of interest to anyone with a passion for astrology.

Palmistry is an integral part of Jyotish practice (astrology) that helps to determine an individual's physical, mental and karmic potential. A full explanation of how to read a palm from the point of view of Vedic wisdom is provided, with tips on how to identify and time those areas impacting on wealth, health and longevity. This book teaches you to analyse the possible implications of life-events as seen from the lines (Rekha) on the palm. This book also offers a number of methods to placate astrological influences via the use of yantra, mantra and gemstones, for example, explaining which gemstones to wear and on which finger. This guide is a thorough introduction to the practice of Vedic palmistry for students and practitioners of the Vedic tradition and those with a general interest in the occult sciences of India, but also for anyone interested in what the hand can tell them about their life potential and circumstances.

The quintessential guide to an ancient Indian tradition of healing and alchemy. In this revised and expanded edition of his seminal text, Andrew Mason explores the branch of Ayurveda, involving the traditional ancient Indian medicine called Rasa Shastra in which various metals, minerals and other substances are purified and combined with herbs to treat illnesses. Based on years of observation and practice in Sri Lanka, Mason offers a detailed exploration of this medicinal purification practice that seeks to enhance the therapeutic potential of materials, metals and gemstones, as well as offering a concise overview of traditional and modern equipment and methods used in the manufacture of these medicines. The author's unique and fascinating account of the hidden alchemical arts also explains some of the historical background behind the on-going quest amongst Asian alchemists for immortality. The new edition of Rasa Shastra includes a reformatting of tables; revaluating the processing and utilisation of materials; a comprehensive account of the purification process in the section on Parada; a new ‘Essentials in the Pharmacy’ sections’; an expanded ‘materials’ section with a comprehensive section on Lavana and important types of salt; additional plants, such as Langali; and an enriched ‘Materials’ chapter.

Due to its centrality in human activities, food is a meaningful object that necessarily participates in any cultural, social and ideological construction and its qualification as 'traditional' is a politically laden value. This book demonstrates that traditionality as attributed to foods goes beyond the notions of heritage and authenticity under which it is commonly formulated. Through a series of case studies from a global range of cultural and geographical areas, the book explores a variety of contexts to reveal the complexity behind the attribution of the term 'traditional' to food. In particular, the volume demonstrates that the definitions put forward by programmes such as TRUEFOOD and EuroFIR (and subsequently adopted by organisations including FAO), which have analysed the perception of traditional foods by individuals, do not adequately reflect this complexity. The concept of tradition being deeply ingrained culturally, socially, politically and ideologically, traditional foods resist any single definition. Chapters analyse the processes of valorisation, instrumentalisation and reinvention at stake in the construction and representation of a food as traditional. Overall the book offers fresh perspectives on topics including definition and regulation, nationalism and identity, and health and nutrition, and will be of interest to students and researchers of many disciplines including anthropology, sociology, politics and cultural studies.

"I highly recommend this brief resource booklet for those interested in studying Polynesian and cross-cultural herbal medicines." --Quarterly Review of Biology

This book reinterprets classical Chinese philosophical tradition along the conceptual line of human dignity. Through extensive textual evidence, it illustrates that classical Confucianism, Mohism and Daoism contained rich notions of dignity, which laid the foundation for human rights and political liberty in China, even though, historically, liberal democracy failed to grow out of the authoritarian soil in China. The book critically examines the causes that might have prevented the classical schools from developing a liberal tradition, while affirming their positive contributions to the human dignity concept. Analysing the inadequacies of the western concept of human dignity, the text covers relevant teachings of Kongzi, Mengzi, Xunzi, Mozi, Laozi and Zhuangzi (in comparison with Rousseau). While the Confucian notions of humanity (Ren), righteousness (Yi), and gentleman (Junzi) bear most directly on the conception of dignity, Mohism and Daoism provide salutary corrections to the ossification of the orthodox Confucian practice (Li).