Brief History:

It may sound rather astonishing and a very eye opening fact that Acupuncture and its Five Element theory which is fast gaining popularity around the globe as an art of healing for a variety of ailments did, in fact, originate in India, where through Buddhism monks it spread throughout the East in countries like China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka. It is also interesting to observe that Acupuncture gained popularity in those regions where Buddhism is practiced as a form of religion. Due to many reasons Buddhism could not flourish in India, and neither could Acupuncture, which is mentioned in the Vedas 7000 years back, not only as an art of healing but also as a potent anaesthetic tool during surgical procedures.

The path of man’s self-discovery transformed into Yoga, which later gave birth to Acupuncture as a form of maintaining the vital energy in health and disease. Yoga needs a lot of devotion, dedication, discipline, and practice under the strict guidance of a guru, and can prove somewhat challenging, so our ancestors developed a system of Srotan, Nadi, and Murma synonymous with acupuncture meridians and points, so that an expert could help by checking the entire harmony of the body by Nadi Vigyan or pulse diagnosis.

The Role of Buddhism in the Spread of Acupuncture

During their long travels they built many temples, Buddhist statues and even beautiful carvings and paintings. These temples, caves, and beautiful paintings and carvings can be seen in many Far Eastern countries, including India, and in the many sculptures and paintings in the Ajanta and Ellora caves, acupuncture meridians and points can still be seen.

Acupuncture in India

In India the Vedic therapeutic methods date back to the prehistoric era. Many Chinese travelers who came to India for the spice trade or to learn Sanskrit at Nalanda and Takshashila Universities have written extensively about the local treatment techniques including acupuncture, pulse diagnosis, and the five element theory, which were not only practiced in India but also taught to foreigners. The acupuncture or needling therapy has been described as Marma chikitsa in ancient Ayurvedic books. Many historical texts are available in the University of Leningrad library (USSR) regarding the Indian origins of Acupuncture. 

Dhwantric and Patanjali literatures

clearly mentioned that acupuncture was used in India more than 7000 years ago by many famous physicians and surgeons of their time. Acupuncture was practiced in India under the name of Suchi Bhaden, Shira Bhaden and Bhaden Karma, as per the needling techniques and the techniques were usually referred as Marma (vital or pressure points) -Chikitsa (treatment ) and it has also been known in many other countries such as Egypt, Persia, and Brazilian and African tribes. It has also been found that Eskimos used acupuncture techniques using fish bones.

Five-element Theory

The meridian or energy channel system such as Dhamini (Artery) Sira (vein), Resayani (Lymphatics) Srotan (Main Meridians) and Nadi (Collaterals and Ducts) has also been described in great detail in Ayurevedic medical system. Nadi penetrate the body and run from toe to head distributing vital energy or Qi all over the body. According to Indian philosophy, the acupuncture points are hollow depressions just beneath the skin surface where all the five elements are found in traces. These points regulate the flow of vital energy throughout the body, and act as step up transmitters, maintaining the right flow of energy without any fluctuation or drop in voltage.

It is very unfortunate that the teachings and knowledge of Rishi Augast, which was in about 72 volumes written by his 18 favorite students, has been lost and only 40 volumes could be available.  

Basically the five-element theory is a homeostatic or regulatory concept of health and disease. In the healthy state, where two opposite and complementary forces are in balance, normal vital energy (“Prana Shakti”) flows through the Nadis of the body. An excess or deficiency of these forces, influenced by the five elements, produces an imbalance of this vital energy and therefore disease.

According to Indian philosophy, “Prana Shakti” (Chi or vital energy)is the basis of life. This vital energy is also known as “Kundalini”. This is the serpent power. All kundalini charakas or plexuses are situated at the same place where acupuncture points are described.

All the six symptoms of awakening Kundalini or Vedhamayee are similar to the sensation a patient feels after acupuncture. These include feeling of well-being, trembling of the whole body, a newborn energy, tranquility of mind, sedation, and awareness of self and its surroundings. The Kundalini shakti is closely related to the Governing Vessel and is controlled by the coccygeal plexus below the sacrum where the second energy center is situated. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth energy centers are situated in the prostate plexus, lumbar plexus, cardiac plexus, and oesophageal plexus respectively. The seventh and last is situated in the cavernous plexus, the posterior part of the glabela. From these centers energy or all meridians of nadis are controlled.
These centers are stimulated by mudra (style), asanas (postures), pranayam (breathing exercises) i.e. yoga, or acupuncture in order to maintain the balanced flow of the pranashakti or vital energy. With the help of these yogic exercises the vital force starts flowing in a proper way and is directed to particular chakras and blocked or diseased points. This can also be achieved by acupuncturing these points. The famous Indian surgeon, “Sushutra,” also performed operations under “Suchi-Bhaden” anesthesia.

In the ancient Indian epic “MAHABHARAT”, Bhisma Pitamah, who was mortally wounded by arrows, was kept alive for fifty eight days whilst lying on a bed made out of a set pattern of arrow points, which continuously stimulated the “Back-Shu” and “Mu-Front” points.

Chakras – centre of acupuncture points, science, and spirituality

Literally, the word“chakra” means cycle or a wheel that rotates. These are energetic wheels located at various strategic places in the body, which act as transmitters or energy centres to maintain the proper flow of energy in the body without any fluctuation. There are a total of seven major chakras in the body, of which two are located on the head, while five are along the middle of the trunk. There are many other minor chakras located on the wrists, elbows, knees and ankles.

Awakening the kundilini is a universal experience. This knowledge of the kundalini system was obtained over thousands of years of dedicated research, thinking, experience, and meditation of many great Indian Yogis