2210 McKinley Avenue, Unit 4 (1 minute walk from Downtown Berkeley BART 1 block west of Martin Luther King, between Allston and Bancroft across from Bank of America Public Parking Lot - Click here for directions), Berkeley, California, 94703 USA
(1) 510-292-6696 - Please CALL US, no e-mail available (Namo AT Shurangama.com).
 

"Om Namo Aryavalokiteshvaraya Bodhisattvaya Mahasattvaya Maha Karunikaya Om Sarva Abhaya!"

National Standards, Authorization, Accreditation

(Click here to listen to the audio of this page)

There are not yet accrediting bodies for schools of Ayurveda, herbology or botanical medicine.  Upon finishing the program the student will be awarded a diploma by the Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute and has the possibility of receiving formal lay-ordination as Buddhist Pastoral Counselors.  The value of the program is what you have learned and your ability to use it and add to it for your self-healing and those of your clients.

Our Programs Exceed the Recommended Hours of Training Suggested by the
National Ayurvedic Medical Association, California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine
and American Herbalist Guild

The Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute meets or exceeds all National and California Ayurvedic educational standards and guidelines and those of the American Herbalists Guild.

The National Ayurvedic Medical Association suggests 500 hours of training. 

The California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine (C.A.A.M.) mandates a minimum of 350 hours for professional membership.

The American Herbalist Guild suggests 1750 hours for professional membership (Herbalist, AHG). 

The Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute offers a total of 1,800 hours (M.A.H.), 1,200 hours (C.A.H.S.), and 750 hours (C.A.H.) respectively for our three advanced level herbal practitioner certificate diploma programs and are thus positioned to help our graduates to pursue professional level membership in the above professional organizations.

American Herbalists Guild The American Herbalists Guild was founded in 1989 as a non-profit, educational organization to represent the goals and voices of herbalists. It is the only peer-review organization in the United States for professional herbalists specializing in the medicinal use of plants. Honor diversity in herbal medicine, ranging from traditional indigenous models of herbalism to modern clinical phytotherapy. Establish AHG professional membership as a recognizable standard of competency in botanical medicine. Encourage the development of high standards of education that promote well-trained professional practitioners who offer high quality herbal care. Promote ecological health and increase awareness of issues surrounding plant sustainability. Strengthen the network of support and communication between herbal practitioners nationally and internationally. Foster high standards of ethics and integrity in the education and the practice of therapeutic herbalism. Promote cooperation between herbal practitioners and other health care providers, integrating herbalism into community health care. Serve as a liaison to other professional associations and regulatory agencies. Promote research in herbal medicine. http://www.AmericanHerbalistsGuild.com

National Ayurvedic Medical Association "The National Ayurvedic Medical Association is a national organization representing the Ayurvedic profession in The United States of America. Its mission is to preserve, protect, improve and promote the philosophy, knowledge, science and practice of Ayurveda for the benefit of humanity." http://www.ayurveda-nama.org

California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine C.A.A.M. supports the establishment and growth of Ayurveda as an independent healing profession in the state of California. As a non-profit professional organization, C.A.A.M. aims to safeguard the quality and integrity of Ayurvedic practice. Furthermore, C.A.A.M. serves to bring this ancient healing science into our communities through education. http://www.ayurveda-caam.org

The California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine requires "proof of  a minimum of 350 hours of Ayurvedic training to include the following topics: Ayurvedic Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Therapeutics, Psychology, Diagnosis and Case Management."  
Source: http://www.ayurveda-caam.org/caammembership.htm

The Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute extensively teaches these topics along with teaching the more rigorous topic guidelines of the American Herbalist Guild.

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Our Level IV Master Ayurvedic Herbalist Program corresponds completely with the American Herbalists Guild's educational guidelines.   For complete course-by-course details correlating our distance learning and in-person courses with the educational guidelines of the AHG Guild, the CAAM and NAMA, click here to download a detailed Excel spreadsheet.  The spreadsheet also provides course prices, descriptions, course codes, units and hours, prerequisites, and textbook book requirements.

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Recommended Hours of Training According to the American Herbalist Guild to Qualify as a Master Herbalist

Hours of Didactic Study..............1200

Clinical Hours..............................400

Total Hours of Study..................1600

Our Level IV Master Ayurvedic Herbalist (M.A.H. -- 1,800 hours / 120 units -- $6193  Donation) Program corresponds completely with the Guild's educational guidelines.

Full complete course-by-course details correlating our distance learning and in-person courses with the educational guidelines of the Guild, click here to download a detailed Excel spreadsheet.

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This equates to approximately 40 weeks (or 10 months) of full-time work. The American Herbalist Guild (AHG) insists that this education should be accomplished within ten (10) years of applying for professional membership.  A student may elect to engage in part-time studies. In this case, we at the Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute insist that a study plan will be designed to ensure that the program can be completed within the desired time period. The Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute wishes to begin to move the academic quality of its 1,800 hour program in line with similar programs at Chinese Medicine schools, where the 2900 hour Master of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine degree (MSTCM) is awarded; students in these schools are required to complete all TCM studies within eight years of initial matriculation.  Hence, the Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute also insists that the 1,800 hours of Ayurvedic training be completed within eight years of initial matriculation.

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The Clients of a Clinical Ayurvedic Therapist or Practitioner According to CAAM Guidelines

The California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine also requires "Applicant must have managed a minimum of twenty-five different clients utilizing Ayurvedic care. (Not applicable to Educators)".  Source: http://www.ayurveda-caam.org/caammembership.htm

The Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute's three advanced level herbal practitioner certificate diploma programs require management of a minimum of 60 different clients (M.A.H.), 40 different clients (C.A.H.S.), and 25 different clients (C.A.H.) respectively in order to graduate.

The Conduct of a Clinical Ayurvedic Therapist or Practitioner According to CAAM Guidelines

The California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine also requires "Maintenance of good professional ethical standards during practice, by the individual.  Must meet all of the above criteria."  Source: http://www.ayurveda-caam.org/caammembership.htm

The Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute's four levels of herbal practitioner certificate diploma programs require adherence to the following professional ethical standards during study and practice:

A Clinical Ayurvedic Therapist and all other students, graduates and teachers of our Ayurveda Certificate Programs must follow the student conduct guidelines:

Student Conduct Guidelines are described on the following five web pages:

All of our students, teachers and graduates should at least endeavor to follow either the Buddhist 5 Precepts, and/or the Yogic Yama-Niyama and/or Sri Charaka's Ayurvedic Moral Guidelines for Students, or the Ten Commandments of the Bible (a.k.a. Decalogue) unless these wisdom guidelines somehow conflicts with their religious beliefs.

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The Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute of the Medicine Buddha Healing Center offers the following four comprehensive Ayurvedic Diploma Certificate Programs that build a foundation for professional membership of our graduates in the National Ayurvedic Medical Association, the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine (C.A.A.M.) and more importantly in the venerable American Herbalist Guild (A.H.G.)

Religious Organizations and their Religious Schools for Ministerial Training do NOT require Government Authorization, Accreditation or Approval

The Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute and its parent, the Medicine Buddha Healing Center, as non-profit, tax-exempt religious organization (Church) is not required to seek authorization, accreditation or approval of the government (local, state or federal).

Our programs include undergraduate associates and bachelor's level religious healing-arts degree (theological science) conferring status as a a clinical specialist Buddhist Pastoral Counselor (Minister) with First Amendment Constitutional protections to practice Buddhist Ayurveda as part of a lay ordination program of the Medicine Buddha Healing Center. 

The Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute, with our 1,800 hours, 120 trimester unit Level IV Master Ayurvedic Herbalist (M.A.H.) Diploma, is the first institute to offer such a complete program of Ayurvedic Herbology in the USA. 

Since our Master Ayurvedic Herbalist (M.A.H.) Diploma Certification is based on the Educational Guidelines for Professional Herbalists of the American Herbalist Guild (AHG) we look forward being listed in the Herbal Education Catalog of the American Herbalist Guild.

We offer two graduate-level Religious Healing Arts Degrees (Theological Science) in Buddhist Ayurveda:

Level V: Master of Buddhist Ayurvedic Sciences (M.S. Buddhist Ayurveda) - A graduate-level religious degree conferring advanced academic and clinical status as a Buddhist Pastoral Counselor (Minister) to already ordained lay ministers. Classes, research work and writing a 108 page Master's Thesis to be based primarily on the work of the Buddhist Ayurvedic Sage Bodhisattva Nagarjuna: specifically on his redaction of the 200 B.C. Sanskrit Ayurveda Classic Sushruta Samhita of the Brihat Trayi Sutras and the Buddhist Avatamsaka (Flower Adornment) Sutra - the King of Kings of Buddhist scriptures.
2400 hours / 160 units           $10258 Distance Learning,   $19873 In-Person
4 to 5 year degree program: 60 min. clinical oral exam - 108 page clinical thesis paper

Level VI: Doctor of Buddhist Ayurvedic  Science Philosophy (Ph.D. Buddhist Ayurveda)
A post-graduate-level Buddhist Ayurveda religious degree conferring the most advanced level of academic and clinical status as a Buddhist Pastoral Counselor (Minister) to already ordained lay ministers.  Involves writing of a 216 page Doctoral Dissertation on Ayurveda.  Emphasis is on the 550 A.D. Sanskrit Indian Buddhist Ayurveda classic Vagbhata's Astanga Hridayam of the Brihat Trayi Sutras, on the 700 A.D. Tibetan Medicine Four Medical Tantras (called rGyud-bzhi in Tibetan, it is based on Astanga Hridayam) and on the Lotus Sutra.
3000 hours / 200 units           $12658 Distance Learning,   $25069 In-Person
6 to 7 year degree program: 60 min. oral dissertation defense - 216 page dissertation

The Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute is organized and publicly operated exclusively for non-profit religious purposes elaborated in their Articles of Association and Organization, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law.  The Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute is a Buddhist Healing Ministry and their practitioners and faculty are ordained Pastoral Counselors and the Ministry and its congregation has declared that it is aware that the validity of the ministry status has been upheld all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Religious Organizations and their Religious Schools for Ministerial Training are "not under the jurisdiction of the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education"

Here is the entire text of our February 3, 2003 response to a request for information from the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education who has no jurisdiction over us as stated by their employee Mr. Fred Lopez.  If we were not a religious school that is part of a Church, them we would still not be be required to get accreditation with the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education since we offer our classes entirely based on donations.  No student is ever turned away due to lack of funds.

Buddhist_Ayurveda_Religion_Response_to_BPPVE_First_Amendment.doc   638KB

Here is the entire text of our sacred Articles of Association in Microsoft Word format:  2.9 MB

Religious_Freedom_MBHC_Creed_n_Constitution_7-4-2000_Amended_9_11_2003.doc

Here is the Medicine Master Buddha Mantra, the prayer that is most often used in our Institute to begin all classes:

Medicine_Master_Buddha_Mantra.doc   289KB    Also see: ayurveda_college_music\Medicine_Buddha_Mantra_Tibetan.mp3

 “Aum Namo Bhagavaté Bhaisajya Guru Vaidurya Prabaha Rajaya Tathagataya Arhaté Samyaksambodhi Tadyata Aum Bhaisajé Bhaisajé Bhaisajya Samudgaté Svaha!” 
“Om Namo Ratna Trayaya! Namo Avalokiteshvaraya Bodhisattva!”  
Guan Yin's Dharani Sutra Hand and Eye Mantra #16: "Syi lu seng e me chywe ye.  Nan. Wei la ye. Wei la ye.  Sa wa he." 
Guan Yin's Vajra Pestle Hand and Eye Mantra #6: "Swo la swo la. Nan. Wa dz la jr ning.  Bwo la ni bwo dwo ye.  Sa wa he."

We chant the Medicine Buddha Mantra, the Great Compassion Mantra, and the Shurangama Mantra on any occasion and in between for healing ourselves and our world from the Great Illness: ignorance.

Fully Accredited Member (2006) of the American Federation of Spiritual Ayurveda Colleges & Schools* (Ayurvedic Colleges Religious Accreditation Body)

The American Federation of Spiritual Ayurveda Colleges & Schools is a professional religious accreditation organization, and voluntarily is not recognized by the Department of Education of the U.S. Government or of any State government.  As a religious college, in keeping the fundamental Constitutional separation of Church and State, the Medicine Buddha Healing Center and its Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute choose to not be governed by Federal or State Governmental accreditation, and prefer Spiritual Accreditation through a Private Organization of greater merit.

Declaration of Constitutional and God-Given Inalienable Rights

We declare that the Ministry (The Medicine Buddha Healing Center and its Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute) and its ministers (the Pastoral Counselors [practitioners, faculty, enrolled students and members]) are protected by the Constitution of the United States of America and claim the right to create a religious school of Ayurveda, claiming our God-given and Buddha-nature-given inalienable rights as natural persons under the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America which states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."  We claim all Constitutional rights.  All rights reserved without prejudice.

The Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute is authorized through the Medicine Buddha Healing Center – a Buddhist Church.  The Medicine Buddha Healing Center’s Buddhist-Yogic-Vedic religious tradition traces its spiritual heritage back thousands of years to 550 B.C., the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, as evidenced in the Ayurvedic, Buddhist, Vedic and Yogic Sutras (scriptures) such as the Medicine Master Buddha Sutra (550 B.C.), Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the Charaka Samhita (200 B.C.), the Sushruta Samhita (Nagarjuna Bodhisattva – 400 A.D.) and Vagbhata’s Astanga Samgraha and Astanga Hridayam (600 A.D.).

The Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute adopts, as its own, the fundamental vision of the Buddhist, Yogic and Vedic Scriptures and the Teaching School tradition of Buddhism, and the values which are described in the Buddhist Sutras translated by the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association with the commentary of the Venerable Dharma Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua.  The Teaching School of Buddhism compels the founders of the Medicine Buddha Healing Center as their religious duty to create the Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute as a Buddhist Ayurvedic school that emphasizes scholastic inquiry, lecturing Sutras and interpreting and expounding the Buddhist-Yogic-Vedic Healing Arts Dharma.

Potential Future Private Non-Government Accreditations to be Obtained

The Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute is considering applying for private accreditation by the National Private Schools Accreditation Alliance (NPSAA) and the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP) (USA).  We expect that our graduates may be eligible for Board Certification through the AADP in the USA and abroad.