Interview with Dr. Svoboda

ayurveda-portal.de: How did you get into Ayurveda?

Robert Svoboda: Originally I had been interested in studying allopathic medicine. I graduated from the university early, at age 18. And then I got permission in get access to the college. And then I decided to go before entering the course I would like to take a trip to Africa. So I crossed Africa from the east coast to the west coast. Then I was selected to participate in an expedition to an indigenous tribe. And then they invited me to join the tribe. So then I joined the tribe.  I decided then that I would not now go back to do the medical school. Then I decided to go to England and from there to Nepal. And when I was in Nepal I heard about Ayurveda from a peace school doctor.
And when I was back then in India a few weeks later I happen to meet some people who knew the most immanent ayurvedic doctor of that time. Pundit Chip Cherma.. And he told me that it would be possible for me to study Ayurveda in English as well as in sanscrit. And he sent a letter to the college and wanted them to accept me. And without his influence it would have been much more difficult. First of all I was interested in studying Ayurveda just because of it was different from modern medicine. And afterwards I began to understand that it was connected to other subjects as Vastu and Yoga.

ayurveda-portal.de: But you did not know theses subjects before.

Robert Svoboda: No.

ayurveda-portal.de: But you started to learn them there as well?

Robert Svoboda: Yes.

ayurveda-portal.de: And you started to learn these subjects on the university and then with gurus and other teachers?

Robert Svoboda: Well I was studying in Poona from 1974 until 1980 and it was an ayurvedic college in Poona. And the exams were given by Poona University. And during that time I also studied also with several other doctors as my mentor. He was a householder yogi. And he knew also some Ayurveda and I studied with him as well.

ayurveda-portal.de: Did you practice in India at any time?

Robert Svoboda: I had to get permission to practice and at one point I had the permission but I never did. .The difficulty in India is, if you are a good doctor there will be many people trying to meet you. And some doctors have to see 200 people a day. And this is too much.

ayurveda-portal.de: How do you see the development of Ayurveda in the western world.
And how do you see the development of Ayurveda in India?

Robert Svoboda: Well I see that Ayurveda is still in a very preliminary stage in the western world because some people how studied in India came to various countries but there is not a good system established that people get educated and practice over here. The condition when I was in India when I was there was that most of the students were not interested in studying Ayurveda. Maybe 90 % of them. Because they needed a degree to practice this medicine. The majority of students were not going to study Ayurveda at all if they were not graduated. The system became better. 30% of the students want to be there but there are still 70 % of the students how don’t want to be there. Ayurveda is slowly being recreated in India but it will take several more years until the people will really feel the confidence to practice it and to get treated by it. It needs some more development there.

ayurveda-portal.de: You travel a lot. Do you see differences in Europe, USA or South America according to Ayurveda.

Robert Svoboda: There are differences. Probably the most differences relate to the law system in each individual country how the people who are outside the official medical system  how they can find a niche for themselves. So that they can achieve something. In the United States of course the situation is even more complicated because each state has its own medical licence board. There is no national licence of any kind it has to be done state by state. It is more difficult in a way to know what happens or what is the potential to happen because certainly there are people trying to get legislation about regularising ayurvedic practise. Trying to get this legislation into the law. And it is so difficult it has to be done again and again in so many different places.

ayurveda-portal.de: In general how do you see the potential of Ayurveda in the western world?

Robert Svoboda: I see the potential really good because people need to detoxify, people need to eat properly, and people need to have purification occasionally. So I think the potential is very good provided that the people understand that it is good to act proactively  and seek assistance when you still feel well instead of waiting until the last minute and then hoping you will be saved by someone.

ayurveda-portal.de: Do you think the old the old ancient text are transferable to the western world?

Robert Svoboda: Yes because the ancient text focus less on specific herbal formula and more how to understand and how to make herbal formula. So you have to know how to read the text properly. If you know to read it properly then each time you read you can get some kind of beneficial out of it. And if you don’t know how to read it will always be a closed book.

ayurveda-portal.de: Then you would probably read in sanscrit rather than a translation?

Robert Svoboda: Any sanscrit text has to be read with its commentary which is explaining what you are reading. Because the texts tend to be very conceded very packed with meaning. Personally, what I like is to read the translation and the Sanskrit together because then I could see what mistake the translator made and I can also can see what the translator really meant. I think it is good to have the ability to shift from language to language. It influences the structure of knowing.

ayurveda-portal.de: Do you still have a guru for yourself?

Robert Svoboda: He passed away 1983. And his guru passed away in 1993. But I never met his guru that is my intimate guru. So I don’t know in what condition he is.

ayurveda-portal.de: What do you know about your mentor?

Robert Svoboda: He was originally from Bombay. His parents lived there and had been very affluent many decades ago. He had done many things in his live. He did racings and what breeding racehorses. So I had a good education about races.

ayurveda-portal.de: Do you have some projects at the time giving seminars travelling around?

ayurveda-portal.de: What is the future for you?

Robert Svoboda: The end of the next year in 2010 I will stop to lecture and stop travelling for a few years. I need to take some time out to write some more and to have adequate time to go in retreat, which I have not done so much as I would like to. Which started to cause trouble?  And therefore I stop travelling.

ayurveda-portal.de: Do you give retreats that people can do it with you?

Robert Svoboda: I doubt it I will go on my own. So that I can be free. That is what a retreat is all about.

ayurveda-portal.de: So it is more writing books and will you work more with Claudia?

Robert Svoboda: It would certainly be nice. But it’s a matter of dates you see, who is going to do what and where and when. Bur it would be very nice we enjoyed our being together, travelling together in Europe it would be very good

ayurveda-portal.de: The second last question: You heard about the Ayurveda Portal the internet platform which we are doing and maybe you remember the idea to be a platform of communication spreading what is Ayurveda all about posting interviews and being independent without selling anything
What do you think about the idea?

Robert Svoboda: I think it is a fine idea. The question is how to interest people to this subject. It is certainly a good idea because people are so focused on the internet. I think that more and more people will get interested in Ayurveda but how they will find it

ayurveda-portal.de: Is there anything you would like to share with the visitors of our Ayurveda portal, something you would like to let them know

Robert Svoboda: The most important  thing is that Ayurveda focuses on dharma and mukta karma
And the most important amongst these for is
In order to get the most of Ayurveda treatment you must follow and get a clear picture of where you are preceding to

ayurveda-portal.de: And how do you do it

Robert Svoboda: Well that’s a good question. Because in the past I had a lot of
Some people they could look ahead for years and years
In my case it is not so far I could look ahead a little bit. There was a well known novelist in the US his name was Dr. He sad writing a novel is like very much like driving at night. You know where you would like to end up but you don’t know exactly how to get there. But if you use your lights and don’t drive to fast probably you will reach there. I think the most important thing is to have confidence whether it is easy to do or not but it is the right thing to do to perform a certain action. To see yourself in a certain way and to actualise the image of yourself. And then it comes back to
Which is the

ayurveda-portal.de: Especially in our times

Robert Svoboda: Yes it is the best medicine in our times

ayurveda-portal.de: Thank you very much


For more informations about Dr. Robert Svoboda please click here: www.drsvoboda.com