Since the first edition of Asceticism and Healing in Ancient India appeared, little new evidence has come to light to change the fundamental views offered in it. After carefully going through the text once again, I tried to clarify fuzzing points and elaborate on underdeveloped ideas. The importance of medicine in the history of Buddhism cannot be underestimated. This book lays out the basic tenets of a sophisticated medical doctrine and practice that developed in the Buddhist monastic communities from around the 4th century BCE. The role of Buddhist medicine in the development of the Sanskrit tradition of Ayurveda is the focus of the study. The results indicate that early Buddhist medicine was fundamental to the formation of ayurvedic medical thinking and practice in ancient India.