The Rasayana is a
Sanskrit word that means "way of essences."
Alchemical school focusing in the employment of certain
chemicals, notably those derived from elemental mercury, to transform the body
and make it everlasting.
Some academics have classified rasayana as the Buddhist
school of alchemy, whereas dhatuvada is the Hindu school.
The difference is that the latter depended completely on
mercurial ingestion, whilst the former simply employed mercurials to prolong
life until the body could be transrified by meditation, ritual, and
extramaterial methods.
Despite their differing views on how the process should
conclude, the two schools agree on a lot of other things.
Both are most likely influenced by the same alchemical
heritage.
For further detail, check David Gordon White's 1996 book The
Alchemical Body.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.
