Jivaka Komarabhacca was the Buddha’s personal physician and the father of Buddhist medicine. Tradition says he was the son of a prostitute of Rajagaha. After his birth he was put in a basket and thrown on a rubbish heap from where he was rescued by Prince Abhaya and adopted by him. An abandoned child would usually be fairly quickly eaten by dogs and crows but because he was still alive (java) he was called Jivaka. The second part of his name is probably derived from kaumarabhrtya, the Sanskrit term for obstetrics and pediatrics. When he grew up he was sent to Takkasila (modern Taxila in northern Pakistan) where he studied medicine for seven years under the sage Atreya. On his return to Rajagaha he quickly earned a reputation as a skilled physician and was eventually appointed court physici