Subject: Chinese medicine overview

From: [email-masked]
Date: 10 Feb 1995 15:49:31 -0500

What follows below is a brief overview of Taoist (Chinese) Medicine taken
from the course calender of the Renaissance Naturopathic Centre (Toronto,
Canada): 
 
Taoist (Chinese )Medicine  & Acupuncture 
 
 For the wise, Tao is the way of self cultivation.  
The Yellow Emperor s Classic of Internal Medicine (300 B.C.) 
 
Yin - Yang 
 
Taoism is an ancient world view which acknowledges the movement towards
balance (Tao) to be inherent in all things.  This movement is evident as a
constant interplay between opposing tendencies known as Yin and Yang. 
Balance exists when opposing tendencies have been unified into a whole;
e.g., in a threatening situation, the balanced response (Tao) is the middle
ground between anger (yang) and fear (yin).  From the Taoist perspective
all phenomenon can be seen as either balanced, too Yin or too Yang.  Taoist
medicine concerns itself with determining where on this spectrum an
individual lies; the various body/mind functions within the human being can
be individually assessed within its elegant framework.  The movement
towards balance can be assisted by proper diet, a harmonizing environment
and personal discipline; in illness, the judicious use of herbal medicine
and acupuncture can be of further assistance. 
 
A way of life that respects the order within nature is timely for our
present state.  The study of Taoism can enable an understanding of the
middle ground in  dualities such as effort/grace, illness/health and
self/nature and thus further our personal movement towards Tao. 
 
The Body 
 
The Taoist conception of the body is energic as well as material.  Long
ago, it was realized that the body could not be understood as just a
conglomeration of its constituent physical parts.  The science of the
energic aspects of the body, known as Yoga, was highly developed in India
by 500 B.C.; it was transported to China by Nagarjuna who there established
various schools of martial arts. The Taoists did much to bring this
knowledge into the arena of medicine in the form of the meridian model of
the body.  Acupuncture has since become an established clinical method for
more than 2000 years.  This knowledge was also transported to Japan and
incorporated into the Zen tradition.  In fact, the word  Zen  which means
mindfulness is a transliteration of the Taoist term  Shen , which in turn
is a transliteration of the Yogic term  Dhyana  which means awareness. 
 
Qi & Meridians 
 
A meridian is a pathway of least resistance for a type of impulse or
movement.  It does not have any discernible physical structure like other
pathways; e.g. blood vessels, nerves.  Also, it does not conduct any
discernible material substance.  Thus, meridians are best thought of in
terms of what is not matter; namely, energy. 
 
Matter and energy are not opposites but exist along a continuum.  Matter
refers to that which can be touched, tasted, smelled, seen, heard or
measured.  If our experience suggests the existence of something which we
cannot directly perceive or measure then it may be termed either  very
subtle matter  or  energy .  Since our senses have a limited range we can
always say that behind the perceptible universe exists an energic structure
that we cannot discern via the 5 senses.   
 
This has been given various names by different cultures.  The western
scientific world calls it the  virtual state , the Indians call it  Rta 
and the Chinese call it  Tao .  All beings are connected to Rta/Tao.  The
Yogic tradition sees nadis (meridians) and chakras (centres of
consciousness) as points of contact for the human being and prana (vital
energy) as the currency of connection.  The Taoist view is that meridians
connect us to the flow of Qi (vital energy) which animates the universe. 
 
Acupuncture points 
 
Qi is everywhere at all times so we are also Qi; that is, we are energic as
well as physical beings.  Though energy exists everywhere it favours
certain locations where is tends to collect.  Energy performs work; if we
can access it we can cause work to be performed.  In fact, many areas of
the body when stimulated affect specific changes; these areas are known as
acu-points.  More than 2000 years of experience has led to the matured
meridian model which shows specific relationships between different
acu-points/meridians and body parts/ functions. 
 
 When those who rebelled against Tao obtained power, the medicines prepared
from the topmost branches and roots were no longer given, the divine spirit
perished and the world was dismembered.  
 
The Yellow Emperor s Classic of Internal Medicine (300 B.C.) 

Renaissance Naturopathic Centre. 
 
I have also posted separately,  overviews of Ayurvedic (Indian) Medicine
and Yoga philosophy, also taken from our course calender.