Taoism and Chinese Medicine

The origins of Taoism and Chinese medicine are similar

Chinese culture from the source, and Taoism has the most significant relationship. The name of the Taoist school, although the formation of late, to the early Han Dynasty with the nine streams and the name. But its origins on the Taoist literature can be traced back to the early Shang Yi Yin, to the Zhou Laozi "Tao Te Ching" has been the set of its completion, which does not include the initial stage of Taoist thought, to be pushed up to the time of the Yellow Emperor.

The Han Book - Arts and Letters of the ancient Taoist books, listed in the first is "Yi Yin" fifty one. This book early anonymous, even the "Sui book - the book of records" is not recorded, but in recent years, Mawangdui tomb unearthed the silk "Yi Yin - nine main" anonymous, not only make us "Yi Yin" this early Taoist can have a rough understanding, and confirmed the emergence of Taoism and the Tao of heaven is inseparable. For example, "namelessness" and "name" are one of the centers of the study of Laozi, and "Yiyin - Nine Masters" believes that "name" is generated from the Way of Heaven. Its text says: "Heaven lacks (Fan) no (name) and rebirths all things, and creatures do not exist without a name."

The so-called "heavenly paradigm" is the "heavenly way", which is the nature of the sky and the laws of operation of the sky, and it is put that there is "no name"." Name" is the product of the way of heaven, then all things, and thus born, no name. Laozi said: "no name the beginning of heaven and earth, name the mother of all things". This can be found in the footnote.

Chinese medicine and Taoism have a common origin, especially emphasize "people and heaven and earth also, and the sun and the moon accordingly", the Chinese medicine in the heaven and earth and people in such a large system to study, investigate its source, that is, out of Taoism. Therefore, the "Nei Jing" that a good doctor, to master the medical Tao, you must know: "Tao on the knowledge of astronomy, geography, in the knowledge of personnel, can be a long time to teach the masses, but also do not doubt the danger of the medical Tao of thesis can be passed on to future generations, can be the main." Equate the requirements of medical doctors with the standards of Taoism, this is the medical through the Tao, or medical Tao is the root of the same source. Therefore, if we want to study Chinese medicine in depth, the study of Taoism can never be ignored, especially the value of Taoist medicine can never be ignored.

Taoism has always had a "rebirth" of the faith, advocating immortality, the Tao to become immortal; and value of individual life, believe that after a certain amount of cultivation, the world of individuals can be transformed, directly transcendent into the immortal. Therefore, Taoism absorbed the primitive witchcraft, fairy magic and the way of health of the ancestors, and created and constructed a complete system of Taoist health science. This system and the main body of traditional medicine - Chinese medicine, has a very close relationship, China since ancient times, "medicine, Taoism, the same source" said.

In terms of theory, Chinese medicine, the view of the unity of man and heaven, yin and yang, five elements, and its insights into the human body meridians, qi and blood, viscera, basically for the Taoist inheritance, play, as the refining in the basic theories about the life of the human body, permeated in the introduction, the deposit of ideas, gas and later more mature in the study of internal alchemy.

In addition, Taoist health science and Chinese medicine have some **** the same basic issues of concern. For example, the Taoist health science attaches the most importance to the maintenance and cultivation of human essence, qi and god; and the basic theories of Chinese medicine, such as the concept of unity of man and heaven, yin and yang, the five elements, the human body meridians, organs, qi and blood, as well as clinical practice, but also attaches great importance to the balance and coordination of human essence, qi and god. Taoist health science and Chinese medicine there are such as psycho - social therapy, rehabilitation therapy, music therapy, environmental therapy and many other methods of **** the same point.

The belief in immortals is the most important reason for the emergence of Taoist medicine. According to the belief in immortals, immortality is first and foremost the unlimited prolongation of an individual's life. If this is possible, logically, since it is an infinite prolongation, then before the infinite prolongation, the individual life should be healthy and long-lived. In the early days of Taoism, when life-cultivation was favored, believers believed this even more. For example, if they saw a young Taoist priest with a light step and glowing eyes, or an old Taoist priest with bright ears and eyes, and young hair, the believers would regard them as immortal and worship them from the bottom of their hearts. On the contrary, if a Taoist priest is yellow, sickly, weak and spiritless, who will believe that he will rise to immortality in one day? That is why the Record of Nourishing Sex and Extending Life elaborates, "The Tao and the life abide by each other, and the life and the Tao are protected by each other." This means that the belief in immortality requires that one's life be preserved, and that the cultivation of immortality cannot be separated from the cultivation of medicine and health. The Nei Guan Jing (The Book of the Inner Goddess of Mercy) says: "Sheng is clear about the Dao, and the Dao guards Sheng," and "when Sheng and Dao are united, one will live forever." That is to say, to seek immortality through medicine and health maintenance, and to seek immortality through eternal life. Huangting Neijing five viscera and six bowels fill diarrhea chart," said: "the first Ming viscera, the second said the practice." Dan Ting real person Lu Zu Shi Xuan Tan" said: "the disease is not removed, Xian base is difficult to set up." Neidan cultivation first to "build the foundation". These are the medicine and health as a preparatory stage, necessary conditions or foundation for immortal. To seek immortality, one must seek life, and to seek life, one must seek medicine, and Taoist medicine was inevitable. The second important reason for the emergence of Taoist medicine is to help people. Taoism advocates the spirit of love and compassion, which requires Taoist priests to help people in the world. The Taoist Sutra says, "The Tao of Immortality is noble in life, and has no measure of human beings." One of the ways to help the world is to "help the world with medicine", which is easier to accomplish. According to Taoism, to help the world is not only to give favors to others, but also to accumulate virtues for oneself, and only by accumulating virtues can one become immortal. Therefore, the Taoist scriptures say, "To save people from all kinds of diseases and to heal their sufferings, one can also become an immortal." The Quanzhen religion will cultivate their own mind and body called "real work", will help the world to help people called "real action", that "work and action both" to become Taoist. It was in this sense that Wang Chongyang, the founder of the Quanzhen sect, said that "those who learn the Way must not be incompetent" in medicine. Qiu Qiqi even said to Genghis Khan: "There is the way of hygiene, but no medicine for longevity." So Taoism's Jidu idea also requires Taoist priests to master the knowledge of medicine and health. Medical care for the world often results in the objective effect of medical evangelism. Some Taoist priests mastered the knowledge of medicine, is to medical missionary. As the early Taoist Huang Turban's Taiping Dao and the two Zhang's Wu Dou Mi Dao, the beginning of the mission to the charm of water for people to cure the disease, quickly won a large number of believers.

The emphasis on medicine and health care in Taoism is also related to the practical needs of the Taoist priests themselves. This is the second important reason for the emergence of Taoist medicine. In ancient times, many Taoist priests lived in the poor countryside, and some of them chose to live in rocky caves. There were also some Taoist priests who trekked through mountains and water and slept in the open air in order to collect medicine or visit the Tao. It would be difficult for them to survive if they lacked the knowledge of medicine and health care, were unable to resist the hard and harsh environment, and could not heal themselves when illnesses came. That is why Ge Hong, a Taoist theorist of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, warned Taoist priests that they must "practice medicine as well". In addition, some Taoist scriptures, based on the theory of heaven and man, take healing as a means of sensing heaven and earth to prevent calamities, and try to honor heaven with healing. There are also Taoist scriptures that expound doctrines with medical principles and promote Taoism with medicine. These are also the reasons that prompted the emergence of Taoist medicine.

China's gods and goddesses have a very early origin. Myths or formulas about immortality, immortality medicine, real people, gods or immortals, etc., were recorded in the Shanhaijing, Chushu, Hanfeizi, Zhuangzi and Zuozhuan. During the Warring States period, the Fangxian Dao, which was devoted to the activity of becoming immortal, became popular, and the 3 schools of Xingqi, Pill Bait, and Baojing stood on top of each other. During the Han Dynasty, some scholars of Huang Lao turned to fairy magic and formed Huang Lao Dao. The works of Fangxian Dao and Huanglao Dao were recorded in the Han Book of Arts and Letters, and there were 8 schools of Fangzhong and 10 schools of Shenxian, including Fangzhong, guiding, massage, baiting, and Huangbaijutsu. Wang Chong's "Lun Heng - Dao Xu" criticized Huang Laodao, listing five kinds of formulae, such as cultivating essence and loving qi, opening grain, eating qi, guiding, and taking medicines. Some scholars refer to the formula arts of Fang Xian Dao and Huang Lao Dao as Fang Shi Medicine. Founder's medicine has immortality as its highest goal, with Chinese medicine and witchcraft medicine as its main content, and ancient Chinese philosophical thought as its theoretical basis. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Taiping Tao and Wu Dou Mi Tao used talismanic water to cure people's illnesses and taught people to heal themselves by repenting for their sins, taking medicines, storing their thoughts, taking talismans, and chanting incantations, marking the formal formation of Taoist medicine. Fangshi medicine is the predecessor of Taoist medicine. The core content of Taoist medicine is Chinese medicine. It can be said that Taoist medicine absorbed and integrated all the contents of Chinese medicine. Throughout the ages, Taoist doctors have made great contributions to Chinese medicine by practicing medicine and exploring theories with religious piety and the humanitarian spirit of saving lives. For example, Ge Hong of the Eastern Jin Dynasty first recorded smallpox disease. Xiao Liang Tao Hongjing set "Nurturing Sex and Prolonging Life", whose contents include medical theory, medicine, as well as the arts of scrupulosity, serving qi, nourishing the form, guiding, speech, diet, housekeeping, anti-mundane, taboos, praying, chanting mantras, and saving thoughts, which is the earliest surviving collection of health care in China. His book "Materia Medica Classic Annotated" has innovations in the collection, processing, categorization and compounding of drugs. Sun Simiao of the Tang Dynasty laid the initial foundation for the development of gynecology and pediatrics, and developed the science of health and longevity. Cui Jiayan of the Southern Song Dynasty founded the Xiyuan Pulse Science, which occupies an important position in the history of Chinese medicine. Some of the external medicines developed by external alchemy are still in use today. Internal Dan art promoted the development of ancient Chinese health care and the study of the human body. Many important works of Chinese medicine in China have included a large number of Taoist medical prescriptions.