2024.12.09 - Traditional Chinese Medicine is a Treasure of Chinese Civilization

2024.12.09 – Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Treasure of Chinese Civilization

Selected Classics:

The Master said: “Is it not a pleasure to study and constantly review what one has learned? Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar? Is it not the mark of a gentleman when others do not understand him yet he does not get angry?”

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Vajra Longevity Practice – Official Q&A on Breathing, Stance, and Movement Coordination

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/MRj5aSqUA9ARn74mt43EJA

When Master Zhang Zhishun and Master Xu Lihui first spread the Vajra Longevity Practice in the early 1990s, they taught the exercises without emphasizing a specific leg stance or strict breathing coordination. Taoist health cultivation is meant to be adjusted by the practitioner as they progress; the body’s tendons and bones may not yet be ready for a rigid form, so simply following the movements was encouraged, often yielding the most noticeable results. The key is a calm, natural mind—just as Master Zhang says, “Practice a little and it works; don’t overthink it. Follow the movements naturally, and once you’re familiar, you’ll be fine.”

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Fu Haina – Basic Principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/w_lYYiTmC37xUvzL4iTaxA

In a conversation, Professor Fu Haina remarked: “Medicine is ‘Yi’ (易), meaning that without the concept of ‘change/ease,’ one cannot fully grasp it. It has a material side and a spiritual‑qi magnetic field side; they are essentially one and the same. Through continual transformation, there is only one goal: harmony.” Studying TCM means learning how the tangible and intangible aspects of matter interconnect. Modern medicine often separates the two, but TCM builds a bridge between them.

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Li Xin – Keep the Spirit Close to the Body

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/9ikOKJHgbJkYSwLpU_iPlQ

People tend to focus on specific disease‑treatment methods in TCM, but the Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon) holds that treating illness is a response to serious imbalance, whereas nurturing health is the true path. There are many ways to cultivate health, ranging from physical qi to the spirit, across different levels. The first step is to nurture the spirit. As the saying goes, “Guard the spirit within,” and “the form and spirit are united,” meaning the spirit should not stray far from the body.

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Liu Lihong – The Sage’s Heart Method, Also Applicable to Five‑Element Acupuncture

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/vqDP5W_jWWccSV9z83sbmQ

“Human hearts are fragile, the Dao’s heart is subtle; be precise, be singular, and hold the middle.” These sixteen characters constitute the “Sixteen‑Character Heart Transmission,” also known as the Sage‑King’s Sixteen‑Character Heart Transmission. As one’s experiences accumulate, the depth of this transmission becomes increasingly apparent, revealing its importance as a true “mind method.” It is not merely the Sage‑King’s teaching but a universal method for all people.

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Why “Performance‑Based Meritocracy” Sparks Backlash

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Z9jvbZRFWmXrIac3_CMI-g

Everyone must recognize that the road to ideals is winding and may involve failure. For society, regardless of individual outcomes, the spirit of effort deserves recognition and respect. Ultimately, when we oppose performance‑based meritocracy, we are rejecting a single notion of “success” and the anxiety, burnout, and pervasive contempt for an “ordinary” life that such a narrow view generates.

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Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Treasure of Chinese Civilization

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/-JDyGedll9SEmR4ZqMsvzg

Traditional Chinese medicine is a jewel of the Chinese nation and a wealth for all humanity. It should be promoted worldwide with confidence, self‑strengthening, openness, and inclusiveness, benefiting all peoples. We must actively participate in global health governance, advance TCM’s role in major infectious‑disease prevention collaborations, integrate high‑quality TCM into the Belt and Road Initiative, and help build a shared community of health for humanity.

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Originally written by Ping Xia (平侠) and published in Chinese on 拾一集 (Weekly Reflections). Translated and adapted for DriftSeas with permission.