Classical Chinese medical symbolism: Wood, Metal and Spring (part 2 of 2)
Here is the continuation of Michael “Delli” Dell’orfano’s article on the symbolism of wood, metal and the spring season in Classical Chinese medical symbolism. Please feel free to leave any thoughts you have on this two-part article in the comments. Lively discussion is always appreciated! If you missed the first installment, read it here.———————
In Neijing Suwen (素問) Chapter 7 - Yin Yang Bie Lun (陰 陽 別 論 篇) Huang Di asks Qi Bo,
人 有 四 經 ， 十 二 從 ， 何 謂
“A man has four channels and twelve equivalences, and what are the implications of them?”
Qi Bo answers,
四 經 ， 應 四 時 ； 十 二 從 ， 應 十 二 月 ； 十 二 月 應 十 二 脈
“The four channels are the four solid organs which correspond to the four seasons; the twelve equivalences are the twelve two-hour periods, the twelve, the twelve two-hour periods correspond to the twelve meridians.”
Keep in mind when talking about the four seasons that the Earth has no real season of its own, thus they speak of four instead of five. Qi Bo goes on to say the Liver corresponds to the spring, the twelve-hour periods are governed by the twelve months, and that the di zhi Yin, Mao, and Chen are the months of spring (earthly branches 3,4,5 respectively). Qi Bo correlates the twelve months with the twelve channels and states that the first month of the lunar cycle (February) corresponds to the Hand Taiyin channel. In terms of the four seasons, (maybe we can say this relates more to the solar cycle, or related to yang and heaven) we say February is associated with the Spring energy of the Liver, but in terms of the twelve months, (maybe more related to a lunar cycle, and thus yin and Earth) February goes with the Lung.
I interpret this as meaning the energy of nature around us in the external world is strongly Mu/wood in the spring, and so internally our energy should be strong in the Jin/metal channels in order to keep Mu/wood energy that is on the rise in check. If the Mu/wood energy is strong outside the body, it will inevitably penetrate into us as well, and so the body should have a natural physiological response to increase the Jin/metal element to prevent the Mu/wood energy from becoming too strong and causing imbalances in the body. Also, a little later in Chapter 7 of the Wu and Wu translation of the Neijing, it talks about the taboo times for Gan (Liver, 肝) are Geng and Xin days (associated with metal). I think this is trying to tell us that Gan 肝 problems are more likely to arise on these days since they represent Jin/metal energy, and Jin affects Mu because of their intimate relationship through the Ke (control) cycle.
It is instructive to analyze the hexagrams symbolically associated with the Spring Metal/Jin organ networks. First, we have Tai, Hexagram 11 going with the Lung and the first month (Feb-Mar). Next, we have Da Zhuang, Hexagram 34 going with the Large Intestine and belonging to the second month (Mar-Apr).
Hexagram 11 is all about balance and harmony with three yang lines below and three yin lines above representing the upward movement of Heaven coalescing with the downward movement of the Earth. The rising yang in the lines of hexagram is symbolic of what is taking place in nature- energy on the rise. At the same time, the yin energy is pushing down to create a pressurizer-like effect in nature like the Lung does in the body. The idea of balance and prosperity that go along with this hexagram make it a symbol of health. The Lung is crucial to our health, thus the important title of prime minister is placed upon it. It is also worth noting that some of the greatest ancient Chinese medicine doctors were also prime ministers.
Hexagram 34 is an image of the trigram Zhen, or Thunder, over the trigram Qian, or Heaven. It shows the progression of the yang energy on earth, as now four yang lines are on the bottom of the hexagram with only two yin lines above. Nature is starting to move away from balance as yang is starting to take over, thus the story of Yang dominance in the second month. This hexagram symbolizes great strength and power as nature is bursting forth from the earth. The earthly branch that goes with the second month is Mao 卯, which means to flourish or explode. Much movement takes place in nature as the green vegetation is starting to grow rapidly. This is the picture of foot yangming (Large Intestine) brute force. Yangming carries tremendous amounts of qi and blood, and so is associated with 2nd and 3rd months of the year. This is the microcosmic picture in the body of what is going on this time of year as reflected in the macrocosm of the natural world around us.
Hu (虎, tiger) is the animal that resonates with Fei (Lung 肺) and Yin (February). It is associated with Fei because it is a symbol of authority and justice. Tigers will growl and protect, and only use their sharp teeth and claws when they have good reason. Tigers also have beautiful colored skin patterns, and this is a Fei signature since the skin relates to the Fei network. The sharp teeth and claws are akin to metal weapons and the ability to protect can be associated with a metal shield or helmet. Other mu characteristics of the tiger include the mu voice. The jumping ability and strength of the connective tissue is related to Gan and mu, and so is their tendency towards rage. Neijing Ch.8 has reference to the tiger in the line for the Liver.
To point out another correspondance between Wood and Metal, consider where the Neijing (Chapter 8) says,
肝 者 ， 將 軍 之 官 ， 謀 慮 出 焉
gan zhe jiang jun zhi guan mo lu chu yan
The Liver is the general and is in charge of planning and strategizing.
The character lu 慮 contains the tiger radical. Here the tiger is used to symbolize foresight, clairvoyance, patience, intelligence as associated with Wood/Yin/Aquarius/Jupiter energy to demonstrate what characteristics a good general should possess. Here we can see the intertwining of Wood and Metal imagery in the classics.
Tu (兔 rabbit) goes with the Da Chang (Large Intestine 大肠) and Mao (March). Tu/rabbits have a hot yangming (ST/LI) condition, and so have dry hard pellets for feces. This is much like constipation, which is a condition related to Da Chang. The rabbit is associated with longevity, which is also a Jin/metal quality. Rabbits use feces instead of urine like most animals to mark territory. Also, in rabbit we find some Mu/wood characteristics as well. For example, their amazing jumping ability can be related to connective tissue strength and the springing forth of nature that is taking place. Rabbits are competitive, always in a race. This is also a Wood quality. Rabbits have a lot of nervous, windy energy, and so they are always moving around and do not like to be held. This can be seen as related to Mu/wood as it is said to dislike being contained. Yet more intertwining of Wood and Metal imagery is revealed to us!
Bringing it back to the human body
In general, we can say that Jin/metal and Mu/wood are balancing poles of activity in the body. Jin moves down and in, and Mu moves up and out, but what if imbalance and disharmony occur between jin and mu? One example of this might be the emotion of grief, which when experienced, has an energetic feeling of moving down and in like Jin or metal. This downward movement of Fei will oppress Gan and cause Gan/Liver Qi stagnation eventually. How about another example? Consider the relationship between Fei/Lung and Gan/Liver in breathing. Fei is master of the qi, and a weakness in Fei qi can lead to a weakness of Gan qi, and so Gan may not be able to spring up. A progression from this might be that the Gan qi becomes stagnated because of a lack of qi from Fei, and then Gan fire could flare up and travel through the reverse ke/control cycle causing Fei to be scorched. In this situation, Fei will no longer be able to mist the organs because of heat/dryness and may lose the ability to exert pressure and descend downward. In this case, symptoms could arise on both the Gan and Fei organ systems such as coughing, blood in saliva, pain in sides and thorax, red eyes and anger.
Another example of a mu/jin pathology directly related to the spring is bi qiu- allergic rhinitis. Bi qiu is caused by the increased wind of the spring carrying the pollen from plants into the body of a person who has a disharmony of wei and ying (protective and nutritive). We can even say that the wei qi has a connection to the Lung and the Liver and that the Liver is also part of the ying, so it very likely this type of person already has an imbalance in the mu-jin axis to begin with, and so the symptoms all appear as related to these two organ systems. The itching is associated with the wind, and so by frequency correlation we can also say Wood. This pathology also has itching of the eye as a symptom, and the eye is the orfice of the Liver in CM. The problem is also related to the Lung since the nose is the orfice of the Lung and the symptoms are itchy nose, runny nose, anosmia, and nasal congestion.
Delli
—
I hope that Delli’s elaboration on the relationship between Wood and Metal has helped you to understand their associated symbols and organ systems more deeply. It’s a dense article, to be sure, definitely worth a couple of readings. I would be interested to hear from practitioners, especially, to see if the symbolism as discussed here bears fruit in clinical practice. I find myself thinking particularly of formulas and how this symbolism might help me to understand them more deeply - perhaps that’s another article in the making. :) For now, back to studying for finals!
Eric
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Tags: Character, hexagram, liver, lung, nature, neijing, Organ systems, Seasons, spring, symbolism
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16 Responses to “Classical Chinese medical symbolism: Wood, Metal and Spring (part 2 of 2)”
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Delli,
Well done. I look forward to reading Eric’s many reader’s take on this!
Eric,
Perhaps a forum is needed! I would love to see a discussion about the Ying and the Wei for example, or how formulas relate to Delli’s ideas…
Thanks you two!
Michael
Hi Michael,
I just wanted to add this tidbit I discovered today randomly while looking in The Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica since you have an interest to see how this is compatible with herbs.
In the back of the materia medica it talks about envoys and restrainer herbs and the seasons. It says, “On the day, Beginning of Spring, Mu Lan (Magnolia Liliflora) and She Gan (Belamcanda Chinensis) first begin to grow. Chai Hu (Radix Bupleuri) and Ban Xia (Rhizoma Pinelliae Ternatae) come into use as envoys. [THis season] governs headache and 45 joints.”
This passage about the use of medicinals according to seasonal laws was first introduced in the Yao Dui (Questions and Answers About Medicinals) written by Tong Jun. He was supposedly one of the ministers of the Yellow Emperor. Some scholars argue these passages originate in the Ben Cao Jing.
Also, it says of Chai hu (a popular Wood herb), “The envoy of Chai Hu is Ban Xia. It is averse to Zao Jia (Fructus Gleditschiae Chinensis) and fears Nu Wan (Radix Asteris Fastigiati) and Li Lu (Radix Et Rhizoma Veratri)”.
I did a little research and found out that Mu Lan is Xin Yi Hua. Nu Wan is very similar to Zi Wan, but just a different species.
If you look up all these herbs you find out that the first two herbs that begin to grow in spring (Mu Lan and She Gan) are Metal herbs. So Metal energy is somehow on the rise on a physical level and appears first before herbs of other elemental associations. The herbs that come into use as envoys are Chai Hu (Wood) and Ban Xia (Metal and Earth).
Zao Jia, Nu Wan, and Li Lu are all Metal and Earth herbs as well. It is obvious that Metal and Earth herbs are related to the spring. Recall that the pungent flavor, which belongs to Metal, is often used in the springtime in both herbs and Oriental dietetics as a way of moving qi and also promoting perspiration. In this case, pungent is encouraging the upward and outward movement that is happening in nature around us. This is an example of how the Wood and Metal energy can work together to create appropriate physiological movement in harmony with the season in the way that we use the Four Gates (LI 4 and LIV 3) in acupuncture to encourage the movement of qi in the body.
Ban Xia is an appropriate envoy to Chai Hu because Wood pathologies are likely to either be of either excess Wood on Earth (over controlling) or deficient Wood caused by cutting of the flora by the Metal blade(being controlled). Therefore maybe we can address Wood-Earth or Wood-Metal pathologies with this herb combo?
Just thought I would throw these ideas at you to see if you can make some more connections and apply this to some formulas. Let me know if you find any interesting connections with these herbs and Wood/Metal pathologies.
Anyone else taking formulas or in practice know any formulas or pathologies that use these herbs in combo that we can apply this theory to?
I thought from some Chinese cosmogony that metal is created with the direction “west” and the season “autumn” and there was a correlation between “wood” “east” and “spring” — Is the correlation an opposite one spring-autumn and east-west — confused a little.
Greg,
That is the very nuance we are trying to tease out. The most common literature that people read has the information you have indicated. That information is true, but there is other information that is equally true. The question is, how do we learn everything that this complex symbolism has to teach us? That is one of the things that this article from Delli is trying to address.
Thank you for your comment,
Eric
Hi Delli and others,
I wrote the following before the latest comments, but I think it may help, even though it reveals the complexity of what we are discussing:
Delli,
Thank you for finding that gem in the back of our Shennong Bencao Jing; there is much to be learned from this section. I think that it is important to examine carefully the flavors and natures in the the Shennong Bencao Jing and also to compare the flavors of the Shennong Bencao Jing with the five element categorization of the Tangye Jing (the earlier Western Han Formulas Classic).
There are only 25 herbs that we know of from the Tangye Jing, but it provides a very clear and very useful blueprint for us. It says, “All pungent herbs belong to Wood.” This is not in opposition to the Neijing, for in chapter 22 it discusses how Pungent herbs are used to disperse upward and outward (the qualities of Wood). Pungent does embody the Wood-Metal relationship perfectly, for it belongs to Metal in the sense of the season of Fall and the relationship to the surface; however, it belongs to Wood in the sense of its action, not of controlling Wood, but embodying its movement.
Sour, on the other hand belongs to Metal in the Tangye Jing, and is discussed similarly in chapter 22 of the Neijing. While Sour resonates with Wood, the season of Spring and the Tendons, it controls Wood by restraining it. In fact its movement is down and in, which is the exact opposite of the movement of Pungent and Wood. Consider the key herbs of these categories: Guizhi is the Wood herb of the Wood class and is therefore the pre-eminent Pungent herb. It is used to move Taiyang and Jueyin blood, and stir the Heart yang. Wuweizi is the Metal herb of the Metal class and is therefore the pre-eminent Sour herb. It astringes the Lungs and gathers inwardly the Qi of the Lungs. (We might be able to see from this that Qi is more Yin and Blood is more Yang).
Chai Hu in the Shennong Bencao Jing is bitter. If we apply these concepts from the Tangye Jing, then as a bitter herb, it tonifies Water (“all Bitter herbs belong to Waterz’) and reduces Fire (according to chapter 22 in the Neijing). Thus, that is how Chaihu reduces Shaoyang Fire congestion, rather than affecting the Liver, as is commonly assumed. It courses Shaoyang by descending the Gall Bladder Qi “all the way down to the toe and beginning of the Liver channel” as Arnaud says. This initiates the movement of Wood, because, as chapter 22 of the Neijing tells us, Bitter also descends Metal. Thus, Chaihu is used as an envoy (which in the context of the quote from the Shennong Bencao Jing may suggest a mutual assistance role) to have an affect upon the descent of Yang Wood as well as Metal (though only in the sense of descending physiological Fire through Fire’s mandate over Metal, which descends). This is a complicated way of saying that Chaihu is not Pungent and does not work on the Liver realm, for it is a Qi and Fu herb that is Bitter and Warm and works within the realm of Shaoyang Gall Bladder.
Xinyi Hua is Pungent Warm in the Shennong Bencao Jing, thus if we apply the same principles, it is the up and outward movement of spring; if we happen upon a Magnolia tree right now, we can see that very movement. So, in some ways, I agree with your analysis, but in some ways, I think it is very important to be careful how we are categorizing specific herbs as “Wood” or “Metal” and in what way we see the concept of herbs as “envoys and ministers” for these terms are clearly not the same as “envoys and ministers” in the usage of formulas (the Bencao Jing is not a formulas text at all).
Banxia in the Shennong Bencao Jing is Pungent and Balanced; Banxia as Chaihu’s envoy thus embodies a very different relationship in the Shennong Bencao Jing than what you are implying, for Pungent belongs to Wood and reduces Metal, while Bitter belongs to Water and descends Metal. Together, they have an effect of moving Wood and descending Qi and regulating counterflow. This is a harmonious movement of re-establishing the normal flow of Qi. Chai Hu treats “bound Qi in the Heart, Abdomen, Intestines and Stomach “ and “Weeds out the stale to bring forth the new” while Banxia treats “Chest distention…cough and counterflow” and “downbears the Qi.”
Another perspective of the sense of “envoy” would be to look at the three classes within the Shennong Bencao Jing. Chaihu is a Superior Herb, whereas Banxia is an Inferior herb. I personally think this is much more related to what this section is talking about. This would take some investigation into the other relationships presented to see if it is relevant.
My overall point is this: we absolutely cannot look at Bensky or any TCM classification of an herb flavor or Qi and then apply it to the Shennong Bencao Jing while simultaneously connecting it to a general understanding of the five elements. We must understand the context and the meaning of the text and concept at hand. We cannot simply say that Chaihu is a “Wood” herb based on it’s TCM designation as Pungent (even that would be confusing since TCM views Sour as correlating to Wood), and then expect to understand how this relates to when Chaihu grows and the meaning behind this as explained in a very early text that classifies it as Bitter. This is the fundamental problem with TCM as we know it, and we should work very hard at reviving the heart of the classics. As Eric has implied, we have no time to devote to other modalities and associations until we have done this.
Hi Michael,
This is a good analysis of the herbs from the Shennong Bencao Jing with reference to other classical texts such as Neijing and Tang Ye Jing. I must admit that I did not have time yet to look at this more deeply, but I plan on looking more into it from a classical persepective. The ideas that came to my head upon first seeing the herbs were more from a channel affinity perspective/TCM perspective of the herbs because that is the knowledge I have memorized. I can’t recall when the channel affinities were added, but I think it was a couple hundred years ago or so. Depending on what you consider classical, some would say these belong more to TCM than CCM. Some people say that classical only pertains to the classics written before the Common Era, but others say that by defintion classical Chinese medicine existed up until the 1950’s when TCM was created.
I guess it depends on what your defintion is of CCM. No clear start and end date exists in my mind, but rather we must judge on a case by case basis. If the material presented is rooted in the classics I believe it has always has some validity. TCM came from studies of the classics as well, so we must realize that this information is meaningful as well. It is not a different medicine all together, but rather a skeleton framework that must be fleshed out with details to become whole. We can not simply say the TCM lines have no worth and disregard them for more classical notions. Instead, we must try and grasp the true meaning of the TCM stuff.
Like on a superficial level we can say Chai Hu is Wood according to TCM, but we must understand the theory and classics to be able to understand why it works so well for Wood pathologies. As you suggest,this mechanism could be made possible through the shaoyang Fire and Water. It would be silly to throw out this information that descends directly from doctors who studied the classics. This distillation process creates shortcuts for our medicine which is both good (makes for easy learning) and bad, (may impede our clincial thinking skills) and so it will be our challenge as CCM practitioners to understand how the TCM info relates to the classics. We can not avoid the TCM stuff completely, nor can we avoid Western medicine completely in today’s world, and so we must be able to integrate this knowledge to undertand fully and communicate effectively with our patients, TCM practitioners, and Western docs.
However, we must accept that this is how our medicine evolved over time and then use our knowledge of the classics to explain the TCM one liners. If you understand the TCM info correctly it should always relate back to the classics were it comes from, but often people just learn what they need and stop there. This is what is bad about TCM- it is usually just memorized and taken at face value.
That is why I asked for anyone who has studied formulas to look deeper into the herbs and formulas to see what truths and connnections can be made since I unfortunately am not in that class right now because I felt the need to study things my own way at my own pace.
I know that originally the herbs all had only one taste and nature, while today’s materia medica may have several. For example, you mentioned I considered Chai Hu a Wood herb. It is commonly associated with the Liver and relieves qi stagnation. Though it primarily works on shaoyang as you have mentioned. In the modern materia medica it will be categorized as wind-heat releasing herb and be classified as bitter, acrid, and cool. Originally, Shennong Ben Cao Jing says Chai Hu was bitter and neutral. Tao Hong-jing ca. 500 AD in the Ming Yi Bie Lu added that it is slightly cold. The great physcian and herbalist, Lhi Shi-zhen says that in order to direct Chai Hu to the hand and foot shaoyang Huang Qin must be used as zuo. If you wish to direct Chai Hu’s actions to the hand and foot jueyin use Huang Lian.
So really it depends on our knowledge base from the classics as well as how we use the herbs together in combinations in formulas that tell us how the herbs will work (ie. where they will go and what the therapeutic effect will be, as well toxicity and side effects).
It is of my opinion, that if you feel that we can not use the TCM info and try and make connections to the classics, then you must hold the same true for superimposing the ideas of a lost classic we know very little about onto the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as well. This line of thinking seems to be contradictory to me. We can not assume that the two authors had the same theory and philosophy in mind while creating their classifications. In fact, they seem to be distinctly different classifications so how can we assume they are meant to go together? If we truly believe in sticking to what the classics say, and only the classics, then we must be careful not to extrapolate too much from the Tang Ye Jing when we know little to nothing about it.
The Tang Ye Jing was a massive work of which only a couple paragraphs are currently known. How can we use this information correctly and apply it to other theories and herbs if we don’t have anything more than a superficial understanding of it? This should not be considered good classical practice if you think that this should not be done with superficial TCM info either. You must be consistent in what you say and do with regards to how you are using the classics.
I have to strongly disagree with your idea that we must revive the classics before branching out into other modalities. First off, in my case it was my love for other modalites in natural health and Daoism that even brought me to where I am. I must honor my commitment and dedication for my roots that brought me this far or else none of this would be worthwhile to me.
Secondly, I do not believe that the highest knowledge must come from a book. We can undertand the essence of the medicine best by direct transmission from our teachers and from keen observations of nature and our body. I say this because I do not think that the classics have all the answers because not everything was written down in ancient times since much information was passed down orally and because certain common knowledge was thought to be understood since so many doctors were wise sages, and so probably not written down in the first place. Pieces will always be missing from the puzzle, so no one will ever have “complete” knowledge of the classics. Many classics are lost or unknown, and many are only available to those who read Chinese. So, I believe while the TCM info gives us the the superficial info and the classics give us the meat, the essence must come from the Dao.
Through personal cultivation we can only hope to attain the wisdom of the sages through direct transmission if the Dao permits.
For example, as you said only 25 herbs are known from th Tang Ye Jing. What does that mean about the other herbs? Can we not use this theory of classification set forth in the Tang Ye Jing on herbs not listed if we take a fundamentalist approach to the medicine?
Afterall, we may never find a complete copy of the Tang Ye Jing to shed light on our questions no matter how hard we study the classics.
I believe that CCM is not a static medicine that has been set in stone in the classics, but is more of a medicine of time and space, and so can evolve and change as the world does. While certain principles must be held in place as set forth in the classics, we must also use our creative side and intuition to be a good physician. We must be able to improvise and work on an individual level in a clincial setting. The classics do not directly tell us all the answers, so we must be able to put information together and assimilate it in a way that has clinical relevance.
This is essentially the flaw of TCM as it evolved from CCM. It tries to simplify and “stick to the book”, but yet it leaves little room to wiggle around and use your knowledge creatively in a clinical setting when that patient walks through the door and does not have signs and symptoms that match the pulse and tongue.
I believe that if we have a firm grasp on the theory and use it correctly, then we can apply it to other herbs that are not classified in the Tang Ye Jing. Yes, we must first understand the 5 element theory and all of its relationships as well as the nature and flavor of the herb before we can attempt to apply such theory onto previously unclassfied herbs.
I do not feel that classical Chinese medicine prevents me from using or studying other modalities. In fact, I am certain it actually will work synergistically with my other knowledge to give me better clinical results. Everyone of us will do something not considered classical in our practice no matter how hard we try. Unless you set up your practice in ancient China, you will be forced to adapt your practice to the world around you which means straying from the classics in more ways than one.
I plan on making my practice “more” classical by being conscious of the little things. For instance, I do not plan on using granules in my practice. Practitioners tell me I am crazy, but I have several good reason not to use granules.
First off, granules were not use in the classics. They may have ground up raw herbs and made them into pills, but the granule process actually involves cooking/decocting herbs and then drying them and sugar coating them. This completely not only changes the nature and taste of the herbs, but also we lose the life force of the plant making it a less valueable medicine according to many folk herbalists. Western herbalism has taught me much about plants and being able to recognize a high quality herbal product from another. Chinese medicine could greatly benefit from the Western knowledge of herbs in regards to quality.
Through organoleptic testing we can easily see that that granules are inferior to whole herbs. They do not smell or taste like their whole herb counterpart, and they certainly do not have the same lifeforce.
It is like the difference of when I smell an essential oil in the store compared to one from my shelf in my room. One is a potent medicine, and the other is more made for perfume or culinary purposes.
I am sure whole herbs are superior, and the only challenge of this would be to get patients to take them regularly. I think that if we give patients the granules option they will choose it most likely, but if we do not carry granules they will not have a choice to make. We give them herbs and they probably won’t even know granules exist unless they have gone to other CM practitioners.
Some people may think of this as doing a dis-service to my patients, but I believe we have to work for our health, and so it should not come easy. We must enlighten and empower or clients to take responsibility for their own health, and so we must guide them to health by giving them the best options, not just an option that will make life easier on them. We must be a rock for our patients, we can not compromise their health and our medicine for the sake of saving a few minutes of work. Medicine is not about what the client likes or dislikes, but it is about helping people and giving them real results. If they will not cook the herbs because they smell bad or it is too much work, then we must ask ourselves if this client takes their health serious or not. Many people come for help but are not truely ready to recieve it yet.
I firmly believe that the ancient sages would not frown upon my attempts to integrate the knowledge of the classics into modern life. The sages created this medicine to to be flexible and changing by nature, and that is what is so special about classical Chinese medicine to me. Most other medical systems are too rigid and leave little room for creativity and change, but we must remember medicine is as much of an art as it is a science.
Hi Delli,
Just a quick response while I take a break from studying formulas:
The Tangye Jing and the Shennong Bencao Jing are very close together in time and culture. SO much can be learned from analyzing their differences and similarities! The most important part is the Zhang Zhong Jing used both to put together his formula compendium. THis is why we must look to the SHL and Jingui Yaolue to understand these very important classics. They do not contradict each other, but reveal so much to us. To disregard what we have from the Tangye Jing is a big mistake, and to not see the importance of the SHL is also a big mistake. Classical medicine is what is closest in fundamentals to the classics of the Han dynasty, not any later! Later times have much to offer, but I’ll have to comment on that later.
Thanks for you response, I’m wishing others would join in on this…
michael
You guys,
How do you have time to bust out these lengthly comments right before the Mother of all Finals? As the class president, I can’t condone it. ;) I will most definitely be commenting on this in the future AND spinning off a sweet article to discuss in more detail.
One little note: I do absolutely and vehemently believe that one must grasp the canon before branching out. I have no ill will towards those who choose otherwise and have no doubt that they will be good practitioners. Delli - I mean, come on man, GEMSTONES - I LOVE IT. :)
That being said, I would rather be master of one trade than a dabbler in many. I won’t know that I’m master of something until I feel I have nothing left to learn about it. I don’t think it will be possible in my lifetime to Master the theories and formulas contained in the Shang Han Lun - thus - I’m in it for the long haul. No gemstones, no homeopathy, no nothing. Call me narrow minded if you like. I’ll just say thank you. ;)
Eric
Hi Eric,
By no means do I think everyone should have to pursue other modalities. I think that classical Chinese is great on its own as a whole system of medicine.
I just am following my own path. I can’t escape my own destiny, nor can anyone else choose it for me. Like I said to Evan in an earlier post, to each his own. I think it is wonderful that each one of us will have a different looking practice, but yet stay true to the classics. I see that as the beauty of this medicine.
I don’t see the contradictions with my belief, but I don’t think anyone can tell me that I have to master the classics before I learn other modalities. Unfortunately, I studied other modalities first so it would be impossible for me to do that. And like you have suggested, it is impossible to master the classics, and thus this medicine. That is why I need to intergrate my other knowledge to help me understand the classics, and vice versa.
I do not want my personal beliefs to be placed upon others, in fact I take pride in being a unique individual and somewhat eccentric, and so I don’t mind being the only one in my camp.
Since this a classical Chinese medicine blog I try to avoid bringing in personal beliefs and talk of outside modalities as much as I would love to, but it seems to keep popping up although I thought I made myself clear about my position on comments to previous posts.
Oh yeah, I dropped formulas, so no big test for me tomorrow. good luck to you formula students tomorrow!
-Delli
Hi Michael,
Just wanted to clarify for the record that I am not opposed to analyzing the classics, and I encourage comparing and contrasting of classics and other Chinese medicine works from different periods.
I don’t think we can really say these classics are close together in time. First off, CCM developed from Daoist medicine, and was mostly passed down through oral tradition. Otherwise we would not have any knowldedge of Shen Nong or Yi Yin. It wasn’t until the Han dynasty that everything was recorded in writing.
No one can say for sure when Shen Nong lived, or if he even did, but it his work dates back to around 2700BC. Yi Yin (1648-1549 BC) we know was the prime minister to emperor Tang in the Shang dynasty. Zhang Zhong Jing lived during the the Han dynasty from about 150-219 AD, and so his work did come after Shen Nong, Yi Yin, and Yellow Emperor.
I don’t think we can say that these dates are all close together or from the Han, but they were all recorded in writing at that time. Much happened between 2700 BC and 200 AD that is not known, so we can not assume they all thought alike because they were from the same time period. Zhang Zhong Jing lived closer to the modern day on a timeline compared to when Shen Nong lived. Shen Nong lived over a thousand years before Yi Yin. We can hardly say they lived at about the same time in history. 1000 years is a big difference in time.
Having said that, I hope that Eric goes on that archaeological dig to unearth a full copy of the Tang Ye Jing before I turn in my thesis! I find this info to be important to the medicine, and I think if we had a copy of this work much more would be clear about how herbs work in relation to the five phase movements.
If I unearth a copy, Delli, you’ll be one of the first to know. ;) Thanks for all of your comments - I really hope to get to work analyzing these last conversations and starting a new post incorporating some of the insights. Just have to get through these last couple finals. :)
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Hi Delli,
I do believe that historical context is very crucial to understanding our medicine for what it is; we can turn it into something else (and that has been done over and over throughout history), but why not set our ideas of it aside for a moment and just analyze its history?
There are two key concepts I’d like to comment on from your latest response; perhaps we’ll have to write some more articles for Eric’s site to generate a fruitful conversation outside of just ours, though I really appreciate your willingness to discuss this on line.
The first is that there is no possible way that Chinese Medicine originated from Daoist medicine! This is a common misunderstanding, but needs to be understood. What we think of as “Daoism” is all from the dynasties after the Han. Sure, the original texts that inspired Daoism originated during the Waring States time (in the midst of the 100 schools), and they were most likely inspired by oral transmissions from earlier times. But this does not mean that there was anything like what we think of as “Daoism” or especially “Daoist Medicine” at these earlier times. We can assume that a deep understanding comes from the ancient ones; the fundamental blueprints have been passed down from so very long ago. I’m referring to the Zhouyi, the Book of Songs, the Book of Rites and other very ancient transmissions either in writing or through oral transmission. But, the five elements and the theories of the Yin and Yang are clearly developed later. They may have originated from ancient wisdom, but they way we understand them and use them, and the way they are used in our medicine is due to the synthesis that occured at a very important time period.
The second point I’d like to make is that Yi Yin’s name was applied to the Tangye Jing as the “Patriarch” and by no means implies that this text can be traced back to him. I think that the most important thing to understand about our medicine is that a great synthesis occured during the Han Dynasty. If you carefully examine the history of consciousness and thought, the development of theories through time and when specific changes occured, you would see that China’s history has some very significant progressions.
For instance,the time of the shift from the Shang to the Zhou produced the origin of the Zhouyi…some say it is a record of the divinations of King Wu as he was watching for the signs to tell him when it was time to overthrow the Shang, to “cross the great water” literally onto the Shang territory. See Hexagram 55 and John (I think?) Marshall’s book on the “Tian Ming”.
Another time of great change is during the Waring States period…we have to at least try to understand the Laozi and the Zhuangzi within this context, despite our desire to see these texts as metaphysical manifestations of divine beings from pre-historic times.
Finally, the transition from the Warring States period to the Qin Dynasty and then quickly into the Han are so incredibly significant for us to understand. Here we will find how the very contradictory and confusing theories and ideas that were developed and passed around from the time of Laozi until the Qin were put through a great synthesis during the Han Dynasty, first in the Western Han and then in the Eastern Han. This great sythesis is the true origin of classical Chinese medicine as we know it. It has nothing to do with Daoist medicine, but Pre-Daoist concepts are certainly at the core of many of these fundamental beliefs. Daoism did not exist at this time, but for a multitude of philosophical schools of thought which later the “Daoists” claimed were their forefathers. You can say the same about Confucianism, for if you really look at Hanfeizi, for example, or Xunzi (who were much closer to this great transition), it is difficult to say that they are of the same school of thought as Confucius, even though they base all of their ideas off of his words.
The Tangye Jing is a Han dynasty text, just like the Neijing and the Shennong Bencao Jing and the Shanghan Lun are. Their concepts come from thousands of years of processing and distillation, from the very ancient oral transmissions, through very difficult and turmultuous times, to a time when language and thought were organized and synthesized. You cannot say that over 2500 years the “oral transmission” was passed through directly until someone wrote it down.
We need to consider the reality of history, though I’m certainly a believer in the mystery teachings of the ancient ones. The sixty four hexagrams, for instance, do come from so very long ago; the “Songs” do as well. These carry such deep wisdom. I’ve also seen an analysis of the astrological progressions described in the Neijing as only possibly being understood from the time of 2-3000 bc (though this is speculative information), which implies that the wisdom of astrological progressions could come from this ancient time. I believe it does. But I’ve very carefully traced specific theories and concepts from the Neijing and from Chinese medicine in general and found that, with the exception of astrological references and mappings of time (including the theories of the Yijing), all of the concepts cannot really be traced past the Waring States period, and they weren’t really synthesized in to a coherent usable organization until the Han Dynasty.
Thus the Tangye Jing and the Shennong Bencao Jing are really only around the corner from each other, the first being written during the Western Han and the second being written during the Eastern Han. The Neijing also can be traced to sometime during this period (ranging from just before the Han dynasty to just prior to the Shanghan Lun in the Eastern Han). Yes, the concepts have been in the works prior to their codification, but to understand our medicine as it is presented to us in the classical texts, we need to understand the historical context of the Han dynasty.
Sorry for the lengthy comment again…..
Michael
Looks like your Chinese （language skill) is at a high level. Did you learn it formally at a school or mostly on your own?
Hi James,
I studied classical Chinese at St. John’s College in Santa Fe, and our program at NCNM (where Eric and Delli go) has a pretty nice classical texts program too. I study on my own as well, but all that being said, I do not feel that I am any where close to a level of competency in terms of really studying the classics. I’ve got a ways to go for sure, but I made the most progress at St. John’s college because it was taught in the Socratic method.
The best approach of studying classical Chinese medicial texts, in my opinion, is to pick one text and stick with it and to understand the difference between classical or literary Chinese grammar from modern Chinese grammar. Paul Unschuld has a great classical Chinese medical reader that I highly recomend, though it pulls from multiple texts and commentaries.
Are you studying Chinese medicine or practicing? Do you have an interest in Chinese language?
Thanks,
Michael
[...] and Wood phases, but also to the Lungs, and Metal phases. Michael “Delli” Dell’orfano’s article at Deepest Health posits that one reason for this wealth of correspondence could lie in the [...]
hi,everyone! I’m from http://technorati.com/blogs/blog.tsimzung.com
很高兴认识 the blog’s owner.
我是中国人，喜爱中医。
很高兴今天在这里结交到学习中医的国外朋友。
不过，我只是中医（岐黄之术）的爱好者。