Learning about the Lung through the Chinese medicine organ clock
To this day, some of my most popular posts involve the organ clock. I find the organ clock to be fascinating, but lately I haven’t thought that much about it. Thus, I haven’t posted much about it. As our education has focused more and more on the superficially practical information (points, needling, formulas) it’s become easier to ignore all that esoteric stuff we learned earlier on. However, in my mentorship with Heiner Fruehauf, I’ve come to understand how important this symbolism can be on a very practical level. Because of this realization, I’m going to delve back into that material and offer it to my friends here at Deepest Health. I’m going to go in the order of the clock, starting with Lung. I’ll offer basic information and a few deeper gems. Please remember that I’m a student and what I offer here is either a repackaging of what I’ve understood from my Professors or is my speculation and experience based on that material. One more note - not all of this information comes strictly from the organ clock, per se, but much of it is informed by that symbolic powerhouse.
Lung : Minister of Purity
Name and official : Lung is called Fei 肺 in Chinese. The term Fei is related etymologically to a word Pei (I believe the character is 佩, I could be off) that anciently was a term for the insignia that ranked officials would wear on the outside of their garments to denote their rank. Through this and many other symbols, I have come to associate the Lung with the face we show to the world and the external surface of our body. It’s also a clear relationship to the official of the Lung, the Minister or Prime Minister.
The Minister is the functional arm of the Emperor in the world. The Emperor (Heart) proclaims the direction of the nation (body) and the Minister figures out the practical implementation of the edict. One way I think about this physiologically is through considering the role of metal connecting fire down to water. It is through the descending power of metal that the fire of the Heart is able to warm and animate the cold Kidney water, thus steaming it upward - Shaoyin circulation.
As the minister, Lung gathers Qi from the entire body and distributes it where it is needed. Some texts say that the Lung is like a lid on the whole system, catching everything that makes it up to its exalted level. When this function of Lung is damaged, disorders of Qi are the result. For instance, a Lung deficiency can create symptoms of Qi deficiency like fatigue and difficulty moving about.
One last important point is that I have learned never to call the Chinese organ system LUNGS as that makes too much of the physical aspect of this organ system. Instead, simply call it Lung. Remember that Chinese organ systems are both physical and energetic. Further, the physical aspect includes a number of things that the Lung organ system energy regulates. In the case of Lung, for instance, we have to consider the skin surface, the respiratory features of each body cell, etc… Why is this important? Language is powerful. If you continually say Lungs Lungs Lungs, you will slowly (or quickly) come to oversimplify this broadly useful concept.
Element (Wu Xing) : The Lung is the metal zang/solid organ, paired with the metal fu/hollow organ Large Intestine. This is the first place that the balance of purity and filth come into play for Lung. The Lung is often said to be the sensitive organ system. We can think about this from an elemental perspective - metal is malleable, manipulable by external circumstances (heat) to the degree that it can be melted. In a polished state it also easily reflects the world around it. On the Western side of things, we can think simply of how easily our lungs are affected by the outside world. Dust, heat, cold, viruses and bacteria - the lungs are subjected to a wide variety of insults and while it’s amazing they take what they do (resiliance is another, perhaps paradoxical aspect of metal) they do become irritated relatively easily.
Thus, it is important for the Lung to have some degree of purity to function properly. It likes things to be on the middle road, not too hot, not too cold, not too damp, not too dry. Like cool, clear mountain air - unencumbered by heavy particulates. One more note about purity - in Chinese medicine, metal is associated with the color white. I think of pure white snow and the shining white of great white cumulus clouds. These bring to bear the image
ry of water and dampness (discussed below) but also the purity of this organ system. We need Lung’s purity to help us mediate the impurities in our environment, to distribute clean clear Qi throughout the body.
We can also consider the descending function of Lung through the lens of metal. Lung sits in the highest place of any organ systems (though we often think of Heart as occupying this space) and extends fairly deeply into the body cavity. Breathing, through the rhythm of the attached diaphragm, shifts all of the organs around at least a bit. From such an exalted position, the only direction to go is down. Further, through the association with the great descender - Large Intestine - the metal system of the body goes from upper orifice to lower, allowing the most complete passage through the human body. (Clearly from a Western physical perspective, the Lung and Large Intestine do not connect - work with me, here.) Lung is easily afflicted by problems in downward movement - the funniest example being hiccups/hiccoughs. Note, hiccups aren’t funny for everyone.
Conformation (Liu Qi) : Lung is Taiyin damp, partnered with Spleen. Taiyin is the first conformation on the Yin level - sandwiched between Shaoyang and Shaoyin. Taiyin disease, from a Shang Han Lun perspective, is comprised mostly of digestive symptoms - not Lung symptoms (which are usually more at a Taiyang level). So, what can Lung being Taiyin tell us about Lung? Lung is closely associated with fluid metabolism in the body. Taiyin fluid congestion can cause phlegm at the Lung level. The Lung is also said to catch the fluids steaming upward from Kidney and Spleen. We can think again about the sensitivity of Lung, not only to heat and cold, but to dampness and dryness. Everyone can recall an experience of their Lung fluid metabolism being out of whack - coughing up huge amounts of white phlegm on the one hand or having a dry, hacking cough on the other.
Going back to the relationship of the Lung to Qi, we can consider the deep relationship of Spleen and Lung. Spleen Qi and Lung Qi deficiency both involve similar symptoms of a low energy state. When the Spleen is failing to lift essence of what we consume up to the Lung or when the Lung is failing to spread that essence throughout the body, the result is great fatigue and symptoms of low energy in all the organ systems.
The first month and spring Agricultural Periods : We’ve already had some discussion about the Spring association of the Lung on Deepest Health. Lung is on the first position of the organ clock, kicking off the year around the time of the western zodiac sign Aquarius, encompassing the Chinese New Year. Aside from the obvious water associations with Aquarius, the water bearer - we can simply consider the early spring. This period is associated with the two Agricultural Periods 立春 lìchūn (beginning of spring) and 雨水 yǔshuǐ (rain water/establishment of spring). Again we find water symbolism! However, the greater issue here is that of spring energy. The spring energy available at this early time is mostly submerged. Sensitive people (and animals) can sense it - of course. But anyone can see the early croci. The world is under a kind of tension at this time. The Yang energy is rising, but the cold Yin is still firmly in predominance. It is this quiet tension, the calm before the spring storm, that exemplifies Lung energy. Quiet, unhurried, life giving tension.
Lung 7 (LU-7) : 列缺, liè quē/Broken Sequence: I thought I would look at a commonly used point on the Lung channel to try to dig a little deeper into this material. Lie Que is one of Ma Danyang’s 12 Celestial Points (Tain Xing Shi Er Xue), which are 12 points determined to be maximally effective for a wide range of conditions (compiled as such, I believe, around the 1400’s) and is a point used quite often in clinical practice. It is the Luo connecting point for the Lung channel (thus an access point to the associated fu organ, Large Intestine). It is the Ruler point for the back of the head and neck, so has an influence on pain and tightness in that area. It is also the Master point for the Ren Mai/Conception Vessel.
I’ll quickly review the top 3 most important and interesting functions of Lie Que. The first, most obvious, function is that this point strongly regulates Lung Qi and can be a great help in releasing the exterior in external invasion situations. This relates to the metal element association of Lung and metal’s relationship to the surface of the body. We can also think about the connection of Large Intestine and the way that this allows for swift purging of things out of the system. The second interesting function relates to the Master connection to Ren Mai. Ren Mai is most often associated with female reproductive physiology and pathology. We can relate back to the descending function of metal to consider how this point might help to expel downward anything being retained in the uterus. Particularly combined with Large Intestine-4 (contraindicated in pregnancy) we have a powerful, metal descending ability. Finally, consider LU-7’s ability to treat urinary disturbances. In the West, we don’t commonly think of the Lung when we think of urination. But through the deep association of Lung with water, we can easily understand how a powerful point on the Lung channel might help to resolve incontinence or difficult urination.
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As always, there is so much more symbolic information that could be included - consider this an introduction. I’d be interested to hear any thoughts this has started for folks, and as always I would be happy to hear your contributions. Thanks!
Eric
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Tags: chinese-organ-clock, lung, Organ systems, symbolic-thinking, symbolismRelated posts
Classical Chinese medical symbolism: Wood, Metal and Spring
Today I am featuring the first part of a two part guest post by my friend and colleague at NCNM, Michael “Delli” Dell’orfano. His article is a fine elaboration of the ideas I briefly presented in my post about Rest and Activity in the Year of Sagely Living. I will post the remainder of the article over the next few days. It will be followed up by another series that I’ve authored myself concerning treating external invasions with Classical Chinese Medicine. Before I get on with the article, a few housekeeping announcements. First, if you haven’t read through the comments on the last post, “Does Chinese Medicine Cure Disease,” I definitely recommend you do so. Second, if you have interest in following my progress in the Year of Sagely Living, be sure to visit that page and scroll down a bit where you can read my somewhat frequent updates. Third, if you haven’t already subscribed to the RSS feed or email newsletter, why don’t you take the time to do so now? Without further ado…
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As the vernal equinox approaches we find ourselves situated in the season of spring according to the Chinese calendar, yet the organ systems clock tells us that this time of year corresponds with the Lung and Large Intestine organ systems. How does one make any sense of this?
The relationship of the Wood organ systems and the Metal organ systems of Chinese Medicine can be understood through the use of Yin Yang theory. Yin Yang theory is one of the fundamental principles upon which our medicine was founded, and so I think it is worthwhile to explain a bit about the Taiji (太極) symbol (often called the Yin Yang symbol) and how it originated. It is important to keep in mind that ancient Chinese medicine is a science of movement and energy consisting of symbols. Symbols are bridges between matter and consciousness since they have the potential to resonate at the same frequency. The quality of the frequency can reveal to us similarities between the physical world and the holographic world. On one level, symbols are meant to be a simple way to convey an idea, but at the same time these symbols contain vast amounts of information that we must first comprehend in order to use them effectively.
Upon observation of the symbol we can notice the contrast in color. Light and dark are contained within it, but do not disregard the fact that a dark circle exist within the light area and vice versa. The fact that Yin always exists within Yang, and Yang within Yin, tells us that nothing is purely Yin or purely Yang, but rather that all life is a mixture of Yin and Yang. In my opinion, this clue leads us to reason that the two are mutually dependent on one another for the continuation of life. The shape of the Taiji is a circle, which tells us that it relates to infinity or completeness. We also get a sense of movement when we look at the way the dark and light shades are drawn in. These clues turn out to be very important because the Taiji is telling us that yin yang theory can be used to explain the movements of nature, because it is based on the movement of the seasons, and thus the Wu Xing (五 行, five elements, five phases, five phase movements) are closely related to it.
The Taiji symbol originated from the ancient sages who observed the cycle of the Sun using an eight foot long pole posted in the ground at a right angle to record the position of the Sun’s shadow throughout the year. They found that the length of the year was 365.25 days and then divided the year up into twenty-four segments including the solstices and the equinoxes using the sunrise and Big Dipper positions. They used six concentric circles, marked twenty-four segments points, divided the circle into twenty-four sectors, and then recorded the length of the shadow each day. After connecting the lines and dimming the portion between the solstices they created a picture that looked like the modern day Taiji symbol.
The Taiji symbol is actually a diagram charting the movement of the Sun so that the ancients could then use this information to better understand the world. This scientific breakthrough would allow the ancient sages to better understand our relationship to time and space and give them a starting point for classifying different types of energies.
The yin yang theory background is pertinent to understanding the Wu Xing (五 行, five elements, five phases, five phase movements) because they resonate on many levels. Both the wu xing and yin and yang move in cycles throughout the seasons. One interpretation/understanding of the Wu Xing I came across stated that the elements are not five distinct things, but are one cosmic force, differentiated into five appearances by time and space. Maybe this is good way to think about them because when first learning Chinese medicine many students tend to think of Jin (金, metal) and Mu (木, wood/flora) as being enemies since “Metal chops down Wood”. It is better to think of them as having a complementary relationship, because truly they balance one another out in a physiological state. When the relationship is in balance, Jin/metal works along the Ke (control) cycle to keep Mu in check since wood/flora can become relentless. If Jin over controls
Mu, then our internal “forest” would be destroyed and a pathological process would be underway.
Nature can also be described by Tian Gan Di Zhi (天幹 heavenly stems and 地支 earthly branches). Together, the ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches create the energy of the time and space continuum. Chinese think of the year as energy moving in a circular motion, while in the Western civilization we think of time as linear. The stems and branches were originally a counting system used to keep track of hours, days, months, and years by the ancients after they had discovered the world moves in circles or cycles as proven by the Sun diagram. In the seasons, Jin/metal represents fall and relates to the Tian Gan (heavenly stems) Geng 庚 and Xin 辛, while Mu/wood represents spring and relates to the Tian Gan Jia 甲 and Yi 乙. Jia is the first Tian Gan, and it is classified as yang wood in character, while Yi, the second Tian Gan, is considered yin wood in character. Both are associated with the springtime.
Jia 甲 is picture of a very hard tree with scales or armor around it. The traditional Chinese etymology is the idea of a helmet on a big man. It also had the meaning of a claw gripping tightly on to something, meaning very great strength and protection. Yi 乙 represents the idea of a seed of a plant which is breaking through the earth. Together Jiayi means the movement of life as it bursts open. The spring season represents the movement of Heaven and Earth coming together after being separated in the fall and winter.
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Editors note: I regret having to cut off Delli’s article here, there were really no great stopping points. However, the whole article would be too long to digest on the web in one sitting! In the next part of this article, we will learn more about metal and the interplay between the symbolism of both metal and wood.
Tags: autumn, Character, classical-chinese-medicine, etymology, fall, five phases, guest-post, Organ systems, Seasons, spring, symbolic-thinking, symbolism, taiji, yin yang symbol, yinyangRelated posts
Rest and activity in the Year of Sagely Living
You might wonder why you haven’t yet seen a post from me about March’s Year of Sagely Living goal. Fittingly enough, I was at a Qigong retreat all weekend in one of the most beautiful places I have ever been with some of the greatest people I know. It was a good way to start off my contemplation of the rhythm of relaxation and focused work in my life! It reminds me that my program, while rigorous and sometimes quite difficult, does try to build in time for rejuvenation - we have a retreat every term! A luxury, no doubt about it.
When conceiving the Year of Sagely Living we decided to focus March, the time of first real visible manifestation of spring, on the balance between activity and rest. This is such a wide topic, there are a variety of possibilities within it. Originally, I explained:
Lung, Yin 寅 (Tiger)- Activity/Rest: This category will contain practices having to do with appropriate cycles of rest and activity in daily life - for instance, appropriate waking times throughout the seasons.
I am reminded to consider the Lung and everything we learned about that organ system in our classes with Heiner Fruehauf . When I read back through all the symbols associated with Lung I see a lot of contrasting elements. This makes sense given the “tension between opposites” that the actual physical Lung deals with. It interfaces between liquid and gas, it is part of what oversees the interchange between carbon dioxide and oxygen… One of the interesting contradictions we’re asked to ponder as we study the Lung organ system is the fact that while the Lung is most often referred to in terms of metal - as per the Neijing Suwen (and many other places) on the organ clock it is solidly placed in the spring! What can this mean?
I have thought of it in many ways over the last couple of years. First, the Lung/metal is in charge of descending the Qi of the body and the wood is responsible for ascending movement. This vital pillar of human physiology serves as the mechanism by which rhythm is maintained in the body. The Lung is readily associated with rhythm - along with the heartbeat our breathing rate is one of those regular things that happen all day, every day, without our even thinking about it.
Another way to look at it is simply by assuming there is something about the Lung which is Fall and something which is Spring. What parts of Lung function are similar to Fall? The Fall is crisp and cool, it is a time when the Yin energy begins to dominate strongly over the Yang. The Lung, too, is a Yin-like environment as an organ and as one of the six conformations. The Taiyin damp aspect of the Lung creates an organ that likes to be relatively cool (though not cold) and wet (though not filled!). There are other similarities, but I will move on. What parts of Lung function are in resonance with Spring energy? I think the best way to understand this is to take a few minutes and do some really deep breathing. See how the light returns to your eyes? See how your energy rebounds?
I will be thinking about the tension and similarity between Fall and Spring as I enter March and this phase of the Year of Sagely Living. I have a few ideas of what one might consider as practices to learn about rest and activity.
1. Chinese organ clock and its application: I have spoken many times on the blog about the Chinese organ clock. One of the pieces of information associated with the clock that most everyone has heard about is the two hour periods associated with each organ system. Here’s a quick rundown of the associations:
- Lung - Fèi 肺 : 3-5 am
- Large Intestine - Dà Cháng 大腸 : 5-7am
- Stomach - Wèi 胃 : 7-9am
- Spleen - Pí 脾 : 9-11am
- Heart - Xīn 心 : 11-1pm
- Small Intestine - Xiǎo Cháng 小腸 : 1-3pm
- Bladder - Páng Guāng 膀胱 : 3-5pm
- Kidney - Shèn 腎 : 5-7pm
- Pericardium - Xīn Bāo 心包 : 7-9pm
- Triple Burner - Sān jiāo 三膲 : 9-11pm
- Gall Bladder - Dǎn 膽 : 11-1am
- Liver - Gān 肝 : 1-3am
While the organ clock is vitally important and often eerily accurate, it is still something we must look at through the lens of individual experience, cultural application and the normal seasonal changes. Regarding individual experience - this is simply recognizing the changing terrain of the human body. While I believe the human body is essentially the same as it was thousands of years ago, certainly the introduction of many human created chemicals and conditions have altered our bodies in some way. Perhaps some are more resistant to these changes than others. Regarding seasonal changes - in most parts of the world the Yang or light parts of the day are longer in the summer and shorter in the winter. This means that the organ systems located on the “Yang” or daytime side of the clock will have, comparitively, more time in those months.
As an aside - if you have a Mac running OSX (anything before Leopard) you might want to go over to the site of my colleague, Brandon Brown. He has skillfully and artistically created a widget that takes into account these seasonal changes. At this point, it is somewhat limited in that it is focused on the West coast of the United States. He says he’ll work on a more robust version someday. :) Regardless - the main lesson of the organ clock is to remember that all energy isn’t in all places at all times naturally. Everything in its time, in its season. Regarding all this organ clock business, one possible March practice would be to pay close attention to the flow of energy through my organ systems and consider how I might best organize my time to take advantage of the flow.
2. Appropriate amounts of sleep. In the Neijing Suwen, there are some important discussions about the importance of sleep - in particular, the optimal seasonal variations for sleeping and waking. In general, we understand that sleeping is important to bring the Shen back to be housed in the Heart and to allow the Wei Qi to descend into the organs to begin the process of rejuvenation. Sleep is vital! So, when should I wake? How long should I sleep at night? A natural goal here would be to try to achieve my mythical optimum and see how it affects my life. Another would be to try some kind of artificial sleep schedule, something outside of my optimum, and see how that affects my life.
3. Regulating relaxation. We are all told that we need to take time to relax. But, this means many different things to different people. In Chinese medicine school, we learn a lot about the taxing effect that continuous work has on both the Spleen and the Heart organ systems. Depletion of the Qi and Blood leads to what is often jokingly called “Exhausted Student Syndrome.” On my Qigong retreat, I found myself contemplating whether it is better to work very hard with little time for “relaxation” and then take a stretch of time COMPLETELY off or whether it’s more advantageous to work continuously, but with small regular breaks. Further, what is true relaxation? Watching television? Hiking? Playing a sport? Meditating? It’s a variety of things, to be certain, but what is it for me?
A subset of the relaxation question concerns the importance of taking microbreaks while doing sit down work, especially at the computer. Repetitive strain injury is something all Chinese Medicine students and bloggers should think about. One quick note - some recent software programs help you avoid long stretches at the computer with no break. One simple practice I could incorporate into my daily life is simply to use a program like that and to review my ergonomics at my desk.
I’d be interested to hear how other people think about rest, relaxation and work in their own lives. Please leave your thoughts in the comments. In my next article, released shortly, I will declare my March Year of Sagely Living goal.
Eric
Tags: Acupuncture, autumn, fall, focus, human physiology, lung, organ-clock, Seasons, spring, symbolic-thinking, symbolism, Year of Sagely LivingRelated posts
5 Ways Organ Clock Symbolism of Pericardium unlocks the door to emotional health
According to prevailing theory, while the five basic emotional states are associated with the five Zang - the Heart, Pericardium and Liver are actually most closely involved in the emotional life of the human being. The Heart as the house of the Shen/Spirit holds a kind of master key for the evolution and expression of emotional states. As the Emperor, the Heart seems to have the power to override the emotional thrust of other organs - possibly acting as the origin of emotional control. The Liver, as the source of hormonal power - especially for women - surely contributes to emotional health and pathology. However, I believe that often overlooked Pericardium offers the most symbolic insight into our emotional life.
In a prior article about Pericardium and the organ clock, I discussed several categories of symbolic information about Pericardium. I will repeat some of those here - expanding on them - and reveal a couple more that helped me to delve more deeply into the protector of our Heart, Pericardium.
1. Time of the year - The Earthly branches, the month on the calendar and several other symbols all relate to a kind of “death energy” that is exemplified by the Metal element in its focus on severing, letting go and moving on. Although the time of harvest is one of great joy, it is also one of recognition of the movement into winter - a time of lower activity.
What does this have to do with emotion? It’s an almost intolerable cliché to say that if you love someone you let them go, but there is deep wisdom in this statement. Even if the “letting go” is not physical - say by breaking up with someone - an internal recognition of the temporality of all human relationship is essential to recognizing their true power. We cannot hold on to those we love. Even if we manage to sustain the relationship over the course of our life, we will at least be separated by death. Because the feelings involved in close relationships are so strong, our desire to hold on to them is great - and this is a great teacher. Letting go of the need to have permanence in a relationship allows you to enjoy it in the moment, every moment. This includes your relationship with yourself. Read more
Tags: Character, chinese-organ-clock, emotions, Organ systems, pericardium, Personal Development, symbolic-thinking, symbolismRelated posts
Two quite different ways to learn and practice Chinese medicine
Chinese medicine is a field where many different points of view are respected. Dialogue between sometimes directly conflicting traditions is a part of the history and contemporary practice of the medicine. Some people are quite disconcerted by this - becoming frustrated when they can’t get a “straight answer” from a group of practitioners about some basic issue. As a student at National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM), I have definitely experienced the double edged sword of diversity in Chinese medicine thinking. On the positive side, I am learning to see issues from many different angles and I believe this ability will allow me to be a flexible and effective practitioner. I’ve also been able to sample a number of schools of thought and choose to investigate more carefully those that resonate with me. On the more challenging side, I still feel that I don’t have a full grasp on even the most basic concepts of the medicine simply because I haven’t been able to construct a coherent and consistent answer from the diverse information I have received from my esteemed teachers.
There are many schools of Chinese medicine, as I have mentioned before. There are representatives of diverse traditions at NCNM, but because they are all conversant in one anothers’ traditions - these differences haven’t been much of a challenge to navigate. More difficult has been adjudicating between two ways of approaching the study of Chinese medicine that are each strongly represented at my school. I’ve thought quite a bit about how to characterize these two methodologies and would like to present some preliminary thoughts here. However, I want to make clear that proponents of each generally respect the other approach and sometimes even dabble it. The division is typically clear, however, and it causes students some problems from time to time.
Methodology A: Symbolic thinking
This way of studying Chinese medicine is more intuitive and even spiritual in nature. It is characterized by an emphasis on introspection, innovation, etymological analysis and deep study of patterns in information. This is the first method we are exposed to as students at NCNM and it can be quite a shock for people raised in a Western-thinking home. Being thrust into this at the beginning definitely gets us ready to delve into the sometimes convoluted and always non-dualistic basis of Chinese medicine as a whole.
This methodology is typically based in Classical sources. However, it incorporates Classical literature that is not strictly medical - such as ancient Daoist cultivational texts - and it does not restrict thinking to these sources. As I’ve said, it encouraged innovation. In a way, the methodology works by breaking the Western boundaries of your mind and teaching you to think symbolically and then letting you loose to see what you can find.
Some strengths of this method:
- Effective in getting you to “think Chinese” when you weren’t able to do so before.
- Pays attention to the less material aspects of the medicine which is surely one of its strengths.
- Encourages the further development of Chinese medicine, but not in a way that is beholden to Western materialistic dogma.
- In the hands of a very strong practitioner, could extend the effectiveness of the medicine by leaps and bounds as it has for the founder of our Classical Chinese Medicine program, Heiner Fruehauf.
Difficulties I have with this method:
- It’s really difficult to know where to stop - especially for students. There’s a point at which you aren’t sure if you’re just making things up or if you’re really working with the symbolic language in a way that is valid.
- It brings you into very strong friction with people who aren’t accustomed to this way of looking at things. If one isn’t facile with switching between different ways of looking at the various problems in medicine, one could become quite isolated from the rest of the CM community.
- Seems to involve a lot of clinical “experimentation” insofar that you may be working with formulas that aren’t grounded in the thousands of years of recorded clinical trials. The danger of this can be offset by excellent practitioners using careful reasoning processes.
Methodology B: Canonical textual analysis
We are introduced to this method in the second year, increasing our exposure as time goes on. At the same time we are introduced to the fairly rigid (yet not very rigorous) TCM methodology. It’s quite a shock for most of us to go from the much more inward looking far less scholastically rigorous (but in many ways still just as difficult) work in Method A. Using this method is much more academic in the sense that it involves plenty of memorization and the grasping of richly complicated texts and seeking to understand them. I think of it as more Confucian.
It’s important to note that sometimes Method B does require some imaginative thinking because we don’t have a full complement of texts (due to loss through time) and sometimes we have to fill in gaps in the record. To offset the problems involved in this, we can check for consistency against others’ interpretations and whether our ideas fit into the overall fabric of the canon. In general, this method relies heavily on studying with masters and extremely careful interpretation.
Some strengths of this method:
- Everything is supported by the thousands of years of clinical experience and theoretical wrangling that make Chinese medicine so unique. This support is explicit, though still based on textual interpretation.
- The theoretical elements fit together well which supports any innovation that occurs. In other words, because the theory is so tight and so well supported any departures from it start from a firmer foundation.
- Although extremely complex it is relatively easier to learn well because it has a solidness that one can grasp.
Some difficulties people have with this method:
- Sciences are meant to evolve and dogmatic adherence to a text seems to stifle innovation that creates evolution.
- Textual analysis is still interpretation so despite the fact that it is seemingly more solid it may not be as solid as adherents claim.
- Not as much fun as Method A.
If it isn’t apparent, I prefer Method B. However, I have seen and experienced the powerful results that people using Method A can create. For myself, I am leaning towards using Method B in my schooling and early practice. I feel that it is a safer way to proceed as a student and I have seen such incredible results from it that I cannot deny its power. However, I can see myself deepening the insights I have gained from my very superficial steeping in Method A and using those insights to work through recalcitrant patient problems. Further, I have gleaned a lot of personal benefit from the skills I learned in my first year - particularly in my application of symbolic thinking to parenting, spirituality and personal productivity.
Eric
Tags: Character, Classical Texts (general), divisions, education, Learning, ncnm, symbolic-thinking, textual-analysis
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