The Cause Of Disease From A Chinese Medicine Perspective II

 The Yellow Emperor’s inner classic is a fundamental text in the history of Chinese Medicine.  To the Chinese Medicine Practitioner it is a treasure trove of useful clinical information.  To the Taoists it is sacred text discussing all phenomena in the natural world and it is a text to aid in meditation.  To fully understand the Yellow Emperors inner classic is to understand all phenomena.  Below is a short passage from the Yellow Emperor’s Classic discussing the origin of disease.

     “Those who knew the way of keeping good health in ancient times always kept their behaviors of daily life in accordance with nature.  They followed the principles of Yin and Yang and kept in conformity with the art of prophecy based on the interrelationship of Yin and Yang.  They were able to modulate their daily life in harmony with the way of recuperating the essence and vital energy, thus they could master and practice the way of preserving good health.  Their behaviors in daily life were all kept regular patterns such as their food and were drink were of fixed quantity, their daily activities were all in regular times.  They never overworked.  In this way, they could maintain both in the body and in the spirit substantially, and were able to live to the old age of more than on hundred years.

     But the people nowadays are quite different.  They do not recuperate themselves according to the way of preserving food health, but run counter to it.  They are addicted to  drink without temperance, indulge in sexual pleasures and use up their vital energy and ruin their health.  They do not protect their primordial energies carefully as handling a utensil full of valuable things.  They don’t understand the importance of saving their energy but waste it rashly by doing what ever of their liking.  They know not the joy of keeping good health and have no regular pattern of their daily food, drink and activities.  Therefore, they become decrepit when they are only fifty.”

This passage was from the translation by Nelson Liansheng Wu and Andrew Qi Wu.

     This passage was written more than two thousand years ago and I think it is just as relevant as it was during that time.  Living your life in regular patterns and in living with the rhythm of nature will help to you live longer and will help to prevent developing some chronic diseases.

     We are all born with a certain amount of primordial or prenatal energy.  This energy makes all physical, mental, and emotional functions in your body work properly.  This energy is wasted through improper diet and lifestyle.  Qi or life force can be regenerated and recuperated but it is quite difficult to replenish energy that you were born with.  By holding your qi and not wasting it you will enjoy great health and a long life.

-Enjoy