I think it would be helpful to say a few more words about why Chinese medicine uses poetic and suggestive words and concepts as opposed to precise words and definitions like western medicine. When a human being is seen as a dynamic field of energy existing within greater fields of energy that over laps and interact constantly in innumerable ways how do you explain that dynamic in words and concepts. It is to complex and our knowledge to inadequate to think or pretend that we can understand it enough to be able to predict its movements or manifestations precisely. Therefore the Chinese use poetic terms and talk of "tendency and patterns". I think this is a very honest and humble way of confronting the vastness and complexity of creation and our very limited experience and knowledge about ourselves as energy and ourselves in relationship to the greater fields we exists within.
Even seeing ourselves as just material/psychological beings medically I believe we could benefit by introducing more poetic words and concepts into our medical vocabulary and paradigms. A human being is a complex and dynamic creature and what effects one person one way will often effect another person very differently. Thus the saying: "One man's medicine is another mans poison." There are so many variables and dynamics involved in each individuals life that precise meanings are in fact often counter productive when trying to understand or explain that individual human being. I say beware of cookie cutter concepts or solutions. One size fits all kind of things are especially dangerous when exploring medical problems. I think it is more helpful to say that nothing is true for everyone all the time and as Freud said; "Everything has multiple causes and effects," That last quote is a paraphrase.
The Chinese say that it is impossible to have a healthy human being in an unhealthy society. And if you want to be balanced and healthy than you are called to the task of helping your society become balanced and healthy. I can understand from that concept why only certain aspects of Chinese medicine are allowed within China historically including modern times. Chinese medicine is revolutionary medicine.
If you start trying to understand a society and the people relationships within it you find that ignorance, inequity, corruption, exploitation and stupidity are rampant. Than you see how that plays out in your own life and family. What are you to do? See why I consider Chinese in it's purest form revolutionary medicine?
One of the many reasons I admire Chinese medicine is because of it's understanding that in order treat a person effectively you have to understand that person and their relationships to the energy fields and societies they exist within. Even more importantly the client themselves must be encouraged to start to take responsibility for understanding and changing their own life and relationships. So the real Chinese medicine practitioner must be an educator and a coach.
It could be that a clients suffering comes from eating or drinking things that are toxic to them. Or it might be that they do not understand that they are breathing in away that is causing them headaches or other painful conditions. . That is they are inhaling in away that has their Diaphragm go up and exhaling pushing their diaphram down. By making sure their diaphragm goes down on the inhale and up on exhale many medical problems would ease up or resolve themselves. The Chinese medical practioner helps the client understand their situation and suggest ways to change it. The client experiences what happens when they change their diet or breath differently. And would know more what to do or not do to ensure a better quality of life. This is preferable to taking medicine to mask a symptom. Ignorance is far from bliss.
The danger of practicing real Chinese medicine is when it challenges your assuptions of who you think you are. Or when family or social relationships are examined. Families and governments can be very difficult to deal with when they are being examined or challenged. Also let us face it, most people do not want to do what it takes to know themselves. Never mind Socrates, and look what happened to him. (smile) It is far easier to go for treatment and take herbs or pharmaceuticals than to examine and change your life n'est pas?
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