As recommended in class while discussing Taoism, I watch the film The Mystery of Chi, by Bill Moyers. The film was very informative on the practices of traditional Chinese medicine, which I found to be very helpful in expanding on what I know of Taoism.
Chi is otherwise known as the force of life, or vital energy. Chi flows throughout everyone’s body, and a healthy person has an uninterrupted flow. A block or disruption of energy flow is what is believed to create illnesses. This exemplifies a strong belief in the abilities of wholesome nature. Unlike western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine is not based on chemistry. It is very simplistic, focused on the power of the body’s innate energy. To utilize the power of chi, one has to find the balance within their body and become centered with their own energy. This is done through meditation. To ultimately achieve health, one must concentrate in deep meditation, thus finding the source of their chi.
The film explained how the focus of chi in traditional Chinese medicine is based on Taoism. I was able to make many connections between the ancient religion and primeval medical practice. Initially, one of the foundational elements of Taoist belief is that one should live in harmony. With chi, in order for one to be healthy,
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This is also a belief with chi. With chi, one’s disease is not sought out to be healed with means beyond nature. A sick person must find their center of energy- their chi- in order to be healed. In both traditional Chinese medicine and Taoism, the laws of nature are highly respected. Similarly, so is the mind, which can be used as a tool to change health. Realistically, it is believed that one’s chi is literally in their core, close to their abdomen. Once the chi is found and connected with through deep meditation, the energy can be moved and manipulated, thus altering
People used to believe that acupuncture works by conserving and balancing the movement of Qi in the person’s body. Qi is basically an idea that is hard to interpret it to other people who do not have much of a grasp on it. It is usually associated with vital energy and has also been included with different western traditions of philosophy.
3. What is Ch'i? Ch'i or qi is energy that enables adherents to live. 4. What are some of the ethics of Taoism?
Tao translated means “ the way” and Lao Tzu states that Tao is not a “name” but is the natural order or the force that behind the universe and is greater than all things. A person could not see it, touch it, or name it, but it was the creator of the universe on a large scale. Taoism rests upon a person’s spiritual existence where it is straight and simple yet can overcome resistance. The religion concerns on harmony and balance by paying attention to the inner self to achieve inner balance. To achieve the balance, Lao Tzu meant “not doing” anything — not following other’s thoughts and discover the Tao in their own meanings.
Taoism is an ancient Chinese religion dating back to the sixth century. The basic foundation of Taoism is a life philosophy and method
This self-will cultivation helps build a solid physical and spiritual foundation for the ultimate goals of Daoist pursuits: to be one internally possessing a harmonious balance with the flowing and natural external world. A practical system that finds its roots as far back to the fourth century BCE while being influenced from the core philosophies and ideas of Daoism laid down by Laozi and Zhuang Zhou, qigong was incorporated into Daoist texts and philosophies around the 7th century AD in the Tang Dynasty (Hansen, 2017). Through the passing of time and development, modernized views and categorical necessity have divided the original practice into varying forms and methods that still fit underneath the scope of qigong. Many of the core values and motives remain consistent throughout qigong’s varieties and in other similar self physical meditations: to enhance the well being of the soul by reguiding our stagnant energy in the body, causing it to flow more naturally throughout to promote harmony within. Qi itself is takes form into a variety of
Good health means the yin and yang is in balance and in harmony with each other. According to Jarvis (2012), foods are classified in this theory; yin foods are cold, and yang foods are hot; cold foods are eaten with a hot illness and hot foods are eaten with a cold illness. Chinese people have practiced acupuncture for thousands of years for the reduction of pain and for various disorders using fine needles at specific meridian points on the body (Edelman & Mandle, 2010). The Chinese believe that when there is an imbalance in a person’s system is when a person has illness. For health maintenance, they use preventive measures such eating healthy. Chinese people enjoy drinking a variety of tea after meals for the cleansing effect. Health protection means wearing an amulet or jade, eat correctly and with compatible food (Jarvis, 2012). Chinese people use cupping, acupuncture, moxibustion, and herbs such as ginseng roots, and usually will consult with herbalists, for health restoration.
Internal qigong involves exercises done to balance their qi. Tai Ch’i is an example of this. External qigong involves the practitioner working directly with qi of other individuals. Medical qigong can overlap between internal and external in some forms of qigong. One example of the overlapping is in Tao Fawu medical qigong, because the external is a practitioner treating a patient, and the patient learning to manipulate his or her own qi for specific medical purposes (Medical Qi Gong). Tao Fawu, the modern version of qigong, was created to address modern problems. The techniques vary although the principles are the
Taoism is a very complex cultural tradition. It is one the Three Teachings that, along with Confucianism and Buddhism, had a profound influence on Chinese ways of thinking and spiritual practice. The keystone work of
Taoism is a Chinese religious tradition that stresses the importance of living harmoniously with the essence and source of all that exists or the Tao. In Chinese, Tao means the path, way or principle but it can also mean nature or reality. In Taoism, the right path is working in harmony with nature or reality. Taoism ethics stress the three jewels of the Tao which include moderation, compassion and humility. The philosophy of Taoism centers on nature and how human beings should relate with the cosmos. Inner fulfillment can be achieved through contemplation of nature. Nature is like a stream of wisdom and by experiencing it through innocent eyes, we can internalize its pleasantness, its intrigue and its excitement and make serenity.
Accordingly, the religion emphasizes the union of the opposite and complementary forces of the universe. Taoism also stresses harmony with nature, immortality, self-improvement and trying to help I the world around them. The Tao is the ultimate creative energy of the universe, and it is also the organic universe or cosmos itself, as well as the way of nature and the world. Deities, along with everything in the universe rely on the Tao. Taoism has practices and believes are lots of times from other religions.
Tibetan medicine practices the belief that methods must be practiced as equally as they are learned academically. Misinterpretations of certain Buddhist aspects of Eastern medicine create difficulties in relating Eastern and Western principles. Some Westerners feel that all you need to practice medicine in the East is a strong sense of compassion to help people, without having any real knowledge of the medical practices: “A few weekend courses and all the good intentions in the world it would seem is all that is thought to be necessary.” (Dummer p. 11). This, however, is not the case at all. Eastern practitioners spend years learning medical procedures and techniques before going into practice. They are also fully educated in the spiritual aspects of medicine as well, as for religion plays a significant role in Eastern practices. Inadequate training may result in improper care and detrimental diagnosis to those who may be seriously ill or suffering from undiagnosed diseases.7
The translation for Tao is “the way”, it is the origin of everything, and it is heaven, earth and humanity existing beyond all forms. The main underlying principle of Taoism is to conform to the underlying pattern of the universe, the Tao. To be in accordance with the Tao, the individual is asked to empty their mind of all doctrines and
The balancing of yin and yang is an integral and fundamental aspect of Chinese medicine as well. It believes that everything in the universe can be classified into yin or yang. When a person becomes ill, physically or mentally, Chinese medicine looks for imbalance of yin and yang within the person. After those are established they use treatments aimed at replenishing what is missing. If a practitioner diagnoses a yin deficiency, they will prescribe yin treatments to bring the body back into balance. This is a minimal explanation as this medical practice is highly complex and
In order to become a virtuous person an individual must become one with the Tao, an example of a good life is found in Chuang Tzu – Basic writings, “If you do good, stay away from fame. If you do evil, stay away from punishments. Follow the middle; go by what is constant, and you can stay in one piece, keep yourself alive, look after your parents, and live out your years.” (Section three, p46). In order to become one with the Tao and individual must understand the Way and example of the Way “…For this reason, whether you point to a little stalk or a great pillar, a leper or the beautiful Hsi-shih, things ribald and shady or things grotesque and strange, the Way makes them all into one.” (Section two, p. 36) The Way is having the ability to consider all things one. Looking at the creatures of the world without bias and treating everything and everyone as equal. In order to follow the Way one must gain enlightenment, to gain enlightenment one must heavy focus on meditation. Taoists believe that time is cyclical, not linear as many in the West believe, therefore time repeats itself, has no beginning and no end. Tao is considered to be the first cause of the universe, and is the force that
Traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM, is one of the oldest systems of medicine to exist among humans, and it is extremely prominent to this day. According to legend, the system has been in use since the third millennium BCE. The views of such an old system differ greatly from those found in modern western medicine. Perhaps most prominent is the fact that TCM focuses more on the patient than the illness. The system considers the human to be a microcosm of the universe, implying that the body is affected by the traditional Taoist forces of yin and yang, the five elements, and Qi in the same way the cosmos are. Each of these forces act upon the “zang fu,” or organ system, directly influencing a patient’s health. Healers use qigong to assist in the restoration of stability in the body. Achieving balance, both internally and externally, is the most important aspect of healing in TCM.