WFAS International symposium on Acupuncture, OSLO 2003

                                     September 12th`14th 2003

Tokyo, Japan

Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Judo Therapy Clinic

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Clinic Director Mitsunori, Seino

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Theoretical Studies on Oriental Medicine:

Third Report

Seeking the Origin of Oriental Medicine in the Theory of g I ˆÕh

 

 

Introduction

              Current research into the academic system of the fields of oriental medicine related in particular to acupuncture, moxibustion and herbal medicine is not properly based on oriental concepts (Chinese philosophy). Furthermore, the discrepancies between theoretical and clinical aspects of oriental medicine (the medical arts of acupuncture and moxibustion) seem to impede the further development of oriental medicine. I recognize that there is currently lack of a direct connection between oriental medicine as it is practiced today and clinical/practical aspects of oriental medical acupuncture and moxibustion as described@in the classical texts of oriental medicine. I therefore strongly believe that such a connection needs to be built and acknowledged.

I have@developed a common language for the theory and practice of oriental medicine. In order to allow its recognition to resolve prevailing discrepancies, a discussion of the theory of gI ˆÕh as the origin of the ideographic culture is considered essential. Below I will briefly discuss the theoretical basis, which is currently being developed to explain this common language.

 

Methods

              The most valid theory pertaining to the establishment of gIˆÕh holds that ggua ŒTh(designations) were introduced through Fuyi •š‹V and the" tuan œ`" (tuanci œ`Ž« = guanckaji ŒTŽ«) by Wén Wáng •¶‰¤, while "yaoà©"iyaocià©Ž«jhas been attributed to the Zhōu GongŽüŒö and the Shí yì \—ƒ(comprising two chapters of the "tuanzhuan", two chapters of the g xiangzhuanh, the "wenyanzhuan", two chapters of the "xicizhuan", the "shuoguazhuan", the "xuguazhuan", and the "zaguanzhuan") to Confucius EŽq; however, no complete forms of these texts have survived. Therefore, the "Shí sān jing zhù shú \ŽOŒo’‘`" version compiled by Wáng Bí ‰¤•Jis considered to be the definitive text on this subject.

              I examined the concepts of gI ˆÕh via taiji ‘¾‹É which gives rise to the patterns liangyi—¼‹V, sixiangŽlÛ and bagua”ªŒT, which in turn create eight signs( qianŠ£Edui™[Eli—£EzhenkExun’FEkanšªEgen¯Ekun £).Based on this, I then examined views and concepts of the human body and diseases in oriental medicine.

 

Results

Oriental medicine has been established upon a theoretical system based on the concepts of gIˆÕh, applying the Yin-Yang theory gyinyanglun‰A—z˜_h to the field of medicine. This theory interprets the body as a collection of gqi‹Ch forces, allowing the practitioner to comprehend diseases by observing the interplay of the two forces Yin and Yang gyinyang‰A—zh. A detailed examination of the text reveals that the "xicizhuanŒqŽ«“`" of the gI ChingˆÕŒoh provides the following explanation: eIn gIˆÕh there is the Tai Chi (taiji ‘¾‹É) giving rise to the two polar forces (liangyi —¼‹V). These forces create the four patterns (sixiangŽlÛ) and these again give rise to the eight signs ( bagua”ªŒT).f When this concept is applied to medicine, the Tai Chi@‘¾‹É represents man, who can be interpreted in terms of interactions between the two forces of Yin and Yang. gThe two forces hliangyi—¼‹Vh give rise to the four patterns gsixiangŽlÛh representing waning Yin glaoyi n˜V‰Ah, waning Yang glaiyang˜V—zh, rising Yin gxiaoyin¬‰Ah and rising Yang gxiaoyang¬—zh. Waning Yin ˜V‰Arefers to the Yin‰A element within Yin‰A, and waning Yang˜V—z the Yang—z element within Yang—z, while rising Yin¬‰A refers to the Yin ‰Aaspect within Yang—z and rising Yang ¬—zto the Yang—z aspect within Yin‰A. Oriental medicine uses pairs of opposing terms like deficiency-excess gxu-shi‹•ŽÀh, cold - hot@ghan-re Š¦”Mh

 etc., based on the Yin-Yang theory, in order to comprehend the body, while in I ˆÕ deficiency gxu‹•h is used in the sense of gYin‰Ah, and excess gshiŽÀh in the sense of gYang—zh. Substituting these characters with terms that are easier to comprehend, when applied to oriental medicine the four patterns gsixian gŽlÛh are expressed as Yin deficiency gyinxu‰A‹•h, Yang  excess gyangshi—zŽÀh, Yin excess gyinsh i‰AŽÀh and Yang deficiency gyangxu—z‹•h. The expression gthe four patternsh gsixiang ŽlÛh give rise to the eight signs called gbagua”ªŒTh. gbagua”ªŒTh consists of: qianŠ£Edui™[Eli—£EzhenkExun’FEkanšªEgen¯Ekun. This indicates that the eight signs of the I ChingˆÕŒocan be applied to oriental medicine. A classification of oriental medicine based on concepts like Yin-Yang, the three powers, the five elements and the eight diagnostic classifications yinyang‰A—zEsancaiŽOËEwuxingŒÜsEbagang ”ªjis by itself derived from the concepts of the eight signs. Thus, these concepts of oriental philosophy can be considered the origin of oriental medicine.

 

Discussion

Examination of the Su Wen of the Yellow Emperorfs Classic of Internal Medicine gsuwen w‘f–âxh, which is based on the concepts of gTai Chih, gDual Forcesh, gFour Patternsh and the gEight Signsh gtaiji ‘¾‹Éh gliangyi —¼‹Vh gsixiang ŽlÛh gbagua ”ªŒTh, clearly reveals the concepts underlying the five element chart. Man as an aggregate of Qi ‹C(Tai Chi‘¾‹É) is divided into male and female (dual forces ) (liangyi—¼‹V) among which the repetitive appearances of Yin deficiency‰A‹•, Yang excess—zŽÀ, Yin excess‰AŽÀ and Yang deficiency —z‹•(four patterns) gsixiangŽlÛh are considered to oscillate between states of health and disease (eight signs)ibagua”ªŒTj.

 

Conclusions

The concepts of gI ˆÕh can be applied to observation of the body and comprehension of diseases. To put this into medical terms it is thought that the body sustains life during all transitions from health through states of disease until death (life/fate = life [force] carried from life to death) through manifestations of the four gxiangÛ h patterns, Yin deficiency, Yang excess, Yin excess and Yang deficiency (yinxu ‰A‹•, yangshi—zŽÀ, yinshi ‰AŽÀ and yangxu —z‹•), manifestations of Qi@‹C forming the body. The concept of these patterns (xiang@Û) can also be applied to oriental medicine based on modern medical diagnosis. It further appears feasible to develop a system of acupuncture and moxibustion comprising both the theoretical aspects of oriental medicine and the clinical and technical aspects of acupuncture and moxibustion. The theory of gI ˆÕh is essential to the development of the medical science and practice of acupuncture and moxibustion.