(Minghui.org) Traditional Chinese medicine, part of Chinese traditional culture believed to have been imparted by the divine, is a gem among the many different facets of Chinese civilization.
Famous Chinese medical doctors and their miraculous treatments were officially recorded in eastern history. However, atheism, as promoted by the Chinese Communist Party, coupled with the presumption of modern science, make it difficult for most Chinese people to see the truth behind traditional medicine, including the close relationship between Chinese medicine and cultivation practice.
The following are a few official records from Chinese history.
I. Bian Que's Supernormal Capability in Records of the Grand Historian
Bian Que was a renowned doctor in Chinese history. According to the Records of the Grand Historian, a monumental history of ancient China and the world, Bian Que was born with the name Qin Yueren. He was a native of the State of Zheng. Bian Que once worked at a hotel where he met a guest named Chang Sangjun. Bian Que felt that Chang was extraordinary, and treated Chang with great respect. Chang also thought highly of Bian Que.
After a decade-long friendship, Chang asked Bian Que to sit down with him one day and said to him, “I have a secret remedy. I would like to pass it on to you since I'm getting old. Please keep it confidential.”
He took out some herbal medicine and said, “Take this medicine with water from the Shangchi pond for 30 days. This will allow you to see through any object.” After giving this to Bian Que, along with all his other secret recipes, Chang suddenly vanished.
Bian Que took this medicine according to Chang's instruction, and gained the ability to see through objects, including the human body. He thereby became an excellent diagnostician. Though he seemed to diagnose through taking one's pulse, he could actually see the problems in their organs. This supernormal ability is called clairvoyance.
Bian Que wasn't the only doctor who had clairvoyance. According to history, another renowned doctor, Sun Simiao, who was also a cultivator of the Tao school, also had this supernormal capability.
II. Zhao Jianzi's Spirit Toured Heaven
According to the Records of the Grand Historian, a man named Zhao Jianzi had lost consciousness for five days. Many doctors examined him, but their results were inconclusive, so they asked Bian Que to take a look.
After Bian Que emerged from the patient's room, he said, “His pulse is normal. Don't worry. Duke Mu of Qin had this condition, and he woke up after seven days. Zhao's symptoms are exactly like Duke Mu's. He will wake up within three days with a story to tell.”
Zhao woke up after two and a half days, just as Bian Que had predicted. He said to his doctors, “I enjoyed my trip to see the gods of the heavens. I toured the heavens and saw hundreds of deities...”
This historical record showed the accuracy of Bian Que's diagnostics.
III. Book of the Later Han Recorded Case of Differentiating Female from Male with Only a Pulse
The Book of the Later Han recorded a case of Dr. Guo Yu deciphering his patients' gender from only a pulse reading. Guo is a native of Luo in Guanghan. His teacher, Cheng Gao, was a student of the legendary Fuweng, an elderly man who could cure diseases instantly with a stone needle. Fuweng's books Canons of Acupuncture and Pulse-Diagnostic Method were passed down to later generations.
Guo Yu served as a royal doctor for Emperor He of Han (79–105 AD). His prescriptions worked very well, so the emperor was curious about Guo's skills. He ordered a male servant who had feminine hands, and a female servant, to hide behind a drape, and then asked Guo Yu to take pulse readings from the left hand of the man and the right hand of the woman.
When asked what disease this patient had, Guo Yu replied, “The left hand showed Yang pulse and the right hand showed Yin pulse. It's odd to for one person to have both a man's and a woman's pulse. I'm thinking of the reason.” The emperor was rather impressed.
IV. Hua Tuo's Five Animal Frolics in Records of the Three Kingdoms
According to Records of the Three Kingdoms, Wu Pu of Guangling, and Fan Er of Pengcheng, were both students of the renowned physician Hua Tuo. Hua Tuo said to Wu Pu:
“The human body needs exercise but can't be overworked. Exercise allows grains to be digested, energy to flow well, and keeps diseases away. It's like a door-hinge that never gets worm-eaten. So ancient deities were good at guiding their energy flow. Stretching your muscles and moving your joints can slow down the aging process. I have a set of exercises called Five Animal Frolics, which mimic the tiger, deer, bear, ape, and birds.
“These exercises can eliminate diseases, keep you flexible, and guide your energy flow. When you don't feel well, get up and do one of the exercises. After your sweat wets your clothes, apply medicinal powder on yourself and you will feel light, with a healthy appetite.” Wu Pu did what his teacher told him. He lived until he was in his nineties, with strong teeth, sharp hearing, and good eyesight.
(To be continued)
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Category: Traditional Culture
