The combination of Taoism and Chinese medicine
2 min readHow may the Dao be grasped？Laozi advocated the precepts of”Serenity and Nonaction”and”Let Nature take its course.”He taught that by accepting the flow of Nature and respecting its objective laws，it becomes possible to understand the natural transformations of Heaven and Earth.
Zhuangzi further developed Laozi’s ideas，saying that people should conform to the laws of natural transforma-tion，and should not interfere with or alter Nature to excess.He believed that Humanity is inseparablefrom Heaven and Earth and that all things are One.This led to the Daoist advocacy of a free lifestyle unconstrained by social convention.Daoist philosophy is the model for the harmonious coexistence of Humanity and Nature.The Neijing crystallized the essence of Daoism into the concept of the”Unity of Humanity and Nature.”The Neijing regards Humanity and Nature as a unified whole.It advocates living in accordance with natural law，stating，”People are born from the energy of Heaven and Earth，and mature according tothe progression of the four seasons.”Humanity and Nature are microcosmic and macrocosmic reflec-tions of the same universal structure.”
Heaven is round and Earth is square；people’s heads are round and their feet are square.Heaven has the sun and moon；people have two eyes.Earth has the nine land masses；people have the nine orifices.Heaven has wind and rain；people have love and anger.Heaven has thunder；people have music…Heaven has Yin and Yang；people have male and female；Heaven has 365 days，people have 365 acupoints.”
The Neijing expounds the organizing principle，”Above is Heaven，below is Earth，in the middle is Humanity.”One of the principal reasons that the ancients lived so long is that they grasped the principles and techniques of living in accord with Nature.The holistic concept that Humanity and Nature form a unified system，each embodying the whole and governed by the same laws，is Daoism’s primary contribution to traditional Chinese medicine.
