The Huangdi Neijing states: “The beginning of all diseases arises from dryness and dampness, cold and heat, wind and rain, yin and yang, joy and anger, diet, and living environment.” It also mentions: “All diseases arise from qi.” “Qi” refers to emotions. “Anger causes qi to rise, joy causes qi to relax”; anger is to be enraged, joy is to be happy;
“Sadness causes qi to dissipate,” sadness is sorrow; “fear causes qi to descend, cold causes qi to contract, heat causes qi to leak, shock causes qi to become chaotic, overwork causes qi to deplete, and overthinking causes qi to stagnate.”
These words encapsulate the sources of all human diseases.
Originating from Climate
Be Cautious of Air Conditioning and Heating
“Originating from wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and fire” indicates that external climate can lead to diseases.
In the past, “wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and fire” were purely natural, but now times have changed. This “wind” includes not only natural wind but also fans. “Cold” includes not only natural cold but also air conditioning and refrigeration. Air conditioning and refrigeration also lead to dryness, as the air becomes dry under air conditioning.
This “dampness” may also have modern causes, and “fire” includes heating, etc. Therefore, there are not only natural factors but also human factors, which are an important part of health that cannot be ignored. Many diseases now arise slowly in air-conditioned environments.
The Neijing explains clearly why it gets hot in summer. When it is hot, yang qi disperses; yang qi needs to disperse, which drives out the internal yin and cold.
Humans need to consume grains, and the environment cannot guarantee ideal conditions at all times, so there will be internal yin and cold. What force can disperse the yin and cold? The forces of heaven and earth, in summer.
When summer arrives, everyone’s pores open, and the weather is hot, people need to engage in appropriate labor. Although it is said not to overwork, one must still work and exercise, which leads to sweating.
After sweating, the body’s marrow pathways open up, eliminating many hidden dangers; this is the body’s self-adjustment. The body naturally needs heat, and at this time, yang qi disperses outward, bringing out internal issues, and humans must “follow the natural order.”
Thus, the Neijing states that in the three months of summer, one should “not resent the sun.” In the three months of summer, we often dislike the sun, but the Neijing clearly tells us not to dislike the sun; this is called “following it” because we need the sun.
However, many people set their air conditioning too low, causing the temperature to drop significantly. Where does the yang qi go? It goes inward, not outward. This is called “going against the natural order”; going against it leads to disaster.
How do many diseases arise? This is how.
Originating from Yin and Yang
Harmonious Relationships are Important
What does it mean to originate from yin and yang? The most visible yin and yang today is the relationship between men and women, where men represent yang and women represent yin; yin and yang is a significant issue.
Why does the Neijing mention the origin of yin and yang? The greatest yin and yang is between men and women. What is the most significant relationship between men and women? Marriage. How do many diseases arise? They arise from marital relationships. “The way of yin and yang begins with marriage,” as Confucius said.
Traditional Chinese Medicine states: “When yin is balanced and yang is secret, the spirit is treated; when yin and yang are separated, the essence and qi are lost.” Yin and yang must be harmonious, which means that couples must be harmonious. How many couples do not argue nowadays?
Many couples are either blaming each other or harboring resentment; men are suspicious of women, and women are suspicious of men. When men go out, women cannot sit still at home; it is not mutual support but mutual resentment, leading to disharmony in yin and yang.
Disharmony in yin and yang is a significant factor in the emergence of diseases; many diseases actually arise from this aspect. The Neijing points out that “originating from yin and yang” addresses this issue.
If the couple is not well, yin and yang are not well, and if yin and yang are not harmonious, then the children born in such a disharmonious environment cannot be well.
Many parents bring their children to see doctors repeatedly. Whether in Traditional Chinese Medicine or Western Medicine, after treatment, the issues recur. Where is the root cause? It lies with the parents, in the yin and yang. This is something that everyone needs to pay close attention to.
A harmonious family is a harmonious yin and yang; “when yin is balanced and yang is secret,” the spirit can be treated, and the body and spirit can be healthy. If this aspect is not handled well, no amount of health supplements will help, and no oral solutions will be effective.
Originating from Emotions
Emotions are Key to Health
Originating from emotions means originating from feelings; emotions significantly affect health. What are emotions?
“Heaven has five elements governing five positions, giving rise to cold, heat, dryness, dampness, and wind; humans have five organs transforming five qi, giving rise to joy, anger, sadness, thought, and fear.” Why must humans follow yin and yang?
Because humans and heaven and earth are a whole, human emotions are actually similar to the six qi of heaven and earth: “wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and fire”. Therefore, excessive or insufficient emotions can affect health. “Cold, heat, dryness, dampness, and wind” are external five elements that can cause diseases; “joy, anger, thought, worry, and fear” are internal five elements that can also cause diseases.
Wang Shiren and Wang Fengyi, an elderly man from Northeast China, passed away in 1937. He was an illiterate farmer but was remarkable. He is similar to the Sixth Patriarch in the history of Chinese Zen, who was also illiterate but later attained enlightenment. Wang Fengyi was also remarkable, achieving great understanding.
In his teachings, there is a significant theory: studying the relationship between our emotions, our nature, our psychological behavior, and diseases. Our psychological behavior directly affects health; at least fifty percent of diseases are caused by unhealthy psychological behavior. Wang Fengyi summarized unhealthy psychological behaviors into five points:
First is resentment, a tendency to blame others.
Second is hatred.
Third is annoyance, being irritable.
Fourth is anger, being easily angered.
Fifth is worry.
Hatred harms the “heart”; cardiovascular diseases are closely related to hatred.
Annoyance affects the respiratory system, particularly the lungs.
Anger affects the liver system, including the liver and gallbladder. Anger encompasses pent-up anger, deep anger, and great anger; strokes in Traditional Chinese Medicine are also related to the liver system. Following the public account for meridian clearing.
Worry, women often say “worrying to death”. This affects the kidneys, leading to reproductive system issues; worry directly harms the kidneys.
Originating from Diet
Cold Drinks Harm Yang Qi
Diet includes issues of quantity and quality, especially among those who drink excessively, “deep feelings lead to binge drinking,” which is harmful to the body.
Including “cold and warm without moderation,” consuming large amounts of raw and frozen foods is detrimental. Nowadays, many foods are frozen, which can damage a person’s yang qi. Yang qi is crucial for life; do not waste it. It cannot be easily restored, and you should not harm it.
Another issue is the balance between meat and vegetables. Our physiology indicates that the intestines and teeth of herbivores differ from those of carnivores, which is an objective indicator.
Carnivores have sharp teeth, while herbivores have flat teeth. We have thirty-two teeth, twenty-eight of which are flat, and four are sharp; this indicates how much meat and how much vegetables we should consume, and everyone should calculate this for themselves.
Originating from Living Environment
Sleep is Vital for Life
The living environment greatly impacts health; the environment is essentially feng shui. In the past, this was considered superstition, which is absolutely incorrect. Is there feng shui? Certainly.
As long as there is Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is feng shui; feng shui and Traditional Chinese Medicine share the same principles, both discussing the five elements. How to take in qi, the orientation of doors and windows, and what qi to absorb is about yin and yang and the five elements, with no superstition involved.
The human body is a small universe; the human body embodies the five elements, and the five elements of a person are different. Therefore, the harmony of the living environment’s yin and yang and the compatibility of the five elements will affect the mind and body of those living in that environment.
Sleep is crucial. Sleep in life is essentially a process of replenishing yang qi. We just mentioned that yang qi is the root of life; how is yang qi replenished?
There are many ways for yang qi to dissipate: movement, action, and all thoughts consume yang qi. Every gesture and action consumes yang qi. There are many ways to deplete yang qi, but very few ways to replenish it; almost solely through sleep.
Thus, sleep is nearly the only way to nourish yang qi; is it important? It is the only way to sustain life. Therefore, sleep is extremely important, and everyone should not take it lightly.
One major principle is to sleep early. Why sleep early? The living environment must have a “time”; sleep must have a “time”. Why must there be a time? Because the yang qi of heaven and earth is hidden at this time, and humans also need to hide.
We say spring gives birth, summer grows, autumn harvests, and winter stores; what is the best state for the human body to store? Sleep. In a state of sleep, one can nourish essence and gather strength, and yang qi can receive good replenishment, allowing human life to continue to develop.
Traditional Chinese Medicine states that the kidneys govern the bones; bones produce marrow, and marrow produces blood. Blood production occurs in the bone marrow system, which is governed by the kidneys. When do the kidneys work?
In winter, specifically from nine o’clock at night to three o’clock in the morning, during the kidney’s working hours, blood is produced. Under what conditions do the kidneys work?
The kidneys work when the human body is in a state of hiding and sleep; it must be emphasized that during this period, one must sleep. When sleeping, the kidneys can govern the bones, produce marrow, and generate blood, allowing yang qi to be replenished.
If one does not sleep during this time and misses it, sorry, once this opportunity is lost, it cannot be regained. Of course, even if you sleep for eight hours, your eight hours may not be the same as mine.
Modern people are accustomed to nightlife, which is clearly contrary to the natural order. I hope everyone truly considers their health and adjusts their sleep patterns, “following the natural order brings heavenly assistance.”
We are very busy; what to do? We can wake up a bit earlier to work. If that is not possible, then use your weekends to sleep early; sleep by nine o’clock, which compensates for the five days of sleep deprivation during the week. If you rest on those two days and then stay up until three or four in the morning, sleeping until eleven or twelve is even worse. Therefore, this is a very important issue.
⊙ Note:
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