The True Essence of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Emphasizing the Balance of Yin and Yang, Avoiding Excessive Nourishment of Yang or Yin

Building on the foundation of ancient culture while integrating modern changes, balancing theory and clinical practice, and respecting objective facts. In the mountains and fields, we sense the nature of all things. We explore herbs with our own bodies, using the concept of Yin and Yang. Internal and external treatments are inseparable, with dietary nourishment as the foundation. Seeking sources is not limited to books, and internal evidence should not be confused. Self-awareness and enlightenment serve as our guiding light. Ignite oneself without regret, for the collective brightness leads me home.

We use the analogy of nature to understand the cycles of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements.

Below the horizon is earth, and the spleen belongs to earth. Below the earth is underground water, which is ultimately connected to the oceans and rivers. This water is referred to as kidney water (shen shui), and beneath the water lies underground magma, which is also called fire of the heart (xiang huo), kidney Yang (shen yang), or the fire of the life gate (ming men huo).

This fire of the heart can vaporize kidney water into steam that rises, and this rising process is called liver wood (gan mu). This liver wood carries both the fire of the heart and the water of the kidney.

The liver wood brings heat and moisture to the earth, nourishing it while also warming it, and it continues to rise with the earth. This segment represents the simultaneous ascent of water, fire, and earth.

Although they rise together, they can be viewed in three parts: the water is the ascent of kidney water, the fire is the ascent of liver wood, and the earth is the ascent of spleen earth. However, overall, the ascent of liver wood is dominant; without the rise of liver wood, neither water, fire, nor earth can ascend.

If kidney water is insufficient, liver wood will still rise, but comparatively, the fire contained within the water will be particularly strong due to the lack of water. Thus, while it rises excessively, it will transform into fire, which will surge upwards, forming liver fire. Once the liver fire consumes its energy, the upward force will be insufficient, leading to horizontal movement, which results in liver stagnation (gan yu) obstructing spleen earth.

If the fire of the heart is insufficient, the rising force of liver wood will be inadequate, leading to coldness, and it will directly obstruct the earth, causing liver stagnation to obstruct spleen earth. If this stagnation persists, it will transform into heat, resulting in liver fire surging upwards.

If the earth becomes overly damp, the wood will struggle to rise, leading to either stagnation or transformation into fire.

Thus, liver fire and liver stagnation are always intertwined, occurring simultaneously. When liver wood transforms into fire, it not only consumes earth but also depletes kidney water. Liver fire can transmit to heart fire, and liver fire can harm lung metal, preventing lung metal from descending normally. Therefore, liver wood is considered a thief of the five organs, but whether liver wood can rise properly depends on the balance of water and fire, as well as the smoothness of the earth.

If water, fire, and earth are normal, wood can rise properly, carrying all three elements to the heavens.

Upon reaching the peak, the fiery nature of wood diminishes, and both earth and water decrease. As it rises, the water and fire become less, but the essence becomes purer.

We know that the earth’s soil is abundant, and there is much moisture; however, in the atmosphere, both water and soil are less, which is called the pure rising and the turbid descending.

When reaching the peak, a cooling quality appears. Why is there a cooling quality? Shouldn’t it be hot near the sun? Why is it cooler instead?

Because the air above contains less water and soil, there are fewer substances that can absorb and store heat.Why can the lower part store water and fire? Because the earth can store heat and water.

Although the upper part is purer in water and soil, it is still less, so it has less capacity to absorb and store heat. Thus, being closer to the sun results in a cooling quality; heat disperses while coolness converges. With this cooling quality, the energy descends, forming a descending force known as metal (jin), which is associated with the lungs.

When encountering coolness, they condense together to form clouds. The water in these clouds comes partly from the rising underground water and partly from the rising surface water. The rising of underground water relies on the fire of the heart below, while the rising of surface water depends on the fire of the sun (jun huo) and the heat of the earth (the combined fire of heart and kidney).

Underground water is called kidney water, while surface water is called stomach water (wei shui). The vaporization of water in our bodies also involves these two.

As this water rises, it also contains soil.

Why do Buddhists refer to our world as the dusty world? Because dust will always fall, as there is always soil in the air. Without soil, the heat in the air would be uneven, resulting in alternating cold and hot spots. Without soil, light cannot reflect properly, causing issues with our vision.

Thus, soil, water, and fire are the same; they are omnipresent, differing only in quantity.

This soil represents the body’s blood, this fire represents the body’s Yang, this underground water represents the body’s essence, and the vaporized surface water represents the body’s fluids. The essence and fluids, when transformed by Yang energy, create the body’s Qi.

Once the water and soil in the clouds reach saturation, and the cooling quality reaches a certain level, it will transform into rain. When the rain falls, it returns to the soil, and during its descent, it also brings down some of the soil from the sky.

After the soil falls, it becomes the middle earth. Water that falls is partly absorbed by the soil, nourishing all things, becoming the yin of the spleen and stomach. Another part of the water, after being filtered by the soil, slowly seeps down, becoming the essence of water stored underground, becoming kidney yin. The fire within the water enters the fire of the heart, preserving and nourishing the innate.

If lung metal cannot descend normally, then kidney water cannot be replenished. If the fire of the heart cannot descend, then kidney Yang cannot be replenished. If the earth cannot descend, then the middle earth cannot be replenished. Although all three descend, the descent of lung metal is paramount; if lung metal does not descend, then none of the three can descend.

On the left, the fire of liver wood rises; on the right, the Qi of lung metal descends, with earth in the center. The essence of earth is distributed, and the cycle of ascent and descent is merely the circulation of water, fire, and earth.

After reviewing the cycle of ascent and descent, we understand that the transformation of the middle earth requires the combination of water and fire; without fire, nothing can be transformed (no movement), and without water, nothing can be nourished (no growth). Therefore, excessive nourishment of Yin or Yang alone is incorrect. I have consistently refrained from recommending beginners to study Huang Yuanyu’s theories because he exhibits bias in this regard! The earth is born from the combination of water and fire, not solely from fire, which leads to a skewed perspective and excessive nourishment of Yang. Of course, I do not deny the brilliance of our predecessors; a slight bias cannot overshadow their brilliance. No one is perfect, but in our learning and progress, we must learn from strengths and compensate for weaknesses, avoiding blind idolization and ignorance.

Many people stubbornly believe that if Yang is sufficient, Yin will naturally follow. This is true only when the body lacks Yang, and the organs are sluggish in their ascent and descent. In such cases, nourishing Yang can restore the normal functioning of the organs, allowing Qi, blood, and fluids to flow continuously. The generated Yin will then be stored to support Yang, achieving a balance of ascent and descent, as Yang was previously insufficient.

However, if the capacity for ascent and descent is already sufficient, excessive nourishment of Yang will deplete too much Yin, and generation has its limits; it is not the case that unlimited nourishment of Yang will lead to unlimited generation of Yin. All functions depend on the organs, and the productivity of the organs is limited. Once the upper limit is reached, further nourishment of Yang will not increase Yin, but the depletion of Yin will continue to rise, resulting in an imbalanced state. Moreover, depletion occurs rapidly, while generation requires the cooperation of various organs to complete a full cycle of ascent and descent, making generation inherently slower than depletion; this is the natural order.

Thus, the apparent benefits of excessive nourishment of Yang lead to the hidden depletion of true Yin. Once true Yin is exhausted, various symptoms of Yin deficiency and excessive fire will arise. At this point, further nourishment of Yang will have no effect, as the deepest kidney water has been drained. Many modern practitioners have fallen into this trap, and I will not name names.

Many may think I belong to the Yin-nourishing or warm disease school; let me clarify that I have no faction. Traditional Chinese Medicine should not be extreme. I oppose excessive nourishment of Yin, and some individuals should not nourish Yin at all. Overly rich tonics can stagnate the middle earth, leading to the middle burner not transforming and generating damp heat, obstructing pathways, causing liver wood not to rise and lung metal not to descend, resulting in an imbalance of heat above and cold below.

Times change, people and things change, and even some principles change. Traditional Chinese Medicine has always been about syndrome differentiation and treatment according to the syndrome. The myriad changes arising from the six arts of TCM and the eight methods of herbal medicine are precisely to respond to the myriad changes in people and things.

Respect objective facts, release stubborn thoughts, avoid factional disputes, and do not nail oneself into a corner.

Any faction arises in response to the times; factions are neither right nor wrong; the error lies with people. As long as one remains in extreme thinking, whatever one learns, sees, or does will be biased. Once thoughts are corrected, any biased methods can be adjusted in practice.

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