Sage Principles, Discourses on Taiji medicine

The message from the publisher was very good and the prefaces were just as great.

Master Cheng Man-Ch’ing draws from the I-Ching “Books of Changes”, Yellow Emperor’s Classic on Internal medicine, Lao Tzu”s Dao De Ching, Confucius, and more.

The chapters vary from very short to more detailed, the footnotes are extensive to help with the reader unfamiliar with people, places, and things Chinese medicine and alchemy.

Cheng Man-Ch’ing attempts to make westerner’s have a basic understanding of Chinese medicine.

First chapter was about Sage vs philosophy to distinguish Chinese way a sage thinks which is different from philosopher. The sage acts with wu wei, naturally, cultivating virtues, living in harmony with family, peace, and universal love. A Daoist sage has qualities like modesty, politeness, etc.

Second chapter he draws from many of the Classical sage writings that talk about yin and yang, the 8 diagrams, preservation of qi, jing, shen, importance of relaxing on the channels and sinews, working with breath and dantien.

Third chapter was about the Daoist cosmology using the Li, Qi, Xiang model. It differed someone in my understanding (Wuji-Taiji-Xiang), but Cheng Man Ching explains his is that Li ensures yin and yang are always in relationship, Qi as heavenly as in weather and sky, body as in blood circulation, and jing and in vital essence. Xiang as world of form. So Li hold the Qi and Xiang together. Kind of like a pivot between nirvana and samsara.

Chapter 4 was on the topic of Hun and Po, which is related to Liver and Lungs, the ying and the wei, and blood and breath. There is a higher meaning with the soul and how the mind functions.

Chapter 5 on the Essence, Spirit, and Blood advises the westerner on the importance of a healthy lifestyle to harness and not squander the jing essence through excessive sexual behavior. Having a balanced lifestyle as not to age faster, preserving the body’s natural elixir (hormones) and refining the essence (lian jing).

Chapter 6 on channels and membranes talks about how qi flows through the body cavities, Jin Mai (sinew channels), dantien and more.

Chapter 7 is the basics of the 5 elements creation and controlling cycles and how it is viewed in Chinese medicine.

Chapter 8 on the “Heart and Spine” is about the importance of the ancient Du na and Dao yin methods that restore the Du mai (back channel) and Ren mai (front channel), posture for meditation, and microcosmic orbit.

Chapter 9 works to explain to western students the dan tien is what western medicine calls the omentum body cavity.

Chapter 10 is about what can be seen in the bone structures of babies vs an adult in comparison to ligaments, tendons, muscles, and bones.

Chapter 11 continues on with the adult bone, muscle, tendon, information and to preserve it from stiffness.

Chapter 12 is on the sacrum to rediscuss working on the jing-qi to convert it to Qi- shen- marrow using various points in neigong like Yuzhen, Niwan, and more.

Chapter 13 on Hormones, circles back to the Du and Ren channels, the “Water Wheel” jing-qi circulation and that it affects the endocrine system: Pineal gland, pituitary gland, salivary glands, thyroid and parathyroid glands, Thymus glands, pancreas, Stomach, Adrenal glands, and gonads (testes/ovaries).

There are a few other small chapters on other topics I may discuss later.