Classic Review

As practitioners of Life Cultivation, most of us will have read Huangdi Neijing, or The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, a book published more than two thousand years ago. It offers the most authoritative knowledge on herbal medicine, Life Cultivation, and Life Wellness.

The Neijing is one of the most important classics of Taoism, as well as the highest authority on herbal medicine. Its authorship is attributed to the great Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor, who reigned during the third millennium BCE. The book is divided into two sections. Section One is known as Suwen (Questions of Organic and Fundamental Nature). Section Two is known as Lingshu (a technical book on acupuncture).

Written in the form of a discourse between the emperor Huangdi and his ministers, Huangdi Neijing contains a wealth of knowledge, including etiology, physiology, diagnosis, therapy, and prevention of disease, as well as in-depth investigation of such diverse subjects as ethics, psychology, and cosmology. All of these subjects are discussed in a holistic context that says life is not fragmented, as in the model provided by modern science, but rather that all the pieces make up an interconnected whole. By revealing the natural laws of this holistic universe, the book offers much practical advice on how to promote a long, happy, and healthy life. This is the part that is followed by Life Cultivation practitioners like us.

As practitioners of Life Cultivation, we know modern medicine can only solve ten percent of health problems. Then, what about the remaining ninety percent?

Let us see how Huangdi Neijing answers the health question.

Chapter One of Section Suwen of Huangdi Neijing states:

People in ancient times who knew The Way will model the Yin and Yang, harmonize in calculation, eat in moderation, live a regulated life, equalize work and play, thus the body and mind co-exists in harmony, who will live to be one hundred years old and then die.

Thus, if we follow the advice in the passage, we will live a healthy and happy life to be one hundred years old before we die.

That’s why people who live a hundred years are called Knowers of the Way. What is the Way?

Lao Tzu said:

The Way is also a thing that cannot be separated for a moment. If you can leave it, it is not the Way.

The Way is something that cannot be left for an instant. For example, you tell your loved one that he should pay attention to his health. He replied that he would think about it later because he is very busy right now. Then we know he neither knows nor follows the Way.

The Way is something that cannot be left in an instant, but what can be left is not the Way. I am holding a cup right now. If I let go of it accidentally, it will be broken into pieces right away. That’s what the Way means.

What is the Way that people who live to be a hundred years old know that we should follow so that we can also live to be that old? Neijing explores the subject matter from several angles that we will discuss right now.

In order to live a long life, we should (1) model our life according to the universe (2) harmonize our life with precision (3) control our foods and drinks (4) regulate our daily lifestyle (5) stop overextending ourselves (6) harmonize our body and soul.

Once we follow this advice, we will live to be one hundred years old actively, happily, and free of illness and medication. Let us explore the concepts in depth now.

To be continued: 01 Model our life according to the Universe.

Call to Action

Folks, that is all for now. If you think this article may be beneficial to your friends and loved-ones, feel free to forward this article to them. Life cultivation is mostly for older people with declining body health. If you are young and energetic, this may not be your cup of tea. However, if you have family members or friends who are middle-aged or older, they may want to practice life cultivation to maintain a life without pain or medication.

This is an extract of the full treatise published in the Mustang BodyWorks Series, a paid-subscription. You may buy this full treatise for the price of US$10.00, using your PayPal account.

Stay tuned for the next episode. Origin of all illnesses Part Two.

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