Shen Yaozi on the Minor Fullness of Bingxu Year
Xu Jun, whose father was a prefect and mother a courtesan, though talented in his youth, often self-exiled due to his lowly birth, indulging in debauchery, even smuggling medicinal herbs and harboring fugitives. To fund the escape of a fugitive's daughter, he was caught smuggling and imprisoned, beginning a series of trials... All these tempered his nature, as the saying goes, "When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on a person, it first tests their resolve," truly a credible statement, like the divine craftsmanship of Heaven applied to a simple jade among men, aiming to make it a treasure of the world. Suspected of connections with imperial criminals and to be sent to Pyongyang for trial, his mother pleaded with his father. The prefect father, reflecting overnight, realized the fault was not Xu Jun's and, disregarding his own safety, released Xu Jun at night. Before parting, his father told him, "A person's worth is determined by their actions, not their status. Do not use status as an excuse to waste your life." Alas! In the myriad things of heaven and earth, is there truly high or low? They are but one. Though the heart and lungs are above, they do not disdain the colon that holds waste; each has its place, securing its existence. The short-sighted do not see the whole, thus they perceive high and low. Just as a Bodhisattva adorns themselves with the Dharma, seeing no high or low in their heart; ordinary people adorn themselves with clothes, seeing inequality everywhere. This is why the Bodhisattva is a sage, and the ordinary person is ordinary.
Kita, the daughter of an imperial fugitive, fled with her father and, aided by Xu Jun, became connected with Xu. Later, her father's wrongful conviction was overturned, and she was restored to her status as a court lady. Suddenly from heaven to earth, the ups and downs of life are unparalleled. The scene of Xu Jun watching Kita leave in a sedan chair is truly moving. People live for love; die for love; and are reborn for love. What is love in this world? It makes people pledge their lives. Love is nothing but infatuation.Xu Jun inherited his father's martial lineage and was a skilled fighter from a young age, which served him well in turbulent times—protecting himself, preserving his life, and earning the admiration of the renowned physician Liu Yitai. Xu Jun first encountered Liu Yitai when he and his elderly mother traveled a thousand miles to Shanyin. While resting at a roadside inn, Xu suddenly suffered from abdominal pain and cold sweats, leading to his admission to Liu's hospital. Witnessing Liu's almost divine diagnostic skills, Xu was inspired to pursue medicine. In this case, Liu's treatment method was particularly intriguing. He explained that Xu's mother had experienced prolonged seasickness and gastrointestinal discomfort from the arduous journey, compounded by eating something unsuitable. Liu advised that it was nothing serious and recommended washing her feet with warm water three to four times. This foot-washing, it is believed, helped to guide the flow of qi and blood downward, aiding the descent of Yangming and the ascent of spleen qi. Xu Jun's second encounter with Liu Yitai occurred when he went to Liu's hospital intending to apprentice under him but ended up in a fight with a janitor, which Liu happened to witness. Liu's remarks were thought-provoking: "He (Xu Jun) understands the vital points of the human body. There was once a ruffian in China named Zhang You, who was an excellent fighter with a deep knowledge of the body's vital points. He later studied medicine and became a famous physician known throughout the land. If we don't turn this fellow into a doctor, he might end up killing people for a living." Liu's words seemed to foreshadow Xu's future, much like the Fifth Patriarch of Zen recognizing Huineng, or the recognition of He's Bi by discerning eyes—only the truly perceptive could see the potential.
The scene where Liu Yitai scolded Xu Jun for picking the wrong water was indeed well-deserved. He said, "Using the wrong water to brew medicine for patients harms them, and you (Xu Jun) still argue that it was unintentional or that you didn't know. Even if you killed someone, you would still make excuses for yourself. Warriors with swords and poisonous beasts are not as terrifying as the hands of a physician. A physician's hands must not make a single mistake. I know your type all too well. You want to take shortcuts, muddle through a few years here, then call yourself a physician, using patients' lives as bait to make a fortune. Since you don't understand the value of life, you might as well become a merchant. Even an ignorant merchant wouldn't kill others. You are simply not qualified to treat others' lives." This passage seems to scold many people. Indeed, if you want to make money, you might as well become a merchant. Why use others' health and lives as commodities? This mindset is absolutely problematic, and over time, people have become accustomed to it. The decline of morality has been long and far. The author believes that this is also Liu's opportunity to educate Xu on medical ethics. But if we measure by this standard, how many qualified physicians are there?Watching the scene where Xu Jun secretly copied medical records in the middle of the night, I felt a deep sense of empathy. In Xu Jun's time, information and transportation were not as developed as they are today, and living conditions were harsh. Medical books were incredibly hard to come by, and studying medicine was extremely difficult. Nowadays, it's much easier—you can read any book you want. The problem for those studying medicine has instead become how to choose, which is somewhat similar to Xu Jun's era. Before the Buddha's passing, someone asked him if there would still be Arhats in the world after his death. The Buddha replied, "As long as the Three Marks of Existence and the Four Noble Truths remain in the world, there will always be Arhats." Similarly, the path of medicine exists everywhere. As long as there are medical texts and simple, wise, and clear-minded physicians, there will always be medical kings in the world.
Liu Yitai's son, Liu Daozhi, was about to take the imperial examination to become a medical officer in the palace. Liu asked Master Sanji to test him. The master mentioned several key points: "To become a physician, you must memorize the names, flavors, and effects of thousands of medicinal herbs, as well as the seven emotions and the balance of deficiency and excess, and so on. But even if you understand all of these, if you don't understand the last thing, you still cannot become a physician. What is that?" His son couldn't answer. The answer is "compassion, that is, to have pity and sympathy for patients. A physician must remember this for a lifetime. There are several types of physicians: those who prescribe medicine without sincerity, relying only on the disease name; those who rely solely on prescriptions and only give patients medicine; those who only want to sell expensive medicinal herbs; those who don't care about the patient's pain, only their appearance, and ignore the poor; those who fabricate disease names for healthy people just to sell medicine. I ask you, what kind of physician do you want to become? A patient should feel a sense of peace just by looking into the physician's eyes. To become such a physician, you must have a heart that truly feels compassion for patients." This passage also reprimands many physicians. As mentioned earlier, white blood cells fight for the body, even to the point of self-destruction, which is natural; physicians should do their utmost for patients as their duty. The so-called compassion exists precisely because there is a lack of it. In modern times, with the commercialization of medicine, even compassion may disappear, leaving only its absence.When Liu Yitai's son was about to go to the capital for the imperial examination, Liu said to his son: "Among the various people who consider themselves doctors, the only ones I truly recognize are the heart doctors, those who can face patients with sincerity, compassion, and empathy. Only such can be called heart doctors. The world truly awaits and anticipates such doctors, not those who seek mere fame. You must remember this." His son did not remember, and from beginning to end, he was obsessed with passing the imperial examination, entering the royal hospital, and achieving instant fame. According to Liu's definition, a heart doctor is merely a natural, selfless healer. Thus, even a normal white blood cell could be called a heart doctor. But, without genuine patients, how can one recognize a heart doctor? Just as in the drama, without a sincere crown prince, how could he accept Xu Jun's arsenic-based decoction? The world not only anticipates heart doctors but also people from all walks of life who are natural and selfless, like the various cells in the human body that selflessly work for the whole. How many heart doctors are there in the world? They are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. This also reflects the lack of good fortune in this world. The amount of good fortune is equal to the breadth of one's heart. As long as people in this world remain short-sighted, narrow-minded, and selfish, there will only be so many heart doctors in this world.
The Nine Needles and One Joy, said to be invented by Hua Tuo of the Eastern Han Dynasty, involves inserting nine different types of needles into a living chicken until the needle heads are no longer visible, without causing the chicken's death or pain. Inserting up to the fifth needle is called a common doctor, the sixth a teaching doctor, and the seventh a famous doctor. Hua Tuo only allowed disciples who reached this level to practice. The eighth needle is a great doctor, and the ninth is the imperial doctor. This is shocking, and personally, I believe Hua Tuo would not joke with life.
Gathering herbs in the mountains, in the past, people risked their lives to collect medicinal herbs in the deep mountains and wilds. Nowadays, herbs are batch-planted artificially and processed into powder by pharmaceutical factories. Practitioners rarely go into the mountains to collect herbs, losing direct contact with the herbs and connection with nature. How much difference is there between these two?
Xu Jun wanted to apprentice himself to the mountain hermit, Doctor An, with astonishing perseverance. He knelt in front of Doctor An's tent for several months and finally gained Doctor An's recognition to become his disciple. This reminds the author of the scene where Shen Guang sought the Patriarch Bodhidharma, standing in the snow for several days and even cutting off his left arm for the truth... In ancient times, it was the master who chose the disciple, but now it's industrialized; anyone who can memorize can pass the exams, regardless of virtue, and receive training. In an era where utilitarianism is the norm, the quality of both masters and disciples has significantly declined. Even with a good teacher, those not cut out for it won't learn no matter how long they stay by the teacher's side or how many classes they attend. A true disciple can grasp infinite mysteries with just a few words from the teacher.
A butcher's son came to Liu's hospital to request a house call but was driven out by the hospital's handyman. Liu Yitai happened to see this and immediately took Xu Jun to the butcher's house. Upon entering, it was smelly and dirty, but without a word, Liu turned the patient over, cut open the bedsores on the back, and sucked out the pus and blood with his mouth. This scene deeply shocked Xu Jun, who later also used his mouth to suck out pus for patients with abscesses. The author believes that sucking out the patient's pus before applying medicine is absolutely correct, but must it be done with one's mouth? The mouth contains many bacteria; isn't there a fear of infection? Why not use a bamboo tube with the cupping method to suck it out? This seems like a plot designed to resonate with the audience, slightly contrived.
Xu Jun, to repay Doctor An for his teachings, wanted to steal corpses from graves for Doctor An, who was fond of anatomy, to dissect. This reminds the author of Teacher Wang Yizhi, who donated his body for medical education, truly admiring his courage and spirit. However, in Chinese medicine, treatment is not about the substance of anatomy but about adjusting the balance of the body's internal environment. When Xu Jun was misunderstood and about to have his hand cut off for not immediately curing the brother of Lady Gongbin's stomach cancer, the imperial doctor asked if he had ever seen a human stomach. Xu Jun then recited to the imperial doctor the contents of The Forty-second Difficulty and The Forty-third Difficulty regarding the anatomy of the stomach and the death when both water and grain fluids are exhausted. However, the stomach in The Forty-third Difficulty should be the functional granary official, not the anatomical stomach.
The Q&A between Liu Yitai and Xu Jun on diabetes seems quite professional. Liu Yitai asked: Why is the urine of diabetes sweet? Xu Jun replied: "Because of kidney deficiency, the food that enters the mouth turns into sweetness in the stomach, flows to the bladder, the blood and qi of the kidneys become very vigorous, and the hot blood and qi become essence, which then enters the bone marrow. The remaining blood and qi become fat, the essence of the fat becomes flesh and blood, and the rest becomes urine. The urine is yellow because it is the remaining blood. If the kidneys are deficient and cold, they cannot filter the food from the beginning, allowing the sweetness of the grains to mix directly with the urine and be excreted. Therefore, the urine of diabetes patients is sweet, and they cannot absorb nutrients from food, becoming increasingly thin." Liu also asked: "Diabetes and beriberi have the same cause but different symptoms. What is the difference between the two?" The answer was: "Both are caused by kidney deficiency. Beriberi occurs in February and March, peaks in May and June, and subsides in July and August. Diabetes occurs in July and August, peaks in December, and subsides in February and March. The reason is that beriberi is a disease that solidifies, while diabetes is a disease that disperses. In spring and summer, as yang qi rises, it triggers solidifying diseases and cures dispersing diseases. In autumn and winter, as yang qi declines, it triggers dispersing diseases and cures solidifying diseases." Liu asked: "Are there any prohibitions for diabetes patients?" Xu replied: "Yes, they must not drink alcohol, avoid excessive fatigue and sexual abstinence, and cannot eat salty foods." Liu Yitai added: "Additionally, they cannot eat greasy foods, fragrant herbs, and mineral medicines." Liu Yitai: "There are dozens of medicines for treating various symptoms of diabetes. Why did you specifically choose the Eight Flavor Pill + Schisandra?" Xu replied: "Because I saw that the patient was poor, so I prescribed easily obtainable and cheap medicines." The script was too perfect. But the same two characters "消渴" (diabetes) have different interpretations in different dynasties and different books. In the Jin Gui Yao Lue, diabetes only refers to the symptom of water entering and disappearing, and thirst that cannot be relieved, not necessarily related to diabetes mellitus (DM). In the "Su Wen. Qi Bing Lun," it mentions spleen heat, which also has symptoms of diabetes, but based solely on diabetes and sweet mouth, it cannot be concluded as DM, or a certain stage of DM.
During the time when Xu Jun was expelled by Liu Yitai, he also went to Sanji Temple to help treat patients. Leprosy was an incurable disease at that time, but now it can be treated with antibiotics. This disease reminds the author of AIDS. In the past, there was leprosy; now, there is AIDS. Both are infectious, and patients of both are discriminated against. Master Sanji, in his quest to find a cure for leprosy, even tried the medicine himself and nearly lost his life. His sincerity was undoubtedly sufficient, but leprosy could not be cured by sincerity alone. It shows that having the right path is not enough without the proper technique. The natural laws of the world are a collective karma, not something that can be easily reversed by an individual.
A high-ranking official's wife suffered a stroke, and someone was sent to invite Liu Yitai to personally treat her. Liu instead sent Xu Jun, which caused a small uproar. When Xu Jun arrived, he had to endure the official's condescending attitude. When Xu Jun brought the medicinal soup and expressed his intention to personally administer acupuncture, the official questioned and scolded him. The official's son warned Xu Jun that if anything went wrong, he would have to watch his own life. Xu Jun replied, "Life and death are fated, I am not afraid." When Xu Jun was about to administer the acupuncture, he instructed that it should be done at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), because "we must wait for the yin energy that covers heaven and earth at night to disperse, and the yang energy that spreads with the sunrise and the new breath to be transmitted to the patient." The problem was, the patient was critically ill at the time. What if she couldn't hold on until the hour of Mao? Before inserting the needle, Xu Jun recalled what Master Liu had said: "The acupoints are as small as grains of rice... only by using the naked eye to grope and the mind's eye to observe." However, the acupuncture had no visible effect. Xu Jun reported to the official that the acupuncture alone was not enough to give the patient strength, and that she needed to take the medicinal soup to recover her strength before the acupuncture could be administered again. But the official, seeing that the acupuncture had no effect and that the patient seemed to be getting worse, in a fit of anger, locked Xu Jun up and sent someone to fetch Liu Yitai. Liu happened to be away on a long trip, so his son, Dao Zhi, was sent instead. During this time, other doctors were called in, and upon feeling the pulse, they all said there was no hope. The official was so angry that he wanted to behead Xu Jun. Xu Jun said, "Punish or behead me as you wish, but before that, please allow me to fulfill my duty as a doctor and serve the patient the medicinal soup." The official finally agreed. It can be seen that treating high officials is not just about medical skills; if your fate is not strong enough, it won't work. It also shows that the amount of power and wealth one has depends on personal karma, and has nothing to do with wisdom or cultivation. Many sentient beings are stubborn and unyielding. Without the mindset of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who is willing to enter hell for the sake of all beings, it is truly difficult to become a good doctor.
Master Sanji said, "Doctors can save patients, and patients can also save doctors. Every time a doctor saves a patient, they also save themselves from illusory greed and evil thoughts." Treating patients is indeed a continuous practice for doctors, a practice of eliminating greed and attachment, and elevating oneself. But this also depends on whether the doctor has the heart for it; otherwise, it only creates more and more karma.
Xu Jun was deceived by his former colleague, who used a technique to transform a woman into a man to swindle a scholar-official. As a result, Xu Jun was caught and brought to the yamen on the first attempt. Coincidentally, Liu Yitai was at the yamen to treat the chief official and saw Xu Jun being caned, but Liu remained silent. After treating the chief official, Liu pleaded for Xu Jun's forgiveness, kneeling and begging for mercy. For a teacher to do this is already the utmost. To have such a teacher is a blessing accumulated over many lifetimes.
Xu Jun met Dr. An at Sanji Temple and mentioned the incident where he was expelled by Liu Yitai because of the high-ranking official's recommendation letter to the Imperial Medical Institute. Master Sanji said, "This child is just one of the sentient beings troubled by worldly desires and vanity. Who in this world does not have such distracting thoughts?" Dr. An said, "But if a doctor's heart is not focused on the patient but on fame, then it is not greed, but a sin, a dirty sin." Dirty, what a severe rebuke! Among troubled sentient beings, there is purity and impurity; thus, some tend towards purity, and some tend towards impurity. Why not let go of both and return to the simplicity that is neither pure nor impure?
Xu Jun was on his way to take the imperial examination when he encountered a patient's family seeking help from the traveling doctors. The family described the patient's symptoms as pain under the ribs and abdominal distension. No one was willing to see the patient, but Xu agreed and went to their home to examine the patient. The patient's nails were dry, and their complexion was pale. After taking the pulse, Xu asked if the patient often felt fearful. The patient replied yes and mentioned frequently seeing hallucinations. Xu added that the pain was milder in the morning, most severe in the evening, and lessened by midnight, and that the patient's vision was blurry. The family confirmed this. Xu said it was liver deficiency. He then examined the patient's foot at the Yin Intersection point to assess the liver's condition and stated, "All the liver's energy is concentrated here. It's not serious yet; some home care will show results: first, avoid anxiety or anger, as anger harms the liver. When liver issues arise, eating wild strawberries raw or steamed papaya is effective. If these foods are unavailable due to the season, prepare a scallion, wash it thoroughly with the roots, and for every two-finger-width segment, add three small bowls of water. Boil twenty segments over medium heat until the water reduces by half. Take this three times a day to detoxify the liver. Boiling dandelion and fennel together is also very effective. Boiling the branches and leaves of the weeping willow by the river and taking two or three spoonfuls morning and evening can also treat jaundice." Xu Jun highly valued local medicinal materials. In the future, Taiwan might not have access to mainland medicinal materials or find them unaffordable, so it's essential to study local herbs early. In the past, many poor people couldn't afford to go to the hospital. Nowadays, everyone can go to the hospital, but it's almost as if there's no hospital because many diseases are difficult to cure, requiring lifelong medication to control.
A patient at the惠民署 had a crooked mouth corner. Xu Jun originally expected to cure it within three days, but because the patient secretly ate something, delaying the timing of acupuncture, it took four days to cure. Xu Jun advised the patient to prevent recurrence: for the first month, avoid exposure to night dew or wearing damp clothes, especially not going out on rainy days, not sweating excessively, and strictly prohibiting sexual activity. For two months, avoid eating fish with a strong smell, noodles, alcohol, vinegar, pork, chicken, spicy, and salty foods. Coincidentally, the brother of Lady Gongbin also suffered from a crooked mouth corner and was brought to the palace to see Liu Daozi. Initially, Liu thought it was a simple case of a crooked mouth corner and treated it with acupuncture, curing it in three days. However, it recurred shortly after. Lady Gongbin, following the advice of the Left Chancellor, privately sought Xu Jun's treatment. Xu diagnosed that the crooked mouth corner was due to early-stage stomach cancer (gastric cancer), with the crooked mouth being a symptom and the stomach cancer the root cause. Therefore, he treated the stomach cancer instead of the crooked mouth. However, Lady Gongbin's brother was arrogant and uncooperative, constantly complaining that the crooked mouth was not cured and the treatment was ineffective. After taking medicine once, he vomited blood and rotten flesh, causing a big scene and wanting to stop the treatment, blaming Xu Jun. It took great effort to persuade Lady Gongbin and the Emperor, even risking his right hand being cut off, to finally cure the patient. The lesson from this case is that modern patients will not wait for the root cause to be treated and will not listen to the doctor's explanations; they will simply stop coming.
A plague broke out in northern Korea, and Xu Jun led a team of medical officers and women to assist, trying to control the epidemic. Does having sufficient正气 mean one is not afraid of infection? Personally, I remain skeptical. The universe has its own way of operating; in Buddhist terms, there is collective karma and individual karma. Collective karma constitutes the natural laws of the world, which are very difficult to change. What individuals can easily change is their own individual karma. Even the Buddha suffered from diarrhea after eating poisonous mushrooms before his death. Even saints experience birth, aging, sickness, and death, let alone ordinary people.
The Crown Prince, being illegitimate, fell out of favor and was neglected, leading to dissatisfaction. He asked Xu Jun to heal his heart. To be called a heart healer, one must not only sympathize with the patient but also heal the heart, truly living up to the name of a heart healer. And the one who can heal the heart is not through acupuncture or good medicine, but only through the teachings of the Buddha.
Prince Renbin's son developed a pustular scab, which was initially handled by Liu Daozi. However, the condition worsened, so Liu took the opportunity to transfer the prince to Xu Jun, intending to frame Xu. A heart healer has the standards of a heart healer, and an ordinary doctor has the boundaries of an ordinary doctor, which are the norms of the law. Although Xu eventually cured the prince, when Liu, for his own benefit, harbored the intention to frame another doctor, he had already crossed the lower limit of an ordinary doctor and lost his qualification to be a physician.
The Japanese pirates invaded Korea and were about to reach Hanyang. Everyone was busy fleeing for their lives, but Xu Jun and his team were still busy collecting important medical books, ignoring the impending disaster. War will inevitably plunder culture, as seen in the recent cultural断层 in mainland China, which is a vivid and bloody example. Traditional Chinese medicine has lost too much knowledge, and the author believes the main reason is still war. China is a country with frequent civil wars, as seen from the hundreds of annotations on the "Inner Canon" and "Treatise on Cold Damage." Because of the "loss of knowledge," there are various "guesses" about the scriptures.
The Emperor, fleeing from the Japanese pirates, was exhausted from the journey and fell ill suddenly after the Crown Prince's death. Xu Jun was ordered to treat him but had no medicine available. After the war stabilized somewhat, Xu Jun began compiling the "Dongui Bogam." He believed that local Korean herbs were very important and most suitable for the people of Korea. Indeed, Taiwan also has many useful herbs. In the future, when mainland Chinese medicine is no longer available, we will have to rely on herbs.
The medical officials were discussing the sequence of acupoints in the fourteen meridians. In ancient times, there were two methods of arrangement: the "Jia Yi Jing" and the "Qian Jin Fang" arranged from the limbs towards the heart; Wang Wei-yi's "Acupuncture Bronze Man Classic" determined the sequence of acupoints based on the direction of meridian flow, and this method has been widely adopted since Wang. Xu Jun believes that adopting the former method can reduce confusion. The author believes that the sequence of acupoints does not represent the direction of meridian qi flow, as the direction of needle sensation transmission is not specific, and meridian qi can flow both forward and backward. The sequence of acupoints is merely for ease of memorization and should not be rigidly adhered to.
The crown prince contracted malaria, and due to poor control, it had already entered the three yin stages, becoming chronic malaria. Xu Jun prepared a prescription: 1.2 qian of arsenic, 2 qian of salt, and 1 jin of rainwater, simmered over low heat to produce 12 liang of decoction, named "Morning and Evening Longevity," used to treat chronic malaria. Some ministers opposed the prince taking the medicine and wanted to punish Xu Jun, but the prince still took it and turned the crisis into safety. Arsenic is highly toxic and can kill malaria parasites, but if the patient's physical strength is insufficient, it can harm them instead. The success or failure lies on a fine line, relying on the physician's precise judgment. In this case, without the prince's trust in Xu Jun, Xu Jun's success would not have been possible. In the real world, without sincere and kind patients, there would be no physicians who genuinely care for their patients.
In summary, as the saying goes, "The actors are foolish, but the audience is even more foolish." Drama and novels always exaggerate and polarize the traits of characters to highlight their themes. Overall, Liu Daozhi and Xu Jun represent two extremes. Is Liu Daozhi wrong? Are Xu Jun and Liu Yitai right? Isn't it because of the duality of yin and yang that the world is full of myriad changes? That there are fascinating dramas to watch? If there were only good people or only bad people, what would be the appeal of such a plot? All things in the world exist and gain meaning by relying on each other; there is no absolute meaning, no substance, like empty flowers. From a transcendent perspective, almost no one in the world is truly free; people are bound together by countless ties, unable to act autonomously. This world is merely a shared stage where karma intertwines. Everyone has their role, each walks their own path, good and evil each have their way. To transcend this realm is both incredibly difficult and incredibly easy.
Regarding Xu Jun's life, what the author most wants to ask is: Must being a good person mean living in poverty and without dignity? Xu Jun and others are honest and straightforward; such good people do not live long. Without a long life, how can one fulfill their destiny? In the movie "Hail the Judge," there is a line, "Corrupt officials are cunning, but good officials must be even more cunning than corrupt ones." A truthful statement indeed. To become a physician who truly cares for the suffering, there must be a principle behind it; just as behind complex symptoms, there must be a pathological mechanism. Otherwise, merely emphasizing superb medical skills and lofty morals is just being a good person for the sake of being good, a mere doormat. The author believes that the more one sees through this world, the less one clings to it, becoming selfless and egoless, and the more one can resonate with the principle of "responding without attachment, giving rise to the mind," and the more one can understand why Master Huineng attained enlightenment upon hearing this phrase. A true physician arises from within, not sought from without. From a worldly perspective, this world has more suffering than joy. The only solace is to enter the world with a mindset of cultivation and learning, "Without entering the sea of suffering, how can one obtain the treasure of wisdom?"
At the end of the drama, Ruizhen visits Xu Jun's grave. She says that Xu Jun is like a babbling brook, nourishing all parched hearts. It is indeed a touching description. But the author still wants to say that to become a babbling brook, there must also be parched hearts willing to be nourished. Everything in the world exists by relying on each other. When the state is well-governed, one appears; when the state is in chaos, one hides. There is no room for wishful thinking.
Appendix: Other medical cases and theories in the drama
Please inform Xu Jun diagnosed a patient and learned that the patient's swelling started from the lower abdomen. Xu Explanation: This is known as high water, caused by excessive water qi in the lower burner. It is treated with the Bu Zhong Zhi Shi Tang to protect the middle burner and expel dampness from the body, making urination easier. The Shuigou acupoint is needled. If needling is done carelessly, dampness will not be expelled smoothly, and the patient may die as a result. Inform Question: When needling, the most important aspect is the acupoint. So, on the meridians of the limbs, is the acupoint determined based on neurons (?) or by aligning the acupoint with the flow direction of the meridian before locating it? Xu Jun Answer: The former method is used in the "Jia Yi Jing" and "Qian Jin Fang," while the latter is chosen in the "Zhen Jiu Tong Ren Jing" and "Shi Si Jing Fa Hui." Acupoints cannot be decided arbitrarily, but sometimes, regardless of the meridian's flow direction, needling is done at the site where the patient feels pain. This is the Tianying acupoint, also known as the Ashi point, recorded in the "Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing." Note: The Ashi point is mentioned in the "Ling Shu·Jing Jin" as using pain as the guide .
A high-ranking official was seriously ill. Liu Yitai asked Xu Jun to take his pulse. Xu said it was dry cholera, and cholera without vomiting or diarrhea could easily take a life at any moment. Liu Yitai left immediately, leaving the rest of the treatment to Xu Jun . Xu induced vomiting with salt water. Afterward, he administered acupuncture and medication, stabilizing the condition. He then went to report to Liu Yitai . Liu invited him into the room and asked about the remaining matters. Xu reported that the county magistrate's cholera had been cured, but he felt a heavy sensation in his chest, so he prescribed Shenhu Sanbai Decoction. Liu asked: What are the sequelae of cholera? Xu replied: Severe muscle pain, chest tightness, and sometimes dry mouth and throat. Liu asked: How to prescribe? For muscle cramps, use Lizhong Decoction. For chest tightness, use Shenhu Sanbai Decoction. For dry mouth and throat, use Guiling Baizhu Decoction. Liu asked: Acupuncture or moxibustion? Xu replied: Acupuncture. Liu asked: There are two methods of acupuncture, which one to use? Xu replied: There is the method of releasing dead blood and the method of regulating qi and blood. For this patient, the method of regulating qi and blood was used. Note: Vomiting and diarrhea are the body's self-protection mechanisms, expelling harmful substances.
Medical case, Xu Jun reported: The patient had swelling and pain in the little toe and the outer heel, soreness in the bones all over the body, and severe pain in the neck muscles, making it impossible to straighten the shoulders. Liu Yitai asked: Is it a muscle injury? Where should the acupuncture be applied? Xu replied: The Bladder Meridian Sinew. Xu first warmed the needle over charcoal fire and inserted it at the Kunlun point. Liu said: People call acupuncture masters top, middle, or lower class. A true top-class master not only has the divine talent to find the correct acupoints but also knows the depth of insertion, the timing of insertion, and how long to leave the needle in place. This is the realm of mastery. Diseases close to the blood vessels should be shallowly needled, the six fu organs deeper, and the five zang organs even deeper. When using various needles, the most important thing is to balance the five zang and six fu organs responsible for the patient's yin and yang harmony. Having the eyes to observe the patient's overall health is the realm of a top-class master.
Medical case, Xu Jun had a patient who originally had Shaoyin disease. Due to not following Xu's medical advice, the patient mistakenly took an excessive amount of aconite, leading to blindness. Xu Jun first used acupuncture and herbal medicine to detoxify. Liu Yitai returned to the hospital and instructed Xu Jun that after all the aconite toxins were expelled, there would be two side effects. One was extreme pain in the back of the head, so severe that the neck could not be turned. At this time, use Bawei Powder to relieve the pain, but although Bawei Powder can treat headaches, its side effect is a tearing pain in the stomach, though it is lighter than the headache. Gradually reduce the patient's symptoms in this way. The Zusanli and head points can stop stomach pain. The next pain would shift to the Dazhui point, which is directly related to all eye diseases. Xu asked: How to relieve this pain? Liu replied: Use moxibustion, continuously for twenty-one days, and the pain will not return. Xu asked: Isn't it common knowledge among physicians that moxibustion and acupuncture cannot be used together? Liu replied: I have given the instructions, the rest is up to you. Liu later explained to Master Sanji : With Xu's acupuncture skills, even if needles are used in areas where moxibustion is required, the patient can still be cured. Regardless of the method chosen, it is his judgment. Reputation is no longer important to me, but that child is using his own hands to correct his mistakes. Xu's acupuncture skills are astonishing; guessing the correct acupoint three out of ten times is already good, but he hits them all. His acupuncture skills alone are enough to be talked about. Note: There is a question here. According to modern pharmacology, aconite mainly contains toxins that affect the heart, and it must be boiled for over an hour to remove most of the toxins.
Xu Jun passed the medical officer exam, and the new medical officers were studying the Emperor's feces, recalling Liu Yitai's discussion on the differential diagnosis of feces. A patient's feces were reddish-brown, with diarrhea, Liu asked the reason. Xu replied that he didn't know, Liu then scooped up the patient's feces with his hand, saying it was heat-induced diarrhea. Depending on the cause, the color of the feces can vary: white or green indicates diarrhea caused by internal cold; yellow, red, or brown indicates diarrhea caused by fever; deep yellow indicates diarrhea caused by spleen fire; black indicates severe fever. Back at the medical officer scene, Liu Daozi asked the new medical officers about the results of their discussion. Xu Jun said that the Emperor's feces, resembling black bean juice, were wet diarrhea. The royal physician asked: What about the colors of other types of diarrhea? Xu replied: Heat-induced diarrhea is black-purple, cold-induced diarrhea is white like duck feces, wind-induced diarrhea is green, qi-induced diarrhea is like crab foam, and accumulation-induced diarrhea is extremely thin and yellow.
Lady Renbin's medical case: rapid coughing, aversion to going out in the wind, weak pulse, and suffering from a mild fever all day. The royal physician asked what this illness was and how to handle it. Xu Jun replied that it was wind-cold asthma and should be treated with Ephedra Decoction to dispel cold and suppress cough. Liu Daozhi further asked: Is there spontaneous sweating? Yes. Is the throat and mouth dry? Yes. The tongue is dark red. The pulse is weak. It should be yin deficiency asthma, requiring the reduction of heart fire and the strengthening of true yin, using Siwu Decoction combined with Erchen Decoction, Fructus Aurantii, Scutellaria baicalensis, Anemarrhena, and Phellodendron. Xu realized that he was slightly inferior to Liu and needed to work harder.
Lady Gongbin showed signs of labor a month earlier than the due date, with green and foul-smelling amniotic fluid, and the fetus was in an abnormal position. At that time, the medical officials, unable to directly assist in childbirth, lacked experience and were at a loss. Liu Daozhi, responsible for Lady Gongbin , heard that the medical woman Hongchun from the Huimin Hospital was very familiar with obstetrics, so he went to the Huimin Hospital to ask for her help. Hongchun initially refused due to past grievances, but after persuasion from the senior medical woman, she finally explained to Liu Daozhi: This situation is caused by the fetus defecating in the amniotic fluid. If the fetus is in a state of suffocation, this condition often occurs. If delayed for a few more hours, the evil qi will spread to the fetus's body, possibly resulting in a stillbirth or even endangering the mother's life. Therefore, the mother must be delivered as soon as possible to avoid life-threatening risks. Liu Daozhi asked, since the lady has no labor pains, isn't it impossible to deliver? The answer was: Then acupuncture must be used to induce labor pains. ... So, the palace medical women were asked to perform acupuncture to induce labor pains. After the labor pains began, Liu Daozhi informed the palace maid: "Then feel the lady's abdomen. If a hard mass is felt in the upper abdomen and something soft in the lower abdomen, the possibility of breech birth is high. If the baby's buttocks come out first, the delivery can proceed without difficulty. But if the feet come out first, careful handling is required. In breech birth, the baby's feet come out first." In transverse birth, the baby's hand or arm comes out first. If the placenta comes out first, followed by the baby, it is called placental birth. These three situations are all difficult births that may endanger the baby and the mother's life. To prevent difficult births, there are folk remedies such as consuming rabbit brain and snake slough. If qi and blood are congested, Achyranthes bidentata, cinnamon bark, and ginger are effective. Additionally, a divine pill made from croton seeds, castor beans, and musk, applied below the mother's navel, can assist in childbirth.
Regarding acupuncture tonification and purgation, Ruizhen added that there are situations where purgation must not be used, unrelated to the illness: extreme weakness, severe diarrhea, profuse sweating or bleeding, and postpartum hemorrhage. Another medical woman said that some also argue that there is no tonification method in acupuncture. "Introduction to Medicine" states that the so-called purgation method in "The Inner Canon" does not necessarily mean tonification. The insufficiency of form and qi in "The Inner Canon," and even the insufficiency of pathogenic factors, are due to the insufficiency of both yin and yang. Acupuncture at this time would further deplete qi, which explains that there is no tonification method in acupuncture, only purgation. Xu Jun said that if one were to study every concept in detail, it would be endless. Therefore, for critical conditions like deficiency damage or chronic diseases, purgation should not be used. This is how it should be remembered.