『Dongui Bogam-Internal Bodily Elements(동의보감-내경편』 Ⅰ. Body(신형 身形)
Written By Jun Heo(許浚, 1539~1615), Translated by Namil Kim, Wung Seok Cha et al., Published by Ministry of Health & Welfare (Korea)
The three months of spring are called the period of the beginning. It is when the universe is born and all things develop and flourish. One must sleep late and wake up early, stroll the garden slowly, loosen one’s hair, and relax the body to lead the heart to an active state. Anything must be saved, not killed; everything must be given, not taken; one must reward, not punish. These are responses to the vitality of spring and the ways of nurturing life. Not following them would harm the liver and induce cold diseases in summer, which will lessen the energy of growing.
The three months of summer are called the period of luxurious growth. It is when heaven and earth intermingle and all things bloom and begin to bear fruit. One must sleep late and wake up early, must not avoid sunlight, must not get angry, and must enable oneself to develop. Let one’s own qi communicate with the outside world, and act as though one loves everything outside. These are responses to the vitality of summer and ways of growing and cultivating life. Those who disobey the laws of summer will have their hearts injured. In autumn, malaria would be induced which will lessen the energy for harvest and eventually cause grave disease in winter.
The three months of autumn are called the period of tranquillity of one’s conduct. It is when heaven qi cools and earth qi clears. One must sleep early and wake up early at the sound of the rooster crowing, and calm one’s mind to subdue the rigid qi of autumn and collect spirit qi. Adjust autumn qi, do not let one’s mind bother with the outside, and clear lung qi. These are responses to the vitality of autumn and ways of the method for protection of one’s harvest. Not following these would harm the lungs and cause indigestion and diarrhea in winter, which will lessen the energy of storing.
The three months of winter are called the period of closing and storing. It is when water freezes, earth cracks, and yang becomes still. One must sleep early and wake up after the sun rises and act as if hiding something in the mind. Head more towards warm places than cold places, and protect the skin as not to let qi leak from the body. These are responses to the vitality of winter and ways of the method for the protection of one’s nurturing and storing. Not following them would harm the lungs.
The four seasons and yin-yang are the roots of all things. That is why a wise person raises yang during spring and summer and raises yin during fall and winter as to follow the core of this advice. Like this, life draws the curve of ups and downs according to the birth, growth, maturation, and death of yin-yang. Violating such origin would be the same as cutting off the roots of a tree, which leads to the disappearance of the truth. Therefore, yin-yang and the four seasons are beginnings and endings of all things in the universe and the origin of life and death. Violating the core teachings would cause calamity, and following the core teachings would ensure a healthy life. This is what the wise ancestors called knowing the Tao.[B232]
- Treating Diseases with the Dao 以道療病 도로 병을 치료한다
① Quxian (臞仙) said: “Wise doctors of ancient times treated the minds of people and led them to avoid diseases. Doctors in the present day, however, only know how to treat the diseases and not the minds of people. This is throwing away the fundamentals and pursuing the terminals; not investigating the origin and running after the flow and hoping for the disease to be cured. This is such an absurd act. Of course, the disease might be cured by chance, but it is something a foolish doctor of the mundane world would do, which must not be the model for others.
A hermit named Taebaek said, ‘One must treat the mind to treat the disease; relying on the Tao is only possible when the mind is in the right condition.’ If the patient is led to get rid of all the doubts, thoughts, delusions, complaints, and discriminations, and is reminded to reflect on one’s faults, he or she would be able to empty the body and mind, and correspond to the outside world. When this state continues, the spirit gathers, and the mind becomes serene and temperament becomes peaceful. At last, one realizes that all the mundane is nothing but empty, all the things done are delusions, the body is nothing but a ghost, fortune and misfortune are not reality, and life and death are nothing but a dream. Knowing for sure and solving everything will lead the mind to be cleared at once and the disease will be cured. When this happens, the disease will vanish even before any medicine is taken. This is the fundamental law of the wise man who treats the mind with Tao to cure diseases.” (→ Continued in next issue)
