There Are Similarities in Practicing Acupuncture and New Science
By David Park, Founder, South Baylo University
You maybe wonder why Korean people are good at practicing acupuncture treatment. I would like to find the answer from Han Spirit. And I would like to find ideas that shares root of New Science in Korean philosophy. Acupuncture theory to Korean is not just for a theory for treatment with acupuncture needles and herbs but it is considered as accumulated knowledge of Korean philosophy or scientific thoughts.
First, I will introduce the book, Chunbukyung or The Scripture of Heavenly Code, which is one of the holiest mantras and is believed written in 10,000 years ago to describe how the universe started.
I believe that this is the best book that describes Korean philosophy. There are phrases that explain best for fundamental idea of Korean. “Every entity originated from the one and the process of the birth will last forever(一始無始一). Every entity has its own end but it is not the ultimate end of the entity. The beginning and end of the entity will continue eternally(一終無終一).”
It is the most complicated and it is too profound to understand because the book was written with 81 characters and revealed the secrets of the universe.
There are evidences that Korean culture, that is believed started more than 5, 000 years has lots of similarities in New Science. Once you understand Korean philosophy then you can easily find answers for why Korean are good at acupuncture or why Korean cultures are beloved in Western world.
New Science Vs. Conventional Science
Conventional science was originated by Euclidian geometry in B.C. 300 and has been accepted as fundamentals of science. Euclid was the first to show how these propositions could fit into a comprehensive deductive and logical system. The Elements begins with plane geometry, still taught in high school as the first axiomatic system and the first examples of formal proof. It goes on to the solid geometry of three dimensions. Much of the Elements states results of what are now called algebra and number theory, explained in geometrical language.
After the Euclid, there was Ira for Isaac Newton and René Descartes for 300 years.
In his book, Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, Principia, Newton formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation that formed the dominant scientific viewpoint until it was superseded by the theory of relativity. Newton used his mathematical description of gravity to prove Kepler’s laws of planetary motion, account for tides, the trajectories of comets, the precession of the equinoxes and other phenomena, eradicating doubt about the Solar System’s heliocentricity.
Euclidian geometry had not been questioned until 19th century. In 19th century, topology was developed. In mathematics, topology is concerned with the properties of a geometric object that are preserved under continuous deformations, such as stretching, twisting, crumpling and bending, but not tearing or gluing. A topological space is a set endowed with a structure, called a topology, which allows defining continuous deformation of subspaces, and, more generally, all kinds of continuity. Euclidean spaces, and, more generally, metric spaces are examples of a topological space, as any distance or metric defines a topology.
Topology and New Science also set foundations for Relativity principle of Albert Einstein and influenced to chaos theory, fuzzy theory, and fractal dimension.
Conventional science had achieved lots of progress in ideas and science, but it could be blamed for creation of keen competition and antagonism between civilizations.
Acupuncture is similar to New Science. Unlike, conventional medicine prescribes a fixed medicine for one symptom acupuncture could prescribe more than 10 different formulas for same symptom. To prescribe an herbal formula or to practice acupuncture, an acupuncturist should be able to diagnose a symptom in many ways to find a root or real cause like New Science. I believe conventional medicine uses linear way of diagnosing and treatment and acupuncture diagnosis and treatment is more like non-linear. Also, acupuncturists need to communicate better to diagnose accurately.
Treatment theory and skills could be learned in an acupuncture school. However, to find out something is not seen or not obvious, it is required to use New Scientific point of view. Therefore, non-Korean acupuncturists who are not familiar with or comfortable with the idea, have trouble to practice acupuncture.
I personally believe that philosophy is important to understand human and help treat a patient more effectively.
