PureInsight | May 19, 2003
[PureInsight.org] SARS is still spreading rapidly in China. Its pathogen is thought to be a new Coronavirus, against which there is no known defense. It constantly mutates, which makes it even more powerful. It stays in the body of patients for at least one month after their recovery, during which time they can still transfer the virus to others. In vitro it survives on plastic surfaces for at least 24 hours. Furthermore, its mode of transmission is still unknown.
Man looks powerless before this invisible and elusive enemy. In desperation, people have quickly turned to Radix Isatidis (Isatis indigotica Fort) as a life-saving panacea. Famous Chinese medicine stores are as crowded as busy marketplaces. Now, only traditional Chinese medicine can comfort people.
If we were to follow the teachings of those ancient saints of thousands of years ago, when confronted with something like SARS, we would not be resigned to how powerless and fragile we are.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the reason people have diseases is their bodies are invaded by malignant external elements. A lack of positive Qi in one's body allows this to occur. How to maintain one's positive Qi is a major factor in the Dao of preservation of one's health.
In The Simplicity of Far Ancient Times, Number One, the first chapter of Huangdi Neijing Suwen, (a traditional Chinese medical and cultivation text) states that the people in ancient times lived to be one hundred years old and were still very energetic because "they were people who knew the Dao. They did everything based on Yin and Yang, and complied with the principle of Yi. They controlled their diets and lived a regular life. They avoided working too hard. Therefore, their bodies and spirits were always together." They "lived a simple life, so the genuine Qi was always circulating and energy was conserved." They were therefore usually free of all diseases.
More importantly, these ancient people lived so long mainly because their moral standards were so high that they were in no danger of illness. "Virtue" is particularly emphasized in preserving one's health.
Confucius said in Lunyu, "benevolent people live longer." In Zhongyong, he added, "People with great virtue will gain longevity."
Famous medical doctor and pharmacologist Sun Simiao, from the Tang Dynasty, said in Qian Ji Yao Fang, "If one does not restrain his mind and activity, one cannot achieve longevity even he drinks jade liquor or eats the elixir of immortality." He also stated, "If you keep on upgrading virtue and morality day by day, you will gain benefits without seeking them, and you will achieve longevity without pursuing it. This is the fundamental principle for preserving one's health."
Shi Tianji, a specialist for nurturing life who lived during the Qing Dynasty wrote, "A person who really knows how to nurture life will focus on his virtue and moral standards. Nutrition and medication are only secondary."
From the above we can see that traditional Chinese medicine stresses cultivation of virtue, which results in health and longevity.
Let us look at modern people. They "drink alcohol like they are drinking water, and regard absurdity as normal. They go to sleep after getting drunk and indulging their desires, which exhaust their Jing, and they lose their Zhen. They are never satisfied and fail to preserve their spirit. On the contrary, they only pursue sensual joy at any occasion. They are addicted to having fun in their lives and lead irregular lives." [Editor's note: Source unknown.] Many people start aging before they are fifty.
Now SARS is spreading. Perhaps this is a warning from heaven. Our morals and values have degenerated, and it is time to correct them. When we look inside and cultivate our virtue, we can strengthen the positive Qi in our body. Then SARS, a malignancy from the outside would, not have a chance to invade our bodies. We should not turn to cultivating virtue only when SARS or other plagues are spreading. It is important to do so well before things turn bad.
Here is a marvelous prescription for cultivating virtue, which can help you survive epidemics. An famous Monk, called Stone Xiqian (or Stone Monk), who lived in the middle of the Tang Dynasty, provided this prescription: "One kind heart, one part compassion: a half-measure of tenderness, three-sixteenths portion of truth, a full measure of strong belief; a full measure of loyalty and five-eights of filial loyalty, a whole measure of honesty; all accumulated of merits and virtues; of amicability and friendliness, an arbitrary amount."
How to make pills and take the medicine: "All 'herbs' should be stir-fried in 'kind hearted and tolerant' pan. Be careful to prevent charring and drying out during preparation. Hot temper should be removed. The medication is ground in an 'equality' pan until it is a powder, with 'thinking twice.' Make a pill using Boluomi (Artocarpus heterophyllus) as big as the fruit of Bodhi. Take the pill three times a day at any time. It should be taken with 'peaceful-mind' soup. If you can really follow this recipe, you will not have illness."
Do not:
"Do bad deeds while feigning innocence on the surface, benefit oneself while harming others, hurt others with hidden slights, have venom inside and wily intensions behind your smile or create troubles without reason. You must abstain from all of these."
If all ten "herbs" mentioned above are used, one can achieve longevity and happiness. If only four or five are used, one can still relinquish some sins and prolong his life span and avoid some bad things. If none are used, nothing can be done. Even if Bianque or Luyi were alive, they could not save such a one because he is already untreatable. No matter what he does – worshiping heaven, earth and gods will all be in vain. This recipe is good for all ages and does not cost any money, and does not need to be cooked. Why doesn't everyone take it?
Translated from http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2003/5/6/21477.html
