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Otzi, a European Austrian shepherd, who froze to death in a blizzard & was glacially preserved for 5000 years suggests that Acupuncture existed in Europe & was not therefore exclusive to China 'ÖTZI, the oldest mummified human body ever found intact. It was found by a German tourist, Helmut Simon, on the Similaun Glacier in the Tirolean Ötztal Alps, on the Italian-Austrian border, on Sept. 19, 1991. Radiocarbon-dated to 3300 BC, the body is that of a man aged 25 to 35 who had been about 1.6 m (5 feet 2 inches) tall and had weighed about 50 kg (110 pounds). He apparently fell victim to exposure or exhaustion while crossing the Alps and died of freezing. The small rocky hollow in which he lay down to die was soon covered (and protected) by glacial ice that happened to be melting 5,300 years later when his body was discovered by modern humans. His nickname, Ötzi, stems from the Ötztal Alps, where he was found. The Iceman's body showed no signs of disease, though he had a broken nose and several recently fractured ribs. His few remaining scalp hairs provide the earliest archaeological evidence of haircutting. The various clothes and accoutrements found with him are truly remarkable, since they formed the gear of a Neolithic traveler. The Iceman's basic piece of clothing was an unlined fur robe stitched together from pieces of ibex, chamois, and deer skin. A woven grass cape and a furry cap provided additional protection from the cold, and he wore shoes made of leather and stuffed with grass. The Iceman was equipped with a small copper-bladed ax and a flint dagger, both with wooden handles; 14 arrows made of viburnum and dogwood, two of which had flint points and feathers; a fur arrow quiver and a bow made of yew; a grass net that may have served as a sack; a leather pouch; and a U-shaped wooden frame that apparently served as a backpack to carry this gear. His scant food supply consisted of a sloeberry, mushrooms, and a few gnawed ibex bones.Otzi was found to have a number of points tattooed on his body, 80% of which are considered valid modern acupucture point this therefore dates acupuncture back to at least 3300 BC. It is also suggested that these acupuncture points might have been activated by the use of crystals whereas in ancient Chinese acupuncture they are said to have used stone needles. |
| 2. The Origin of the I-Ching may also lie outside China |
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Every
serious student of acupuncture should have studied
the I-Ching, which is a series of 64 hexagrams
based on the 8 trigrams, defining all known states
of life-force in the universe. In Chinese literature
four men are sited as the founders of the I-Ching
documented in the 'Book of Changes'. Those four
men are Fu Hsi, King Wen, the Duke of Chou and
Confucius. Fu Hsi is a lengendary figure of antiquity
and therefore the Book of Changes is held to be
of such an age that it predates historical memory.
Moreover, the 8 tri-grams have names which do
not occur in any other connection in the Chinese
language, this questions the origin of the I-Ching.The
present collection of 64 hexagrams originate from
King Wen, who was the founder of the Chu dsynasty.
He added several of his own interpretations of
these hexagrams. Later came Confucius, who in
his old age together with his pupils, studied
the I-Ching and wrote further commentaries on
it.
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Gall-Bla
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Liver
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Smal-Int
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Heart
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Stomach
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Spleen
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There
is a direct and fascinating correspondence between the I Ching Sub-trigrams
and the meridians of the body
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Colon
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Lungs
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Bladder
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Kidneys
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3-Heat
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Peri-C
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In a hexagram the top trigram is the branch
energy centrifugal anticlockwise and felt by
the right hand of the acupuncturist
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In a hexagram the bottom trigram is the stem energy centripetal clockwise and felt by the left hand of the acupuncturist |
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1924
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1966
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1928
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1950
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1933
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1938
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Branch
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Branch
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Branch
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Branch
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Branch
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Branch
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Stem
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Stem
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Stem
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Stem
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Stem
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Stem
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| There
are some interesting books on the History Of
Acupuncture:
Paul U. Unschuld Medicine in China: A History of ideas.............. Paul U. Unschuld Medicine in China: A History of Pharmaceutics According
to Paul U. Unschuld the History of acupuncture
is neither of the two opposite and extreme
misconceptions of Chinese acupuncture as portrayed
by, on the one hand, Manfred Porkert who advances
selected Chinese concepts as superior to orthodox
western medicine, or on the other hand of
Joseph Needham who emphasises those aspects
of Chinese medicine that are either meaningful
to or embryonic of current western medical
thinking.According to Unschuld Chinese Acupuncture
is better but not totally perceived by a third
concept of Erwin Ackerknecht <1940's>
that medical concepts should be understood
as part of integrated aspects of culture.Total
perception of Chinese medicine is not possible
because Ackerknecht's ideas relate only to
simple societies and not to complex ones like
China.Chinese civilization offers the analyst
a wealth of primary sources, reflecting concern
with the experience of human illness that
stretches from the fifteenth century B.C.
to the immediate present. During this period
of nearly 3,500 years, oracular therapy, demonic
medicine, religious healing, pragmatic drug
therapy, Buddhist medicine, the medicine of
systematic correspondence and, ultimately,
modern Western medicine either originated
in China itself or were adopted.Although the
Chinese world view has been characterized
by the yinyang and by
the Five Phases of Change theories of systematic
correspondence, it should not be overlooked
that the paradigm of cause-and-effect relations
between non-corresponding phenomena is equally
well represented in Chinese literature.
In fact, the two paradigms should be seen
as complementing each other in various ways;
they do not exclude each other. Any
systematized world view, be it a religion,
an economic theory, or a sociopolitical ideology,
including the less articulated perception
of the universe in the minds of the common
people, contains some specific notions concerning
the reasons for crises in the society or community.
In fact, the founders and propagators of Confucianism,
Taoism, Chris-tian dogma, Marxism, and even
capitalism share the belief they have found
the ultimate explanation of the origins of
conflict and offer guidance toward social
harmony. Each of these (and other) world views
entails and propagates behavioral norms to
be followed by all members of society in order
to reach or maintain a state of peaceful coexistence.
Any single individual deviating from these
norms represents a threat to the social end
desired by the dogmatists. The comprehensive
nature of most sociopolitical ideologies is
apparent not only in the efforts of their
propagators to reach each and every member
of society but also in their attempts to adapt
all aspects of knowledge or science to their
central perception of harmony and crisis.
Any knowledge which, in its consequences,
may contradict this central perception and
the behavioral norms derived from it, will
be opposed and, if possible, eliminated. Medical
knowledge constitutes a case in point. At
first glance, medical knowledge may appear
peripheral in relation to the goals of social
ideologies. Yet, the acceptance or rejection
of concepts of disease by groups in society
has rarely been independent of socioeconomic
and sociopolitical determinants, be they consciously
considered or not. Any therapeutic system
based on a distinct explanation of illness
advocates a specific life-style to avoid disease
and identifies specific measures to deal successfully
with disease. A particular preventative life-style
constitutes, together with specific therapeutic
measures, the behavioral norms of any conceptualized
system of health care. Important in this regard
is the well-known phenomenon that different
systems of therapy not only deal differently
with one and the same health problem but that
they, in addition, frequently recognize or
emphasize quite different health problems
in the first place. Each medical system organizes
the abundance of initially unordered clinical
pictures or possible symptoms of illness into
an illustrative mosaic which in turn motivates
the members of a group or society to act and
interact in certain ways in specific situations.
It appears to me that it is precisely this
action and interaction on a personal and interpersonal
basis, required by systems of therapy, that
significantly accounts for the acceptance
or rejection of the systems by groups in society.
This required behavior may, in its consequences,
contradict the behavior required by a sociopolitical
ideology to maintain its specific type of
social order; in fact, the maintenance or
achievement of a desired type of social order
may be jeopardized if such contradictions
occur. The success of a sociopolitical doctrine
is enhanced if such contradictions can be
avoided. The congruity between a particular
therapeutic doctrine and a particular sociopolitical
ideology determines, in turn, the appeal of
this therapeutic doctrine to individuals and
groups. The actual therapeutic value of specific
ideas, that is, their efficacy with respect
to illness, seems to be of only secondary
significance.
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The
basic validity of therapeutic concepts is
primarily social.
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Here is a list of the two basic paradigms & of their respective subparadigms as they underlie the conceptualized systems of therapy discussed in this book. 1. Paradigm of Cause-and-Effect Relations between Corresponding Phenomena 1.1.Causation through Magic Correspondence. 1.1.1.Homeopathic Magic 1.1.2.Contact Magic 1.2. Causation through Systematic Correspondence 1.2.1. Yinyang Correspondence 1.2.2. Five Phases Correspondence 2. Paradigm of Cause-and-Effect Relations between Non-corresponding Phenomena. 2.1. Causation through Intervention by Supranatural Phenomena 2.1.1.Ancestors 2.1.2.Spirits and Demons 2.1.3. God(s) 2.1.4. Transcendental Law 2.2. Causation through Influence of Natural Phenomena 2.2.1. Food,Drinks 2.2.2. Air, Wind 2.2.3. Snow, Moisture 2.2.4. Heat, Cold 2.2.5. Subtle Matter Influences 2.2.6. Parasites,Viruses,Bacteria, and others. |
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Two
kinds of culture emerge in his book.
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1766
-1122 BC The
Shang Dynasty In these Zero growth economies
with no mobility of labour where 'Centripetal
Mind' predominates the main social disharmony
could be RESENTMENT by those
who
produced insufficient harvests, against those
who produced bigger harvests but refused to
share them out with their neighbours.
1122
- 256 BCChou Dynasty In maximum growth economies
with mobility of labour where 'Centrifugal
Mind' predominates' the main social disharmony
could be FEAR by the rich that what they had
earned and produced would be taken from them
by people who because they were no longer
neighbours were
thought of as strangers.
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Illness
is defined as a primary centripetal experience, that is a subjectively
perceived feeling of indisposition : Disease by contrast, is a socially
determined product, a conceptual reshaping of the primary experience
of illness.Therefore one illness may in different societies be perceived
as different diseases.The Shang recognised many illnesses but few diseases.Of
these few diseases the most important by far was "Curse Of An Ancestor".When
food is scarce in times of famine feelings become dominant over thoughts
because without nourishment the body loses its ability to move and centrifugal
energy and the power of thought wanes. In
these Zero growth economies
where ' Centripetal Mind ' predominates the main social disharmony could
be local resentment by those who produced insufficient harvests, and
this was socially unacceptable devisive and
dangerous. Zero growth economies
without free movement of labour <unlike growth oriented economies
with free movement of labour>require orderly
and equal distribution of the total harvest amongst members where the
needy and sensitive are helped by the powerful and better off in return
for prestiege eg 'Fiestas' in Latin America, 'ngbaya' in South Africa,
& Potlatch with the Indians in the Pacific North West.
Because resentment takes root in those whose minds are in the past it
was only natural to consider that 'The Ancestors' were also resentful,
& that equal distribution of resources ought to include them as
well.' Centripetal Mind
' centres
on individual or local responsibility.So that the conduct advocated
by the ' Medicine of Systematic Correspondence ' for the preservation
of good health conformed to a large degree with the norms of Confucian
political philosophy for the maintenance of harmony and order in society.
But the predominance of feelings in this age tended to foster an unhealthy
' lets be a victim ' philosophy.
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| After any conflict or social upheavel philosophies were produced to reunite the nation, these were taoism, confucianism, buddhism, the unclear philosophy of gnosis of direct seeing what works.Confucius 551 - 479 BC concluded that the real cause of social unrest was the discrepancy between the expectations associated with social roles & the actual conduct of members of society, including the ruler whose behaviour was expected to be exemplary.The aim of the harmonious society was to bind individuals and groups to precisely defined social roles and to regulate permanently the relationships between those roles by means of a hierarchical tightly knit nexus of mutual obligations.Like Confucianism Taoism offered a way to reverse the decadent decline that occurred between 481 - 221 BC during the period of the warring states. The Taoists were concerned not so much with an understanding of man himself as with a knowledge of how man can best conform to the laws of nature.The Taoists believed that the Confucian establishment of hierarchy and the assignment of positions was itself the cause of misfortune & decadence.The following passage encapsulates the attitude of Taoists." The true men of antiquity did not dream while sleeping and experienced no fear upon awakening.Their meals were simple, their breathing deep.......The true men of the ancient past knew no strong desire for life and no aversion to dying.Their appearance in the physical world brought them no joy, their return to the world of formless existence was accompanied by no resistance.They departed in serenity, they arrived with tranquillity. They neither forgot their origins, nor persued their end; they accepted their fate and were pleased with it; and unmindful of death they returned to the world beyond........" |
| Unclear Traditions We have no evidence for hidden gnostic traditions except to reflect on the I Ching and realise that there must have been a few enlightened soles who devoted themselves neither to politics nor to resentment but paid deep attention to each moment. The I Ching shows us that while anger and fear lead us towards ego and duality, paying attention to what happens leads us towards enlightenment and unity of mind and body.The exact historical origins of the main theories of Chinese Medicine are somewhat obscure. |
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The
Important Theories of Chinese Medicine
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| <1> 60 Year Cycle Stems & Branches was developed by Wang Ping <Su Wen> Started in the T'ang 618 - 907 BC The Idea Developed In Sung 960 -1279 BC |
| But it is worth speculating that they were discovered when great attention was given to understanding each moment. People capable of such perception would not seek attention and fame and so it is only natural that the historical founders of the core of Chinese Medicine slip happily away from the clutches of every zealous historian. |
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Yin
Yang Correspondence
was said to be born in approximately the 4th century BC. Much of the
world is dualistic or complementary so that natural events can be explained
by a model of the ceaseless rise and fall of opposite but yet complementary
forces.These forces were given the symbols yin and yang:Yin is female,while
Yang is male.The most complete set of yin yang symbols is contained
in the I Ching
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Yin
Yang Correspondence
was said to be born in approximately the 4th century BC. Much of the
world is dualistic or complementary so that natural events can be explained
by a model of the ceaseless rise and fall of opposite but yet complementary
forces.These forces were given the symbols yin and yang:Yin is female,while
Yang is male.The most complete set of yin yang symbols is contained
in the I Ching
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Five
Elements Theory balances destruction against creation
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The
doctrine of the 5 phases might be attributed to Tsou Yen 350 - 270 who
selected this number <for reasons unknown> & arranged natural
phenomena into 5 categories or elements.This theory encompassed 5 relationships
of mutual destruction and 5 relationships of mutual generation.The background
to this doctrine is that it is explaining the real world as a process
of generation and destruction.
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| The Cosmobiological Concepts Wu-yun liu-ch'i The notions of a correspondence between cosmically determined seasonal cycles and phenomena in the existence of individual organisms, which Wang Ping had introduced to the Su-wen during the T'ang period, did not raise great interest until the Sung epoch, when such concepts were even adopted as an examination topic. Since such a significant part of the theoretical framework of Sung-Chin-Yuan medicine is unintelligible without an understanding of the five phases of circulation (wu-yun) and six climatic influences (Liu-ch'i), it will be necessary to discuss briefly the basic outline of these concepts. The five phases of circulation are five different time periods that together constitute a cycle. All are of equal duration, encompassing a total of one year. A distinction was drawn between "primary" phases and "guest" phases. The former are the phases that theoretically correspond exactly to the calendar, while the latter are the actual seasonally related phases, which are subject to certain fluctuations from year to year. Each of the five phases of circulation is associated with one of the Five Phases of change (wu-hsing). An older calendrical system was also incorporated, the so-called celestial stems (t'ien-kan), a system consisting of ten symbols, in which the odd-numbered symbols are associated with yang, while the even-numbered symbols are each associated with yin. Two symbols from the ten celestial stems, namely one "odd" yang and the following fifth-that is, even-yin, are associated with each of the five phases of circulation. The five phases of circulation ensure the orderly progression of seasons and formation of corresponding climatic conditions. In systematic correspondence the circulatory phase chia-chi (symbolized by the first and sixth celestial stems) corresponds to soil and stimulates the formation of moisture. The circulatory phase i-keng (symbolized by the second and seventh celestial stems) corresponds to metal and engenders dry-ness. The phase ping-hsin (symbolized by the third and eighth celestial stems) corresponds to water and produces cold. The phase ting-jen (symbolized by the fourth and ninth celestial stems) corresponds to wood and gives rise to wind. Finally, the phase mou-kuei (symbolized by the fifth and tenth celestial stems) corresponds to fire and brings forth heat. Since the cycle of five phases together encompasses a period of one year, each phase lasts one-fifth of a year, or a total of seventy-three days. Irregularities can appear within the relationships between phases of circulation and climatic conditions: the influence of a phase, for example, can be only partly developed (pu-chi), producing an insufficient supply of the expected seasonal climatic circumstances. Moreover, each phase can also be excessively developed (t'ai-kuo), resulting in the exaggerated presence of normal climatic conditions. In addition to the five phases of circulation, the year was divided into a cycle of six climatic influences (liu-ch'i), which were also as-sociated with the yinyang duality and the Five Phases. In order to achieve correspondence between the groups of six and five, one of the Five Phases or agents had to be further split; in this system, therefore, "fire" is replaced by the two phases "ruler-fire" (chiin-huo) and "min-ister-flre" (hsiang-huo). A second calendrical system, the twelve so-called terrestrial branches (ti-chib), was used to designate the six climatic influences. Each influence was associated with two symbols-the first and following sixth terrestrial branches. The six climatic influences encompass the entire range of climatic conditions (ch'i) that affect man during the course of a year. Once again, a distinction was drawn between two constellations: namely, the constellation of "primary influences" (chu-ch'i), the unchangeable climatic influences that theoretically should occur during the yearly cycle, and the constellation of "guest influences" (k'e-ch'i), the actual weather conditions. Both constellations correspond to the progression of an entire year. Climatic influences of the first half of the year are associated with heaven and thus with yang; those of the second half are associated with earth and therefore with yin. Each half of the year is further separated into three climatic periods of sixty days each. This produces a total of six climatic periods, each of which is itself divided into four sections of fifteen days corresponding to specific weather conditions. Consequently, a year encompasses twenty-four different climatic periods. The functions of the human organism, it was believed, are to a great extent determined by the influences that affect it during each season. Liu Wen-shu, who in 1099 published one of the best-known works on the theory of the five phases of circulation and six climatic influences, went so far as to claim that each season was dominated by certain climatic influences that inevitably caused certain illnesses, giving rise to the concept of "illness caused by seasonal influence" (shih-ch'i ping). Other authors, however, rejected or modified this extreme interpretation of wu-yiin liu-ch'i theories. They argued that good health was completely possible if man was able, through appropriate conduct, to adapt himself and, should climatic irregularities occur, take appropriate therapeutic measures to rectify a condition of excess or deficiency of influences from the yinyang or Five Phases categories. |
| I Ching Shows us that while anger and fear lead us towards ego and duality, paying attention to what happens leads us towards enlightenment and unity of mind & body. |
| Shang Dynasty The latter part of the Shang dynasty, from the reign of P'an-k'ang on, is also called the Yin dynasty. Shang China was centred in the North China Plain and extended as far north as modern Shantung province and westward through present Honan province. The kings of the Shang are believed to have occupied several capitals one after another, one of them possibly at modern Cheng-chou, where there are rich archaeological finds, but they settled at An-yang in the 14th century BC. The king appointed local governors, and there was an established class of nobles as well as the masses, whose chief labour was in agriculture. The king issued pronouncements as to when to plant crops, and the society had a highly developed calendar system with a 360-day year of 12 months of 30 days each. It was in this period that Chinese writing began to develop, and the symbol for "moon" was--as it remains--that also for "month." The calendar took cognizance of both lunar and solar cycles; and, when it became necessary t |
