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This article provides a simple and humorous introduction to the Taoist system, which is completely different from the official ambiguous statements. The author @玉庐 shares his insights gained through communication with his Taoist doctor friends.
Through this article, readers can understand the Taoist medical system—there are merits, but also problems; everyone should be cautious of being deceived.
Original Link
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/YvML06YuNUTSSCSiWmD4fw
Main Text
New readers are advised to first read “Content Reading Instructions for This Public Account” and “Who Am I?”.
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Actually, in the first article written in this public account, the author already mentioned his attitude towards religious medicine. Interested readers can read “Content Reading Instructions for This Public Account”.
That same evening, a reader replied asking to see some content on Taoist medicine:
In fact, this matter has been delayed for two weeks, not because the author forgot but because he has been communicating with some Taoist doctor friends around him and coincidentally faced some family changes, thus slowing down the writing.
Today’s article only talks about some “doctors related to Taoism” the author has encountered, and discusses the differences in their ideas. This is only a brief discussion, not a generalization. (Armor stacked)
Taoist doctors involve many aspects, so let’s first simply divide it. Let’s split Taoist doctors into Taoists and physicians. For the physician part, many Taoist doctors use approaches very similar to regular traditional Chinese medicine; this part they can explain, so there’s no need for us to learn from them because almost all is available in textbooks. The techniques that can only be learned from them must come from the Taoist side, most of which they themselves cannot explain. When asked about principles, most Taoist doctors say:
“My teacher taught me this way” / “Don’t ask why, it just works” / “Don’t always treat the traditional Chinese medicine part as truth, much of Taoism does not follow traditional Chinese medicine logic”
These are common phrases.
As mentioned above, the techniques that can only be learned from them basically come from the Taoist system. Therefore, if you want to talk about Taoist doctors, you first have to talk about Taoists / Taoism.
The distinctions between Taoists and Taoism can be found online, such as which sect allows marriage and having children, or which allows eating meat. Some differences are very detailed, such as specific steps or procedures for a certain chant or ritual, the meanings of certain words in the I Ching, or interpretations of the six lines of divination; these are all passed down through transmission. Generally, students learn exactly as their teachers teach. The differences are so vast that describing them thoroughly would take days. Readers interested in this can consider studying at local branches of the Chinese Taoist College, where tuition is free with board provided, and the state offers regular subsidies—only persistence is required.
The main content below will also focus on differences in concepts among different Taoists / Taoist sects. Again, this is based on the author’s own experience, not a sweeping generalization, just shared here for discussion. The author will not discuss what is right or wrong, only pointing out the situation for readers to think about themselves. (More armor stacked)
Since everyone wants to see it, without further ado, let’s get to the point.
First, let’s talk about the most fundamental question: if a Taoist doctor is put in front of you, should you learn from them or how to ask them questions? You can refer to my earlier article “What to Pay Attention to When Learning from Folk Chinese Medicine Practitioners?”.
Based on that, especially pay attention to the following three points:
- Lower your attitude. This is unavoidable. As mentioned in “Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners, Would You Like to Go Left or Right?”, many Taoists are basically far-right in terms of culture or very conservative. Compared with them, traditional Chinese medicine is considered left-wing. They will test you in all sorts of ways and emphasize fate and悟性 (perceptiveness). If you want to learn from them, be prepared for them to monopolize all explanations in front of you.
For example, at the end of the Huang Ting Jing it says: “The mentor says the disciple must take an oath, adorned with multicolored silk threads and golden knobs instead of cutting hair or skin; hand in hand climb the mountain with elixirs; only then may the golden scripture be declared to the Three Officials and not let the seven ancestors suffer in the underworld.” Taoists generally believe their genuine abilities should not be transmitted casually, or ancestors will suffer punishment in the afterlife, their descendants will suffer, and the person transmitting will not escape disaster.
This is unavoidable. If you try to argue or delve deeper, you will be resented. Simply put: “Don’t ask, just do it.”
- Lower your expectations. This is also unavoidable. As mentioned above, almost everything that can form a system, can be clearly explained, and can be extended, is mostly found in textbooks. If you haven’t found it, it only means you are not familiar with the textbooks. Anyone who has taken the licensed medical practitioner or residency training exams, where you have to memorize whole books, will agree with me because in the preparation process you continuously discover new points previously unnoticed.
The unique knowledge belonging to Taoists that remains is really inexplicable. So when learning from Taoists, don’t expect to learn systematic methods, pattern differentiation, or modification ideas. They learned it the same from their teachers, with no variations or understanding of changes.
Many students cannot accept this point because this era demands progress; fixed knowledge itself has little value—research methods are what matter. We keep “digging deep and asking why," always asking “why” and “how to improve.” This is how education has been. So many students cannot bear this “far-right” mode.
Lowering your expectations also means: before learning, recognize the reality that this stuff is not omnipotent.
On one hand, to some extent, it is difficult for us to access this knowledge, or if we do have effective cases, we regard them as treasures, showing history has already made a choice for us. (Since the author still has many Taoist doctor friends, here a diplomatic statement is made.)
On the other hand, the author always says: Expertise has its specialty. Look at the cases these Taoist doctors promote, and you’ll know what diseases their techniques suit. Diseases that showed no research or treatment progress even during Taoist medicine’s peak are destined to be their weaknesses. The author’s Taoist doctor friends also admit this point. Many diseases in the world still cannot be effectively treated by them.
- Be grateful. Because of the above two reasons, many Taoist doctors are unwilling to teach their knowledge outside. On one hand, it may violate their oaths; on the other hand, their technology might be scorned by others; most of them are extremely conservative, so if one is willing to widely share, it means they are truly a good person. You must respect and appreciate them.
Now the author will start talking about some internal conflicts in Taoist medicine, or rather the differences in ideas among various sects. The author has good relations with some Taoist doctor friends, so won’t say too much here (although they told the author a lot). Here are two brief points.
The first point is how to view other sects. Generally, this can be explored layer by layer.
The first layer is “How to view Confucianism / Confucian teachings.” Taoists who recognize Confucianism generally uphold the idea of the unity of the three teachings (Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism). A friend said:
“If they can recognize Confucianism, what else can’t they recognize?”
This is easy to understand. Since the Han dynasty, the conflict between Confucianism and Taoism was large. The Records of the Grand Historian clearly said: “Those who study Laozi disparage Confucianism, Confucians disparage Taoism.” Why? Because their fundamental propositions differ. The author also wrote earlier that Taoism advocates anarchism. Confucianism is essentially a landlord class ideology, though with progressive elements. Including imperial policies: at the beginning of a dynasty, when the nation needs rest, it advocates Huang-Lao doctrine, grants power to local authorities, reduces taxes; in later periods, when the empire declines, centralization and Confucianism are emphasized. This is easy to understand.
Also in dealings with people, Confucianism emphasizes “knowing the impossible but doing it anyway,” while Taoism emphasizes “accepting fate.” There are many such points online. Thus, Confucianism and Taoism conflict significantly; generally, those who accept Confucianism tend to accept the unity of the three teachings.
The second layer is “How to view Buddhist teachings / Buddhism.” For the above question, many Taoists have a clear stance, but for this one, their positions are ambiguous. Some Taoists very much like to borrow Buddhist viewpoints to explain issues; others strongly reject Buddhism, emphasizing “Buddhism and Taoism are separate” and “each has their own path.” The author only briefly mentions this without judging right or wrong; interested readers can research by themselves, for example, “Laozi Transforms Hu” and the like (more armor stacked).
For example, regarding the final goal of cultivation, many think the two teachings are similar. But some Taoists believe Buddhist cultivation aims to enter Nirvana where one is unborn and undying in the afterlife. Taoism’s goal is “hoping to become a sage in this life, flying into the True Yang Immortal Realm, meaning eternal life without death.” These two differ. They believe the integration of Buddhism and Taoism is essentially a political struggle result. See also “Hua Sheng Xu” for detailed distinctions.
Regarding whether ancient and modern cultivators and thinkers are recognized:
Anciently, some look down on Qiu XX because Quanzhen Taoism stresses the unity of the three teachings but Qiu emphasized “having the way of health but no medicine of longevity,” showing he never learned the true transmission, though those involved in alchemy greatly admire him. Some disdain Zhang XX, believing he overemphasized Chan Buddhism, had a tragic end, thus never learned the true family teaching, though others highly respect him.
In modern times, some look down upon Nan XX, thinking he was speaking nonsense, while some recognize him; others look down on Chen XX, thinking he had no real skill, while others support him.
There are also stories like Tang dynasty Luo Gongyuan and Vajra Tripitaka, and conceptual differences regarding longevity and non-birth, emergence of the Yang spirit and intention-generated body, attachment and non-attachment, etc. The author feels he has said enough and will stop.
Overall, many Taoists often use Buddhist concepts to help understand Taoist contents, but many also oppose this, thinking it shows incomplete understanding.
The second point is differences in specific cultivation methods. Most modern Taoists practice specifically microcosmic and macrocosmic orbit cycles and alchemy. At most, they distinguish between internal alchemy and external alchemy.
However, a portion of people take a different path focusing on the physical body, emphasizing “longevity without aging.” They consider alchemy practitioners as not having learned well. To date, no alchemy practitioner has succeeded—aren’t they still aging and getting sick? Stop saying pretty words like “corpse liberation”; death is death.
So they also dislike Quanzhen; on one hand, Quanzhen likes alchemy; on the other hand, Wang Chongyang said their propositions were impossible, saying “Nowadays, people wanting not to die and leave the mundane world are great fools who don’t understand the Way.” They believe the so-called Yang spirit’s rising and ancient daytime ascension are not the same; the usual talk about “hundred-day foundation building, refining essence into qi, qi into spirit, spirit into emptiness, emptiness merging with the Way” is nonsense, fabricated later to deceive, fitting modern people’s “new product” tastes, like Buddhism with its rituals—anyway, you can’t attain longevity, so the alchemists don’t need to explain it much. They think this practice is too far from Taoism’s essence of “simplicity.” After all, the Huang Ting Jing says: “The way of nurturing life is simple and not complicated,” and Sima Qian wrote: “Taoism… is concise and easy to practice, few things, much benefit.”
Regarding specific methods, they believe modern socalled qigong, fetal breathing, breath control,吐纳 (breath regulation), meditation and visualization etc. are not the right path. They have some effect but do not reach the peak. They generally respect Lüzu and Ge Hong and oppose Buddhism. The author will not elaborate on their specific cultivation methods or paths.
Other conceptual differences among Taoists include: whether disciples find masters or masters find disciples, whether supernatural powers should be admired (some think supernatural powers are minor skills and admiring them is a path to failure, effectively cutting oneself off). There are too many, so the author won’t introduce them all; it would take days and nights.
Readers can see there are significant fundamental differences among various sects in this group, not smaller than conflicts between the Shanghan School and the Wenbing School.
Final Remarks
Finally, let me restate a few points:
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The author only talks about his own experiences and what his friends told him, not intending to generalize; just to give beginners a glimpse of this circle. The author does not judge right or wrong in many issues; readers should think for themselves. If you are interested in this community, be prepared and keep your eyes open. Please be cautious.
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The author is not willing to discuss Buddhist or Taoist medicine much. He has little experience with Buddhist medicine and not enough qualification to talk. For Taoist medicine, he knows many friends, so is cautious of offending anyone. Therefore, probably only this article will cover this topic; future mentions will scatter in other articles, not a dedicated issue.
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If you want to know more about traditional Chinese medicine or have different opinions, feel free to leave comments for discussion.