Modern science strongly influences people. Today, people enjoy modern civilization while suffering from new diseases. The basis of modern science is direct observation. Founded on tangible objects that we can see, modern science applies qualitative and quantitative methods of examination.
As advanced as we are today, if we calmly look at the history of human civilization, objectively analyze archaeological discoveries, and carefully reconsider the unknown phenomena, we will conclude that the present-day scientific research is only one of many possible paths of exploration.
It is a fallacy to believe that ours is the only human civilization that ever existed. Many discoveries have demonstrated that other prehistoric civilizations existed. To more thoroughly explore and understand our surroundings and the universe in which we live, we must acknowledge that other scientific methods exist, probably completely different from our own.
If we stubbornly reject other possible methods, we are allowing our emotions to restrict us rather than having a truly scientific mindset. If we break through our postnatally acquired notions, concepts, and conditioning, we will surely find a more evolved science.
Some people say that our lives are so much better than those of ancient people. It seems that we cannot fathom that people were happy in ancient times.
Actually, ancient people were happy. Ancient people were attuned to nature—the green mountains, the blue water, flying birds, and white clouds. They were carefree. They experienced a kind of liberation, existing in a realm in which one is attuned with heaven’s plan.
That was real happiness—deep, continuous, peaceful, and comfortable. Such happiness solidly nurtures one’s heart and body.
The five flavors must be balanced; one cannot get attached to any single one.
In modern civilization, human beings have been weighed down with increasing numbers of modern diseases. How do we approach this issue? Only by letting go of attachments to modern science and modern civilization will we be able to understand and solve the problem.Imbalances in Yin and Yang
Ancient Chinese culture believed that the interaction between yin and yang created the universe and all matter.The movement of the universe, including all matter, follows the rule of mutual-generation and the balance of yin and yang. The human body is a small universe. While it has its own pattern of movement, it is also related to the entire universe.
The ancients had many sayings that were meant to instruct people about the relationship between fostering life and the changes of the seasons. Here are a few of the sayings:
Life must be orderly and in harmony with the changes of yin and yang every single moment.
The ancients also said that a person who gathers the qi of yang should spend his time outdoors during the day. As the sun rises in the morning, qi appears. Qi is at its height at noon and fades out in the afternoon.
The qi gate is closed after dark, so one should not be active and disturb the tendons and bones after sunset. If one reverses this time schedule, one’s body will suffer.
It is clear that if one’s activities are against the laws of the seasons and the yin and yang of the day, the human body will be in turmoil. The result is an imbalance of qi and blood and may result in illness. Aren’t today’s nightlife and other pleasures all out of harmony with the changes of yin and yang in the universe?
The ancients said that most illnesses are caused by being alert in the early morning, drowsy during the day, stimulated in the late afternoon, and active at night.
This means that one’s symptoms have a certain relationship with the changes of yin and yang. Many people have experienced this, which is also confirmed by modern medicine .
The ancients knew the Dao, followed yin and yang, and abided by metaphysical rules. They were restrained in their eating habits, awoke and slept regularly, and never strained themselves in their work. They lived their lives to the predestined time, frequently living more than 100 years.
Many of today’s people are different. They drink alcohol and indulge themselves in abnormal activities. When they are drunk, they exhaust their vital energy.
Part II
Ancient people believed that the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth compose all matter in the universe, including that of the physical body.Ancient people believed that the five flavors must be balanced, and one cannot get attached to any single one. The five grains provide the main nutrients. The five fruits provide assistance. The five types of livestock provide benefits. The five vegetables provide supplements.
This means that the body needs to be fed a balance of nutrients, and one should not favor one particular food.
If any of the five flavors are not balanced, it will cause a certain ailment. If one eats too much salty food, the pulse will be blocked, and one’s complexion will change.
If one eats too much bitter food, the skin will be withered, and the hair will fall out. If one eats too much spicy food, the tendons will protrude and the hands will atrophy.
If one eats too much sour food, the muscles will waste away, and the lips will become pale. If one eats too much sweet food, the bones will ache, and hair will fall out.
Nowadays, people emphasize a balanced diet, but the food they take in is already imbalanced. For example, ancient people talked about the five grains: wheat, broomcorn, millet, rice, and beans. How many people today can find all five of these grains? Actually, the five flavors mentioned by ancient people were a basic concept for ancient nutritional science. Its concepts are much broader than those of today’s nutritional science.
Modern nutritional science understands that there are more than 20 nutritional elements, many vitamins, trace elements, protein, calcium, phosphate, and so on. Actually, the composition of lives in the universe is very complicated and is not as simple as what is known by modern science.
Modern nutritional science refers to unidentified nutritional elements as unknown factors. There are many unknown nutritional factors. It is believed that a number of physical symptoms are caused by an imbalanced diet. Simply supplementing with certain nutrients, such as calcium, zinc, or the like, cannot cure them.
Ancient people believed that the human body constitutes a universe. From the macroscopic perspective, we can understand and deal with the human body based on yin, yang, and the five elements.
We can explain the physical phenomena of our body based on the movements of qi, blood, and energy channels, as well as the interaction between the five elements and the balance of yin and yang.
Modern medical science knows that the human body is a very complicated system, but it only studies the surface and the associated phenomena. Its understanding of the human body is discrete and superficial. Its treatments are also very direct and shallow.
Because it targets the surface, the effects are seen on the surface and easily accepted by people. But it cannot cure the root causes of illnesses.
In modern society, everything focuses on productivity and efficiency. In agriculture, there are many new hybrid crops and livestock. These usually have a short life cycle and grow very fast. Both crops and livestock are mass-produced.
Based on traditional views, crops and livestock grown in such a way surely did not absorb enough essence of heaven and earth. If you analyze their protein and energy levels, you might find they are not low. But they all have imbalanced “five flavors.” When people eat such foods, they will be unbalanced in “five flavors.”
People often say that free-range chicken is tasty and rich in nutrition. Industrially produced crops or livestock are all distorted.
Based on the principle of “mutual generation and mutual inhibition,” with accelerated growth, other properties, such as nutrition, must decline. Thus the nutritional level and overall quality of such food can never match that of naturally produced food. As the cycle of mass production continues, the differences will become even greater.
Similarly, cultured ginseng can never be compared to natural ginseng. If people continue to eat artificially engineered foods, what will be the consequences?
