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17th September 2011
Discourse on the Similarities Between the Use of Herbal Medicine and Tactics in War
Discourse on the Similarities Between the Use of Herbal Medicine and Tactics in War
XU Dachun (1693-1771) / Translation: Aka
The Sages were able to sustain the lives of their people through the following: the five grains to nourish, the five fruits to assist, the five livestock to benefit, and the five vegetables to fill. As for toxic herbs, they were used to combat pathogens. Even with [herbs such as] Gancao, Renshen, improper use would lead to harm, [since they] still belong to toxic herbs. In antiquity, people who practiced consumption of pills(1) would inevitably have many ailments befall [them]. This was similar to people who were eager to engage and prove themselves in war, [they] inevitably would be met with many disasters. Therefore, the purpose of keeping an army is to eliminate those who are vile and cruel, and [it] should not be deployed unless absolutely necessary. The purpose of preparing herbs is to fight disease, also not to be used unless absolutely necessary. The way of both is the same.
The problem with disease is that a minor one will injure the essence, and a severe one can harm one’s life, as if it is a potential enemy state. By using the specific properties of plants to fight the specific excesses of the Zang Fu organs, [one] will then be able to become as familiar with one’s enemy as one does with oneself, use many methods to defeat it, as well as avert the danger of death. Therefore, with a pathogen that is being transmitted through the channels, one must first control where it has not yet reached, which would effectively cut off the enemy’s vital passageway. For diseases that are severe and acute, one must act quickly to protect that which has not taken ill; this is the same as safeguarding one’s defense fortresses. For those who are sick due to stagnant food, eliminate the food, which would be the same as destroying the enemy’s food storage. Those who become sick and already have a preexisting illness, it is vital to prevent them from becoming combined. This is the same as eliminating the undercover enemy agents in one’s own camps. To correctly identify the diseased channels and not use herbs haphazardly, this can be viewed as an army being led by a guide. Identifying heat and cold, then using contrary methods to treat [them], this is considered alienating the enemy troops against one another. To treat different parts of one disease separately, one can employ the method of using one to defeat many, and cause [the enemy] to be unable to connect between its own camps, which would weaken its momentum. When treating many diseases together, then one should combine one’s forces and attack the enemy’s control center, which would disperse the enemy and take away its leader, causing it to fall into shambles. When the disease is first entering [the body], avoid where it is the strongest, but instead secure one’s Yuanqi, and thereby leisurely wait for it to weaken. When the disease is starting to recede, then one must chase the retreating troops, gather and sharpen one’s weapons and head straight for the source.
If one is deficient and has a pathogen, then the attacking tactics cannot be overly aggressive. Use harmonizing herbs as a base and supplement them with harsher herbs. This is the same as when a country is in decline, do not further exhaust its resources to their entirety. If one has an excess pathogen, then the attacks must be quick and strong. Use harsh and powerful herbs, and harmonize them with milder herbs. This is the same as for a rich country, one can further strengthen its fighting power. However, the selection of herbs must be appropriate, the tools used must be in good condition, the timing must not be delayed, [and] the methods employed must have purpose. The ways are numerous and cannot be all included in here. In the thirteen Chapter’s of Sun Zi’s Art of War, the ways to treat diseases are fully explored.
(1) Refers to the practice of Daoist priests to consume pills made from a variety herbs, often including cinnabar, which the priests believed would provide benefits such as prolonging life and nourishing the essence.
T/N: Translated 8/31/11 for Dr. Baibing Zhu @ACTCM
Copyright 8/31/11 by Sze Kwan Chan.
用药如用兵论
徐大椿（清）
圣人之所以全民生也，五谷为养，五果为助，五畜为益，五菜为充。而毒药则以之攻邪，故虽甘草、人参，误用致害，皆毒药之类也。古人好服食者，必生奇疾，犹之好战胜者，必有奇殃。是故兵之设也以除暴，不得已而后兴；药之设也以攻疾，亦不得已而后用，其道同也。
故病之为患也，小则耗精，大则伤命，隐然一敌国也。以草木偏性，攻脏腑之偏胜，必能知彼知己。多方以制之，而后无丧身殒命之忧。是故传经之邪，而先夺其未至，则所以断敌之耍道也；横暴之疾，而急保其未病，则所以守我之岩疆也。挟宿食而病者，先除其食，则敌之资粮已焚；合旧疾而发者，必防其并，则敌之内应既绝。办经络而无泛用之药，此之谓向导之师；因寒热而有反用之方，此之谓行间之术。一病而分治之，则用寡可以胜众，使前后不相救，而势自衰；数病而合治之，则并力捣其中坚，使离散无所统，而众悉溃。病方进，则不治其太甚，固守元气，所以老其师；病方衰，则必穷其所之，更益精锐，所以捣其穴。
若夫虚邪之体，攻不可过，本和平之药，而以峻药补之，衰敝之日不可穷民力也；实邪之伤，攻不可缓，用峻厉之药，而以常药和之，富强之国可以振威武也。然而选材必当，器械必良，克期不愆，布阵有方，此又不可更仆数也。孙武子十三篇，治病之法尽之矣。
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12th September 2011
Water-Toned Melody*
Water-Toned Melody*
(Translation: Aka)When will the Moon pay a visit?
I raise my wine
and inquired the heavens.
What time of year is it now
in the paradise of the gods
hidden amidst the clouds?I wish to ride the wind
and ascend to my abode above
up where the gods live
yet I fear
those lonely heights
are too frigid for me to bear.
A sole dancer flaunts her
exquisite silhouette,
I wonder, are we still
among the material world?The moon peers pass
decorated pavilions, through
lowered flower-sewn screens,
at those who lay awake,
hearts too-filled with thought.I should not be resentful
yet,
why is the Moon always full
when we are departing?Alas, for us mortal beings,
there shall always be
sadness mixed with joy,
departure then reunion,
just as the moon
waxes and wanes -
never would all be perfect.Thus my wish is simply that
we remain side by side,
simply that I may
travel my life’s journey
with my beloved – You.--------------------------------------------------------------------------
T/N 9/12/11: *Technically this should be “Shui Diao Ge Tou,” which is the melody that this song was supposed to be sung to. Many of the melodies from the Song dynasty were lost. What we have today are merely the lyrics to these ancient songs, which we read as poems. HAPPY MOON FESTIVAL!!!
水調歌頭
(蘇東坡)明月幾時有？把酒問青天。 不知天上宮闕，今夕是何年？ 我欲乘風歸去，又恐瓊樓玉宇， 高處不勝寒！起舞弄清影，何似在人間？ 轉朱閣，低綺戶，照無眠。 不應有恨，何事長向別時圓？ 人有悲歡離合，月有陰晴圓缺，此事古難全。 但願人長久，千里共嬋娟。
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11th September 2011
I Love My City
"I Love New York" or other versions of the same message are scribbled all over various sourvenirs one can pick up anywhere around the city. But I don't think anyone really understands it as much as New Yorkers who truly belong to and love the city.
It's the 10th anniversary, but it still feels like 9/11 happened not too long ago, though I'm thankful that it's far enough away in memory that I can actually think about it now. Usually on this day I light a candle. Not really for anything or to anyone, but just to light it, and remind myself of that day, when we all huddled around each other, sharing, in those hours of silent panic, an incredible sense of grief. It's one of those few moments in life when you know exactly what is running through the minds of the people next to you. It was almost tangible in the air around us.
I wrote about my personal experiences when this happened in a previous post so I'm not going to go into that again. The weeks after the attack we were all still shell-shocked and probably all suffered from some sort of PTSD. This was the record of a dream that I had a few weeks after the attacks. I guess it was partly due to survivor's guilt. I kept on thinking about what must have gone through the minds of people who were on the planes and who were around/in the towers.
"Around 9/25/01
This was from a long way back… also at the same time (nap) and of course I woke up extremely emotional, especially since it was about one or two weeks after 9/11. I died twice in this one. Or at least I could see death in two perspectives. I was on the plane the first time. I felt the entire plane tilt, everything flying everywhere and cargo running back and forth. I could see the cityscape approaching slowly, then the plane tilted into it and fell at accelerated speed and everyone was screaming and crying. Only thing I remembered feeling was “so this was how it was like…” and also a kind of emotional numbness… as if I was trying to put this outside of myself so I wouldn’t feel it.
The second time was in the subway. I was just, there, still with memories of the previous dream. All of a sudden everyone started screaming and running out of it. It was chaotic. I ran out with the people and raised my head and saw that there was a plane coming down quickly toward the part of town we were in. I just stared at it for a time, then thought a little. Despite it looked as if it was coming down fast it was taking a while to get here. Then I scattered with everyone else. I remembered contemplating about the plane and how people on the plane must had felt and the chaotic scene around me. Then buildings started coming down and everything started to fall into ruins."
In tragedy we bonded, in solidarity we prayed, in remembrance we remain. We all move on because we have to, but we will never forget that day. Even though I'm on the other coast right now, I'll always be a New Yorker, no matter where I end up. I was listening to the radio today and someone mentioned how New Yorkers are different from the rest of the country. While everyone else is using 9/11 as their reason/excuse for being patriotic/angry/fearful, etc, New Yorkers just shrug and say "whatever." It's not that we don't care, but it's that we don't want to use this incident, so sacred and so painful, so dear and so personal, as a means to achieve any goal. It just - IS. And fade as it will with the ages, it shall never be forgotten by those of us who shared it.
(photo courtesy of the Fong family)
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Sze K. Aka Chan's Posterous
歸去，也無風雨也無晴。
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