TCM · The Five Movements and Six Qi · Atmospheric Warming (Part II)
What is humankind to do?
In the face of Nature's changes — in the face of Nature's regular changes — what is humankind to do? Change the rotation of the Earth? Adjust the Earth's distance from the Sun? Pull off a few layers of the atmosphere's warm blanket? Let the evaporation of the sea drain the heat beyond the atmosphere? Pour ocean water into the crust to cool the magma? Pipe the cold of the Moon to the Earth? All of this could only happen in myth or science fiction. Up to now, humankind has nowhere near that much daoxing.
Imagine in cloudy weather, ten thousand people gathered to blow with all their strength — they cannot blow open a patch of blue sky. In blazing sun, even with the literary exaggeration of "sweat falling like rain," however many people there are, they cannot wet the ground. "Man can conquer Heaven" is only a twisted reading; "as bold as the man, so big the field's yield" has long become the laughingstock of history. The blue sky and white clouds of the "11th of October" celebrating the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic were the inevitable result of yangming dry-metal as host-and-guest qi. To credit it to the 400-plus rockets fired in Mentougou at 6 a.m. that day is to claim Heaven's work as one's own — has one even forgotten the old saying "look southeast in the morning, look northwest at evening"?
So then, what is humankind to do?
The point that fundamentally distinguishes humankind from other animals is this: we are not only born of Heaven and Earth, not only living among them — we can in turn come to know Heaven and Earth. On the basis of knowing Heaven and Earth and exploring their laws, we accord with Heaven and Earth and keep harmony with them. This is what Chinese medicine does; this is what our ancestors did; this, we think, is what humankind ought to do.
When in spring we have sown the seed, there is no need to pull at the sprout to help it grow. What we can do is fertilize, weed, water, and remove pests; when autumn comes, the joy of harvest comes of itself.
Reluctant though we are, ever-grasping at more advanced scientific means though we are, in the end we cannot "lift ourselves off the Earth by pulling at our own hair." Let us, then, plant our feet on the ground.
A second thought on atmospheric warming
That we humans are indeed wrecking the environment of our own survival is beyond dispute. Human conduct has become unintelligible, shameful, and intolerable to humans themselves.
When we have endured the atomic blasts of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the scorched-earth bombing of Korea, the carpet bombing of Vietnam; when we have seen the body bombs of Iraq, the disaster of America's 9/11 — we can no longer stay silent; we feel sad for ourselves. We do not know which of these added oxygen to the air, which lowered the temperature of the land. The roar of aircraft and tanks — how many cars does it equal? The whistle of missiles and cannon — how much yellow sand does it outdo? Such emissions — with how much money could they be bought back? We call for environmental protection; we call still more for peace.
Harmony is what Nature requires of humankind. To go against the law, to do things backwards, is to bring on a humanity-wide disaster yet deeper. What we are now aware of is still only the need to clean air and water — yet humankind's "doings" against the law go far beyond this. The demons we ourselves have let loose are eyeing humankind's happiness, gnawing at the harmony with Nature.
The "miracle weapon" of antagonistic drugs that humans regard as a wonder breaks the balance of microbial populations within the body and in Nature. If the abuse continues, microbial-population pollution is inevitable. The rampage of H1N1 has already shown us that viral mutation will only grow more complex, broader-spectrum, and faster. Take this further — give it time — and humankind's capacity to combat viruses with vaccines will weaken too. The day will come when it is as it is today with antibiotics and viruses: we cannot kill them, and we have run out of moves. By that time, throwing money at the problem will help nothing. People with disordered microbial populations from long-term drug abuse are no longer rare today; community-level microbial-population pollution is already showing — especially in large, sprawling cities, where such problems will appear earlier. The terror of microbial-population pollution will far exceed the pollution of air and water, and its remediation will be unimaginably hard.
What we must first remedy is humankind's own conduct that violates Nature's laws. What we must ultimately achieve is harmony with Nature. From family harmony, national harmony, world harmony — on to harmony with Nature. "Man can conquer Heaven" should not be twisted into "humans must defeat Heaven." It says rather that humankind's harmony and stability will surely bring Nature's perfect return.
The objectively existing law — when has it ever yielded to subjective will? "Me to me, you to me, all to me, Nature even more to me" — when "people first" is quietly swapped for "self first," humankind is not far from the demon.
In Heaven there is wealth, but it cannot buy life; in the world there are medicines, but none cures stupidity. The greatest stupidity is to act against Heaven. To go against the law, to think oneself right, is to be punished in the end by the law.
Appendix 1
#### Climate Characteristics and Yangsheng Notes for the Gengyin Year [2010]
The gengyin year has shaoyang minister-fire ruling Heaven and jueyin wind-wood at-the-spring. Yi and geng transform into metal — originally year-metal in excess — but, restrained by the ruling-Heaven fire qi, it becomes a year of balanced metal-movement. In general, the harvest will be normal, with rice and nuts faring particularly well. Autumn winds will be many, the sky high and the air crisp — though sudden cool snaps may occur.
For the whole year, the first half is hot-dominated, the second half marked by variability. The year as a whole runs warmer, with larger and more unstable swings. Because fire qi runs heavy, where heat reaches its extreme, cold qi must rebound — sudden cold turns will appear, and people will easily develop outer-heat-inner-cold patterns. Just because cold and hot come and go, with empty-and-full both present, and disease arises sharply and changes quickly, treatment should adopt timely harmonization — harmonize rather than contend. This is the principle of medicine for the year.
First qi (Great Cold to before Spring Equinox, around January 20 to March 20): host qi jueyin wind-wood; guest qi shaoyin sovereign-fire. The ruling-Heaven fire, plus the guest fire, mean that during wind-heavy season the climate runs warm — "the season turns greatly warm; grass and trees flower early"; and "cold comes but does not cut" — even occasional cold spells will not damage the plants. People's illnesses in this stretch are mostly warmth-illnesses: qi pent up above, liver-fire rising in counter-flow; easy to develop blood overflow, headache, red eyes, cough-and-counter-flow, and the like. Yangsheng centers on calming liver qi, nourishing liver yin, and dispelling wind-heat.
Second qi (Spring Equinox to before Grain Full, around March 20 to May 20): host qi shaoyin sovereign-fire; guest qi taiyin damp-earth. Unlike the windy, dry springs of years past, this stretch is marked by lingering spring rain, with damp and warmth alternating. Fire qi is choked by damp qi; heat is pent up above; easy to develop cough, asthma, vomiting with counter-flow, skin sores, and the like. Yangsheng centers on avoiding damp. Prefer bitter, damp-drying, fire-clearing foods.
Third qi (Grain Full to before Great Heat, around May 20 to July 20): with the year's ruling-Heaven qi being shaoyang minister-fire, this stretch's host and guest qi are both shaoyang minister-fire — three fires stacked, so "scorching summer-heat arrives." The climate is especially hot, with no more rain-and-damp weather; illness arises mostly from inner heat. Eat plenty of cooling, summer-heat-relieving, fluid-engendering, fire-descending foods. Outdoor workers should mind sun protection.
Fourth qi (Great Heat to before Autumn Equinox, around July 20 to September 20): host qi taiyin damp-earth; guest qi yangming dry-metal. The climate turns cool, with more rain and changeable weather, alternating cold and warm. Illness comes mostly from damp entrapment. When the metal-wind brings crispness, people will feel relatively comfortable. Yangsheng centers on avoiding damp; eat plenty of bitter melon, Job's-tears, and the like.
Fifth qi (Autumn Equinox to before Light Snow, around September 20 to November 20): host qi yangming dry-metal; guest qi taiyang cold-water. Yang heat has already gathered in; cold qi arrives; rain is still plentiful; trees wither early. With autumn taking on winter's task, the climate runs slightly colder than in past years — guard against cold and stay warm.
Terminal qi (Light Snow to before Great Cold, around November 20 to January 20 of the next year): host qi taiyang cold-water; guest qi jueyin wind-wood. Because the year's at-the-spring qi is also jueyin wind-wood, wind qi runs heavy; sand and haze hang in the air; cold and hot alternate more often; with winter taking on spring's task, what should be cold is not cold, and plants sprout early. People will run heavy in liver qi, easy to develop qi-stasis and blood-stasis; with wood qi reversing onto lung metal, cough and the like may appear. Yangsheng centers on supplementing the spleen and clearing the lung — eat plenty of Chinese yam, lily bulb, and sour-flavor liver-nourishing foods.
In sum: watch the cold-hot changes through the year, and act in good time to prevent trouble before it begins.
Appendix 2
#### Climate Characteristics and Yangsheng Notes for the Jichou Year [2009]
By the calculations of the Huangdi Neijing, 2009 — the jichou year — has taiyin damp-earth ruling Heaven and taiyang cold-water at-the-spring; the climate runs damp-and-cold-dominated. Jichou is a year of "earth-movement deficient," but with help from the year-fortune it forms balanced earth qi. At the same time, however, it is a Taiyi Tianfu year — meaning the whole year's climate changes are extremely unstable, and illness presents more acute and severe than in other years. The seasonal climate changes are broadly as follows:
First qi (January 20 – March 19): host and guest qi both jueyin wind-wood. The weather turns from cold to warm; mild wind and bright sun; spring returns to the earth; the ten thousand things flourish — though rainfall runs slightly short. Illness is scarce; the chief one is liver-qi runs heavy. Because the liver governs the sinews, sinew-tightness and joint trouble are easy. Mind soothing the liver and regulating the qi; avoid anger and impatience. Small doses of Wuji Baifeng Wan, Jiawei Xiaoyao Wan, and the like may be taken.
Second qi (March 20 – May 20): host and guest qi both shaoyin sovereign-fire. The climate runs warm; rains come in their season; people feel much at ease. But because warmth-evil is easy to take in, flu epidemics may occur in all regions. Illness is chiefly fever, sweating, thirst. Mind clearing inner heat and guarding against colds. Take Liugan No. 1 or similar to pre-empt, or drink, daily, water boiled with mung bean, baimaogen, rock sugar, and water chestnut. One may also eat plenty of watermelon, orange, and other fruit.
Third qi (May 21 – July 22): host qi shaoyang minister-fire; guest qi taiyin damp-earth. The climate is broadly normal, with more rain than usual; cold and hot interleaved. With damp evil running heavy, people easily develop full-body soreness-and-heaviness, lower-leg edema, chest fullness and abdominal distension. One should use methods of pungent-opening and bitter-descending, balancing cold and hot, sweating and promoting urination — to warm the cold and dry the damp. Add and shed clothing with the weather; do not change into summer clothing too early.
Fourth qi (July 23 – September 22): host qi taiyin damp-earth; guest qi shaoyang minister-fire. The climate is hot by day, cool morning and evening; rain runs slightly more than usual. Damp evil still dominates — easy to develop abdominal-wall edema and full-body swelling. Treatment-and-prevention is broadly the same as in the third qi: emphasize sweating, urination, warming the centre, clearing heat, and drying damp. Eat plenty of bitter foods.
Fifth qi (September 23 – November 21): host and guest qi both yangming dry-metal. The climate runs slightly cool; cold frost descends early; the west wind grows still and severe; trees wither. People easily develop cough with chills, nasal congestion and runny nose, and skin rashes. Mind staying warm and avoiding cold; do not "endure autumn cold" too far. Tonify the heart-fire and support the yang in good time; gaofang paste tonics for nourishing face and essence — usually started at Beginning of Winter — should be advanced to around the October 1st holiday.
Sixth qi (November 22 – January 20, 2010): host and guest qi both taiyang cold-water. The climate is especially cold; yin clouds do not break; frost congeals into ice; snow freezes hard. People easily develop joint stiffness, lower-back vertebral pain, kidney-disease back pain. Prevention first: at the time of the fifth qi already begin tonifying; eat plenty of beef, mutton, chicken, and other warming foods, and prepare cold-weather wear early.
In sum: in a year dominated by cold-and-damp, focus on warming the cold and drying the damp. Particularly after entering winter, "one must lend strength to the yang-fire, to withstand the great cold." In spring, focus on clearing heat and going out less, to avoid epidemic disease.
The above is a forecast made on the theory of the Huangdi Neijing; whether it is accurate awaits everyone's observation and experience.