Title: Deity Doctor Sun Si Miao
Description: "Yi Shen"
Description: "Yi Shen"
javewu - July 26, 2006 10:40 AM (GMT)
Sun Si Miao
Sun Si Miao was born in the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and practiced medicine into the Tang dynasty (618-907AD).
As a child Sun suffered from poor health and witnessed his family reduced to poverty from the cost of expensive medicinal drugs and treatment. This was a motivating factor for Sun to study medicine and healing.
At a very early age Sun mastered the Chinese classics memorizing over 1000 words per day. He studied the three major religions or schools of thought of Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism.
Through much of his own effort he regained his health by practicing qi cultivating exercises, practicing restraint and sound dietary habits, living to the ripe old age of 101. Throughout his life he extolled people to use food and exercise to first cure illness and restore balance and only use herbs as a last resort. He himself lived a simple life shunning fame and fortune, turning down court appointments offered by three successive emperors, preferring to work among the common people.
Sun Si Miao wrote extensively. His most famous texts are “Prescriptions worth a thousand pieces of gold.” And "Wings to Prescriptions worth a thousand pieces of gold”. Although well renowned as a herbalist and in China known as “Yao Wang” the Herb King, Sun was an all rounder and made many contributions to the fields of alchemy, acupuncture, dietary therapy and remedial exercises. Much of this information was included in the Japanese medical text “The Ishimpo”.
Possibly Sun’s most important legacy is in the realm of correct conduct for a physician that is as essential today as it was in Sun’s time. He emphasized that the superior physician should cultivate virtue and compassion and continue the study of the classics through life, should treat all patients alike; rich or poor, young or old, beautiful or ugly, Chinese or foreigners, should not brag about one’s success or deride other physicians.
Many of Sun’s ideas are echoed in Japanese acupuncture such as using both moxa and needles together to effect a cure. The use of moxa in heat conditions as well as cold. In Book 13 of “Prescriptions” Sun wrote “The Qi is rebellious and presses against the diaphragm, one feels suffocatingly hot, the chest is full, the heart has excess heat. The heart shu point. BL 15 should be moxad 7 chong. For difficult to treat conditions he advised the use of moxa to Gao Huang Shu and Zu San Li.
Sun reorganized the existing acupuncture charts and created the “cun” or body unit of measurement but was not bound by these as the following story about Sun illustrates.
A Magistrate in an adjoining province became ill and was losing the use his limbs. Various physicians had tried to cure him but to no avail. Knowing of Sun’s reputation he sent a messenger asking Sun to treat him. After questioning the magistrate and feeling his pulse he instructed the magistrate to remove his clothes and proceeded to palpate his back and shoulders. Sun’s hands stopped and began to apply pressure. The magistrate yelled out “Ah Shi” (That’s it!). Sun applied a needle to the point and the magistrate immediately began to feel better and recovered fully soon after.
Nowadays “Ah Shi” points are thought of by many practitioners as low level points to treat pain symptoms but as this story illustrates the points found by skillful palpation of the practitioner are those that will elicit the most profound effect.
Another story has Sun walking down a crowded street and encounters four men carrying a large box. A few drops of blood fall from the box and Sun inquires as to it’s contents. He is told that a young woman has died in the last stages of pregnancy. Sun instructs them to open the box and palpates the woman’s radial artery. “ This woman is not yet dead” proclaimed Sun. He inserted a needle into Spleen. The woman revived and went into labor, delivering a healthy child. Sun thus became famous for “Saving 2 lives with one needle”. When asked how he was able to achieve this he is said to have replied “Intention”.
Sun Si Miao was born in the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and practiced medicine into the Tang dynasty (618-907AD).
As a child Sun suffered from poor health and witnessed his family reduced to poverty from the cost of expensive medicinal drugs and treatment. This was a motivating factor for Sun to study medicine and healing.
At a very early age Sun mastered the Chinese classics memorizing over 1000 words per day. He studied the three major religions or schools of thought of Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism.
Through much of his own effort he regained his health by practicing qi cultivating exercises, practicing restraint and sound dietary habits, living to the ripe old age of 101. Throughout his life he extolled people to use food and exercise to first cure illness and restore balance and only use herbs as a last resort. He himself lived a simple life shunning fame and fortune, turning down court appointments offered by three successive emperors, preferring to work among the common people.
Sun Si Miao wrote extensively. His most famous texts are “Prescriptions worth a thousand pieces of gold.” And "Wings to Prescriptions worth a thousand pieces of gold”. Although well renowned as a herbalist and in China known as “Yao Wang” the Herb King, Sun was an all rounder and made many contributions to the fields of alchemy, acupuncture, dietary therapy and remedial exercises. Much of this information was included in the Japanese medical text “The Ishimpo”.
Possibly Sun’s most important legacy is in the realm of correct conduct for a physician that is as essential today as it was in Sun’s time. He emphasized that the superior physician should cultivate virtue and compassion and continue the study of the classics through life, should treat all patients alike; rich or poor, young or old, beautiful or ugly, Chinese or foreigners, should not brag about one’s success or deride other physicians.
Many of Sun’s ideas are echoed in Japanese acupuncture such as using both moxa and needles together to effect a cure. The use of moxa in heat conditions as well as cold. In Book 13 of “Prescriptions” Sun wrote “The Qi is rebellious and presses against the diaphragm, one feels suffocatingly hot, the chest is full, the heart has excess heat. The heart shu point. BL 15 should be moxad 7 chong. For difficult to treat conditions he advised the use of moxa to Gao Huang Shu and Zu San Li.
Sun reorganized the existing acupuncture charts and created the “cun” or body unit of measurement but was not bound by these as the following story about Sun illustrates.
A Magistrate in an adjoining province became ill and was losing the use his limbs. Various physicians had tried to cure him but to no avail. Knowing of Sun’s reputation he sent a messenger asking Sun to treat him. After questioning the magistrate and feeling his pulse he instructed the magistrate to remove his clothes and proceeded to palpate his back and shoulders. Sun’s hands stopped and began to apply pressure. The magistrate yelled out “Ah Shi” (That’s it!). Sun applied a needle to the point and the magistrate immediately began to feel better and recovered fully soon after.
Nowadays “Ah Shi” points are thought of by many practitioners as low level points to treat pain symptoms but as this story illustrates the points found by skillful palpation of the practitioner are those that will elicit the most profound effect.
Another story has Sun walking down a crowded street and encounters four men carrying a large box. A few drops of blood fall from the box and Sun inquires as to it’s contents. He is told that a young woman has died in the last stages of pregnancy. Sun instructs them to open the box and palpates the woman’s radial artery. “ This woman is not yet dead” proclaimed Sun. He inserted a needle into Spleen. The woman revived and went into labor, delivering a healthy child. Sun thus became famous for “Saving 2 lives with one needle”. When asked how he was able to achieve this he is said to have replied “Intention”.
suumaamiyamoto - September 23, 2006 01:50 AM (GMT)
Thanks for putting in english/translating.
“Yao Wang” reminds of cantonese speaking "Yao Mang". (Have Life)
“Yao Wang” reminds of cantonese speaking "Yao Mang". (Have Life)
javewu - September 23, 2006 02:46 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE (suumaamiyamoto @ Sep 23 2006, 10:50 AM) |
| Thanks for putting in english/translating. “Yao Wang” reminds of cantonese speaking "Yao Mang". (Have Life) |
Welcome my bro,
But in actual fact, Yao Wang do involved in Yao Ming (wanting live).
Sick people approached doctors in-order to seek for treatment, so all sick patients are wanting their lives back in-order to live on. :P
Flying Phoenix - September 23, 2006 05:46 AM (GMT)
《养生铭》written by Sun Simiao.
怒甚偏伤气，思多太损神。
神疲心易疫，气弱病来侵。
勿使悲欢极，当令饮食均。
再三防夜醉，第一戒晨嗔。
亥寝鸣天鼓，寅兴漱玉津。
妖邪难侵犯，精气自全身。
若要无诸病，常当节五辛。
安神宜悦乐，惜气保和纯。
寿夭休论命，修行在本人。
倘能遵此理，平地可朝真。
怒甚偏伤气，思多太损神。
神疲心易疫，气弱病来侵。
勿使悲欢极，当令饮食均。
再三防夜醉，第一戒晨嗔。
亥寝鸣天鼓，寅兴漱玉津。
妖邪难侵犯，精气自全身。
若要无诸病，常当节五辛。
安神宜悦乐，惜气保和纯。
寿夭休论命，修行在本人。
倘能遵此理，平地可朝真。