In Korean medicine, Jing, Qi, and Shen (Essence, Vital Energy, and Spirit) are considered the fundamental components of the human being. They are often likened to a candle: Jing is the body of the candle, Qi is the flame, and Shen is the light radiating from the flame. Jing refers to the essential life substance…
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The concept of Cheon-in-sang-eung (天人相應) is interpreted as “the mutual correspondence between Heaven and Man.” Here, Heaven (天) refers to the laws of nature or the universe. It suggests that humans and nature interact, respond, transform, and resemble each other. Unlike Western philosophy, which tends to separate humans from nature and sees nature as an…
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This year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to scientists who uncovered the mechanisms of the biological clock. The concept of the biological clock posits that all living organisms perceive light and, based on that, set an internal time. This time then governs various physiological activities to maintain optimal health. In the East,…
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In Oriental medicine, physiological and pathological phenomena are explained using principles such as “Sounds of the same frequency resonate” (同聲相應) and “People of the same energy attract each other” (同氣相求), applying these to clinical treatment. For example, it’s commonly believed that eating animal liver benefits the human liver, or that walnuts, which resemble the brain…
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Over 2,400 years ago, a physician named Bian Que was said to be able to see through a person’s internal organs just by looking at them, much like how a CT or MRA scan works today. This ability to diagnose illness based on outward appearance was called “divine” (神), while diagnosing through questioning was considered…
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In the Book of Changes (Yi Jing), there is a concept that reads, “Order is governed by principle, energy, image, and number, with imagery at its foundation” (理氣象數, 以象爲本). In Eastern philosophy, all things in the universe are believed to exist through the combination of “li” (理; principle) and “qi” (氣; vital energy). “Li” refers…
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In Eastern cosmology, Wuji (無極) refers to a state in which only energy is gathered, before all things in the universe are born. Taiji (太極) represents the moment when waves (or vibration) are finally born from this Wuji state. In other words, Taiji is the expression of Wuji, the emergence of energy manifesting in harmony,…
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In the Huangdi Neijing, there is a saying: “To treat disease, seek the root, and the root lies in Yin and Yang (治病求本, 本於陰陽).” This means that when treating a disease, one must find its root cause, and that root is found in the balance of Yin and Yang. Treatment is not about suppressing or…
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Yin and Yang refer to the ancient observation of opposing yet complementary phenomena in nature. Examples include heaven and earth, sun and moon, day and night, summer and winter, male and female, up and down, fire and water, life and death. The world of phenomena cannot exist without these relative oppositions. For instance, what if…
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3. Yin and Yang in Equilibrium – Homeostasis Yin and Yang are opposing concepts, yet they are inseparable and interdependent. In traditional Korean medicine, Jing (Essence) is a tangible fluid and belongs to Yin, while Qi (Vital Energy) is intangible but constantly circulates throughout the body and is classified as Yang. Jing and Qi, Qi…
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