Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Author: Xue Gongchen, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: March 1, 2002
Features: The title of this book is "Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism in Traditional Chinese Medicine," which may provoke two points of contention: one is the conflation of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism and their arrangement, and the other is whether Confucianism and Taoism can be placed on par with Traditional Chinese Medicine. Some scholars are accustomed to referring to them as Confucianism, Taoism, and Hinayana Buddhism, or as Buddha-Lao-Kong, Lao-Kong-Buddha, etc. These terms, though not fundamentally incorrect, have the drawback of confusing cultural schools with their representative figures. According to schools of thought, they should be referred to as Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, or Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, or Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. According to founders and representative figures, they should be referred to as Kong, Lao, and Buddha, or Lao, Buddha, and Kong, or Buddha, Lao, and Kong. As for the arrangement of these three, it may vary depending on perspective, with differences in priority. This book refers to them as Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism based on the depth and breadth of their cultural influences on Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Others argue that Traditional Chinese Medicine is a science, while Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are religions, which are fundamentally opposed and cannot be placed on the same level. It is true that since the Sui and Tang dynasties, Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism have been collectively referred to as the "Three Teachings," with Taoism and Buddhism recognized as religions. Modern views on whether Confucianism is a religion vary, but none deny that it contains religious and superstitious elements, such as longing for divine will, worshipping idols, and advocating.
During the pre-Qin and early Han periods, Taoism did not regard the (God) or spirits as the rulers of all things, but it did not deny their existence, which is fundamentally at odds with science. As a science that studies and reveals the laws of the causes and changes of human physical and mental illnesses and their prevention and treatment methods, Traditional Chinese Medicine indeed maintains a strict boundary with religious superstition and should not be confused.