On Medicine, Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism

Author: Chief Editor: Xue Gongchen
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1999-01-01
Features: Excerpt: From the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, over the span of 2,000 years, how did the Confucian medical group come into being? Why had it not appeared before? Why did it not exist afterward? Clearly, this was the result of social and historical cultural development, reflecting whether Confucian thought held dominant status, and was also related to the circumstances, knowledge, and interests of individual physicians. After Confucius established the Confucian school in the late Spring and Autumn period, until the mid-Western Han Dynasty, over the course of three or four centuries, Confucianism was merely one among the "Hundred Schools of Thought." Although it was known as a "prestigious school" with a considerable number of followers, it did not receive special attention from the ruling class, and its social influence was far less than that of later periods. During this time, medical studies were in the formative stage. Existing medical texts and historical records indicate that Taoist thought was prominent in medicine at this time, while Confucian traces were not deeply evident. For example, in the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, the ideas of tranquility, emptiness, and natural non-action were ubiquitous, while the concepts of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness were rarely mentioned. A batch of medical bamboo texts unearthed from the Han tombs at Mawangdui in Hunan were also unrelated to Confucianism. Works such as Avoiding Grains and Cultivating Qi and Guiding Breathing Diagrams were clearly associated with Zhuangzi and the Yellow Emperor's Taoism. According to the Biographies of Bian Que and Cang Gong in the Records of the Grand Historian, prominent pre-Qin physicians such as Qin Yue and early Han physicians Yang Qing, Gongsun Guang, and Chunyu Yi were not Confucians. Gongsun Guang once recommended Chunyu Yi to Yang Qing's son, calling him "a sage Confucian." However, from the entire biography, Chunyu Yi showed no Confucian demeanor. True Confucian physicians had not yet emerged at this time. The Biographies of Confucius's Disciples and the Biographies of Confucian Scholars in the Records of the Grand Historian indicate that from the pre-Qin period to the early Han Dynasty, no Confucian studied or practiced medicine, and none of the physicians were Confucians.
Postscript: The postscript to this book is one of the outcomes of the research project "The Study of Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist Thought in Traditional Chinese Medicine," a part of the National Philosophy and Social Sciences "Nineth Five-Year Plan." The initial concept of the book was proposed by the project leader, who then discussed and refined it with the entire project team before implementation. Each member was responsible for researching and writing one or two topics, and after forming the preliminary drafts, they were further discussed, revised, and supplemented. Finally, the chief editor finalized the manuscript. During the compilation process, some manuscripts underwent significant changes. Several associate editors assisted the chief editor in numerous tasks. The book consists of 24 essays, broadly divided into four parts, each discussing Confucian, Taoist, Buddhist, and other related thoughts in traditional Chinese medicine. Each essay addresses a specific topic, relatively independent yet collectively forming a cohesive whole, aiming to reflect the full scope of Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist thought in traditional Chinese medicine and provide analysis. The authors and their respective contributions are as follows (in the order they appear in the book):
Xue Gongchen: Preface, On Confucian Physicians, Yellow Emperor's Taoist Thought in the Inner Canon
Qu Liemin: The Political Complexion of Confucian Physicians
Lin Yin: Medicine as an Art of Benevolence
Xu Yiming: Neo-Confucian Views on Filial Piety and Benevolence and Ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine
Sun Tong: The Influence of Confucian Middle Way on Traditional Chinese Medicine
Zhang Qicheng: On the Theoretical Intersection of Medicine and the I Ching
Sheng Liang, Tang Mingsheng, He Min: Brief Discussion of the Influence of the I Ching on Medicine
Mao Juntóng: On the Influence of Confucianism on the Theory of Moderation in Desire and Preservation of Essence in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Ma Yandong: From Xu Dachun's Medical Values to the Relationship Between Confucianism and Medicine
He Min, Sheng Liang, Tang Mingsheng: Medical Thought in Confucian Classics
Ji Wenhui: On Taoist Medicine
Ni Zheng: On the Taoist View of Life
Wu Changguo: An Initial Exploration of Taoist Thought on Immortality
Zhang Linnan: Daoism, Taoism, and Ancient Chinese Sex Medicine
Li Linnan: Medical Works in the Daozang
Shen Junlong: On Buddhist Physicians
Tang Mingsheng, He Min, Sheng Liang: On the Compassion of Physicians
Tang Mingsheng: The Influence of Buddhist Karma and Reincarnation on Physicians, Medical Ethics Norms in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Buddhist Precepts
Xu Jianyun: Buddhism and Medical Exchange Between China and the World
Wang Yueqing, Zhang Zongming: Buddhist Thought and Modern Science
Zhang Zongming: On the Influence of Confucian and Taoist Culture on the Development of Ancient Chinese Technology
Xue Jihui: Nursing in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism
During the writing process, the authors referred to relevant literature from ancient and modern China and abroad, incorporating existing research findings. All direct quotations and references in the text are marked with footnotes for readers to verify and cite. The authors form an organic collective. In terms of age, there is a mix of the elderly, middle-aged, and young; in terms of professional expertise, there is a balance of medical studies, natural sciences, social sciences, and philosophy; in terms of positions and titles, there is collaboration between leaders and the general staff, as well as between senior and mid-level professionals. Everyone worked together to complete the research and writing tasks. The publication of this book is inseparable from the support and care of relevant leaders and experts. The National and Jiangsu Provincial Philosophy and Social Sciences Planning Offices, the leadership of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the research department of our institution have always been concerned about the progress of this project, providing timely guidance. Professors Ren Dianlei, Wu Yunbo, and Zang Zaiyang of our institution, Professor Zhang Weifeng of Nanjing Medical University, Professor Zhou Jizhi and Professor Lu Yang of Nanjing University, Reviewer Yi Guangqian of the Chinese Medical Publishing House, and Senior Engineer Wang Huai (retired) have all provided invaluable support for the completion of this book in various ways. Especially noteworthy is the help of the renowned contemporary philosopher and religious scholar Ren Jiyou, who, despite his advanced age, took time out of his busy schedule to write a preface for this book. This is a great encouragement and motivation for the authors. In addition to the above leaders and experts, many colleagues from our institution and department have devoted selfless efforts to the completion of this book. Here, we sincerely express our gratitude to all the above leaders, experts, and colleagues.
Due to the limited ideological, academic, and writing capabilities of the authors, shortcomings and errors in the book are inevitable. We sincerely invite experts and readers to criticize and correct them.
By the Authors
December 20, 1997
Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine