To have physical form is to have disease. Why you might ask? Beside an obvious answer that a physical body is subject to decay and change another response is because of the natural imbalance of physical life forms. Our bodies are comprised of the four elements of earth, water, air, and fire. That may sound a tad bit ancient or even suspiciously superstitious and certainly not the language of modern medicine. Remember though we are not talking about the modern practice of medicine, diagnosing specific illnesses, prescribing complex and expensive medicines.
Yet, even modern medicine using a new language of strange words and chemicals, fancy and exotic equipment, still fundamentally is trying to overcome the imbalance of the four elements in our bodies, trying to overcome the causes of our illnesses. Too much blood pressure is water out of balance, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, COPD, is a function of earth and air, arthritis a function of earth, fever a function of fire which needs to be maintained within a certain range for our bodies to be healthy.
The four elements are to begin with in opposition to each other even outside out bodies. Fire and water, earth and wind, are naturally opposites and are in a constant struggle. Chih-I compares the struggle between the four elements to four neighboring countries who are constantly at war with each other. As long as the strength of each country is relatively the same then there is a peace or rather a sensation of hostilities for a period of time. The moment one country has an advantage then it will attack the weakness thus war resumes.
Whether you think in terms such as these, earth, wind, fire, water, isn’t critical however it should be remembered that any treatment for disease is an attempt to get your body in a harmonious state. We could say that clogged arteries are a condition of death and water waring with each other, though, again, you don’t need to use those terms. When you either have a procedure to clear out the arteries or take a medication the intent is to remove the blockage so your blood flows freely.
Dietary guidelines are an attempt to offer suggestions for the better maintenance of the harmony of the four elements in your body. Or in modern terms they are suggested so that your body’s good health is maintained.
When we become ill our first thought isn’t always, what’s out of balance. Most times it probably is I need to take something to make the pain or discomfort or condition to go away. Whether you doctor uses terms reflecting harmony or four elements, they are indeed seeking to find out what is out of whack. Being out of harmony is being out of whack. High blood pressure, arthritis, swollen glands, sore throat, tooth ache and so on through the miles long list of possible ailments are all terms to more precisely define “out of whack” or “out of harmony”.
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