Volume 5, Number 2 | Summer 2010

Editorial
Oriental Medicine and Nature
Oriental Medicine developed over 2000 years ago when human beings lived their lives under greater
influence from natural surroundings and the environment than we experience in the modern age. It was anage when people were just beginning to construct bigger megalopolises and these social surroundings began tohave significant influences on peoples` minds and bodies; as a result humans began to develop heretofore illness
reflecting their new lifestyles. This illness presented new therapeutic requirements and objectives. In otherwords, considering health and disease, those ancient days were arguably a period when people began to searchbeyond simply making some balance between their lifestyle and nature`s constant change. The newly
developing social environment demanded a larger perspective or vision capable of supporting healthysustainable social development. And then, of course, the scale of urbanization began to accelerate and humanhistory became the story of our alternating struggles between overcoming nature’s challenging forces but also
destroying nature in our efforts to control her (it).
The natural and social environments 2000 years ago provided the basis for Oriental Medicine. The
original classic of Oriental medicine Suwen (Plain Questions) includes descriptions of natural and social changes
and thoughts on how humans might be or live in harmony with those changes. Although written 2000 years
ago, this classic book points out the potential problems humans might encounter in the course of their lives andincludes discourses on how setting a desirable framework for our mind, attitudes as well as lifestyle can help
navigate these constant challenges. Plain Questions further compares people of that period with those of thedistant past. People had already begun to lead their lives largely separated from the natural rhythms theirancestors had adhered to. Patterns of jealousy, unreasonable exertion in efforts to reach “success”, satisfy desires
or ambitions had become increasingly apparent causing mental stress, psychosomatic illness, autonomic
imbalance and various other symptoms. These symptoms could only be relieved by the therapies ofacupuncture, moxibustion, massage or herbal medicine (Kampo). The text warned that people should not try
to satisfy their personal and social desires beyond what is reasonably necessary, avoiding competition. Instead,learning to live their lives by rising above the trivia of life and thus remaining calm and selfless might provide
more social and personal sustainability and satisfaction.
As described above, while the body and mind of an individual and the way society could be are questioned
in this classic text, a more important viewpoint from Oriental medical theory is that the medicine is deeply rooted
in the concept of spontaneous remission or the natural healing ability of the human body. Although thisexpression may be construed to mean cure by acupuncture or moxibustion, instead the understanding was thatthe human body, stimulated by these modalities naturally and easily heal itself. Healing does occur by inserting
the needle or performing the moxa. This critical point is what widens the gap between Oriental and WesternMedicines, their theories, philosophies and practices. When these two medicines are compared, without
considering the origin or construction of both, the opinions tend to be unilateral. In short, from the perspectiveof Oriental medicine, the expression “medical cure” can only be used with a grain of salt, a sense of hesitancy as
oriental medicine is based on the understanding that humans heal themselves. And if medicine does not cure,
medical practitioners might feel a bit more humility toward the human body. They might assume an attitudeof asking or speaking to the body in order to understand what kind of stimulation or treatment best suits thebody` condition. Instead of an attitude of “I will cure you”, it would certainly be good if both the practitioner
developed a mutual attitude about the process of creating a body that can heal itself. It will then be timereconsider the relationships between illness, treatment and healing.

Shuichi Katai, Ph.D., L.Ac., Professor
Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion
Tsukuba University of Technology, Ibaraki, JapanThe Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)

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