A great virtue of Chinese medicine is the diversity of practice and theory it embraces. The spiritual path defined in this text involves removing all constructs creating separation between the functioning of one s own heart and mind and the hearts and minds of others. Therefore, it is imperative that practitioners of all traditions hold dearly that aspect of their own practice that is closest to their own hearts without diminishing the value of the practice of others. Diversity emerges as the natural expression of a balanced relationship between human will and the will of heaven. The will of heaven is continuous, creative, evolutionary change.
Humans formulate ways of knowing that consist of models and systems.
Newtonian physics, quantum mechanics, and the five-element system are examples. These models represent the human attempt to understand the earth and the nature of our lives upon it. It is human nature to cling to these models and the momentary stability that they appear to afford amid continuous change. Our models remain static, and as we build them into towering monolithic structures whose foundations consist of assumptions and meanings we create, the true nature of life continues to evolve and outgrow them. The edge of this creative change is always just beyond the grasp of our deepest intuition.