Yi-Jing and Feng Shui for diagnosis
by a Practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Having just returned to Northern Vietnam, from perhaps one of the rawest travelling experiences yet encountered – and trust me I’ve had the opportunity to explore some pretty far out places over the past 20-years – yet through the rawness, the coldness-to-the bone, the primitive setting; this was to become a truly inspirational, and intensive training high up in the White Horse mountain of the Wudang mountain range in Hubei province in Central China.
Amongst the clouds, in the icy-cold, mystical mountains where the harshness and beauty of nature were felt equally at every level; I would stay within a Taoist Temple, whilst undergoing the teachings and guidance of the Taoist recluse Li Shifu, who renounced the world of the ‘red dust’ many years ago.
This was truly a rare opportunity to delve deep into the world of the oldest book and calculus systems on earth today; to the very foundations of our entire binary system and fundamental to the core of humanity, it is in fact used in the creation of today’s computers. We were about to embark on a journey of discovery into the ancient Yi Jing, Ba-Gua theory, trigrams, and hexagrams, into one of the oldest systems and scriptures recorded in human history today (believed to date back to 1120 to 770 BC).
Dismissed by many as a voodoo age-old fortune telling-method only delivered by old wise characters from the East, this is a system that has clearly been misunderstood and whose depth goes beyond what many of us students can learn or comprehend in 1-lifetime.
The Yi-Jing opens the door to understanding your path through choices, where your strengths lie, where challenges will present that may otherwise be avoided (rather than taking the longer path of greater suffering), to understanding the dynamics of all that surrounds you - but perhaps the most important aspect of the use of the Yi-Jing, particularly to myself as a practitioner within the Traditional Medicine field, is its capability to diagnosis and understand the physical and mental dynamics and disharmonies of the individual today.
Further along this study path we were also introduced to ancient theories and concepts applied through the use of Feng Shui to implement into our daily lives. This was not the ‘where to put that plant’, or ‘which way should my bed face? Instead it opened a door to further explore the depths of the individual, a tool to analyse their entire systemic internal and external settings of their surroundings and being. To understand the balance of the fundamental elements of nature as human beings and our place within this universal plain; to focus on the balancing of all of natures elements;
Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood
- in order to gain inner peace and find balance along each of our paths.
To be honest; as the teachings began - I sat there in disbelief that such a system could define a pathological imbalance of a patient without any symptom or consultation analysis.
The analysis was complex; in fact, in our short time Li Shifu repeatedly explained how we would barely touch these ancient topics, to delve deeper will take many, many years and experience through application of these methods. He shared a number of case studies both personal and passed down from the Great Masters before him - the results speak for themselves.
As ‘out there’ as these methods may seem, when laid down by a Great Master who sees himself only as a ‘common man’, who seeks no recognition or reward for his work; your mind and heart are opened into an ancient knowledge for you to take what is necessary on your path at this time, and to use it only as intended by the Master himself. These methods both simplify, yet at the same time create a complexity to nature that I didn’t believe was possible - not even for one-breath!
I feel truly privileged to have shared this ancient knowledge and to have been part of his last teachings on this subject; sadly, he has decided not to continue with these important teachings as he is concerned this knowledge has not been used with the correct intention in these modern times, but he is also clear that 2017 is a troublesome time for our planet.
Brimming with excitement to implement this into my practice and teachings both here in Asia and in Europe, I realise the doorway has only opened, barely ajar... yet such magnificent discoveries, insights and trainings lie amass beyond, alas more than is possible for this lifetime.
THE PATH IS OURS TO WALK, at this special time. The Yi-Jing is about Unification, for us to walk it together, because the development of the course of the world and our universe are now moving too quickly. It is said that the Universe will move quickly out of this time dimension, as our lives are but a few seconds.
Shifu firmly believing the fastest time and speed we have ever known on earth is within these now few hundred years following World War III, I too, have personally felt for some time how privileged we are to be alive in one of the most important times in mankind's history.
Will I return to the mountain, to further study under the Great Master?
Most definitely, so to delve deeper into Taoist Medicine and its philosophy, to further examine how our universal laws impact every second of life, which in Taoism is the spiritual foundation of this incredible medicine and way of life. It is also an opportunity to further explore the world of Martial Arts and inner stillness.
To the wonderful people I met on the mountain, it was empowering to live, laugh and practice alongside such unique energies; there were those who come from the same field as myself, working within Eastern medicine, but there was also Western allopathic doctors amongst us - who by combining both medicines alongside other therapeutic music healing (legalised in China only this year), they are already implementing these into their practices and hospitals at home in mainland Europe... the future of medicine, we hope!
Any finally, THANK YOU to Li Shifu... I promise to use this ancient knowledge and skills only in the ways both you and nature intended.
Warmest.
Tara
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