Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1200 Taoist Medicine, Tibetan Medicine, Buddhist Medicine, and Golden Thread Artemisia from Zhongnan Mountain (Two Chapters Combined)
In the original understanding of the dialect, the monk Haiteng's medical skills were considered to be practical and folk-oriented, combining martial arts traumatology, herbal medicine knowledge, and traditional health preservation concepts. They played a practical role in specific regions and among specific groups of people, such as rural residents and martial arts practitioners, and had a certain reputation among the people.

But to say how amazing it is, I don't really have any impression of the dialect.

At this moment, he was very curious about what he meant by "medical books collected by practitioners".
Of course, upon hearing this, not only Fang Yan was curious, but Lao Fan was also equally curious.

He asked the sea lantern:

"Uncle, what kind of medical skills do you have? Taoist medicine?"

Great, you've gotten right what the dialect wanted to ask.

Upon hearing this question, Hai Deng said:

"Some are Taoist medicine, some are Tibetan medicine, and some are medical techniques passed down in temples in the mainland, namely monk medicine or Buddhist medicine."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yan and Lao Fan were clearly intrigued.

At this point in time, it's still quite difficult to come into contact with these three medical skills.

It is even more remarkable that the sea lanterns could be taken out all at once.

I've been exposed to the dialects of Daoist medicine and have also heard some of the dialects of Tibetan medicine. The origins of Tibetan medicine can be traced back to ancient times, when the ancestors of the Tibetan people accumulated preliminary medical knowledge in their struggle against diseases.

Herbal and animal medicines are used to treat external injuries and common ailments.

As early as the Tubo period (7th-9th centuries AD), Tibetan medicine entered a stage of rapid development. During the reign of Songtsen Gampo, a "Medical Bureau" was established, and a large number of foreign medical classics were translated, such as Indian and Han Chinese medical works, which laid the foundation for the formation of the Tibetan medical theoretical system.

In the 8th century AD, the Tibetan medical classic "Four Medical Tantras", also known as "Four Tantras of Medical Prescriptions", was published. It was compiled by the famous Tibetan medical scholar Yuthok Nyingma Yonten Gonpo.

Since then, Tibetan medicine has been continuously enriched and developed in different historical periods, giving rise to many famous medical experts.

Tibetan medicine theory is based on the "Three Causes Theory," which holds that human health and disease are determined by the balance of three factors: "Lung" (qi), "Chiba" (fire), and "Peiken" (earth and water).

During the Tang Dynasty, there were frequent exchanges with Tibet. The world's first officially compiled pharmacopoeia, the Xinxiu Bencao, included some medicinal materials from the Western Regions and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, such as "Qianghuo" and "Dahuang". These medicinal materials are also commonly used in Tibetan medicine. They are included in the book as "Hu medicine" or "Fan medicine" in a broad sense.

The "Treatise on the Causes and Symptoms of Various Diseases" and the "Compendium of Materia Medica" also record some medicines used in Tibetan medicine.

In the past, Tibetan medicine, as a national intangible cultural heritage, had already been protected and passed down.

There are many Tibetan medical colleges across the country (such as XZ Tibetan Medicine University), and Tibetan medical institutions are widely distributed in Tibetan-populated areas such as XZ, Qinghai, Sichuan, and Gansu.

Its unique diagnostic and treatment methods have certain characteristics and efficacy in treating chronic diseases, altitude sickness, and rheumatic immune diseases, and are gradually gaining international attention.

As for monk doctors or Buddhist doctors, they really haven't had much contact with the local dialect.

However, their presence can still be seen in ancient books. For example, in the "Biographies of Eminent Monks" from the Northern and Southern Dynasties, there are many records of monks saving people with their medical skills. For instance, the eminent monk Fotucheng from the Eastern Jin Dynasty was said to be able to cure difficult and complicated diseases with his medical skills and even predict plagues.

Furthermore, the Tang Dynasty physicians Sun Simiao's "Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold" and "Supplement to Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold" include some prescriptions and treatments from monk doctors.

In addition, Buddhist medical prescriptions were also cited in official medical books compiled by the imperial court during the Song Dynasty, such as "Taiping Shenghui Fang" and "Shengji Zonglu".

The monk Haiteng clearly knew a lot.

"Have you been researching these things for the past few years?" Fan Changting asked Hai Deng.

Hai Deng said:

"It's not really research. My knowledge is limited, and I need to find other classic texts to verify many things. So, it's more accurate to say that I'm collecting information rather than researching."

"I see..." Old Fan nodded in sudden understanding, then exchanged a glance with Fang Yan. When it comes to the number of books read, Fang Yan, who has a photographic memory, is probably the strongest ceiling that Old Fan can think of.

"Let's go inside and talk, instead of chatting in this blazing sun," Fang Yan said to the others.

"Okay!" Ding Jian and Tang Maoqian were the first to agree. Their heads were already burning from the sun, and then the others chimed in.

The group then walked further into the movie street, where there was a designated rest area near the film set.

Xiao Li, Fang Yan, and Lao Fan walked in a row with Hai Deng, while Ding Jian and Tang Maoqian tactfully lagged behind by half a step, giving them space to talk.

Last to follow were the two disciples of the monk Haiteng.

The canvas bags in their hands were already scorching hot from the sun, but the two men didn't care at all.

"Actually, most of these medical books were copied by me and the locals when I traveled to many places," said Monk Haiteng as he walked, his withered fingers twirling the cuff of his monk's robe. "I copied a fragment of the Tibetan medicine book 'Yue Wang Yao Zhen' at Jizu Mountain in Yunnan, and borrowed a medical commentary on the 'Huang Ting Jing' from a Taoist temple in Zhongnan Mountain. Last year at Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, I also saw a book called 'Zen Forest Therapy Essentials' written by a Song Dynasty monk-physician, which discusses the treatment of 'meditation sickness,' which matches the traditional Chinese medicine concept of 'qi stagnation.' Unfortunately, I don't know much about it, so I can only copy it down and then look it up in the book."

"Don't they have any experts in this field in their temple?" Old Fan asked.

Hai Deng said:

"They're long gone. The capable ones either left or died."

Xiao Li asked from the side:
"You've copied books from almost every temple and Taoist monastery in most of China?"

“I wouldn’t say I’ve seen them all,” Monk Haiteng laughed, his wrinkles deepening into deep furrows at the corners of his eyes. “I just felt it was a waste to keep good things hidden in the mountains and temples. They don’t use them anymore, but I’m still interested in them, so I copied them down and took them with me, hoping to find someone who is destined to find them.”

As he spoke, he glanced at the dialect.

Next, everyone went to the film set's rest area. Monk Hai Deng had already placed the bag containing his belongings on the table. He then opened it to reveal books wrapped in kraft paper inside.

These were all copied by him and others. Although they were not the originals, the content was definitely not compromised.

“Young friend Fang, why don’t you take a look first? I’d like to talk to young friend Li about the movie promoting Chinese martial arts,” Monk Hai Deng said to Fang Yan.

Fang Yan agreed immediately upon hearing this; he was overjoyed.
"Sure! I'll take a look first and broaden my horizons. We can talk about other things after you and Xiao Li have finished chatting."

Monk Haiteng smiled and nodded.

I am very satisfied with the dialect's attitude.

"Uncle, can I see it?" Old Fan asked from the side.

Monk Haiteng nodded:

"of course."

Then he approached Xiao Li, and the two started chatting.

Ding Jian and Tang Maoqian, who were not interested in medicine, also went over to listen in.

Fang Yan and Lao Fan started rummaging through the boxes and cabinets, unpacking all the book packages to see what books were inside.

The kraft paper package was peeled back layer by layer, revealing a stack of thread-bound booklets. The pages were a dull yellow from years of wear, and there were traces of dirt on the edges, clearly left over from traveling to various places.

The top book has no cover, only the words "Secret Records of Miao Medicine for Bone Setting" written in calligraphy on the title page. The handwriting is a bit crooked, and it's unclear who wrote it.

Fang Yan had just turned to the first page when he was immediately drawn to the hand-drawn illustrations... The illustrations depicted a barefoot healer using bamboo strips to fix the leg bone of an injured person, with the caption:

"The bamboo strips must be made from three-year-old moso bamboo grown deep in the mountains. They need to be soaked in rice wine for seven days and then sun-dried for three days to achieve their toughness."

Old Fan leaned over to take a look and clicked his tongue in amazement:

"This method is similar to the method of using cedar bark to set bones in rural Sichuan, but it involves more sophisticated techniques."

“Look at this page,” Fang Yan pointed to a passage, “It says that after bone setting, you should apply ‘blood vine ointment,’ made by pounding wild blood vine, dragon bone, and ground beetle together, then mixing it with children’s urine. It’s said to use vital energy to promote bone healing. I’ve seen children’s urine used in medicine in many books, but this explanation is a bit interesting…” He suddenly stopped, “It says here, ‘Blood vine and dragon bone should be of equal weight, seven ground beetles, and the children’s urine should be enough to cover the surface of the medicine,’ that’s interesting…”

The author feels that the book's content leans towards unorthodox remedies.

It's similar to the formulas Grandpa Lei Lian collected, but it doesn't quite match up.

After a while, Lao Fan flipped to another book and handed it to Fang Yan. The cover read "Daoist Moxibustion Classic," and inside were several dried plants that looked like mugwort leaves, with leaves that were wider than ordinary mugwort.

"What is this?" Lao Fan asked in dialect.

Fang Yan looked at it, then smelled it, and said:
"It must be a high-quality variety of mugwort, right? The aroma is so strong!"

"Where was it found?" Fang Yan asked curiously, looking through the book for any record of it.

Lao Fan shrugged:

"I didn't write it."

Then the two of them looked at Hai Deng Monk in tacit agreement, wanting to ask if, now that Fang Yan and his family were running a company, these high-quality plants might be able to be cultivated into good varieties.

As it turned out, Monk Hai Deng had somehow walked to the open space next to the rest area, where Xiao Li and the others were gathered around, their faces full of amazement.

He stood with his feet together, leaned forward slowly, and gently touched a blue brick with two fingers of his right hand, the fingertips sinking halfway into the brick seam. His left arm hung naturally at his side, like a taut bowstring.

He exhaled lightly, then suddenly lifted his legs, his entire body suspending steadily in the air, supporting his weight solely with the two fingers of his right hand.

It turns out he was actually performing a two-finger handstand.

I'd only ever seen this dialect trick in my past life on video. By then, Monk Haiteng was already old, and it's said he even faked it to match the performance.

But this time it's for real.

Old Fan was astonished. He leaned close to Fang Yan's ear and said, "When I was a kid, I saw him practice. He had to lean on a tree trunk for support. Now he can hold up with just two bricks."

Fang Yan stared at the monk Hai Deng's fingertips, noticing that the two fingers had distinct knuckles, like two pieces of old bamboo wrapped in skin and flesh.

This must be a skill he learned externally.

He held the handstand for about ten breaths before slowly coming to a stop. First, he gently lowered his left leg, then his right, landing silently as if a leaf were floating on the ground.

"I've made a fool of myself." Monk Haiteng dusted off the dust from his robe, showing no sign of effort.

Xiao Li, Ding Jian, and the people around them who had been drawn in all applauded.

Soon, Monk Haiteng became the focus of attention. Fang Yan and Lao Fan exchanged a glance, knowing it was best not to disturb him for the time being. The two then continued reading their books.

Old Fan pointed to the acupoint diagram in the book, frowned, and said:

"This moxibustion method looks quite frightening; it involves directly tying a ball of moxa wool to your finger and burning it."

Fang Yan leaned closer to take a look and saw a note next to it: "To treat arthralgia caused by wind-cold penetrating to the bone, one should take aged mugwort harvested at noon on the Dragon Boat Festival, mix it with musk and realgar, and place a slice of ginger between it and the acupoint while burning it. Although the burning pain is unbearable, the effect is ten times better than decoction."

Fang Yan glanced at the notes and said, "This is a strong medicine method from Taoist doctors. It seems that Taoists used to be quite ruthless in treating rheumatism."

The dialect returned to its place, and as I flipped further down, I found a booklet written in Tibetan and Chinese, with the cover titled "Excerpts from Jingzhu Materia Medica".

"Is this a Tibetan medicine book?" Old Fan asked, leaning closer.

Fang Yan nodded, pointing to one of the pages:
"Look at this, it talks about the use of 'snow tea'. It says that it grows in rock crevices at an altitude of over 4,000 meters. It is cool in nature and can relieve 'bacon fever'. In traditional Chinese medicine terms, it clears heat and resolves phlegm, and treats lung heat cough."

Old Fan nodded. Fang Yan was indeed someone who could recognize and connect traditional Chinese medicine at a glance.

You've come to the right person.

However, at this moment, Hai Deng is focused on promoting Chinese martial arts.

Fang Yan quickly read through the books. Among them, the books on Taoist medicine were the easiest to understand, followed by those on Buddhist medicine, and lastly Tibetan medicine. Fang Yan could basically get the system's blessing on the books on Taoist medicine, but he couldn't get the blessing on the latter two.

Tibetan medicine has an independent theoretical system, including the "Three Causes Theory" and the "Five Elements Theory," which differ significantly from the "Yin-Yang and Five Elements" and "Zang-Fu and Meridian" systems of traditional Chinese medicine. It is normal for Tibetan medicine to be difficult to understand due to its dialect.

However, Fang Yan believes that this is a more difficult "ancient Chinese medicine book from Southeast Asia" since it is partly derived from Chinese medicine. As long as the basics are understood, Fang Yan can understand it quickly.

As they continued reading, Fang Yan spoke even faster than Lao Fan, but no one paid any attention to them at the moment; everyone was captivated by Monk Hai Deng.

Even his two apprentices were no exception; they ignored Fang Yan and Lao Fan, who were engrossed in reading.

After an unknown amount of time, Fang Yan flipped to the bottom of the booklet that was pressed down.

The pages were as brittle as biscuits, and the cover read "Buddhist Miscellaneous Ailments Prescriptions," which contained treatments for common minor ailments.

Fang Yan finally relaxed at this point.

Seeing that there were some books behind Lao Fan, he went over and picked them up to read.

Old Fan only then realized that Fang Yan had already seen the book he had flipped through, and he asked in surprise:

"You've finished reading it?"

Fang Yan nodded and said:

"Well, I've got a pretty good idea of ​​it. I've skipped over the parts I didn't understand."

Old Fan understood when he heard the dialect used.

Said:

"Well, I don't understand a lot either, but this one is okay, you see it's from a temple."

As he spoke, he pointed to the book in his hand and showed it to Fang Yan:
"This is a prescription for treating 'canker sores'. It uses powdered phellodendron bark, indigo naturalis, and borneol, mixed with honey and applied topically. The ingredients are similar to those of the oral ulcer treatments that our factories are making now."

"And this, 'A remedy for athlete's foot in monks,' which involves boiling Sophora flavescens and Cnidium monnieri in water for a foot soak, with a handful of dried pine needles added. It's said to be 'essential for those who sit in meditation for long periods.'"

Fang Yan nodded, picked up a book at random, and suddenly found a book without any title. It was full of scattered notes, with messy handwriting, as if they were written casually.

"What's this? It looks like a diary entry." Old Fan leaned closer.

He said in dialect:

"The method of treating snake bites in western Yunnan: Take fresh Pinellia ternata, pound it to extract the juice, and apply it around the wound. Do not let it enter the blood. Also, take a centipede, dry it, grind it into powder, and take it with rice wine."

Old Fan asked:

"You dare use it like that?"

He said in dialect:

"It shouldn't be a big problem."

He then asked out of curiosity:

What is "Baiyi"?

Before Fang Yan could answer, another voice replied:
"Dai ethnic group".

Turning around, I saw that it was actually the monk Hai Deng who had returned.

He smiled and asked the two of them:
"How was the viewing?"

He said in dialect:

"I'm not very familiar with the Tibetan medical system, so it's basically very difficult for me to understand it."

Old Fan said:

"The situation is similar for monks who practice medicine."

Fang Yan nodded.

The monk Haiteng said:

"Tibetan medicine does have a different system, but I did ask about it and remember some of the content."

Fang Yan noticed beads of sweat on the old monk's forehead, knowing he must have been through a lot, and quickly stood up to invite him:
"Please sit down and talk!"

Upon hearing this, the monk Haiteng smiled and sat down on the bamboo chair. After wiping his sweat with his hand, he picked up the book "Jingzhu Materia Medica Excerpts," ran his finger along the Tibetan-Chinese bilingual characters, and after recalling for a moment, slowly spoke:
“I don’t know much either, but to put it simply, Tibetan medicine says that a person is formed by the combination of three factors: ‘Lung’ is like wind, which governs breathing and movement; ‘Chiba’ is like fire, which governs digestion and body temperature; and ‘Peikan’ is like water and soil, which governs body fluids and bones. When these three factors are out of balance, illness occurs.”

He turned to one of the pages and pointed to a diagram of the human body's internal organs. The organs were drawn in the shape of the sun, moon, and stars, with Tibetan text next to them that read, "The five internal organs are like the five luminaries, and the six bowels are like the six palaces."

“Look at what they call the ‘five internal organs,’ which is similar to traditional Chinese medicine, but they pay more attention to ‘cold and heat.’ For example, if ‘Chiba’ is excessive, it’s like a fire burning too brightly, which can cause dry mouth and constipation. You have to use ‘cold medicines’ like snow lotus and gypsum to suppress it. If ‘Long’ is disordered, it’s like the wind blowing erratically, which can cause dizziness and convulsions. You have to use ‘warm medicines’ like nutmeg and agarwood to stabilize it.”

Fang Yan squinted, then pointed to a passage about "Bacon disease":

Is the "accumulation of bacon" mentioned here similar to "phlegm and dampness stagnation" in traditional Chinese medicine?

“It should be,” Monk Hai Deng nodded, though it was clear from Fang Yan that he wasn’t entirely sure himself.

Okay, this is indeed quite difficult.

The monk Haiteng said:

“Tibetan medicine treats this illness by using ‘ash medicine,’ which involves burning sheep dung into ash, mixing it with yak butter, and applying it to the abdomen, saying it ‘uses the smoke and fire to disperse the accumulation.’ It sounds strange, but I feel it’s actually the same principle as our moxibustion to warm and unblock the meridians, just with a different medium,” he said with a smile.

“I saw a Tibetan doctor in Qinghai treating ‘high-altitude asthma’ with yak jerky and Rhodiola rosea boiled in water. He said, ‘Meat can replenish qi and blood, and Rhodiola rosea can calm the mind.’ The herders’ breathing stopped after drinking it. Don’t you think this aligns with the traditional Chinese medicine concept of ‘replenishing qi and blood and calming asthma’?”

Old Fan pointed to a medicinal herb in the book and asked, "What is this 'Zuotai'? It's mentioned in several of the previous prescriptions."

Monk Haiteng's expression became solemn:
"That's a treasure of Tibetan medicine. It's made from minerals like gold, silver, and copper, along with sulfur and mercury, through dozens of processes. It can treat acute and intractable diseases. But this stuff is potent. You have to chant scriptures and follow the exact time when you're making it. If you skip a step, it can be poisonous. It's like 'alchemy,' where you play with fire and rely on experience."

Fang Yan and Lao Fan exchanged a glance. Well, they couldn't handle this thing.

Even the monk Hai Deng didn't know much about Tibetan medicine. When Fang Yan and the others asked him, he could only give them a general answer. In fact, he came to Fang Yan to get some answers.

Fang Yan stopped asking about that and turned to ask him about the monk doctor.

Monk Haiteng clearly knew more about monastic medicine. "Speaking of monastic medicine, it has a long history," he said, leaning back in his bamboo chair, twirling a string of bodhi seeds in his hand. His tone was casual, as he slowly began to speak:
“When Buddhism was introduced to us during the Eastern Han Dynasty, monks went out to spread the Dharma. They couldn’t just chant sutras, could they? Treating the sick and saving lives was also a way to accumulate merit and do good deeds. In Buddhism, it’s called ‘medical science,’ which is a proper field of study.”

"Over time, he figured out his own method... It incorporated Buddhist principles, traditional Chinese medicine techniques, and occasionally some foreign ideas, and gradually he became a 'monk doctor'."

Fang Yan and Lao Fan suddenly realized.

At this point, other people around also gathered around.

The old monk, who was just demonstrating the limits of human endurance, has now started talking about medicine.

Monk Haiteng counted on his fingers:

“Monks often travel around, and it’s common for them to bump into things on the road, so they are best at treating injuries. Also, they are good at treating plagues. In ancient times, temples often served as shelters during years of disaster, so they accumulated some methods of epidemic prevention. In addition, monks who meditate all year round are prone to chronic diseases, and combining meditation with physical conditioning has also become a skill of monastic doctors.”

"To put it bluntly, it's not just about treating the body, but also about regulating the mind." He smiled. "For example, when giving acupuncture and massage, he would casually say a few words about the principle that 'a relaxed mind will make illness disappear.' Some old monks in southern temples would also recite a sutra or chant a mantra. It's not superstition, but mainly to calm people down, so that they can recover faster."

“You are like the monk Jianzhen of the Tang Dynasty. When he went to Japan, he not only spread Buddhism, but also brought many medical books with him. His disciple compiled the ‘Secret Prescriptions of Master Jianzhen’, which is a treasured early medical book in Japan.” Monk Haiteng recalled, “There was also the monk Jihong of the Song Dynasty who wrote a book called ‘Lingnan Health Prescriptions’, which specifically talked about how to treat infectious diseases in the south. It is still considered a treasured book left by our ancestors.”

"To put it simply, monk-medicine is just monks using their own methods to save people. There aren't many complicated procedures. The core is just two words... compassion!"

He picked up the book "Zen Forest Healing Essentials" from the table and patted the cover:
"As I understand it, the recipes here are actually the hard-earned experience accumulated by generations of monks who traveled around the world and lived in temples."

Fang Yan nodded upon hearing this.

Others even applauded.

At this moment, Fang Yan handed the "Taoist Moxibustion Classic" containing dried mugwort leaves to Hai Deng and asked:
“Master Hai Deng, this mugwort looks unusual. The leaves are three fingers wider than ordinary mugwort, and the medicinal aroma is stronger. We couldn’t find it in any books. Where did you find it?”

This is important; I haven't forgotten the dialect.

After reading it, the monk Haiteng pondered for a moment and then said:
"This is Artemisia argyi from Zhongnan Mountain. It grows on a south-facing rocky slope at an altitude of 1,000 meters. It is not common, but there are Taoist priests cultivating it there, and there is a certain yield every year."

PS: The basic chapter of 6000 words is now complete. I'll add more later.

(End of this chapter)