Human life-Expectancy and Modern Science
Original Chinese Language Article By: Qianfeng Daoist Master Zhao Ming Wang (赵明旺)
(Translated by Adrian Chan-Wyles PhD)
The evolution of human intelligence has established human-beings as the dominant species on the planet, and yet although human-beings generally assume that everything they think and feel is superior to any other species, nevertheless, much of what manifests in the human mind is considered delusional and driven by out of control desire. Despite this apparent ingenuity, the mind is not born fully understanding the necessity for health, the methods and techniques to attain it, and the possibility of achieving a long life-span. Here, I would like to explore the issue of extending the human life-span when viewed in conjunction with the average life-span experienced by those who neither understand nor engage in Daoist self-cultivation. In fact, from a Daoist perspective, a human-being can live between 120 – 160 years, but this often does not happen due to the various dangers associated with existence from the moment of birth to the moment of death. The dangers involve illnesses, diseases, disasters, accidents, and warfare, etc, and if a human-being lives to around 80 years of age, then this is often considered very fortuitous indeed. I find it interesting that as we enter the 21st century, many people are of the opinion that we as human-beings are ‘living-longer’. If this is the case, then what is it in the modern condition that is contributing to this phenomenon? The general consensus is that modern medicine, technology and science collectively create the conditions within society which facilitate the human body living a longer life-span when compared to those ordinary beings who lived much shorter life-spans in bygone eras. My considered answer to this is that although modern science through its various branches does appear to lengthen the human life-span, it cannot ensure good and robust health. Many modern elderly people have to live with constant and debilitating pain from the many ailments they suffer, ailments which are considered by science to be a ‘normal’ part of getting old – Daoist thinking disagrees with this. From a logical perspective it can be truthfully stated that modern science has on average prolonged physical existence, but does not also provide a corresponding good and robust health for individuals.
Every individual in their right mind would state that they would like a good and robust health for the duration of their life-span, but do they understand that in reality modern science cannot give them this? In China the teachings of medicalised Daoism are a science that has been developed over thousands of years. The central premise of Daoist thinking is that we should all consciously make our own efforts to build the health of our minds and bodies. As Daoists we understand that without self-cultivation our health will not improve at all. Modern science in its purest form originates in the West, and this is a development from an entirely different historical and cultural circumstances than those found within China.
Traditional Chinese medicine assumes a priori that the inner and outer health of the human body and mind is intimately linked to, associated with, and affected by the natural world through the functioning of yin and yang qi energy. What is obvious (but often ignored) is the fact that with modern lifestyles there has been a rapid and widespread increase in the suffering of modern illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, as well as many other chronic ailments that affect men and women equally. This extensive experience of poor health drains the inner energies and creates a state of exhaustion in many people. This is often caused by a poor ‘modern’ diet that is unhealthy and full of impurities and which contributes toward highly negative and dysfunctional psychological states. What type of knowledge does modern society advocate? This is easy to answer as it relies entirely upon thinking for yourself and never seeking any outside advice from those who are more knowledgeable than you, and who actually possess wisdom about how to be healthy and live longer. If you do not seek correct advice then all you are relying upon is your own lack of knowledge – this is no good for our own well-being.
Modern Western science is effective in one sense, and ineffective in another, more personal sense. There is a strong progression of human culture coupled with the preservation of human poor health in middle and old age. The Daoist tradition of China understands this paradox and is able to assist this general trend of progression initiated by modern science by rectifying the poor health associated with modern lifestyles. Although poor health has existed in the past, in the modern condition poor health has mainstreamed due to the system-wide nature of modernity where everything is inherently linked. Daoism can assist modern science by drawing people’s attention to this situation and by providing the solution to modern poor health. The effectiveness of ancient Daoism in a modern context has encouraged even Westerners to travel thousands of miles to come to China and seek-out authentic Daoist knowledge and wisdom. This is all preserved in the traditional Daoist and Chinese medical text entitled ‘Self-Cultivation for Developing the Health in the Mind and Body’. This body of knowledge has been developed over thousands of years in China and has been passed on from one generation to the next. Daoist thinking is scientific because it is logical, but whereas modern (Western) science is an imbalanced drive for unending development (as it only considers the ‘outer’ world), Daoist (Chinese) science is balanced and all-embracing (because it considers and develops both the inner body and the outer world equally).
Beijing Qianfeng Zhao Bichen Cultural Arts and Exchange Centre
Chinese Daojia, Quan Zhen, Longmen Pai Lineage Descendent
Descendent of Zhao Bichen the Founder of the Qianfeng Prenatal School – Zhao Ming Wang
©opyright: Adrian Chan-Wyles (ShiDaDao) 2015.
Original Chinese Language Source Article: http://752315496.blog.163.com/blog/static/8830018220108295714361/
人类的寿命与现代科学
人类自有智慧以来占领了整个地球,说明人类是现在最伟大的生灵。他有思维.幻想.和很大的欲望,然而在健康长寿方面还在不段的探索其真正的健康长寿话题。
在这里我只谈一下人类的生命延续和自然寿命。真正人类的寿命在120——160之间,其实一个生命来到世上从生到死是很危险的一生。疾病,战争.天灾.人祸等等都在一瞬间就了结了一个人的生命,你能活到80以上算是你的福气。
有的人说进入2000年人类的寿命增加了。但是自问自己的体质增强了吗?现代科学的发展和人类寿命的延长我只能说是维持你的生命,而不是你健康的本源。是现代的医疗科技挽救了他们的生命。但是以不是从前的你了。
健康是每个人都想得到的,尤其是那些在与病痛饱受折磨的人们更想得到一个健康身体。健康来自现代的医疗吗?不是的,是靠自己的,在健康的话题上,从身体,到心里都是相互联系的,都要健康的,中国在养生方面有着几千年文化历史,是人类自文明以来最早讲养生的国家,西方相差很远。中国养生之道讲的是与自然相结合,心 身同养阴阳合和才能达到真正的养生目的。
现代疾病增加了很多因素,心脑血管疾病由为突出,和男 女慢性疾病的扩大,让人身感疲惫。在心理上过度的紧张,和饮食不调等多种原因造成的。想一想健康要靠什么来维持?要靠自己了解自己,了解养生知识。
中国道家养生是中国华夏几千年养生精华,现在就连西方国家都很认同,有的不远千里来学中国养生,就是为了自身健康,此功夫是锻炼自身精 气 神和心理身体相结合的一种养生功夫。道家为,《性命双修》是中国中医和道学的一种养生文化经典,从古至今代代有传。
北京千峰赵避尘文化艺术交流中心
中国道家全真龙门派庙外传人
道家千峰先天派嫡传后裔
道家性命双修功夫传人:赵明旺
Every individual in their right mind would state that they would like a good and robust health for the duration of their life-span, but do they understand that in reality modern science cannot give them this? In China the teachings of medicalised Daoism are a science that has been developed over thousands of years. The central premise of Daoist thinking is that we should all consciously make our own efforts to build the health of our minds and bodies. As Daoists we understand that without self-cultivation our health will not improve at all. Modern science in its purest form originates in the West, and this is a development from an entirely different historical and cultural circumstances than those found within China.
Traditional Chinese medicine assumes a priori that the inner and outer health of the human body and mind is intimately linked to, associated with, and affected by the natural world through the functioning of yin and yang qi energy. What is obvious (but often ignored) is the fact that with modern lifestyles there has been a rapid and widespread increase in the suffering of modern illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, as well as many other chronic ailments that affect men and women equally. This extensive experience of poor health drains the inner energies and creates a state of exhaustion in many people. This is often caused by a poor ‘modern’ diet that is unhealthy and full of impurities and which contributes toward highly negative and dysfunctional psychological states. What type of knowledge does modern society advocate? This is easy to answer as it relies entirely upon thinking for yourself and never seeking any outside advice from those who are more knowledgeable than you, and who actually possess wisdom about how to be healthy and live longer. If you do not seek correct advice then all you are relying upon is your own lack of knowledge – this is no good for our own well-being.
Modern Western science is effective in one sense, and ineffective in another, more personal sense. There is a strong progression of human culture coupled with the preservation of human poor health in middle and old age. The Daoist tradition of China understands this paradox and is able to assist this general trend of progression initiated by modern science by rectifying the poor health associated with modern lifestyles. Although poor health has existed in the past, in the modern condition poor health has mainstreamed due to the system-wide nature of modernity where everything is inherently linked. Daoism can assist modern science by drawing people’s attention to this situation and by providing the solution to modern poor health. The effectiveness of ancient Daoism in a modern context has encouraged even Westerners to travel thousands of miles to come to China and seek-out authentic Daoist knowledge and wisdom. This is all preserved in the traditional Daoist and Chinese medical text entitled ‘Self-Cultivation for Developing the Health in the Mind and Body’. This body of knowledge has been developed over thousands of years in China and has been passed on from one generation to the next. Daoist thinking is scientific because it is logical, but whereas modern (Western) science is an imbalanced drive for unending development (as it only considers the ‘outer’ world), Daoist (Chinese) science is balanced and all-embracing (because it considers and develops both the inner body and the outer world equally).
Beijing Qianfeng Zhao Bichen Cultural Arts and Exchange Centre
Chinese Daojia, Quan Zhen, Longmen Pai Lineage Descendent
Descendent of Zhao Bichen the Founder of the Qianfeng Prenatal School – Zhao Ming Wang
©opyright: Adrian Chan-Wyles (ShiDaDao) 2015.
Original Chinese Language Source Article: http://752315496.blog.163.com/blog/static/8830018220108295714361/
人类的寿命与现代科学
人类自有智慧以来占领了整个地球,说明人类是现在最伟大的生灵。他有思维.幻想.和很大的欲望,然而在健康长寿方面还在不段的探索其真正的健康长寿话题。
在这里我只谈一下人类的生命延续和自然寿命。真正人类的寿命在120——160之间,其实一个生命来到世上从生到死是很危险的一生。疾病,战争.天灾.人祸等等都在一瞬间就了结了一个人的生命,你能活到80以上算是你的福气。
有的人说进入2000年人类的寿命增加了。但是自问自己的体质增强了吗?现代科学的发展和人类寿命的延长我只能说是维持你的生命,而不是你健康的本源。是现代的医疗科技挽救了他们的生命。但是以不是从前的你了。
健康是每个人都想得到的,尤其是那些在与病痛饱受折磨的人们更想得到一个健康身体。健康来自现代的医疗吗?不是的,是靠自己的,在健康的话题上,从身体,到心里都是相互联系的,都要健康的,中国在养生方面有着几千年文化历史,是人类自文明以来最早讲养生的国家,西方相差很远。中国养生之道讲的是与自然相结合,心 身同养阴阳合和才能达到真正的养生目的。
现代疾病增加了很多因素,心脑血管疾病由为突出,和男 女慢性疾病的扩大,让人身感疲惫。在心理上过度的紧张,和饮食不调等多种原因造成的。想一想健康要靠什么来维持?要靠自己了解自己,了解养生知识。
中国道家养生是中国华夏几千年养生精华,现在就连西方国家都很认同,有的不远千里来学中国养生,就是为了自身健康,此功夫是锻炼自身精 气 神和心理身体相结合的一种养生功夫。道家为,《性命双修》是中国中医和道学的一种养生文化经典,从古至今代代有传。
北京千峰赵避尘文化艺术交流中心
中国道家全真龙门派庙外传人
道家千峰先天派嫡传后裔
道家性命双修功夫传人:赵明旺