Grandmaster James Shyun and Andrew Miles
Shen Nong the divine farmer taught farming
and medicine and is regarded as a god for his contributions to Chinese society. Health and environment are inseparable. The application of feng shui, was originally
used to harmonize the environment so that humans could live. Draining swamps to kill mosquitos is seen as
a larger application of draining “dampness” in the body typically done with diuretic
herbs to reduce extra cellular fluid.
History has taught us that humans achievement and knowledge is cyclical
and societies tend to come to ruin for failing to harmonize with their natural
environment. There may be a time when
our descendants find themselves in caves as stone age people. Holistic agro-medicine is essential not only
for our own adaptation, but for those of future generations. For these reasons methods of Shen Nong have
been carefully preserved within Daoist temples so that people can harmonize
with the climates of Earth with the Changing seasons of Heaven.
Feng Shui means wind and water and these
refer to heaven changes and earth sustenance.
Wind is said to come from heaven and water is said to come from Earth. By living in an ecosystem which is balanced
one can farm and be clothed. When we
look at the Chinese character for “fortune” this is the ancient Chinese ideal
of success. Every farmer who plants
crops that do not freeze or wither has already done so according to feng shui principles. They have observed the nature of the climate
and the changing of the seasons. Chinese
fortune telling is likewise geared toward farming. Certain blocks of 2 day periods predict
things such as when insects will hatch and optimal days for harvest. This is based on 60 year cycles and is
remarkably accurate, particularly within the Chinese landscape. These predictions will vary in accuracy
depending on the distance from the equator and be reversed in the Southern
hemisphere.
Every pestilence is related to the one of
the six climactic factors: dampness, wind, heat, dryness, cold, and fire. An ecosystem which is balanced for humans to
dwell in is ideal for preventing diseases.
Stagnant water will create mosquitoes which may spread pestilence. Rather than attempt to treat a pandemic it
may be more useful to drain marshland to prevent mosquitoes from over
controlling a region. Another solution
may be to use bats. According to five
phase theory, earth produces metal and so rocks produce bats. Metal relates to dryness and can combat
wetness. Lizards are likewise produced
from rock and eat mosquitoes. By
allowing dwelling places for those animals by piling up rocks one may also
lessen a mosquito problem. Birds are
also attributed to metal and so restrictions on killing creatures attributed to
metal may aid in keeping a mosquito population in check.. Rock is used to control water. Water is used to moisten a dry climate. Trees are used to control Earth. Fire is used to control trees and produce
fresh soil, metal is used to prune trees and to dig wells to find water. Slash and burn agriculture also has its
place. We may look back at the
Australian aboriginals and their slash and burn tactics as foolish, however it
may be the only reason why Australian aboriginals are still around. In a region which was damp and filled with
some of the most treacherous creatures on the planet, fire was a way to check
the dampness and carve out an environment suitable for human survival.
This balance is
critical for the survival of humans. In
accordance with yin and yang principles extreme climates contain an aspect of
their opposite. In icy climates the fire
within ice is sought. Geothermal heat
makes lands like Iceland
inhabitable. One may also find snow in
the equatorial regions on high mountain peaks.
Each climate produces creatures of its own nature and those creatures
from other regions may keep them in check.
Snakes are from wood. They look
like roots and wrap around trees like vines.
Birds are from the white sky which is metal and can eat them just as
metal can cut wood.
Centipedes are attributed to metal due to
their ominous exterior and prevalence in dry regions. A snake of comparable size will be killed by
a centipede because metal can control wood.
Frogs are from the damp regions.
Dampness can control dryness so frogs can eat centipedes which are
double their size. Frogs, however are
afraid of snakes because the wind (associated with wood) can control dampness
(earth), so wood controls earth.
This aspect of biological control is an
important aspect of agriculture and medicine.
We can point to instances of failed biological control in the modern era
such rabbits in Australia or foreign catfish the US that take over, but this is
due to not introducing a species holistically and having a framework for
understanding the checks and balances in nature. In those cases humans created an environment
with more food that they could keep in check and caused problems within that
ecosystem. In recent years the Chinese have forgotten the teachings of Shen Nong. Looking for quick advantages
they have fallen into the same trap. Taken too far these advantages have always lead to the collapse of society and chaos. When the dust settles, those who know how to live in harmony with their ecosystem will prosper.
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