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Thursday, July 16, 2015

The Secret Treatise of the Spiritual Orchid

One of my absolute favorite studies is of the classics of Chinese Medicine. Coming into this medicine takes time, it is a long and slow unfolding. 
Sometimes it feels like molasses. 
Dark and sweet. 
After years of study and practice, small luminescent pearls emerge and one is awe struck by the simplicity and beauty of the medicine. 
This past week, one such pearl emerged, the pearl of wisdom that spoke to the translucent nature of simplicity.


This beautiful orchid gift came to me last week and it prompted me to return to Nei jing Su wen Chapter 8. The Secret Treatise of the Spritual Orchid. I have the translation by Claude Larre and Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallee. 
As I was reading the translation, this small piece jumped off the page and begged to be shared. 

And so here it is:

"The heart is not just a pump to move blood, it is the highest entity in human life. And it is very interesting to understand that morality, virtue and so on are understood by the Chinese not just as being in the field of religion for example, but as essential to keep the quality of life. This is the reason why we have to go and see wonderful scenery, be well rested, have good food and drink and all that, in order that life will be more refined. From this digesting of essences you are then in a position to distribute them."

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