Chi Gung
Chi Work

The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine

Huang Ti the Yellow Emperor is one of the most famous of China's legendary rulers. He is attributed as the author of the "Nei Ching Su Wen", the classic manuscript on internal medicine the oldest medical book in existence.

In China it is regarded as the most influential medical work in existence and is accorded first place among medical works. Written over four thousand years ago, it stands as the basis of Chinese traditional medicine.

Here's some of the opening words, dealing with the wisdom of centuries past almost long forgotten by then. They discuss the the right way of life, to achieve the formula of perpetual youth and maintain a youthful body. He is having a conversation with T'ien Shih (Chi Po) a medical sage.

The Yellow Emperor once addressed T'ien Shih (Chi Po) the inspired teacher:

"I have heard that in ancient times the people lived to be over a hundred years, and yet they remained active and did not become decrepit in their activities. But nowadays people only reach only half of that age. Is it because the world changes from generation to generation? Or is it that mankind is becoming negligent of the laws of nature?

Chi Po answered:

"In ancient times those people who understood Tao the way of self cultivation, patterned themselves upon the Yin and the Yang. There was temperament in eating and drinking. Their hours of rising and retiring were regular and not disorderly and wild. By these means the ancients kept their bodies united with their souls, so as to fulfill their allotted span completely, measuring unto a hundred years before the passed away.

Now days people are not like this: they adopt reckless behavior. They exhaust their vital forces, their cravings dissipate their true essence, they do not know how to find true contentment within themselves, and they are not skilled in the control of their spirits. They devote all their attention to the amusement of their minds, thus cutting themselves off from the joys of long life. Their rising and retiring is without regularity. For these reasons they reach only half of the hundred years and they degenerate.

In the most ancient times the sages were tranquilly content in nothingness and the true vital force accompanied them always, their spirit was preserved within, thus how could illness come to them?

They felt happy under any condition. These men were pure of heart. No kind of desire can tempt the eyes of those pure people and their minds cannot be misled by excessiveness and evil. Thus they could live more than a hundred years and remain active without becoming decrepit, because their virtue was perfect and never imperiled.