Chinese Medicine and The Art of War
Although the Neijing, The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic, and Sunzi’s military treatese The Art of War were not written in the same century BC, they do have something in common. The principles of diagnosis and treatment of disease in Traditional Chinese Medicine are similar to the military tactics expressed by Sunzi of defeating the enemy without deploying troops. According to the Neijing, the superior physician treats an illness before it begins. He diagnoses an existing condition, predicts the course of its development, and on this basis, decides on which treatment is needed to prevent the disease from occuring. However, in the event that the disease has already manifested, it should be treated quickly to stop it from changing or progressing further. In a similar fashion, Sunzi states that “supreme excellence consists of subduing the enemy without fighting”. A superior commander achieves victory without going to war. Troops should be deployed only when it is unavoidable, in the same way that medicinal remedies in TCM are only used to dispel illness when there is no other choice. Diet, exercise and adapting to nature’s cycles are utilized to cure a problem wherever possible without applying medications. For example, if the patient is chilled from being caught in the rain, he is advised to take a hot ginger drink, and to rest in bed, sweating it out under a pile of blankets. However, if the disease has already taken hold, then it must be dispelled. Sunzi emphasizes swift attack if the enemy starts to advance, in order to destroy them before disaster is caused.
The Neijing explains the principles of Chinese medicine using military terms. It describes the Zang Fu organ pairs of the Five Element Theory as ”officials”, who command and and interact with one another to maintain order and balance and ward off any unhealthy attack. They defend the human body, the ”army camp” with the aid of yin and yang qi, whose strength, like that of horses, must be kept under control.
The chief commander or “king” is described as the Heart. If the King is emotionally disturbed, then all other ”officials” or organs will suffer. The Liver, the General, is the commander of the armed forces. The Lungs are analogous to a prime minister. The Kidneys are in charge of strength. The Spleen and Stomach officiate over the public granaries. The Gallbladder is the mediator, the Large Intestine is the official in control of transmission. The Small Intestine has the function of receiving water and food, and the Urinary Bladder controls the reservoir.
When all the ”officials” work together in harmony, war is prevented and good health can be maintained.
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