Lonny Jarrett's New Text

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

 

Attilio has been very kind to grant me permission to post a one time

announcement of my new text, " The Clinical Practice of . " This

text thoroughly elaborates the core value system of my book " Nourishing Destiny "

as it pertains to clinical practice. The Worsley system of 5E acupuncture is

put in a 21st century perspective. All the characters in all the point names

are cross referenced to Weiger's etymological text and to mathews'

Chinese-English dictionary. A review is to be found below with details at my WEB

site at

spiritpathpress.com. Warm regards to all for a sane new year.-Lonny Jarrett

 

 

 

Review: TCM WORLD MAGAZINE

By Jeanne-Marie Gilbert

 

The Clinical Practice of

By Lonny S. Jarrett

Spiritpath Press, $99.00, approximately 870 pages

www.spiritpathpress.com

413 698 8011

 

Lonny Jarrett is one of the leading figures in Chinese medicine in America

today for two main reasons: he has absorbed and integrated Chinese medicine in a

unique and perceptive manner, and he communicates his understandings with

extraordinary clarity and depth. In his new book, The Clinical Practice of

, Jarrett continues the discussion on the art and science of

Chinese

medicine begun in his landmark Nourishing Destiny and, in the process, has

produced a book of rare quality on the human heart for practitioners and lay

readers alike.

 

The is the first modern book that delves into the meridians and holographic

nature of the points and explicitly how they may be used in practice. For this

material, Jarrett draws, not only on his extensive study of classical and

modern texts, but eighteen years of clinical practice. The span of his career

includes ample time to discover and test and discover yet again how to approach

an

infinite number of point combinations for an infinite number of clinically

presenting situations. The book includes extensive sections on treatment

paradigms, the clinical implications of acupuncture points, treatment planning,

the

inner nature of the points on the twelve main meridians, and a fascinating

discussion of the differing cognitive styles in various traditions of Chinese

medicine.

 

As an example of the depth of the material presented, the chapters on the

meridians include " Thoughts on the Channel, " classical translations, point

names,

functions, virtues and explications, and case studies. But make no mistake:

this is no manual of technique -- for in Chinese medicine there is no " connect

the dots. " Jarrett fully elaborates the Five Element tradition as synthesized

and taught by JR Worsley, but in such a way that any practitioner could learn

to apply it. " I am asking 'What does it mean now at the dawn of the twenty

first century to treat aggressive energy or possession? I am not defining it,

but offer my experience and ideas to engender discussion. " This is deep and

abiding experience, laid out in beautiful and memorable fashion, that gives a

modern comprehension of the " how " and " why " behind an ancient yet evolving

system.

Jarrett, ever the consummate and therefore generous teacher, challenges us as

practitioners and students to change our minds, because he believes that we

must learn to think differently to encompass the integral and holistic forms of

consciousness required to grasp the nature of the medicine itself. Otherwise,

we appropriate but do not understand the medicine. The venerable professor

Heiner Fruhauf, chair of the department of Classical , National

College of Naturopathic Medicine, states in the foreword, " …it is the writing

between the lines that carries that main pronouncement of this work: at a

certain stage in every practitioner's development, similar to a calligraphy

student who is eventually done imitating the brush strokes of his predecessors,

there is the need to soar and arrive at the heart of one's own medicine. "

 

In a recent interview, Jarrett stated, " The therapeutic relationship is about

getting the patient to experience the light of pure consciousness where

nothing ever happened, where there is no fear or desire, and where there is no

problem. This illumined place exists beyond conditioned mind, beyond time, and

beyond space. Now, more than ever, this is crucial, not only to save us

individually, but to save the species from collective destruction. The

importance of

ming, meaning variously illumination or enlightenment, is now the collective

destiny and consciousness of our species. The promise of medicine can only be

fulfilled if and only if the practitioner accepts the moral authority and

potency

that derive from living a life of integrity and virtue. " He continued with no

little passion, " The goal of the medicine is to realize the highest potential

of the Taoist Canon, 'The only true medicine is consciousness.' True, vibrant

health is consciousness itself, untainted by the victimization of personal

history. " This is where some believe that Jarrett excels: in the multiple, and

what he sees as inseparable, therapeutic roles of doctor, shaman, teacher,

guide, mentor, inspiration. In his Introduction, Jarrett elaborates, " In

restoring

a patient's memory of original nature and purpose, we have saved life in

perhaps an even greater sense than is possible with critical care medicine. For

surgery and medication may save the form of a life, but Chinese medicine can

resurrect is purpose. Therefore we must approach the return of spirit as the

guiding force in an individual's life with the same seriousness and sense of

urgency as we would approach any lifesaving intervention. And we must study and

cultivation of our art with the highest sense of purpose and discipline. " This

is

invitation, entreaty, command: " Illumination is the starting point of Chinese

medicine, not the ending point. "

 

Jarrett's elaborates the different perspectives in Chinese medicine showing

how they all point through the core value system to one end: nourishing destiny

means nothing less than dropping the ego and its myths to realize that we are

one, that ultimately our destinies are the same. Yet this brings us face to

face with the dilemma that Jarrett states simply yet eloquently: " Everyone

wants to get better but no one wants to change. " To help resolve this dilemma,

Jarrett offers a chapter on " The Suggestive Process in Treatment, " making the

point that " metaphor is the most potent medicine on earth. "

 

This is where the Clinical Practice will find a front-shelf place in every

reference library of Chinese medicine for practical and academic reasons. The

appendices alone are worth the price of the book. One covers how to establish

and manage a practice, which, considering ….

Another appendix cross-references all the characters of all the acupuncture

point names to Weiger's etymological text and to mathews' Chinese-English

Dictionary. This looks like a remarkable research tool. " Anyone can now look up

the

meaning of the acupuncture points and the characters without relying on my

definitions or anyone else's. "

 

While there will be controversy in some quarters over Jarrett's orientation

toward this or that vein of thought or his deeply synthetized understanding of

various strains of Chinese medicine, Clinical Practice is another

inspirational masterpiece. If American understanding of the practice is to

evolve to

fulfill the promise of the medicine, then students and practitioners alike would

be well served by taking this book to heart. As Prof. Fruehauf concludes the

foreword, " While the field of Oriental medicine seems to be heading more and

more toward a state of domination by standardized textbooks, standardized tests,

and a standardized pantheon of Chinese medicine heroes, this book shows us how

much life, creativity, passion, and intuition lies in the vast depths of our

growing profession, and models how these rather personal sparks combine rather

naturally with the data of the classical traditions to cast the cultivational

path of the healer… " Hopefully pointing the way to the future of Chinese

medicine in the US, this book will be savored by many for a long time to come.

So,

to cultivation then, and evolution, of ourselves and our world, we are

respectfully invited.