Guest guest Posted October 13, 2002 Report Share Posted October 13, 2002 N, > Ken, > > great post! > I only thought of reading chinese as relevant > to translating. It seems that > there are a lot of great practioners out there > that do not read chinese, but > you make a great case for it's clinical > relevence. It only opens my eyes to > how much is out there to know, and how little > of it I have. Thanks. The work I've been doing here in Beijing recently has brought me once more to realize just how much is out there to know. My personal confrontation with the subject of traditional Chinese medicine is a constantly humbling experience. It seems that as I round every corner on the path, I find that it stretches farther and farther, reminding me of the landscapes in which one finds oneself when looking at Chinese paintings of rivers and mountains without end. But though it is humbling, it is also exhilirating. The spirit of Chinese medicine is alive in its literature and its lore. It moves in the virtually endless stories and sayings into which Chinese for countless generations have woven their intricate and delicate sensibilities concerning the nature of human life and the dilemmas in which we find ourselves when dealing with some of the most basic issues such as health, harmony, illness, and death. As Nigel Wiseman has so simply and eloquently put it, language is the neglected key that unlocks this vast storehouse of material that is waiting for anyone at any time who simply cares to take a look. > > In terms of formal education, I have felt that > the increasing standards have > had more to do with weeding out prospects that > would harm clients, and thus > our field. This explains the focus on modern > medicine, and one's ability to > refer a life threatening case. Ironic, isn't it? The tendency of modern medicine to harm clients is much greater than the tendency of Chinese medicine to do so. I take the inordinate concern to protect people from something which is comparaitvely harmless as a measure of the ignorance and the arrogance with which the infrastructure of the subject has been designed and constructed in many Western areas. I see it as a kind of xenophoic kneejerk response that tends to lock people into inappropriate reactions to the actual challenges that face non-Chinese when they seek to study, apply, and research traditional Chinese medicine. And what do you know? Language is the key to this as well. > Realistically, the amount of training that > becomes standard has to be based > on a reasonable return. I recieved a 2500 hour > masters degree, and while I > am happy plying my skills, I would caution > anyone considering this course as > it is a financially risky one. Particularly > considering the changes we will > see in mainstream medicine in the next ten > years. Well, the future is hard to see. My personal hope for it is that enough people take the responsibility seriously to learn the language and acquire access to the actual knowledge base of the subject so that future planning and actions can be informed by the wisdom which has kept the subject alive throughout its long history. An educational system must obviously be designed to prepare its students and graduates to survive in the world in which they live. But it must also embody and transmit the subject which it purports to profess. An educational infrastructure that purports to profess traditional Chinese medicine but which lacks a comprehensive program of developing language skills and access to the literature and the vast store of knowledge (which remains available only to those with Chinese language skills) is not likely, in my opinion, to survive into the future much beyond the range to which its initial enthusiasms have already extended it. The key to the survival of the field is language. Here in China you can still find that odd, long term foreigner who has lived and worked in the country for years or decades and who yet does not speak the language. But these are the rare exceptions, the surviving few who for whatever reasons failed to recognize or accept what the new, bright, young people who appear year by year in greater numbers readily, willingly and quite capably embrace: in order to deal effectively with Chinese ideas, Chinese people, Chinese artifacts, Chinese anything, one needs to understand the Chinese language. If you are in San Diego at the PCOM symposium next month, please drop by the Redwing booth so we can meet and chat. Best, Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 13, 2002 Report Share Posted October 13, 2002 N, > Ken, > > great post! > I only thought of reading chinese as relevant > to translating. It seems that > there are a lot of great practioners out there > that do not read chinese, but > you make a great case for it's clinical > relevence. It only opens my eyes to > how much is out there to know, and how little > of it I have. Thanks. The work I've been doing here in Beijing recently has brought me once more to realize just how much is out there to know. My personal confrontation with the subject of traditional Chinese medicine is a constantly humbling experience. It seems that as I round every corner on the path, I find that it stretches farther and farther, reminding me of the landscapes in which one finds oneself when looking at Chinese paintings of rivers and mountains without end. But though it is humbling, it is also exhilirating. The spirit of Chinese medicine is alive in its literature and its lore. It moves in the virtually endless stories and sayings into which Chinese for countless generations have woven their intricate and delicate sensibilities concerning the nature of human life and the dilemmas in which we find ourselves when dealing with some of the most basic issues such as health, harmony, illness, and death. As Nigel Wiseman has so simply and eloquently put it, language is the neglected key that unlocks this vast storehouse of material that is waiting for anyone at any time who simply cares to take a look. > > In terms of formal education, I have felt that > the increasing standards have > had more to do with weeding out prospects that > would harm clients, and thus > our field. This explains the focus on modern > medicine, and one's ability to > refer a life threatening case. Ironic, isn't it? The tendency of modern medicine to harm clients is much greater than the tendency of Chinese medicine to do so. I take the inordinate concern to protect people from something which is comparaitvely harmless as a measure of the ignorance and the arrogance with which the infrastructure of the subject has been designed and constructed in many Western areas. I see it as a kind of xenophoic kneejerk response that tends to lock people into inappropriate reactions to the actual challenges that face non-Chinese when they seek to study, apply, and research traditional Chinese medicine. And what do you know? Language is the key to this as well. > Realistically, the amount of training that > becomes standard has to be based > on a reasonable return. I recieved a 2500 hour > masters degree, and while I > am happy plying my skills, I would caution > anyone considering this course as > it is a financially risky one. Particularly > considering the changes we will > see in mainstream medicine in the next ten > years. Well, the future is hard to see. My personal hope for it is that enough people take the responsibility seriously to learn the language and acquire access to the actual knowledge base of the subject so that future planning and actions can be informed by the wisdom which has kept the subject alive throughout its long history. An educational system must obviously be designed to prepare its students and graduates to survive in the world in which they live. But it must also embody and transmit the subject which it purports to profess. An educational infrastructure that purports to profess traditional Chinese medicine but which lacks a comprehensive program of developing language skills and access to the literature and the vast store of knowledge (which remains available only to those with Chinese language skills) is not likely, in my opinion, to survive into the future much beyond the range to which its initial enthusiasms have already extended it. The key to the survival of the field is language. Here in China you can still find that odd, long term foreigner who has lived and worked in the country for years or decades and who yet does not speak the language. But these are the rare exceptions, the surviving few who for whatever reasons failed to recognize or accept what the new, bright, young people who appear year by year in greater numbers readily, willingly and quite capably embrace: in order to deal effectively with Chinese ideas, Chinese people, Chinese artifacts, Chinese anything, one needs to understand the Chinese language. If you are in San Diego at the PCOM symposium next month, please drop by the Redwing booth so we can meet and chat. Best, Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 14, 2002 Report Share Posted October 14, 2002 I am looking for a practioner in the Chicago area - closer to the western suburbs but not essential. Anyone know anyone good? Thanks, Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2004 Report Share Posted January 3, 2004 Chris, " Welcome to the South, " hahaha. It is 73 here in Oakdale, La. and I have had the air running intermittently all day. The humidity is almost 100%...it was supposed to rain, and the air is so damp the garage floor is wet. And it is supposed to get down to 30 on Tues. I came from N. Ca. and we had dry, dry air. I have been here for 18 years and still can't get used to the oppressive heat and air. I just stay in under the a/c. Diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2004 Report Share Posted January 3, 2004 At 02:50 AM 1/3/04, you wrote: >Good luck! When I was 15 and just getting into EO's I bought a 1 oz >bottle of Rosemary Oil and right after I got home with it I spilled >about 3/4 of the oz on my rug in my room. My dad wanted to kill me cause >the whole upper floor of the house smelled like very pungent Rosemary >for the next few years ;-p try having the bottle fall out of a 16 oz bottle of tea tree...unopened... in a carpeted room... actually...the closet of that particular room was mine...where I hung all my clothes... Your source for superb Essential Oils, Aromatherapy Accessories, Information, Books and more! Visit us at: <http://www.naturesgift.com> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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