Mook (5): Principles of Evaluation of Disease Symptoms

Let us talk about principles of evaluation of disease symptoms.

• Any kind of disease symptoms stems from the deficiency of Jing qi.
• The degree of deficiency of Jing qi is evaluated according to how much changes can be seen in reference points.

Everybody has Jing qi, and whether Jing qi is deficient or not is evaluated from the disease symptoms. If there is any symptoms or diseases, there should be the deficiency of Jing qi underneath.

How severe or degree of the deficiency of Jing qi can be evaluated from the condition of reference points, but how changable the reference points are after treatment is also the big point. You can reckon that as more unchangeable reference points are more severe the deficiency of Jing qi is. So, you can judge the condition of a patient from this.   

However, this is a kind of delicate thing, because changes of reference points are depending on the ability of the practitioner, aren't they? Sometimes, whoever performs the treatment, they do not work, but in other cases, while one practitioner performs a treatment, it works well, but the other person does same, but it doesn't work out, these things could happen. There are various stages. The degree of deficiency of Jing qi is in the relative relationship with a practitioner. So, when a patient who comes to you does not make an improvement, you might judge that his/her deficiency of Jing qi is severe, but when you introduce him/her to some other practitioner, for the introduced practitioner, the same patient could be easier to make a change. In this case, for the introduced practitioner, the deficiency of Jing qi of the patient is not so severe.

Treatment is based on only the relationship between a patient and a therapist, so the treatment is depending on the therapist's evaluation ability and skill. This is not the sphere that so called objectivity is coming in. This is the characteristic (of acupuncture), but some people say this would be in trouble, so they talk about EBM, the concepts of the modern medicine, Western medicine are related with this. Some people in the Oriental medicine might compromise in the superficial sense. This is very difficult issue.


*This is translated from "Mook Shakuju Therapy" vol.1 (2013). This is the summary of Kobayashi sensei's lecture held in Chiba on February, 2012.

Mook (4): The Tai-ji and Acupuncture (2)

Let us summarize for this point now. The Tai-ji concept is not merely an conceptual thing, but also is strongly related with our treatment, Shakuju therapy.

Firstly, let us look at the fundamental yang, yang of the Tai-ji. This refers to the whole body. And what sustain this body are the gravity and the life. We express this life as "Jing-qi". The gravitational force and Jing-qi are both invisible power, aren't they? The sick state is the condition that the Jing-qi is diminishing.

And let us bring up another concept to summarize the relative world with the word of "reference points". Of course, there are various disease names and symptoms concretely, but we are trying to sum up all these things to the words of reference points. This is what we are doing. Yang of the Tai-ji includes both concepts of yin and yang, and we are trying to express them as reference points as a whole. It is easy to understand so far, isn't it?

The problem arises from here. What influences on the state of the fundamental yang is the fundamental yin, Jing-qi. When Jing-qi is weakened, changes occur on reference points. Treatment is the attempt to modify such a condition of pathological deficiency of Jing qi. Here, what makes it possible to tonify this deficiency of Jing qi is the imagination of a therapist, in other words, "consciousness". Without this action of consciousness, neither the deficiency of Jing qi is modified nor reference points change.

Consciousness of a therapist, as well as consciousness of a patient is related, has a role to tonify the deficiency of Jing qi. Treatment cannot consist of merely with a treatment act. It is not until consciousness of a therapist works that treatment is completed.

The interesting is that the most of therapists are not aware of directing their consciousness, but they direct their consciousness unconsciously to influence on the deficiency of Jing qi. So, the fact that any treatment method has each treatment effect is understood as consciousness is used in any treatment method. It doesn't matter what kind of treatment method. I'm not saying that only Shakuju therapy can do it. It is quite likely that as you practice Shakuju therapy, you can apply this to other treatment methods as well. That would be your relationship with your patients, so you can do it freely.

What Shakuju therapy is targeting on is to comprehend everything with the idea of Shakuju therapy. In any methodology, as far as a human being performs, consciousness is working there. Then, the consciousness must have some influence on Jing qi. Some practitioner would not express it as Jing qi, but any words can be used because it is about the invisible world.

Consciousness works on the deficiency of Jing qi, then it influences on changes of reference points. Generally, you won't use the words of reference points, but you'd say symptoms or diseases. We use the words of reference points because this fits to our treatment policy more, so we prefer to apply this concept. All symptoms stemming from the deficiency of Jing qi are summarized as reference points. So if you have any sick symptoms, there must be the deficiency of Jing qi underneath.

*This is translated from "Mook Shakuju Therapy" vol.1 (2013). This is the summary of Kobayashi sensei's lecture held in Chiba on February, 2012.

Mook (3): The Tai-ji and Acupuncture (1)

Some of you might feel bored with the vase, so let us apply this into the human body (Figure 4).

Figure 4

This is the same thing. When you want to treat a certain person, the person to be treated would be the Tai-ji/ the fundamental yang. The person exists as a patient.

Here, we use the division of cold and heat. These are the replaced words of yin and yang. The body could be roughly divided into these two concepts.

When you focus on the lower cold, this part becomes the Tai-ji. And we can estimate that this is also divided into cold and heat.

Here, you can notice that the widths of heat and cold are not even, right? For the case of the vase, I dare to draw yin and yang even, but that was the simple upper and lower story, so I could do that. However, it is rare for the human body being divided into cold and heat in the middle, usually it is deviated. Unlike the fundamental yang, it can be said that this cold and heat are in the relative relationship.

For yang of the Tai-ji that we are looking, the contents of it are yin and yang as the relative relationship. You can never say that the feet are always cold, can you? You can say that this person has the cold feet, or the feet are cold today, so this is kind of the relative relationship.

Then, when you look the human body as yang of the Tai-ji, what is the fundamental yin, the power supporting yang of the Tai-ji? One is the gravity. Everything cannot exist without gravity. What is the other thing? The answer is life.

There are two kinds of existences on the Earth; one is those without lives, and the other is those with lives. Human beings are one of those animated, so this thing which has a human shape can move uniquely by means of the life. So, for the human beings, they are related with two elements; the gravity and the life.

For example, a person is standing. This is kind of a unique action due to the existence of the life. It can be said that capability of keeping to stand is the condition that the person has enough vital energy towards the gravity. When the vital force is weakened, one must feel hard to keep standing, want to sit down and lie down.

Now, I'm also standing and giving a lecture, but I would like to finish it within two hours or something. Gradually, I feel tired and hard to keep standing. This is also because of the gravity, isn't it?

We are always influenced by the gravity and act against it. So, you can say that diseases are in the state that one's power against the gravitational pull is getting weakened. Those who can walk to the clinic to receive treatment have certain power yet. Those who start to use a stick, those on wheelchairs, those who are carried, the condition becomes more serious in such an order. In the end, one cannot stand against the gravity and dies. It can be understood like this.

In Shakuju therapy, we can look at any phenomena like this with cold and heat. This is the characteristic of Shakuju therapy.



 *This is translated from "Mook Shakuju Therapy" vol.1 (2013). This is the summary of Kobayashi sensei's lecture held in Chiba on February, 2012.

Mook (2): The Tai-ji (2)

Let us talk about the Tai-ji from the different perspective.

This is an illustration of the Earth and the solar system (Figure 1).

When we are focusing on the existence of the Earth, we can see the Earth as the Tai-ji, the fundamental yang, right? Then, what is the power supporting the Earth as the visible existence? That is the power called the gravity or the attractive force. Without it, this Earth can never exist.

Figure 1

We focused on the Earth, so the Earth was the Tai-ji, but if we focus on the solar system this time, the whole solar system becomes the Tai-ji. Then, the power makes the solar system exist is also the gravitational force.

Let us focus on something more familiar with. This is the vase (Figure 2). Now we are looking at  this vase as the Tai-ji. The Tai-ji is yang, right. Then, how can this vase exist? This is also because there is a gravitational pull. If there is no gravitational power, the vase would become pieces, or we can see pieces, so it would become something less than pieces. That's what we understand.

Figure 2

We can divide this Tai-ji into upper and lower, right? We can use the words yin and yang. Then, both the upper and lower parts can be divided into yin and yang as well. It can be subdivided forever.

Can you notice that the classified yin is different from the fundamental yin that is on the basis of the Tai-ji in terms of its meaning? Yin written in Figure 2 is the relative yin of the fundamental yang.

Next, when you focus on one of the relative yang, this yang is divided into yin and yang, in that case, the original yang becomes the Tai-ji (Figure 3).

Figure 3

You might get an impression that yang is divided into yin and yang, and yin is divided into yin and yang, but in fact it is always that the Tai-ji is divided into yin and yang, and that's all. Are you confused now? The Tai-ji, yin and yang, the yin-yang concept consists of these three ideas only. You always replace the beginning with the Tai-ji. The Tai-ji is divided into yin and yang, and the yin and yang become the Tai-ji and each is divided into yin and yang, and the same thing can be repeated, right? Each time, there is a begining, and the beginning is treated as the Tai-ji. If this becomes clear, you can understand the main part of the Tai-ji / yin-yang theory roughly.

 *This is translated from "Mook Shakuju Therapy" vol.1 (2013). This is the summary of Kobayashi sensei's lecture held in Chiba on February, 2012.

Mook (0): Introduction (The Core of Acupuncture Treatment)

It was really a turbulent year last year (note: 2011). About me, there was the ninth America seminar of Shakuju therapy, I had a seminar in AIMC, Goto gakuen school in the states, and also I had a lecture and workshop in Boston annually.

As you remember, we had the Tohoku earthquake on March. After the disaster, one of our members, Ishizaki sensei went to Fukushima as a volunteer of acupuncture treatment. 

Once I also went to volunteer for the Kobe earthquake, but it is very difficult to make an action. It is a hard task to go just for once, but to continue requires a lot of energy. Requiring energy means that you have to be young to do this. But, the weak point for a young practitioner is that you don't have so much clinical experience. There have always been a big trouble here. 

Except this, for example, there are political thing, such as issues of the whole acupuncture sphere or related with the group, so acupuncture world contains a complicated problems as well. 

In such a situation, how each of us can commit to the world? This is a big issue for each of us. 

Some people might feel that being an acupuncturist is not enough, then become a politician, or others might join the activity as a role of some group. It is good thing to have various people and various ways of commitment.

I have been thinking for a long time that one of big issues in the acupuncture sphere is that there is no common "core of acupuncture".

Japanese people values ambiguity and diversity, of course this is very good thing, but we need to answer when we are asked what the core of acupuncture therapy is. I have been feeling this urge especially after having American seminars. 

There are many methodologies, and each treatment method is effective. This means that there are diversity, but they have their own treatment effects as well, there must be something in common there. So, what is the common point among such various methodologies? I have been targeting on grasping what the core thing is.  

I have been making Shakuju therapy based on such a view. Today, people who are interested in this kind of perspective came to this seminar, I think. 

It is a two hours seminar from now, but I would like you to feel to make a core inside of you and study. 

There are roughly three topics in today's seminar. 

• General theory
• Reference points
• Supplemental treatment on lower extremities

I always talk about the general theory in Chiba seminar. General theory gives you an idea how to look at treatment, people, or sick people, right? I would like you to confirm this each other each time. 

It is not merely getting used to a methodology to earn your bread, if you become familiar with the ideas of general theory that I'm going to talk with, you will be able to think and act on your own. 

I would like you to know this, so let us start with the general theory. 

*This is translated from "Mook Shakuju Therapy" vol.1 (2013), p4-6. This is the summary of Kobayashi sensei's lecture held in Chiba on February, 2012. 

Mook (1): The Tai-ji (1)

There are three themes in the general theory today.

• The Tai-ji
• The Tai-ji concept and acupuncture
• The general principles to evaluate disease symptoms

The most of you would be interested in how the concept of the Tai-ji is related to the treatment, wouldn't you? So, firstly, I would like you to understand the Tai-ji, then the relationship of it with acupuncture, based on the idea of the Tai-ji. Then, I would like you to understand the evaluation of disease symotoms, based on these ideas.

Let us confirm what the word of the Tai-ji means.

• The Tai-ji consists of the fundamental yang-qi and the fundamental yin-qi. 
• The existence of the fundamental yang-qi is supported by the fundamental yin-qi.
• All phenomena are the various facets of the fundamental yang-qi. In addition, phenomena are the states of qi of yin and yang which are in the relative relationships.

Generally speaking, the Tai-ji is used in the meaning of the root or the basis, isn't it?  Here, we use the word "fundamental". It is the foundation of everything. Everything means the universe, in  other words.

What is the universe, then? You can understand that as everything you see. It is not limited only to the universe of the astronomy. The notebook and the pencil in front of you, these are also existing in the universe, aren't they? So you can understand that in this way.

In the Oriental thought, everything including such things can be divided into yin and yang. It is the idea to replace everything into words of yin and yang.

I have been using the word, "absolute" compared with the word, "relative", however, as its meaning, the word "fundamental" would be easier to understand, so I'm using the word "fundamental" now.

Usually, yin and yang is a relative concept, but now I'm talking about the fundamental yin and yang. There is the fundamental yin on the basis of the fundamental yang.

Let me explain the words here. The fundamental yang means everything human being can see, experience and perceive. The idea is that those visible, the fundamental yang is not existing on its own.

How do you perceive then? The universe becomes the universe from the certain point, so it becomes the universe through the process from the state of invisible to the state of the visible. So, it is understandable that on the background of the fundamental yang, "those visible and perceivable", there would be some "power to make and support it". I'm using the word, the "fundamental yin" to express it.

In the I-Ching, the Tai-ji is expressed as the word of yang. The sign ―, that's it. The trouble is that this is all written in the I-Ching. I have been wondering how I can understand this. If there is yang, there must be yin as well, but in the I-Ching, it is only described that "The Tai-ji is yang".  Yin is not written. This has been my theme for a long time, but I realized suddenly that this yin is undescribable and something should not be described.

Yin of the Ta-ji, the fundamental yin is something support the fundamental yang. "Those invisible" supporting "those visible" called as the fundamental yang, so this is undescribable. I understand that in this way.

This fundamental yin is expressed as those invisible, meaning that those are the basis of the whole visible things. The relative yin and yang divided from the Tai-ji is expressed as two divisions of those visible, so yin of yin-yang dividing from the Tai-ji is visible yin. The relative yin and yang are two facets of those visible, so the relative yin is visible yin.

*This is translated from "Mook Shakuju Therapy" vol.1 (2013), p7-9. This is the summary of Kobayashi sensei's lecture held in Chiba on February, 2012. 

Trauma

Trauma is receiving an injury of qi from the outside. The extent of healing of it is depending on one's congenital strength. Trauma includes those without bleeding, such as bruise and sprain, those with bleeding such as cut, burn, frostbite, those from chemicals and biological toxins such as bee bite.

Bruise weakens the power of qi on the affected area, and the surrounding part receives its negative influence as well. Those with bleeding are rather good thing, when the amount of blood is  a little, it reduces the bad influence on the surrounding tissue.

Burn and frostbite means the death of qi on the area, and it requires the professional treatment when the affected area is huge. Both chemicals and biological toxins suppress the movement of qi of the body, the speed spreading through the whole body is rapid, so it requires the fast proper treatment.

<note>
(1) When you get bleeding with a little cut, let the blood come out a little, then apply moxa on the scar, then put the plaster on it.
(2) For burn, let the affected are cool down with running water for around thirty minutes, and the degree and area of burn is light, put moxa and a plaster, or apply Shiunko, the Kampo ointment made by Seishu Hanaoka.
For frostbite, if the degree is light, massage the area well.
(3) For chemical toxin trauma, firstly, wash off the chemicals on the affected area well.

*This article is translated from "Yamai hitokuchi memo" p. 186-7, written by Shoji Kobayashi, 2005. Articles of this book were meant to be written for patients who came to Taishido Acupuncture Clinic.

Feeling nervous and no concentration

These symptoms (feeling nervous and no concentration) are both upsurge of emotion. It indicates that the power of controlling upsurged emotion is weak, and the tendency of getting upset easily is more or less depending on the congenital factor. It is important to observe children when they are small, but even if they are restless, as far as they have something to become enthusiastic, you do not worry about them too much. 

Rather, the problems lie on introverted disposition, such as they prefer stay inwards or take time to make a move. For those who have introverted disposition, qi tends to be deviated to the head, and this tendency is strengthened as they develop their physical strength towards adolescence.

It is recommended to play sports or exercise to release excessed qi, and to take care of their daily life not to weaken their power of inner organs that can control the upsurge of emotion. 

<note>

Look back your daily life. 

(1) To release excessed qi, consider to cut your hair short, try to go out often, make a contact with nature and communicate with people.

(2) To strengthen the power of inner organs, it is important not to take cold foods and drinks as possible, not to eat too much and limit sweet foods. 

(3) In these cases, it sometimes occurs not to develop conversation with others and ends up to repeat the same thing. As a result, the conversation tends not to be deepened so much, and they are not followed by their own behaviors. 

  In the contemporary standardized society, there are a lot of people who do not fit the society and feel the pain. It is as if they try to fit their feet to the shoes, so those who understand this situation have a role to look for the environment that can fit with them. 

(4) In this kind of symptom, it is better to have a good communication with a specialist. 

*This article is translated from "Yamai hitokuchi memo" p. 184-5, written by Shoji Kobayashi, 2005. Articles of this book were meant to be written for patients who came to Taishido Acupuncture Clinic.