Mindful Preventive Medicine

Verse 39 of the Daodejing tells us:

From the beginning these things possessed wholeness
Heaven possessed wholeness thereby becoming lucid
Earth possessed wholeness thereby becoming serene
All beings possessed wholeness thereby becoming alive

From this verse you see that you started out in the right place; you possessed wholeness, were One with the Dao. So, what happened? More important, how do you get back there?

Part of the problem is that you see yourself as separate; heaven is “up there” above your head, earth is “down there” below your feet, and you are wandering around in the middle. Something I read the other day offers a whole new perspective on your relationship to heaven and earth, and just where you truly stand in that relationship: Heaven ends at the bottom of your feet, earth ends at the top of your head.

I found this statement very enlightening. It tells you that you are not separate, you are included in both heaven and earth simultaneously. (If that sounds odd, think of it this way: you have a unique DNA pattern, but your DNA includes your parents’ DNA; one-half your father’s, one-half your mother’s.) It is natural and correct that you possess the wholeness of heaven and earth, that you live as a lucid and serene person functioning without inner conflict and turmoil.

In terms of mindful preventive medicine, the lucidity of heaven represents your mind and spirit: lack of mental agitation, healthy mental and spiritual state, clarity of mind. Many people think of spirit as passionate, however, as the energy that keeps you alive, it is mainly dispassionate and functional. The serenity of Earth represents your emotions: lack of emotional agitation, healthy emotional state, calmness of heart. You know that mental agitation causes a responding turmoil of emotions, and that this eventually leads to physical illness. The greatest need, then, is to eliminate, as best you can, mental conflict and emotional distress.

The best way to accomplish this is to follow the examples of heaven and earth. Heaven does not complicate choices or decisions. Heavenly and spiritual influences follow a smooth, natural course that is the unfolding of the universe. Earth does not second-guess heaven’s decision or agonize over how to accomplish this unfolding, earth unemotionally follows the path blazed by heaven.

There are so many choices and decisions you must make every day. Many are based on logic and reasoning, or desire and public opinion. These are unhealthy methods leading to inner and outer conflict and competition. Make choices and decisions that are correct for you, and also align with universal energies and are rooted in the Dao by spending time in silence, in a mental place with no priorities or agendas, just a quiet and open mind. If you listen honestly and sincerely, your intuition will speak to you, and your choices will be in harmony with your health, Nature, and the Way.

The mindful way to prevent illness is in keeping a clear mind and a calm heart. Follow without hesitation your mind and spirit. Don’t let emotional doubts and desires pull you off the course of health and wellness.

Thanks to Bradford Hatcher for permission to use his matrix translation of the Daodejing in writing today’s quote of verse 39. Bradford’s excellent translations of the Daodejing and the Yijing may be seen on his website at http://www.hermetica.info/