APPLICATION & TECHNIQUES OF ACUPUNCTURE- UNITS 202.14.1 to 202.14.4

MODULE – 14

THE FIVE LANDSCAPES

202.14.1 Body as a living Landscape

TCM Classics describe the body as a living landscape: ‘healing makes

our internal landscape heal and flower again’, according to chapters 12

and 13 of the Neijing and the Classic of Mountains and Seas, where

there are references to the depth of treatment, and how acupuncture must

be adapted for the time it is practiced in.

Some subjects are like a woodland glade, where sunlight shines down in

beams of gold, while birdsong echoes among the tall strong age-old

trees. Some are a windswept beach, where seashells are gathered over a

shore bathed by roaring waves that come and go, and gulls laughing on

the wind and the smell of fish filling the nostrils.

The concept of internal and external landscape seems to orginally come

from shamanism, and has flowered in a precise system in China within

Taoism. It exists both in TCM and is stronger in Classical Acupuncture.

However, there is a greater focus on Shen and on how our Shen both

creates and lives in our internal landscape.

Even the acupuncture points on the body create a living, changing

landscape, something seen clearly in Nanjing - Classic of Difficulties.

An old way of illustrating this Taoist view can be borrowed from the

Shanhaijing, the Classic of Mountains and Seas. It was written in the 2nd

century BC and is literally a travel-guide to Chinas holy mountains.

Our body is like this. Our shen (the conscious awareness that also

includes much of our mind, emotions and thoughts) is the sun and moon

of that landscape; it will shape how the flora and fauna inside it

becomes, just like the external landscape around us affects it from the

outside. This view has always been part of the very core of Chinese

medicine.

Many people are not even aware of their internal landscape at all beyond

that something might feel wrong, that they are uneasy in it or even really

dislike it. Very few people ever get the tools to change it and let it evolve

to something brighter, greener and pleasant. A very few learn to land in

it and relax there, and even just see what it actually looks like.

“In a similar way, the Chinese think of each person as a cosmos in

miniature. A person manifests the same patterns as does the painting of

the universe. The Yang or Fire aspects of the body are the dynamic and

transforming, while the Yin or Water aspects are the more yielding and

nourishing. One person projects the heat and quickness of summer Fire;

another person resembles the serenity and coolness of winter Cold; a

third replicates heaviness and moistness of Dampness; a fourth has the

shriveled appearance of a dry Chinese autumn; and many people display

some aspects of the various seasons simultaneously. Harmony and health

are the balanced interplay of these tendencies.

In each person, as in every landscape, there are signs that when

balanced, define health or beauty. If the signs are out of balance, the

person is ill or the painting is ugly. So the Chinese physician looks at a

patient the way a painter looks at a landscape – as a particular

arrangement of signs in which the essence of the whole can be seen.

The body’s signs, of course, are somewhat different from nature’s signs

– including color of face, expression of emotions, sensations of comfort

or pain, quality of pulse – but they express the essence of the bodily

landscape.”

The vision of the human body belongs both to Taoism and to Chinese

medicine. The fundamental work of medical theory, the Simple

Questions of the Yellow Emperor, describes the body thus: “The heart

functions as the emperor and governs through the shen; the lungs are

liaison officers who promulgate rules and regulations; the liver is a

general and devises strategies.”

Chinese medicine is full of these maps making our internal landscape

alive with characters and faces we can have good or bad relationships

with, depending on how our shen works inside us. The Chinese and

Japanese medical traditions that involve channel palpation – feeling and

mapping the changes of the meridians, and how they reflect the balance

in our internal landscape – have an even more physical and

alive, felt sense, of the body and the shen that inhabits it.

An acupuncturist’s own relationship with the points that he uses to help

the patient become healthier (Landscape specificity) depends on his own

Microcosm – basically a quote of the microcosm instead of The Classic

of Mountains and Seas macrocosm.

There are subtle differences among the points. Some have more Qi or

more blood, some have less. In some places the type of Qi is different

than in others. Importantly, the exact nature of Qi sensation that sould be

generated from each point varies, and should be varied depending on the

desired effect. Each point actually has its own nature or personality.

202.14.2 Evidence from TAO & TCM

In Taoist texts there are often even further details of the internal

landscape. The area inside the navel is called the Central Palace, the

Mansion of Life, the Spiritual Room of Primordial Chaos, the Yellow

Court, the Elixir Field, the Cavity of Spirit and Qi, the Orifice for

Returning to One’s Roots, the Passage for Restoring One’s Life, the

Orifice of Primordial Chaos, the Cavity of 100 Meetings, the Gate of

Life, the Spiritual Hearth of the Great One, the Original Visage. It has

many different names. This place encloses the most exquisite Qi, which

penetrates the 100 blood vessels and nourishes the entire body.

The Neijing – contains huge amounts of information, some of it obvious,

some of it hidden and taught only through a trained teacher in an

apprentice setting.

The influence from the outside world on our internal landscape, keeps on

changing and is consolidated by our own surroundings and the time and

place we live in. Taoism had mentioned all this in their studies

of bianhua, change, and how it affects us and how we can learn to move

more smoothly and freely with it.

In Chinese medicine, this is a deep field of study for the practitioner; and

yes! - Changes in dwelling place and time affect the patient, and they can

be accounted for and treated well.

Chapter 12 and 13 of the Neijing; chapter 12, goes through examples of

how treatments have to change depending on where people live in the

different directions of the compass:

“In the Northern district of mostly highland, where the weather is cold,

shutting and hiding like winter, the people there live in the mountains

and hills and the cold wind often sweeps the frozen land. The local

people like to stay in the wilderness to drink the milk of cows and sheep.

In this case, their viscera can easily contract cold and the disease of

abdominal distension. In treating the disease, moxibustion therapy

should be used, thus the moxibustion therapy is transmitted from the

North.”

Through this and other examples, the text teaches the idea of adapting

treatments depending on the external surroundings of the patient.

Chapter 13 of the Neijing deepens this further into how we must adapt

treatments after the time the patient lives in.

The Neijing is a teaching-text built in the same way as a classical

apprenticeship in Chinese medicine, with questions from student to

teacher, in the text represented by the legendary Yellow Emperor and his

adviser Qi Bo. First Qi Bo describes how people in ancient times moved

much more with the seasons, kept their hearts pure and didn´t allow their

ambitions and hunger to control them. Then he describes the problems

people have “now” and how badly it has gone with people’s health since

ancient times. (It´s worth remembering that the text was written about

2200-2300 years ago.)

”But the case nowadays is different, people are often affected by anxiety

in the heart, and hurt by the toil on the body on the outside, and people

are careless and no longer care to follow the natural change of the

seasons, nor the coldness and heat of the day.

When external influences invade the system, the patient´s viscera and

bone marrow will be hurt inside, and the orifices and muscle will be hurt

on the outside. If the disease contracted is mild, it will become a serious

one; if it is serious, it will surely end in death. Therefore, the disease

nowadays cannot be treated simply through nourishing the essence or

changing the Qi like it used to be.”

Chapter 13 then goes on to list examples of how acupuncture doctors in

older times were much more precise and careful in their diagnosis and

their skill in seeing the shen, of the patient.

Often this is translated only as “complexion”, but it actually means reallybecoming aware of shen and learning the skill of seeing – feeling, being

aware of – its health in both ourselves and in a patient.

“In ancient times,” continues Qi Bo to his student, the Yellow Emperor,

“there was a physician whose name was Daiji. He studied the principle

of seeing shen and feeling pulse to the degree of making it a heavenly

skill; he could connect them to the Five Elements of Metal, Water,

Wood, Fire and Earth, the five seasons, Yin and Yang, evil winds of all

directions and the three dimensions, not divorcing them from the

principle of their mutual change. So, it is important for one to observe

the shen and pulse conditions to know the essentials of the disease.”

The well trained healer should study diagnostics so well, that he can

factor in both the shen of the patient, the pulse, the Five Elements in the

patient as well as the Five Elements in the season at the time; Yin and

Yang in the patient, the “six evils” that affect one from the outside, and

the three dimensions, that is the place the patient lives in.

202.14.3 Geography in Body Depth

Another part of our internal landscape is the manifestation of it in

physical depth in our body. Geography in depth of the body: levels of

depth in acupuncture treatment.

Taoist practices teach that the deeper in our system we feel the deeper

levels of our emotions, mind and psyche that we also activate and access.

In Chinese medicine, there is something called the Six Levels. They are

written about in the Neijing, but really reach an apex in the Chinese

medical classic called the Shanghan Lun, the Classic of Febrile Disease

caused by Cold.

The Shanghan Lun was written in the 200´s by legendary doctor Zhang

Zhongjing. The Six Levels themselves give geography in depth of the

body and mind of a patient and of the practitioner: each level is linked to

two meridian systems at that depth, and their corresponding organs and

emotions, and the way they help our internal landscape interact with our

external one. These Six Levels of depth are actually the Six meridian

pairs - Taiyang, Taiyin, Shaoyang, Shaoyin, Yangming and Jueyin.

The first one is Taiyang, Ultimate Yang, which covers the huge area of

the entire back of our body and the meridians of the Bladder and Small

Intestine and their respective organs, functions, and links to our emotions

and mind. Then it continues deeper by stages, all the way to Jueyin,

Ultimate Yin, deepest yin, the deepest levels of blood and stillness and

healing in us, which are linked to the Liver and Pericardium.

The Shanghan Lun is the root of what is now one of the main herbal

traditions of Chinese medicine, since the book is primarily focused on

herbal medicine in a specific form. Zhang Zhongjing wrote down

diagnostics and treatments not only for each level, but also accounted for

the sub depths it has moved in that level itself.

“Clause 1-4: During the first day of febrile disease caused by Cold, the

syndrome is at the Taiyang Channel. If the pulse is quiet, the syndrome

is not transmitting into the next channel. When the patient is restless and

nauseated, and the pulse is speedy and mighty, then the syndrome is

transmitting.”

The Shanghan Lun was later split up, and what became the second book

is called the Jingguyi Yaolue, Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden

Chamber, often less studied than what is known as the Shanghan Lun

today.

“One should carefully protect one’s Body Resistance and avoid the

attack of climatic pathogenic factors. Otherwise, channels and collaterals

will be violated and health endangered. In case pathogenic factors have

invaded the channels and collaterals, medical treatment should be given

in time to stop the transmission of pathogenic factors into the viscera and

bowels.”

The Six Levels help us understand how problems and illnesses can begin

at different levels in us, and how they can progress to become worse the

deeper they go. As practitioners, we should find out that level and treat

at that level to gently open up the system, instead of trying to attack

deeply into it to fix “the problem”.

“The character for Jue has an interesting construction. The outside of this

character comes from the obsolete character han, a partial enclosure that

means cliff, as on the side of a mountain.

The inside of the character is a variant of the commonly used que, which

usually means lacking, but can also mean vacant or an opening.

The character jue therefore suggests an opening or vacancy on the side

of a mountain. It is a place of absolute stillness and retreat from which

one begins the process of “reverting” back to Yang.

Recalling the Taoist influence on Chinese medicine, we can imagine the

adepts of a thousand years past retreating into their caves in the

mountains. This is a helpful image for jue yin, but is at odds, in some

respects, with a commonly held belief by many modern practitioners

who think of jue yin as a moving vessel of emotions.

Of course, for many modern patients, the cave of retreat may in fact be

filled with just such chaos! In such cases, yin and blood will not have a

place for restoration.”

Jueyin is the deepest level of the primary meridian system, the deepest of

the Six Levels, the place for deepest yin, stillness and healing. This can

be changed to the better. It is fully possible to begin a healing process

and change this to become calmer, healthier, quieter, and a place more of

healing again. A good acupuncturist should be able to stabilize that

process a lot.

The landscape inside a person is something he is comfortable with;

Something he likes and can relax into. If needed, he could change it.

Many people have a belief that their internal landscape cannot be

changed, cannot heal, cannot become more whole again. But it is fully

possible to do this, and to feel so much happier with who we are inside.

In China, the saying is yi bu yi bu lai, one step at a time will get you

there. Whatever we want to change, we begin where we are right now. It

is a huge thing to want to change to the better: after that, we simply take

one step at a time to change our internal landscape into something more

alive, relaxed, green, filled with flowers, sunlight, moonlight, and the

stars of clear summer nights.

202.14.4 Indian Scriptures on Five Landscapes

’Purusha Sukta’ verses from Rigveda describe the “Cosmic Being" and adescription of the Spiritual unity of the Universe and the projection of

the universe in space and time. Soham (so 'ham सो ऽहम)् is

the Sanskrit for "I am That". When it applies to a person's name,

according to Vedic philosophy it means identifying oneself with the

universe or ultimate reality. When used for meditation, "Soham" acts as

a natural mantra to control one's breathing pattern, to help achieve deep

breath, and to gain concentration.

Monism is a point of view within metaphysics which argues that the

variety of existing things in the universe are reducible to one

substance or reality and therefore that the fundamental character of the

universe is unity.

Taoism also is Holistic and also believes that all of reality is one

substance and contains all those components, climates and Landscapes

of Nature.

Tholkappiyam explains the nature of division of land according to the

psychological needs of the human beings. Thus, the five natural regions:

hills and surrounded areas (Kurinchi); the wooded land between the

highlands and lowlands (Mullai), the lower courses of rivers

(Marudham), the littoral tracts near sea (neydhal) and arid waterless

areas (Palai) is in accordance with the changing world and the man who

lives there in harmony, is part of this landscape and this landscape is part

of him (the inner landscape).

Five-fold division of land into Yung Spring (Kurinchi), Shu Stream

(Mullai), Jing River (Marudham), He Sea (Neydhal) and Jing Well

(Palai) in TCM, coincides with Tolkappiyam, consistent with the origin

of Universe. A closer study of these land divisions proves the fact of the

Viswaroopa thathva (concept of the Universal person within every

organism).

Each Landscape represents a season, a geographical feature, certain

routine activities, behaviors, food types, specific fauna and flora - and

interaction between the lovers Yin (female) and Yang (male) through

interaction among the natural elements, where the subtle philosophy of

the Five Natural Elements is exposed.

According to the Philosophies based on Analogies, the Physiological

modulation can be carried out using a visual insight into the 60

command points and performing appropriate needling to eliminate the

sickness from the inner landscape. It is interesting to note that there is a

sequence established with a Beneficiary element that utilizes the

interaction of the Yin Element and Yang Element of that Landscape.

The respective union, staying, feigning, longing and separation described

in the ‘Tholkappiyam’ also coincides with the different Yin-Yang

interactions at these levels and the corresponding Ailments treated by the

Command Points at those levels.

Union – Effusories at the Yung Spring level, treat acute and febrile

conditions by bringing a fusion within Yin Heat and Yang Coldness.

During these conditions a blanketing (embracing) is involved.

Pot Analogy: While making a Clay pot, Brick or an Icon, the ratio of

water to be added to mould the shape and the annealing process

(heating and slow cooling) are vital to protect the shape and strength

of the pot. Similarly the Effusories protect the Joints through

Thermoregulation to avoid distortion.

Staying – Inductories at the Shu Stream level, treat the Biochemical

disturbances through the Yin Earth (Yuan Source) and Yang Wood.

These points are mostly Homeostatic and treat Chronic conditions that

stay longer.

Windmill Analogy: Windmills remind us of Convertion of Wind

energy into Electricity that is used for a multitude of applications.

The Inductories absorb the Original Qi and keep the Blood and Body

fluids in their Homeostatic conditions. The Earth and Wood

represent the Metabolites and the Lipids and other substances that

obstruct Qi and Blood, in chronic diseases.

Feigning – Transitories at the Jing River level, treat the Pretence or the

Threat posed by pathological blocks and mental blocks through the Yin

Metal and Yang Fire points to Shift the obstructive energies outward,

downward and away from the vital Qi. This landscape involves much

Noise and Quarrels of River Water sharing by diverse cultures and

regions that end up with a healthy intervention.

Cloud Analogy: Sea water is evaporated by the heat of Sun and

clouds formed are transported inland by the monsoon winds. The

rainfall in the catchment areas helps the Rivers and Dams to collect

more water for Irrigation resulting in cultivation and productivity.

Similarly the Transitories act on Obstructive Pathology as well as

Mental Blocks as they involve mass and energy transfer.

Longing – Conjunctories at the He Sea level, treat the Social Health and

the Social and Inter-personal qualities in people. They treat Learning,

Decision matters, Personality issues, Behavior issues, Growth and

Reproduction ailments, through the Yin Water and Yang Earth points

that help as Tonification and Immune Enhancing points.

They open into the Divergent Meridians of the respective Cutaneous

meridian and remind us of the Submerged Treasures of the Sea and

Longing for the result until the Diver Emerges.

Tree Analogy: Saplings grow into Trees and further into Taller

perennial species and some of them are identified for their medicinal

value. Fertile Earth and Uninterrupted water supply should ensure

this elevation and recognition. Similarly the Conjunctories treat to

Tonify or elevate the Person in Society, apart from treating Growth,

Fertility and Learning difficulties.

Separation – Puteals at the Jing Well level, are used to awaken a person

from unconsciousness, while the Qi (Vital Life Force) that had

diminished resides within. The points at this level are associated with

change of Polarity from Yin to Yang and vice versa, representing a

powerful separation.

Spark Analogy: The Life Force is diminished into a Spark during

Unconsciousness. This spark can be ignited using Yin Wood (Fuel)

and Yang Air to restore the flame and activity thereafter. These

points can treat fainting attacks, coma, fits and those conditions

dragging a person into a separation of Body and Spirit.

An intention to help the suffering person, with an extraordinary capacity

to visualize the composition of the Life Force within him, and a strategic

manipulation of the inner potential, is healing; TCM Acupuncture is a

sure way of comprehensive healing in all conditions as we integrate the

knowledge of the Five Landscapes and the Sixty Command Points.

Acupuncture is the only healing science endowed with engineering

concepts and logic. By forming strategies using common sense and basic

Physical Sciences, Acupuncture can be applied as a wonderful healing

therapy in a cost effective and faster manner. It is also essential that the

Healer should penetrate into the sick subject to see the depth (landscape)

and the zone (meridian) and the particular stagnation that had caused the

dis-ease.

Healing has to be carried out with ’Intention’ to alleviate the other’ssufferings and once the intention centers on self development, the

healing power bestowed will fade out for sure.