On the average, it takes three to six months to complete this course. A Certificate of completion is issued to successful candidates. (Cost of Certificate: $ 20.00). If you have no background whatsoever in Traditional Chinese Medicine, you may purchase a copy of 903-904 (Terminologies and Theory in Traditional Chinese Medicine, two volumes), to go with this course.

Highlights

1. This graduate course in Advanced Chinese Medical Philosophy provides access to dozens of Chinese classics directly or indirectly related to Chinese medical philosophy, notably: Yi-Jing, classics in Taoism, classics in Confucianism, classics in Chinese medical philosophy, etc.

2. All key concepts contained in this graduate course are traced back to their historical origins. Also examined are modern Chinese interpretations, their philosophical meanings and clinical significance, notably: qi or energy, yin and yang theory, Five Elements movements, theory of viscera-bowels-meridians, etc.

3. This graduate course provides the doctor, scholar or student with a rare opportunity to be in personal contact with the instructor, and to share with him the ideas and inspirations developed over the decades. The logical consistency of Chinese medical philosophy in the clinical practice of Chinese medicine and in other related fields of modern sciences is revealed through library research and clinical experiences, and by examination of unique sources of information and current developments in the field of Chinese medicine.

4. The sole objective of this graduate course is to cultivate top instructors in the field of Chinese medical philosophy. It contains original materials not available to Western students and practitioners of Chinese medicine, past or present.

Unit One

Chinese Medical Philosophy In Historical Perspective

Lesson One: Continuity, influence, & development of Chinese medicine

1. Influence of Chinese medicine on natural science in Ancient China.
   
2. Historical development of Chinese medicine, based upon clinical experience.
   
3. Formation & development of Chinese medicine as a system of inquiry.
   
4. Outline of yin-yang theory in its basic form.
   
5. Theory of pure substance, energy, and spirits in historical setting.
   
6. Pure substance, energy, spirits as presented in Nei Jing.
   
7. Pure substance, energy, spirits in relation to physiology & disease in Chinese medicine.

Lesson Two: Schools of thought in Chinese medicine

1. Conception of fire and energy-transformation.
   
2. Theory of spleen & stomach in relation to disease.
   
3. Theory of watering yin & its place in Chinese medicine.
   
4. Theory of life door & its place in Chinese medicine.

Lesson Three: Modernization of Chinese medicine

1. Impact of Western medicine on Chinese culture.
   
2. Further development of Chinese medicine after 1958.
   
3. Significant achievements in Chinese medicine in modern times.
   
4. Combination of Chinese medicine with Western medicine.
   
5. Chinese theory of five viscera from a Western point of view.
   
6. Modern research on the traditional Chinese principle of treatment "to activate the blood & transform coagulation".

Unit Two

Chinese medical philosophy of life and death

Lesson Four: Meanings of life on earth

1. What is life on earth?
   
2. Conditions of research on the origin of life on earth.
   
3. Life as originated from the sun and the earth.
   
4. Energy interaction of life on earth.
   
5. Production of life as a result of interaction between energy and form known as "transformation of life".
   
6. Explanation of modern science on origin of life on earth.
   
7. Comments on Chinese theory underlying origin of life.

Lesson Five: On the nature of life force

1. Transformation of energy and shape formation.
   
2. Yang energy and yin pure substance.
   
3. Peaceful and victorious states.
   
4. Movements and balance.
   
5. Physical vs functional.
   
6. Longevity and premature death.

Lesson Six: Organism vs environments in Chinese medicine

1. Unity & struggle between organism and environments.
   
2. Internal and external causes of disease.
   
3. Righteous energy and vicious energy.
   
4. Innate & acquired factors in determination of good health.
   
5. Excitation & inhibition in Chinese medicine.

Lesson Seven: Traditional view of life development on earth

1. Life vs death.
   
2. Objective natural patterns vs subjective functions of organism.
   
3. Curable disease vs incurable disease.
   
4. Treatment vs prevention.
   
5. Traditional Chinese Medicine & modern science.

Lesson Eight: Man and nature as understood in Chinese medicine

1. Chinese theory of yin-yang & energy transformation.
   
2. Historical backgrounds of five circulations & six energies.
   
3. Energy circulation and disease.
   
4. Is the theory of five circulations and six energies based upon objective conditions?
   
5. Do climatic cycles affect life on earth and its activities?
   
6. Chinese diagnosis & treatment based upon climatic cycles.

Unit Three

Yi Jing & Chinese medical philosophy

Lesson Nine: Yi Jing as the sources of key concepts in Chinese medical philosophy

1. Yi Jing & Tao --- an explanation on how Yi Jing has become the ultimate guiding principle of the universe.
   
2. Ultimate secrets of organism --- a sphere of the universe beyond modern science.
   
3. Change as expressed in Yi Jing means endless life force that never ceases to exist.
   
4. The Qian as the ultimate source of energy.
   
5. Yi Jing as the source of Chinese medical philosophy.
   
6. The Chinese conception of life force.
   
7. The Chinese conception of "harmony" and "moderation"
   
8. The Chinese conception of yin and yang.
   
9. The Chinese conception of "balance".
   
10. Chinese medical philosophy as a typical expression of Chinese culture and spirits.
    
11. Concept of life as a unique creation of the Yi Jing

Lesson Ten: Implications of hexagrams of Yi Jing In Chinese medical philosophy

1. The 5th hexagram expressive of preventive medicine.
   
2. The 16th hexagram expressive of preventive medicine.
   
3. The 3rd hexagram expressive of difficulty at birth.
   
4. The 4th hexagram expressive of youthful ignorance.
   
5. The 20th hexagram expressive of diagnosis by observations
   
6. The 24th hexagram expressive of recurrent cycles in nature.
   
7. The 57th hexagram expressive of wind disease.
   
8. The 52nd hexagram expressive of continuity between beginning and ending
   
9. The 59th hexagram expressive of bloodletting as in stroke.
   
10. The 9th hexagram expressive of convulsions & upsurging sputum diseases.
    
11. The 29th & 30th hexagrams expressive of interaction between water and life.
    
12. The 19th hexagram expressive of life processes.

Unit Four

Yin-yang and Five Elements theory

Lesson Eleven: Evolution of Chinese medical concepts

1. Relationships between Chinese medicine & numbers in Yi Jing.
   
2. Heavenly stems & earthly branches in relation to mathematical concepts of Yi Jing.
   
3. Relationships between mathematical concepts of Yi Jing & modern science.
   
4. Evolution of concept of Five Elements in Chinese history.
   
5. Evolution of Chinese correspondence theory among Five Elements.
   
6. Evolution of the laws of Five Elements in historical contexts.
   
7. Evolution of correspondence between Five Elements and five flavours.
   
8. Evolution of correspondence between Five Elements and five energies, five sounds, five colours, five expressions.
   
9. Evolution of various theories of Five Elements in Chinese history.
   
10. Evolution of correspondence between Five Elements and five winds.
    
11. Evolution of correspondence between Five Elements and five viscera, four (five) seasons.

Lesson Twelve: Basic contents of Chinese medical philosophy

1. Evolution of combination between yin-yang & Five Elements as a new theoretical framework.
   
2. The yin-yang school of thought without reference to Five Elements.
   
3. The school of thought combining yin-yang and Five Elements.
   
4. Yin-yang & Five Elements as guiding principles of four seasons.
   
5. External-yang vs internal-yin, posterior-yang vs anterior-yin in the human body.
   
6. Yin-yang & Five Elements in relation to diseases of four seasons.
   
7. Human body & heavenly numbers.
   
8. Wood floating vs metal sinking.
   
9. Five viscera, six bowels, and the human body.
   
10. Functions of five viscera.
    
11. Harmony & sufferings of five viscera.
    
12. On obeying the four seasons & Five Elements.

Lesson Thirteen: Yi Jing and human physiology in Chinese medical philosophy

1. 0 as the beginning number of heaven and earth.
   
2. Ultimate source of organism & life force.
   
3. Ten thousand things originated from the 51st hexagram.
   
4. Distribution of eight innate trigrams.
   
5. Eight trigrams and human physiology.
   
6. Order of fetus development.
   
7. Correspondence between physiology & time & space.
   
8. Order of physical development of human body.
   
9. Human physiology in relation to the hexagram.
   
10. Development sequences of plants.

Lesson Fourteen: Five Elements theory and theory of control

1. Development of cybernetics as a branch of science.
   
2. The nature of Five Elements' movements.
   
3. Mutual relationships among the Five Elements.
   
4. Mutual control among the Five Elements.
   
5. Causes and effects among the Five Elements.
   
6. Change among Five Elements understood as "state variable technique" in cybernetics.
   
7. Feedback and laws of Five Elements.

Unit Five

Chinese medical philosophy of qi or energy

Lesson Fifteen: Traditional Chinese conception of qi or energy

1. Theory of energy in Chinese philosophy and medicine.
   
2. Research on the substance of energy and its existence.
   
3. Toward an understanding of energy transformation and energy mechanism.
   
4. Material bases of energy.
   
5. Application of energy theory in Chinese herbalism and manipulative therapy.
   
6. Research on meridian energy.

Lesson Sixteen: Modern Chinese conception of qi or energy

1. Modern research on energy and energy points.
   
2. Energy as microscopic circulation in the body.
   
3. Energy, respiration, and regulation of the organism.
   
4. Applications of energy in various branches of Chinese medicine.

Unit Six

Chinese systems of viscera, bowels, and meridians

Lesson Seventeen: Origins of Chinese theory of viscera, bowels, and systems of meridians

1. Ancient schools of thought and contents.
   
2. Ancient Chinese anatomy and its applications in medicine.
   

Lesson Eighteen: Development of Chinese theory of viscera, bowels, and meridians

1. Anatomical foundations of Chinese theory of viscera & bowels.
   
2. Origin of five viscera and six bowels corresponding to twelve meridians.
   
3. Developmental sequences of herbs, symptoms, acupuncture points, viscera-bowels, and meridians.
   
4. Origin and development of meridians as a system in Chinese acupuncture.

Lesson Nineteen: Applications of Chinese theory of meridians in Chinese herbalism

1. Origins & subsequent development of meridians-routes of herbs.
   
2. Theoretical foundations of meridians-routes of herbs.
   
3. Classifications of herbs in relation to their meridian routes.
   
4. Clinical applications of meridian routes of herbs.
   
5. Modernization of meridian routes of herbs.

Unit Seven

Chinese metaphysical theory of energy circulations

Lesson Twenty: Historical origins of Chinese energy circulation theory

1. Introduction to energy circulation theory.

2. Origins of Chinese energy circulation theory and its material base. It is pointed out in the section that the Chinese theory of energy circulation was not developed by accident, but rather, out of Chinese experiences in actual living within the context of natural settings.

3. Elaboration on stems and branches. Stems & branches were originally used by the Chinese people to count years, months, and days, but they were subsequently combined with yin-yang classifications and the theory of Five Elements. The Chinese ideograms used to stand for stems and branches have their respective meanings assigned to them that have a significant bearing on the medical application of stems and branches. Stem and branches are then used to designate birth, growth, harvest, storage, etc. And they are applied in clinical practice with reference to seasons, directions, organ functions, treatment methods, etc.

Lesson Twenty-One: Timeless cycles in Chinese energy circulation theory

1. Combination of stems-branches and yin-yang.
   
2. Combination of stems and Five Elements.
   
3. Combination of branches and Five Elements.
   
4. Combination of branches and three yins, three yangs, six energies.
   
5. Combination of stems and branches in forming cycles of years.
   
6. Chart of 60-year cycle with stems-branches combinations.

Lesson Twenty-Two: Different types of energy circulations

1. Five Elements circulation.
   
2. On the great circulation of Five Elements.
   
3. On stems transforming Five Elements circulation.
   Transforming means change, which results in different combinations of stems and Five Elements;
   This section is intended to explain fully how such change affects the correspondence between stems and Five Elements.
   
4. What is host circulation?
   
5. How to calculate host circulation?
   
6. What is guest circulation?
   
7. How to calculate guest circulation?
   
8. Relationships among great circulation, host circulation, guest circulation.

Lesson Twenty-Three: Different types of energies in circulation

1. On six energies.
   
2. What is host energy?
   
3. How to calculate host energy?
   
4. What is guest energy?
   
5. How to calculate guest energy?
   
6. Guest energies on top of host energies to be taken into consideration in determination of patterns of change during a given year.
   
7. Toward an understanding of circulation & energy in circulation.
   
8. Abundance & decline of circulation & energy in circulation.
   
9. Harmony of heaven and the great meeting year.
   
10. Peaceful energy that comes about in three forms to be calculated in two different ways: (a) on the basis of mutual relationships between energies in circulation, (b) on the basis of relationship between or combination of stems and branches in a given year.

Lesson Twenty-Four: Applications of Chinese energy circulation for predictions and prevention

1. How to make general predictions concerning climate changes and epidemic attacks during a given year on the basis of energy circulation.

2. How to make more specific predictions concerning climate changes and epidemic attacks during a given year on the basis of energy circulation.

3. How to apply energy circulation theory for disease prevention and for diagnosis and treatment in clinical practice.

4. On developing a positive attitude toward energy circulation theory for medical application. This section contains a historical analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the theory from various angles, as presented by different celebrated Chinese physicians, past and present, in order to shed some useful light on the clinical applicability of Chinese theory of energy circulation.

Lesson Twenty-Five: Medical applications of Chinese theory of energy circulation

1. Relationships between energy circulation and physiological activities.
   
2. Relationships between energy circulation and attack of disease.
   
3. Relationships between energy circulation and disease prevention.
   
4. Relationships between energy circulation and predictions about the course of disease.
   
5. Energy circulation theory and bioclimatology.
   
6. Energy circulation theory and biological clock.
   
7. Energy circulation theory and medical meteorology.

Lesson Twenty-Six: Application of energy circulation theory in Chinese energy-regulating acupuncture

1. Scientific foundations of energy-regulating acupuncture.
   
2. Simple patterns of Chinese energy-regulating acupuncture.
   
3. Significance of energy-regulating acupuncture in Chinese diagnosis.
   
4. Significance of energy-regulating acupuncture in predictions about the course of disease.

Unit Eight

Time and medical meteorology in Chinese medicine

Lesson Twenty-Seven: Discussions on medical meteorology in Chinese medicine

1. Four seasons, eight climatic occasions, twenty-four seasonal occasions, seventy-two quinate periods.
   
2. Vernal equinox, autumnal equinox, summer solstice, and winter solstice.
   
3. Distinction between disease caused by normal seasonal energies & disease caused by abnormal epidemic energies.

Lesson Twenty-Eight: Meteorology in relation to pathology, pulse, and treatment principles

1. Pathology and medical meteorology.
   
2. Pulse and medical meteorology.
   
3. Treatment principles and medical meteorology.
   
4. Diseases of six meridians and medical meteorology.

Lesson Twenty-Nine: Time elements in Chinese medicine

1. Time elements and medicine.
   
2. Importance of time-cycle in Chinese medicine.
   
3. Relationship between time and the human body.
   
4. Time as important factor in Chinese diagnosis.

Unit Nine

Nei Jing as a medical classic and as a modern guide in Chinese medicine

Lesson Thirty: Historical backgrounds of Nei Jing

1. Introduction to Nei Jing as a Chinese medical classic.
   
2. Systematization of Nei Jing as a classic of medicine.
   
3. Title and origin of Ling Shu as a book of Nei Jing.
   
4. Nei Jing & Taoism.

Lesson Thirty-One: Original sources of contents in Nei Jing

1. Original source of yin-yang theory presented in Nei Jing.
   
2. Original source of Five Elements theory presented in Nei Jing.
   
3. Original source of energy theory presented in Nei Jing.
   
4. Conclusion.

Lesson Thirty-Two: Historical facts about Nei Jing

1. Two separate books of Nei Jing.
   
2. Contents of Nei Jing in relation to Taoism & Yellow Emperor.
   
3. Textual research of Nei Jing.

Lesson Thirty-Three: On the study of Nei Jing

1. General perusal of complete text of Nei Jing.
   
2. Toward developing topical interests in Nei Jing.
   
3. Applications of Nei Jing in clinical practice.
   
4. Toward developing personal opinions on the contents of Nei Jing.

Lesson Thirty-Four: Questions concerning Nei Jing

1. Academic achievements & meaning of Nei Jing in modern times.
   
2. Nei Jing as an original medical classic and its revisions in the course of history.
   
3. Place of Nei Jing in relation to its unique contents.
   
4. Reliability of work by Nei Jing researchers in Chinese history.
   
5. Different approaches to the study of Nei Jing.

_{MAIN INDEX | HOME STUDY INFO | 3 COURSES MEDICINAL HERBS | 3 COURSES HERBAL FORMULAS
INTRO TO TCM | MANIPULATIVE THERAPY | 3 COURSES NEI JING | 3 COURSES INTERNAL MEDICINE
CHINESE MED. PHILOSOPHY | FOOD CURES | HOME STUDY COSTS | HOME STUDY ENROLMENT FORM}

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