Insights and Updates

A few days ago at the dinner table, my son suddenly said that after his TOEFL course ended he would have a few free days and wanted to get away for a couple. We told him: then go on your own, or team up with…

There is an illness called borderline personality disorder (BPD); its main clinical features are dysregulation of emotion, cognition, behavior, and self and identity. BPD patients easily fall into deep emotional pits and are often comorbid with depression, anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress syndrome. They handle…

When I was small, once my grandfather caught a swallow and brought it for the grandchildren to play with. My grandmother scolded him roundly, saying he ought not; if a child accidentally killed the swallow, that would be taking a life. She also scolded her…

Yangxin Dingji Gao (Heart-Nourishing, Pulse-Settling Syrup) is recorded in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, Volume I, 2005 edition. Its composition is: Shengdihuang (Unprepared Rehmannia Root) 120 g; Maimendong (Ophiopogon Tuber) 60 g; Hongshen (Red Ginseng) 20 g; Dazao (Jujube) 60 g; Ejiao…

Kaiyu San (Stagnation-Resolving Powder) comes from Dongtian Aozhi, the work of the great Qing-diameter surgery specialist Chen Shiduo. Its composition is: Baishao (White Peony Root) 5 qian (15 g); Danggui (Angelica Root) 2 qian (6 g); Baijiezi (White Mustard Seed) 3 qian (9 g); Chaihu…

A patient added me on WeChat. As usual I sent him the link to my "Consultation Guidelines." When he saw that consultation was charged (though it also stated it was free for the poor), he burst out cursing: "Your mouth is full of a doctor's…

Two primal forces have always sustained me onward: the first is curiosity about the world, and the second is love that rises from deep within the heart. They complement each other, together forming a complete motivational system that has given powerful support throughout my life.

Bupi Huangqi Wan (Spleen-Tonifying Astragalus Pills) is recorded in the Taiping Shenghui Fang (Imperial Grace Formulas of the Taiping Era); in the Shengji Zonglu it is also called Huangqi Wan. Its composition is: Huangqi (Astragalus Root) 1 liang (filed, 30 g); Shihu (Dendrobium Stem) 1…

Today is the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. By Chinese folk legend, on the night of Qixi the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl meet again in the sky, so Qixi is China's Valentine's Day. The seventh day of the seventh lunar month is…

Knowing others is difficult; knowing oneself is truly no easier. — Essentials of Governance of the Zhenguan Era The Buddha said: He who leaves his family and home, recognizes his mind and reaches the root, and understands the doctrine of no-action, is called a shramana.