老子之道與中國醫學

Abstract

哲學和醫學的結合似乎有點令人感到陌生。但是在遠古的中國，哲學和醫學可說是一體兩面。在古時，醫療與哲學共用著相同的身心醫學，即身心合一系統，以及以實踐之養生法作為彼此之背景。於適當結合之際，這一體之兩面構成一個健康人類的和諧統一體。《老子》之「道」與古代中國醫學共用著哲學上及醫學上的相似背景。兩者都是在我們的無意識之最深層次上，透過自我修行養生法之實踐所獲致。如此，《老子》的「道」之哲學對於遠古中國醫學之發展必定具有不可或缺的地位。同時，假若沒有在本質上關係著醫療實踐的自我修行養生法的哲學性思維之實踐鍛鍊，發生於遠古中國的哲學也無存在之可能。畢竟，傳統中國醫學的本質在於透過修行的自我修養實踐所獲致的道。

Philosophy and medicine may seem a bit of a strange combination. But in ancient China, philosophy and medicine were like two sides of one coin. In ancient China, both medicine and philosophy shared a psychosomatic viz. mind-body system and a practical regimen which served as the background for each other. These two sides, when properly combined, form the harmonious unity of a healthy person. In fact, Lao tzu’s philosophy and traditional Chinese medicine share the very common background that is a self cultivative practice through which we plunge ourselves into the deep blue domain of our psyche to embody our true self. Therefore, in this view, philosophy requires the practice of a self-cultivating physical discipline. At the same time, a human being is a psychosomatic being, i.e. a being of mind and body united together. So, at least in ancient times, medicine was not just a physical healing technique but involved psychic (or mental) strategies to cure diseases, which means that this kind of medicine has a psychological background like Lao tzu. So if it had not been for this philosophical background, there would have been no possibility of constituting the Chinese medical art by any means.