How was the Jingluo system discovered? Why hasn't modern science found it?

Dr. Zhu Weimin (June 29, 2023)

The discovery of meridians was made through the practice of Taoist meditation, which allowed for the observation of the "return of the inner gaze (of the human body)" according to ancient Chinese physicians such as Li Shizhen.

But what is the "return of the inner gaze"?

The term "return of the inner gaze" comes from the book "Study of the Eight Mysterious Meridians" written by Li Shizhen, a renowned physician and pharmacologist of the Ming Dynasty. He stated, "The internal channels and meridians can only be observed by those who practice the return of the inner gaze."

This means that only those who have reached a certain level of practice can observe and understand the internal organs and meridian channels through their inner vision (return of the inner gaze).

In the book "The Classic of the Interior of the Antiquity," which dates back to 3000 BCE, it is stated, "True sages can grasp Yin and Yang, breathe Jing and Qi, keep their minds awake, unify their muscles. Superior beings can detach themselves from the world, accumulate essence and energy, move between heaven and earth, and perceive beyond the eight directions of hearing and sight."

In his major work "Baopuzi - Inner Chapters," the Taoist physician and philosopher Ge Hong also mentions internal observation, saying, "Listen backwards, and you will hear clearly. Look inward, and you will see no trace of yourself."

However, to explain this subject in a clear and convincing manner, it is necessary to delve into the philosophical perspective of Taoism during the time of the formation of meridians.

Intuitive Taoism of Laozi (Lao Tzu): The ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi had long advocated that there were two modes of thought in how people understood the objective world:

1. One is "learning" (wei xue), which is an external approach based on constructing abstract concepts of the external world and then using formulas and deductions to establish connections between concepts and speculate and understand the objective world. This is the main method of understanding the world adopted by Westerners.

2. The other is "hearing the Tao" (wen dao), which is an internal approach that does not rely on forming concepts and deductions between concepts but rather on a specific cultivation practice characteristic of Easterners.

We can call the "learning" method or the external approach the rational method, and the "hearing the Tao" method or the internal approach the non-rational method or the intuitive method. This is the most obvious difference between the Chinese and Western methods of knowledge.

Adherents of the intuitive approach, represented by Laozi, argue that if a person is constantly in a state of desire, they can only perceive things through the distinct and evident information received by the senses, which can be considered knowledge by rational consciousness.

However, if a person is constantly in a state of non-desire, the "deep gaze" (later recognized by medicine as the Jingluo system) can then perceive the deep and impenetrable information of the "constant Tao," which can be considered knowledge by the unconscious and non-rational consciousness.

Therefore, both the senses and the "deep gaze" are channels for receiving information, or information receptors. The difference lies in the fact that the senses can only receive information from the outside, while the "deep gaze" can not only receive information from the outside (weak information) but also information from inside the body.

Laozi believes that in order to fully harness the functions of the "deep gaze," it is necessary to practice "cultivation of extreme emptiness and deep tranquility" and to practice "concentration of energy and flexibility." An important aspect of the practice is to eliminate distracting thoughts, listen inwardly, and return to listening, maintaining a state of clarity and emptiness in the mind and brain, which allows the "deep gaze" to receive more information from inside the body that is not normally easily perceptible to people.

An American university has established a completely soundproof laboratory where anyone who enters can soon hear the specific sounds emitted by their own bodily functions and clearly perceive many normally imperceptible functional activities, such as blood circulation in the vessels.

The subjects of the experiment were not necessarily in a "state of functional practice," but due to the absolute silence of the external environment, the subjects were in a passive state of tranquility, which partially revealed the stronger self-perception abilities that are normally concealed.

This bears similarities to the active state of tranquility practice.

Modern studies as evidence:

Modern electroencephalography tests show that when practicing meditation, the human brain is not in a state of inhibition but rather in a state of more orderly activity.

John Eccles, the renowned Australian neurobiologist and Nobel laureate in medicine, has dedicated his recent years to research on the brain and mental activity. He says, "The miniature components of the human brain function like radio transmitters and receivers. They not only serve to transmit voluntary consciousness but also receive it." Thus, when the brain is in a state of highly ordered meditation practice, the "power" and "sensitivity" of the brain's miniature components are significantly increased. At that moment, they can receive and influence internal information of the body and acquire corresponding knowledge, which is also understandable.

Many ancient texts from different eras report that practitioners of meditation practice can clearly perceive the functioning of their "internal qi" when they enter the state of "clarity and emptiness." They can circulate energy along the Ren Mai and Du Mai meridians, which is called the "small heavenly circuit" (Xiao Zhou Tian), or circulate energy along the twelve meridians, which is called the "great heavenly circuit" (Da Zhou Tian).

Using anatomy alone, one can never discover the meridians and qi. In reality, qi is a situation formed by the coordination and collective assembly of many cells and organs.

In summary, the method of "turning inward to observe" and the internal approach of Taoism have been applied and gradually become one of the unique methodologies of Chinese medicine. They provide Chinese medicine with many unique knowledge and methods.

"From Tao to Art" is a unique method of understanding Chinese medicine:

As mentioned above, the theory of Chinese medicine is in alignment with Chinese culture at its core. It first studies the Tao, and then uses the Tao to discuss medicine.

To develop Chinese medicine, it is essential to understand the distinct characteristics of this discipline. This is a very important point.

The great scientist Albert Einstein once said:

"The development of Western science is based on two great achievements: the invention of the formal logical system by the Greek philosophers (in Euclidean geometry) and the discovery of the systematic experimentation as a means of searching for causal relationships (during the Renaissance). In my view, it is not surprising that the Chinese sages have not passed through these two stages, but what is surprising is that they have made these discoveries (in China)."

Einstein had a clear understanding of how Western science had been constructed, but he did not grasp the underlying theory of Eastern science, which led him to ask questions and reflect.

The ancient Chinese perceived the world and the human body from a completely different perspective than Westerners, so it is not surprising that the meridians cannot be found using Western scientific methods. Regarding bacteria, viruses, and macrophages in Western medicine, Chinese medicine has also identified these elements, but under different names. Bacteria and viruses are considered "harmful Qi," while macrophages are called "defensive Qi" or "Tun Zi (devouring thieves)."

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