The Dongui Bogam's View on Humanity and the Universe
- Mankind is the most precious of all living things in the universe -


There are numerous distinctions between the Dongui Bogam and other texts. One of the most significant features is that, unlike in other books, diseases were not put forth in the Dongui Bogam. The book begins with the following elusive paragraph:

"There is a saying by Sun Zhenren (孫眞人), "Mankind is the most precious of all living things in the universe. The round head resembles heaven, and the flat foot resembles earth; man has four limbs as the universe has four seasons, man has five viscera as the universe has five phases; man has six bowels as the universe has six extremes (六極), man has eight joints (八節) as the universe has eight winds (八風); man has nine orifices as the universe has nine stars, and man has twelve meridians as the universe has twelve hours. Man has twenty-four acupoints as the universe has twenty-four qi. Also, man has 365 joints as the universe has 365 divisions; man has two eyes as the universe has the sun and the moon, man sleeps, and wakes as the universe has day and night; man has happiness and anger as the universe has thunder and lightning, and man has tears and nasal discharge as the universe has rain and dew; man has cold and heat as the universe has yin and yang, and man has blood vessels as the universe has spring water; man has hair growing as the universe has grass and trees growing, and man has teeth as the universe has metals and rocks."

This paragraph is said to be phrased from Sun Zhenren, who is a famous Chinese physician. However, those sentences are not found in any of his books known to date. They first appear in the Classified Collection of Medical Formulas (Euibang Yuchui), published by the Joseon government in 1477. They reflect how the authors of the Euibang Yuchui viewed the correspondence between humanity and the universe. In quoting this paragraph, they borrowed the name of Sun Zhenren for his authority. From a modern perspective, the reasoning behind the phrase, "Mankind is the most precious of all living things in the universe," may not seem rational. Yet, such simple logic emphasizes that both nature and humans are created and function based on a single principle. This quote is a key to understanding the whole text of the Dongui Bogam as well as the book's perspective on humanity and the world.

Following the introductory paragraph is a part titled as "The Beginning of Form and Qi." The author describes the creation of the universe with the formation and exposure of qi. At the beginning, out of nothing, movements were gradually formed. Successively, shape and the texture were created. After qi, shape, and texture were all completely made, the phenomenal world of humanity was formed as well. This implies that all human diseases come after form and texture are acquired. Moreover, we should not be obsessed with form and texture and pursue nothing in order to be free from all diseases.

Form-qi in this book refers to the external foundation built by condensing energy in the process of the universe’s formation. The author commences the book starting with these terms, since they provide an important logical framework for the rest. The term form-qi is a combination of form and qi, as seen in the section titled "The Beginning of Form and Qi." While qi fills inside, form constitutes the corresponding outer portion, and they become "form-qi" together.

The Dongui Bogam suggests three types of mechanisms for developing diseases in human body: problem with qi activity, problem with outer form, and disharmony between form and qi. When form and qi are not in harmony, this can be a cause of illness. According to the Dongui Bogam, however, it fundamentally affects one's life expectancy. The book acknowledges the importance of the will of heaven in determining a human's lifespan. At the same time, it argues medicine can provide ways to live a longer life.

Harmony between form and qi has an extended meaning that they correspond to each other. It also implies that there is a natural harmony between skin and flesh, and the interaction between blood-qi and the meridians. Qi in this context has a comprehensive meaning. More specifically, qi is explained as the most fundamental energy of human beings as well as the function that acts upon external stimuli, such as food intake. A person cannot live long when qi fails to maintain an adequate amount of food intake. Conversely, a person cannot live long if he eats too much beyond his extent.

Another important type of qi comes from breathing. As nature has day and night, people inhale and exhale. As the sky is connected to the ground, humans need to breathe slowly. When it came to form and qi, Heo Jun stressed the significance of harmony in the human body. And qi is the key component in maintaining this inner balance. He argued that controlling the diet and respiration are critical to keeping the human body in equilibrium. Eating and breathing well are the essence of human life. These key concepts are where Heo Jun's Korean medicine started.

Humans are emotional creatures. We communicate and make relationships by expressing our feelings. Emotions are linked to illness as well. In the Dongui Bogam, a variety of emotions are explained with the twined concepts of form and qi. The book indicates, for instance, anger as the most dangerous feeling. Anger can possibly worsen relationships, or even threaten one's life. Minor syncope is a typical symptom of anger. If sudden anger induces qi to counter flow and carry blood along, it results in fainting. This symptom is called minor syncope. Anger can also cause one to cough up blood and undigested food to come out in the feces. These two symptoms develop as anger drives qi upward and breaks up the balance with form.

To conclude, the Dongui Bogam states two things. First, the human being is the most precious among all creatures. Second, living a healthy and long life is the ultimate goal of humankind. Every single movement a human makes holds energy of the universe. Even though we do not think of eating and breathing as our most important daily tasks, they are the most basic yet vital activities that allow us to sustain life. In addition, form and qi are the key units for maintaining those activities. They adapt to the change in emotion and nature to keep the balance in the human body. The Dongui Bogam never thus exceeded from the boundaries of its perspective that at every single moment the human body remains in balance through form and qi.

*This series of articles about the Dongui Bogam has been made possible through the cooperation of the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine.