Most people may have heard of Hua Tuo (华佗), one of the four greatest physicians in the history of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
But when asked to compare his skills with those of his two brothers, Hua Tuo replied that he was the least skilled.
The following story illustrates his point, and I think this is still one of the best lessons in modern TCM for many people:
=============================
One day, Cao Pi (son of Cao Cao) got curious about Hua Tuo’s abilities and summoned him to court. Cao Pi asked Hua Tuo, “Among you and your brothers, who is the best physician?”
Hua Tuo responded humbly, “I am the least skilled of the three.”
Cao Pi was taken aback. He asked, “If you, who are known as the greatest physician in the land, claim to be the least skilled, then what could your brothers possibly be capable of? Explain!”
Hua Tuo smiled and replied, “My eldest brother is the most skilled of us all. He is so adept at understanding the balance of the body that he can sense imbalances before they manifest into illness. When he interacts with someone, they never fall ill because he can correct problems before they even appear. His work goes unnoticed because the people around him never get sick, so few people know of his talents.
“My second brother is also very skilled. He can detect illnesses in their early stages and treat them before they worsen. His patients may only experience mild discomfort, and they recover quickly because he addresses the root cause of the illness at the earliest signs. Therefore, his reputation is known locally but not beyond.
“As for me,” Hua Tuo continued, “I only treat diseases after they have fully manifested. By the time patients come to me, their illness is often severe, and I must perform drastic treatments such as surgery or complex therapies. Because my patients are visibly sick when they come to me and seem to recover quickly after I treat them, people think I am the best physician. In reality, I am simply dealing with the consequences of neglecting early treatment.”
Cao Pi, upon hearing this, was enlightened. He realized that true medical mastery lies not in treating illness after it has taken hold, but in preventing it even before it occurs.
Though Hua Tuo is well known as one of the greatest TCM physicians, turns out his eldest brother, who kept his patients healthy without visible treatment, was the truly superior one.
=============================
One of the reasons why I wrote this post is because from what I have been observing these years, it is getting harder to meet a good doctor/physician (with good skills and empathy). I also foresee that this situation will continue to worsen in the years ahead.
Nowadays TCM is also getting super expensive (I have seen many people living overseas who cannot afford to visit a TCM physician), which I believe this should not be the case! TCM should be kept affordable but because of economic factors, many people can’t even afford TCM now…
So what could be the best way forward? I believe the key lies in educating ourselves as much as possible and learning how to better take care of our body like Hua Tuo’s brothers’ philosophy. It is important that we learn to maintain our body more than maintaining other things in life.
We can start by learning to read the signals given out by our body, such as observing our urine, stools, and how our body feels after consuming certain foods.
Do feel free to share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
More Posts Written by KC:
Mang Zhong (芒种) Solar Term – Diet and General Wellness Guidelines
Special Diathesis TCM Body Constitution
My Thoughts After Completing My Two Year Diploma in Chinese Medicated Food Dietician
Yin Deficiency TCM Body Constitution
Da Han (大寒) Solar Terms – Diet and General Wellness Guidelines
Treating Acne using TCM Food Therapy