Suzhou Tzu Chi Health Promotion Camp | Empowering Lives, Advancing Altruism

Life broadens through altruism

In the "Cognitive Life" advanced course designed by Professor Zhang Minghui of Tsinghua University for Aiyou, the exploration of the spiritual level is like a dialogue that transcends time and space. Starting from the normal state of life, "birth, aging, sickness, and death," he poses three philosophical questions: "Who are you? Where do you come from? Where are you going?"

The course intertwines science and spirituality: images of cancer cells under a microscope are juxtaposed with the spectrum of radio waves, suggesting that life is a flow of "energy + information"; while the proportion of dark matter and dark energy in the universe metaphorically indicates that human understanding of the essence of life is still like a blind man feeling an elephant.

Finally, drawing from "The Four Teachings for Understanding Life," Professor Zhang emphasizes that "life is made by oneself, and happiness is sought by oneself," highlighting that the initiative in life always lies in each individual.

Professor Cai Lianghua of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications shared his experience, which began with a nine-day near-death experience. "When you lie in the hospital, you are nothing." At that moment, all social identities faded away, and he let go of everything, embarking on a journey to explore the truth of life.

This former expert in communication and artificial intelligence resigned from his position, traveled the world, and ultimately found a convergence point between science and ancient Eastern wisdom. He discovered that the code structure of human genes highly matches the sixty-four hexagrams of the Book of Changes, thus confirming that "unity of heaven and man" is the inherent reality of life.

He reinterpreted "health" as follows: "Jian" refers to physical robustness, while "Kang" refers to harmony in sync with nature. The reason why modern people are prone to illness and anxiety is precisely because they have violated the "order of heaven" - the natural rhythm of life. He shared the practice of solar term fasting and breathing techniques, explaining traditional wisdom with scientific principles such as "autophagy", pointing out that "the longer the exhalation, the higher the IQ; the deeper the inhalation, the better the body".

Ms. Qu, from Jinan, Shandong, is a psychologist who has helped many people. After experiencing family tragedies, she was diagnosed with breast cancer herself. A week before her surgery, she, who was still working intensely, felt "capable." "But my body forced me to stop, just like a fast-moving train suddenly braking, and emotions such as anxiety, fear, and anger overwhelmed me. I couldn't help but ask 'Why me?'"

In early November, Ms. Qu stumbled upon a live broadcast by the amiable teacher, which made her feel free and accepted. With a nervous heart, she arrived at the Suzhou Tzu Chi Health Promotion Camp. The reception from Dr. Ye Lin and the warm atmosphere on site made her feel "this is where I wanted to be." "During these three days, I went from feeling stiff in the spine when saying gratitude to learning to humble myself and express thanks. I understood that I need to get along well with the weaker version of myself and adjust my pace to do what I can."

Professor Wang Erdong of Soochow University, guided by the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine, initiated a profound dialogue about "emotion and health" for breast cancer patients. Starting from the "Huangdi Neijing", he revealed the psychological view of traditional Chinese medicine that "all diseases originate from qi": anger causes qi to rise, contemplation leads to qi stagnation, sorrow depletes qi... Emotions are like the wind inside the body, disrupting the balance of the five organs. Especially for cancer patients, emotional blockages are more likely to lead to "depression".

How to relieve it? Traditional Chinese medicine not only emphasizes "dispelling pathogenic factors and strengthening the body's own defenses", but also proposes a combination of "active nourishment and passive nourishment": dancing, singing, painting, meditation, and tai chi are all good medicines for "qi circulation". Wang Erdong cited research from "Cell" to support the importance of emotional expression for physical and mental integration, integrating traditional philosophies of "maintaining chastity" and "following nature" to help people let go of attachments and return to their true selves.

Professor Xu Guoyuan, who has been deeply involved in the treatment of tumors with traditional Chinese medicine for fifty years, points out at the outset that the occurrence and recurrence of tumors are the cumulative result of lifestyle. He cites clinical observations: people with better living conditions and more abundant nutrition have more common tumors; many patients are not "immune-deficient" at the early stage of diagnosis, but rather "immune-paralyzed" or "immune-evasive".

He observes that many tumor patients are "good people" who excessively pursue perfection, and long-term emotional suppression leads to "liver qi stagnation", which affects recovery. Therefore, he suggests relaxing excessive demands on oneself and avoiding being confined by the "patient identity". While respecting necessary medical intervention, he advocates returning the initiative of recovery to the patients themselves, and creating a "living soil" that is unfavorable for disease development through a daily life of moderate diet and emotional balance.