The Relationship Between Nature and Human and the Concept of Health in Huangdi Neijing

Abstract

Huangdi Neijing ( Huangdi’s Canon of Medicine ), the earliest Chinese traditional medicine classic, contains rich and unique health knowledge. The holistic concept of unifying human and natural environment has become the core concept of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The natural environment and health related content in Huangdi Neijing is quite rich. The seasonal and temperature changes in climate are closely related to human physiology, disease, treatment and health. The changes in water inside and outside the body and the different geographical environments will affect human health. Many acupoints’ names are related to water and landforms. The organisms in the human environment are also relevant to health. Our ancestors have observed the relationship between the natural environment and people’s health, and many of these arguments fully embody the philosophy of nature and human. The ancient people emphasized that the purpose of correspondence between nature and humans is to remind people to live in harmony with nature; this concept has not only become a very important part of traditional culture but has also been fully applied in disease diagnosis and treatment and health care.