Dejian Min-Body Intervention study

I happened across this study coincidentally; thought I'd share.

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Dejian mind-body intervention improves the functioning of a patient with chronic epilepsy: a case report

Agnes S Chan, Sophia L Sze, [...], and Dejian Shi

Abstract

Background

This is a case report that illustrates the effect of the Dejian Mind-Body Intervention (DMBI) on a 22-year-old chronic epileptic male (onset at age two) suffering from severe cognitive impairments as a result of a serious seizure two years ago. The DMBI is a healing program developed for modern lifestyle based on the traditional Chinese Shaolin Chanwuyi healing approach.

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Originally Posted by Kymus

I happened across this study coincidentally; thought I'd share.

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Hi Kymus,

Thanks for posting that. This may be better suited to the other thread on "Shaolin, Vegetarian Diet, and stuff", but it's interesting either way

There are some other preliminary studies done by Agnes Chan as well (She is a student of Master De Jian's).

Her Youtube Channel outlines several of the basic Nei Yang Gong (Internal Building Practices) central to Master De Jian's teachings.

It is wonderful - and Master De Jian is the only recluse traditionalist practitioner I know of who is not only participating in scientific research on his method, but actually pursuing it to provide well-researched healing methods that the world will actually look into closer (once enough research perhaps).

The ChanWuYi website actually has a free english book written by Agnes Chan here: http://www.chanwuyi.org/EBOOK

EDIT: Go to the Link, then click on the top right to change to "English" language, then click EBOOK - and all the book's contents are there

It details her understanding and experience of the tradition quite well, and contains more of that research toward the end - and was said to be a great representation of the tradition by Master De Jian.

Also of interest - Master De Jian had said that Chinese traditional medicine and Shaolin ChanYi (Shaolin Zen Medicinal Study) are different - just as western and eastern medicinal perspectives are different.

Shaolin ChanWuYi perspectives on diet, wellbeing, and daily practice are also discussed in Agnes Chan's Book

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Originally Posted by Matthew

Also of interest - Master De Jian had said that Chinese traditional medicine and Shaolin ChanYi (Shaolin Zen Medicinal Study) are different - just as western and eastern medicinal perspectives are different.

Shaolin ChanWuYi perspectives on diet, wellbeing, and daily practice are also discussed in Agnes Chan's Book

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How different?

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Originally Posted by xinyidizi

How different?

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The book gives a brief explanation. These chapters listed below may be of interest to you

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Originally Posted by ChanWuYi Book Index

•Chapter Five: Questions and Answers
◦Basic Concepts in Chanwuyi
◦The Chanwuyi Perspective on Wu (Martial Arts)
◦Chanwuyi's Perspective on Medicine
•Chapter Six: Chanwuyi's Way of Living
•Chapter Seven: To Purify Ones' Body – Chanwuyi's Special Dietary Guidelines

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Go to this link: Then at the top right, click the little pull down - change language to english. Then click "EBOOK" at the top of the screen to access the entire book contents.


I have to defer to the book, because my exposure to any sort of "standard" TCM is limited to cold/cool/neutral/warm/hot element foods, semi-seasons, and other oddities like "if you have a brain injury, you eat animal brains, blood injury, eat animals blood, "eating Ginger to 'expel inner heat' and such.

Thanks. The book doesn't really go into the details but from the general information in the book I think it is TCM plus a few Buddhist modifications but not very different from common TCM.

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What is the difference between Shaolin Chanyi and Chinese medicine?

Shaolin medicine was developed based upon Chinese medical theories. It is a branch of Chinese medicine unique from all other branches. First of all, Shaolin Chanyi emphasizes the healing of the mind and the purging of evil thoughts and cleansing of the mind, as it advocates that all human diseases stem from evil thoughts. There is a saying that "all diseases stem from the mind". Negative thoughts originate from human greed, anger, and cravings, all of which harm the internal organs and the circulation of the blood and Qi. For instance, anger will harm the liver, being worrisome will harm the spleen and stomach. Therefore, to heal a disease, one must first heal the mind. One must first purge the negative thoughts and quiet down the mind before one can treat the psychological and physical problems. This concept is different from traditional Chinese medicine.

In addition, Chanyi emphasizes a healthy diet because it believes that "diseases enter the body through the mouth". Many diseases are related to an unhealthy diet. Thus Chanyi advocates the adoption of a healthy diet over medication, to take vegetarian food, and reduce the ingestion of food that causes inflammation in order to improve physical and psychological health. Furthermore, Chanyi emphasizes "blockages cause diseases". Many diseases are caused by blocked orifices and blocked circulation of the blood and Qi. Chanyi utilizes different methods to unblock bodily orifices and the circulation of the blood and Qi.

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These are not different from standard TCM. The relationship between mind and the internal organs, specific diets (avoiding spicy food, garlic, alcohol, meat, ...), Qi blockage, .... have been mentioned in detail in the earliest TCM books.

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Originally Posted by xinyidizi

Thanks. The book doesn't really go into the details but from the general information in the book I think it is TCM plus a few Buddhist modifications but not very different from common TCM.


These are not different from standard TCM.

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Well, TCM can vary. And it notes this Shaolin ChanYi is a distinct branch rather than a mutually exclusive system.

IMO, it is differentiated from classic TCM, because in Shaolin ChanYi - the most important is - Xin 心 , which is at the center of all health, wellness, sickness, and problems. (Xin is not easily translated, although the book usually uses "Mind", which falls short of a great translation for many reasons... subconscious mind, psyche, habitual mind, and others are better translations I've heard, although Xin seems to be more all encompassing)

Another "Standard TCM" thing that most chinese reference is "Ingesting Ginger (or ginger cooked food/soup) to expel cold", but the book clearly outlines that doesn't make sense [from Shaolin ChanWuYi perspective/experience].

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Originally Posted by xinyidizi

The relationship between mind and the internal organs, specific diets (avoiding spicy food, garlic, alcohol, meat, ...), Qi blockage, .... have been mentioned in detail in the earliest TCM books.

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Yep. 2 things worth mentioning here.

1) The Shaolin ChanWuYi book cites and mentions some of the earliest TCM thought/texts and how it's incorporated. (and where it differs, such as the ginger example I just gave)

2) Master De Jian's teacher Venerable Master Xing Xing was a Chinese Medicine Doctor (TCM Doctor) before going to Shaolin to study medicinal practice.

- So it is expected that many of Master De Jian's learnings include anything that alligns from TCM that Master Xing Xing passed on to him. It is a both literally and metaphorically a living and breathing tradition.

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Originally Posted by Matthew

Well, TCM can vary. And it notes this Shaolin ChanYi is a distinct branch rather than a mutually exclusive system.

IMO, it is differentiated from classic TCM, because in Shaolin ChanYi - the most important is - Xin 心 , which is at the center of all health, wellness, sickness, and problems. (Xin is not easily translated, although the book usually uses "Mind", which falls short of a great translation for many reasons... subconscious mind, psyche, habitual mind, and others are better translations I've heard, although Xin seems to be more all encompassing)

Another "Standard TCM" thing that most chinese reference is "Ingesting Ginger (or ginger cooked food/soup) to expel cold", but the book clearly outlines that doesn't make sense [from Shaolin ChanWuYi perspective/experience].



Yep. 2 things worth mentioning here.

1) The Shaolin ChanWuYi book cites and mentions some of the earliest TCM thought/texts and how it's incorporated. (and where it differs, such as the ginger example I just gave)

2) Master De Jian's teacher Venerable Master Xing Xing was a Chinese Medicine Doctor (TCM Doctor) before going to Shaolin to study medicinal practice.

- So it is expected that many of Master De Jian's learnings include anything that alligns from TCM that Master Xing Xing passed on to him. It is a both literally and metaphorically a living and breathing tradition.

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I see but even in case of ginger or 心 I see it as a preference rather than a difference. Neijing also emphasizes 心 as the center which affects all the other organs quite a few times for example: 悲哀愁忧则心动，心动则五脏六腑皆摇。In commonly used TCM classics such as Bencaogangmu, Bencaojingshu, ... they usually mention both medical effects and harmful side effects of each herb because most of the medical herbs can harm the body otherwise they would be normal food. It is up to the diagnosis of the doctor to decide between the pros and cons of each herb. For example in TCM classics it has been mentioned that longterm intake of ginger can harm the eyes, yin and in a treatment it can also consume／scatter too much Qi. So you would know that if the cold is caused by weak Qi you shouldn't expel the cold directly by using herbs like ginger and you should help ZhengQi instead.

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Originally Posted by xinyidizi

I see but even in case of ginger or 心 I see it as a preference rather than a difference. Neijing also emphasizes 心 as the center which affects all the other organs quite a few times for example: 悲哀愁忧则心动，心动则五脏六腑皆摇。In commonly used TCM classics such as Bencaogangmu, Bencaojingshu, ... they usually mention both medical effects and harmful side effects of each herb because most of the medical herbs can harm the body otherwise they would be normal food. It is up to the diagnosis of the doctor to decide between the pros and cons of each herb. For example in TCM classics it has been mentioned that longterm intake of ginger can harm the eyes, yin and in a treatment it can also consume／scatter too much Qi. So you would know that if the cold is caused by weak Qi you shouldn't expel the cold directly by using herbs like ginger and you should help ZhengQi instead.

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Thanks for the elaboration. I see your point on "preference rather than a difference."

As the Heart Sutra says, form is empty. Although this is discriminating one branch from another - I believe it has several reasons to do so that benefit the world.

1) consistency across various research platforms (by using a narrowly "defined" method(s) (of this Shaolin ChanWuYi lineage) rather than just claiming these specific emphasized methods to be "TCM")

2) To reduce confusion, debate, or issues associated with merely using this research in the name of "Chinese Medicine/TCM" as a whole.

3) To clarify that the researcher/researchee are not claiming subject matter expertise beyond their lineage/teachings.

4) To simplify and develop researched methods that will help people.

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In the [United] states it isn't common to find very experienced Chinese Medicine Doctors (for a lot of reasons). IME, the ones I have found are more interested in prescribing herbs to balance Qi - rather than prescribing Xin Fa (methods to cultivate Xin).

Interestingly enough it is the Buddhist teachers that I more often see prescribing such "medicine" Although we could put down distinctions and call them TCM doctors if we stretch and blur the borders a bit more.

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In the end, your statement could even go as far as saying there are possible ancient references to Standing Stake exercises as well.

In the case of Shaolin ChanWuYi methods presented this research (specific dietary, lian fa, and living methods) - I believe the intent is to benefit beings... rather than to cause division/divisive thinking about whose medicinal practices are unique.

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Originally Posted by Agnes Chan's Book

All Martial Pracitices require the use of the heart and mind. Take the Shaolin Xinyiba as an example; this is not limited to Shaolin, but is also applicable to other schools of Wu as it is about the control of the heart and the mind.

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I'm sure they would agree about this in medicine too - that their methods may not be limited to shaolin or this lineage.

What you see mostly as TCM has been on the wrong track for a long time and is being treated like western medicine where you expect to take a pill and become healthy in a flash instead of changing and improving all the aspects of your life that have lead you to the disease. Today's TCM doctors are mostly 下医（the lowest level of doctors) according to the old standards who have very little idea about what they do but the classics are not like that.

The study is impressive and sophisticated based on the fact that it details the intervention(s), which hare not one but 3, as follows:
1. A meditation component
2. An exercise component and
3. Dieting component.

I use the term sophisticated because EEG tracking pre and post intervention is a start but I also note that dietary restriction by itself can reverse some elements of epilepsy. I would have liked to see EEG after each individual intervention, or at best do each intervention as a separate study to ascertain a true level of benefit.
As it, this is definitely a step forward in this regard.