青柳诊所手记45

这些天很热，我们的花圃大部分都还没有装上自动浇灌系统，所以我们早上做的第一件事就是浇灌园里的植物。我现在才发现，浇水也不是一件容易的事。园子很大，植物又那么多，管子又很笨重，将它从花园的一头拖到另一头还得费点力气。有一天刚刚浇到一半，水突然间断了。我很诧异，回头一看，原来是在管子的中上段那里有一个地方打了一个结，水卡住了流不过来。我把这个结子打开，水马上又畅通无阻了。

这让我想起我们做的针灸来。一个肩膀痛的人，我们在他的脚上扎针或拔罐，是很常有的事。有的患者很不解，问：“为什么你们不在疼的地方直接治疗呢？”

为什么不呢？这就像浇水的管道 一样，水流不出来，并不是因为我手中握着的这一截出了毛病，真正堵住的是在远端啊。眼科也一样。如果视力出了什么故障，你觉得真的只是眼睛的问题吗？中医治疗眼疾，往往从肝肾方面来治，岂不也是同样的道理？所谓的肝肾阴虚是不是可以理解为通往眼睛的水管在肝肾这里打了一个结？所以，无论你的身体有什么不适，最好的解决办法不是纠结于那个痛点，也不是吃去痛片，而是立马去寻找那个卡住了的结子。

Sunshine Coast的一个患者几个月前给我们带来了两棵长长的竹子苗。也真亏得他不怕辛苦，那么高的竹子他居然坐着轮船带过来了。我们种下竹子后，没多久就发现其中一棵已经完全枯萎了。大师兄把它从根部剪掉了，在花盆里种上了别的植物。几天前我浇水的时候，突然发现在这个大花盆的最中央，一棵小小的竹子颤巍巍地绽放了出来。我站在这颗小竹子面前，充满敬畏地看着它。

你承认吗，生命永远比我们想象的要坚韧许多，很多时候，我们都太早放弃了希望和追求？连一棵枯萎的竹子都可以重生，为什么你坚信你的疾病就不能痊愈呢？那个让你痊愈的力量，往往不是来自于医生或者什么高端医学技术，而是来自于埋藏在你心灵深处的那颗小小的嫩芽，它叫做生命力，它正等待着你的培育和浇灌。

有一个朋友告诉我，他很爱他的母亲，现在母亲去世了，他很思念她。“我想她的时候，我不是盯着她的照片瞧着，而是坐在我们曾常常坐过的花园里。院子的角落里种了许多玫瑰花。当我闭上眼睛，风轻轻飘过来，将某种玫瑰花的清香送到我的鼻孔里时，我就微笑起来，因为我知道她也来过了，她试图用她最爱的花香抚慰我，唤醒我的快乐…..”

这个朋友的话让我很感动。我现在更不敢怠慢任何一株植物了，因为我知道，它们的生命力不仅仅来自于它们自己，甚至还来自于更加神秘、遥远的一个世界啊。

Whispering of Willows 45

It has been hot lately. Most of our flower beds haven't yet been equipped with an automatic watering system, so the first thing we do in the morning is watering the plants in our garden. I've discovered that watering is not an easy task. The garden is large, there are many plants around, and the pipe is heavy, so it takes some effort to drag it from one end of the garden to the other. One day, just halfway through watering, the water suddenly stopped. Bewildered, I looked back, and realized there was a twist in the upper part of the hose, and the water was stuck and could no longer flow. I untied the knot, and the water immediately flowed smoothly again.

This reminds me of the acupuncture we do. When a patient complains of shoulder pain, it's very common for us to do needles or cupping on his/her feet. Some patients were puzzled and asked, "Why don't you treat the painful part directly?"

Why? It's like the water pipe. If the water can't flow, it's not because the part I'm holding has a problem, but the real blockage is usually at the far end. The same is true for any eye disease. If something is wrong with your vision, do you really think it's just a problem with your eyes? Traditional Chinese Medicine’s treatment for eye diseases focuses on the liver and kidneys. Isn't this the same principle? We often say an eye disease has to do with yin deficiency in the liver and kidneys, which can be understood metaphorically as a twist in the water pipe in the liver and kidneys area leading to the eyes. If you feel some pain, instead of looking at the pained area, or reaching for aspirin, begin a search for the twist.

A few months ago, a friend from the Sunshine Coast brought us two tall bamboo seedlings as gifts. It was admirable; he went through so much trouble hauling such tall plants while travelling by ferry. However, not long after, we realized one of the bamboo plants had wilted and was completely dead. Dr. Daniel had to cut it off at the roots and later we planted some other plants in the flowerpot. A few days ago, when I was watering, I suddenly spotted that in the center of this large flowerpot, a small bamboo shoot was peeking out, shyly and humbly. In front of this small bamboo shoot I stood gazing in awe.

Do you sometimes feel that life is much tougher than you would have imagined, and quite often, might we give up hope and our life pursuit too early? Even a withered bamboo can be reborn, so why do you firmly believe that your disease cannot be cured? The power that heals you often does not come from doctors or high-end medical technology, but from the small bud buried deep in your heart, called vitality, that awaits watering and nourishing by you.

A friend told me that he loved his mother dearly, and now that his mother has passed away, he misses her very much. "When I miss her, I don't stare at her photos, but instead, I sit in the garden where we spent happy times together. Many roses have been planted in the corner of my yard. When I close my eyes and a draft gently blows, the fragrance of a certain rose arrives at my nostrils; I smile, because I know that she is close by - trying to comfort me with her favorite flower’s perfume and awaken the seeds of my happiness..."

This friend's words touched me deeply. Now I dare not neglect any plant in my care, because I have a growing impression that their vitality comes not only from the depth of themselves, but may also from a more mysterious and distant world.