‘Distancing Desires’ – The Daoist way to Longevity

Experience Exchange

‘Distancing Desires’ – The Daoist way to Longevity

by Neil Kingham

“Relish oblivion and obscurity, think less, have little desire and practice economy of speech in order to nourish the Qi.” – Li Dong Yuan (Translation by Bob Flaws)

This quote is from a short chapter in a book by Li Dong Yuan (1180-1251 CE), an influential figure in the development of Chinese Medicine. The book is the Pi Wei Lun which is quite a technical medical text, aimed mainly at Chinese herbalists. Yet in among the detailed descriptions of herbal formulas and the discussion of the finer points of the working of Qi in the body, Li thinks it important to have a chapter entitled ‘distancing desires.’

Li is expressing Daoist thought – the importance of being calm and ‘going with the flow’ in order to maintain health and vitality. According to Li, not following this philosophy will lead to degeneration of the body and mind.

In my opinion, Li is emphasizing the importance of calm and withdrawal, the yin qualities of life. These days we’re all so busy. We have so much to do and so little time. We do what we need to for our work and our families but have little time left over for ourselves. Put simply, we are stressed and overworked! No wonder then that most people feel tired all the time, and suffer from a variety of ongoing ailments and ‘niggles’.

Li says “when I respond or attend to human affairs, all my symptoms of disease get worse.” This says to me that the problem is giving out too much energy, being too involved in external affairs. This could mean too much emotional involvement, too much mental involvement or simply doing too much physically.

In the terms of Chinese medicine, over-activity depletes the Qi and Blood, leading the way for various health issues. In the long term, burning the candle at both ends causes depletion of our Jing, the deepest and most vital of our energies. In fact, in traditional Chinese Yang Sheng practice, the conservation and development of Qi, Blood and Jing is considered one of the main aims.

The answer is to find time to withdraw, to nourish yourself, to have ‘me time’. Be less Yang and more Yin. Don’t give importance to things that don’t deserve your emotional energy.

Practice of deep breathing, relaxation techniques, yoga, Qigong, tai chi or meditation can help to develop this skill. In addition, as we all know, to attain physical and mental relaxation really is a skill, and it takes practice! Reading Daoist books, either classical or modern, can also help you to find ways to ‘think less and have little desire.’

I’ll leave Li to say the rest….

“Refrain from unnecessary taxation in order to nourish the form, and empty the heart to protect the spirit. Take longevity or death, obtaining or losing without attachment, being at peace with their number, and take bereavement lightly. Then Blood and Qi will naturally be in accord and harmonious, evils will find no place to lodge, and disease will quiet and not increase. If one keeps to all this, one follows the Dao, and one can obtain the true purpose and delight of life.”

[Neil Kingham has been involved in the Chinese healing arts for over 14 years. His interest in the area began with Taiji and Qigong, and these disciplines remain an important part of his own practice today. He has trained in the UK and China, and runs a busy practice in the UK in Bristol and South Wales. He is a great believer in using the Chinese health arts to prevent illness and disease, and maintain optimum health.  Neil is a respected writer and teacher in the field of Chinese medicine. He is also an experienced practitioner, and course/workshop leader, and has worked in diverse settings with corporate groups, young sports-people, children with learning difficulties, and various health organizations.   For more information about Neil and his blog, go to http://neilkingham.com]