Sun Simiao is probably the most famous doctor in Chinese history. He was a Buddhist, a Daoist and a practitioner of acupuncture and herbal medicine. He laid down the highest ethical standards for the medical profession, refused to use animal products in medicines and was a teacher and practitioner of yangsheng – the art of nourishing life. But what he says about self-cherishing might be the most important thing he ever wrote.
"Whenever people don't live out their lives or life is cut short, it is always caused by not loving or cherishing themselves." Sun Simiao, 581 to 682 CE122
This is something that most of us experience in our lives - how hard it can be to look after ourselves. Governments spend millions on trying to persuade people to eat more fruit and vegetables or exercise more, yet despite knowing they should, few actually do. And how many of us make health resolutions yet somehow fail to live up to them, or resolve, yet fail, to behave towards others in ways that will bring us more of the love we crave?
We may practise qigong or meditation on and off – each time reminding ourselves how life-enhancing it is and resolving to commit to it - yet somehow never maintain a regular practice.
As Sun Simiao pointed out, the answer is that we do not fully befriend and cherish ourselves, even though this life is the single most valuable thing we will ever have. In the face of acute danger we will do everything we can to defend it. If we have children, we yearn to protect them from all and any harm and envelop them in our protective love, so why do we – so often – find it hard to behave in the same way to ourselves?
It seems that somewhere along the way we have absorbed the idea – from parents, carers, teachers and others – that we are not worthy, not good enough, not truly deserving of health and happiness. This may be the single hardest issue to address in the practice of self-cultivation. It is one which requires us to become aware of the internalised and often painful messages which may lie buried deep inside. It is a task that requires warrior spirit commitment.
The regular practice of mindful awareness - not just body, breath or energy awareness but emotional awareness also – can be part of the process as it slowly brings these messages into the light of day and starts to release their power over us. If we have a regular practice we may view it in terms of polishing and perfecting ourselves. But the pursuit of perfection is of course futile. We will always make mistakes, get things wrong, feel and sometimes act inappropriately, break things, have accidents and more. This might trigger all kinds of self-critical thoughts but the more we learn to cherish ourselves, the more slack we give ourselves, just as we do to a dear friend.
