Successors of the Healing Hand

“Capillary artemisia is a precious herb that you need to pick in March; it turns to weed in April,and firewood if you pick in May and June.”He Chengdao, vice president of the Hubei Taoist Association and head of the Puyang Temple, slowly recited such herb-picking folklore when we met.

In ancient times all the Taoists practiced medicine.A saying “Nine Taoists out of ten are doctors” indicates that the doctor’s practice was inseparable from the Taoist practices. The essence of Li Shizhen’s TCM culture embodies a kind of wisdom that involves the harmony between man and nature. As the abovementioned herb-picking folklore goes, the herb function closely corresponds with nature, resting itself on good timing, a favourable geographical position, and individual coordination.

The Puyang Temple is located at Fuhu Mountain,Caohe Township, Qichun County. It was first built in the Song Dynasty (960–1279), which can be traced back to Sun Simiao (also Sun Ssu-miao; died 682), the famous ancient pharmacist in China. The temple was flooded and ruined in 1913 and later reconstructed by the local people.

At the age of 13, He Chengdao made his pilgrimage to Wudang Mountain to practice Taoism, and followed the famous Taoist Xie Zongxin at the age of 14. In 1996,he returned to his hometown to rebuild the Puyang Temple in the hope of treating the local people and benefiting the whole world. Because of his 23 years’hard work and effort, this Taoist temple, with an area of 632 mu (about 42 hectares), was finally reconstructed.

As a Taoist doctor, He Chengdao’s fame spreads far and wide. He spends a great deal of time checking on patients’ pulses. He treats all patients with equal attentiveness and humbleness, regardless of their identity and social position, which has earned him a good reputation.

He told us: “Healing is connected with Taoism,and Taoism is connected with being virtuous. The most fundamental part is benevolence—a love out of Taoism’s virtues. Therefore, practitioners must master good medical techniques and follow moral principles.Only by valuing, practicing, safeguarding, conducting,and accumulating morality can we become the true successors of Li Shizhen.”

In recent years, people have come to visit him from the US, Germany, South Korea and many other countries for health issues. They have a strong admiration for TCM, and He Chengdao takes treating them as a way of self-cultivation, rather than to enhance his reputation. He has often been invited to give lectures overseas and now has a dozen apprentices from different parts of China.

He Chengdao, senior Taoist priest of the Puyang Temple普陽觀 何誠道道長

仁心為本有傳人

“三月茵陳四月蒿，五月砍來當柴燒。春天挖根夏采草，漿果初熟花含苞。”一見面，湖北省道教協會副會長、蘄春普陽觀的何誠道道長，緩緩念出這么一首民間流傳的采藥歌。

他解釋說，古之初為道者，莫不兼修醫術，因而有十道九醫之說，醫家和道家是分不開的。李時珍中醫藥文化的精髓，就是究天人之際、取法自然的一種智慧。就像采藥歌詞所說，藥性與自然相通，要講求天時地利人和。

普陽觀位于蘄春縣漕河鎮伏虎山，始建于宋代，但其根源可以上溯到藥王孫思邈，民國二年（1913年）水毀幾盡，后由百姓自愿捐獻財物復建而成。

何誠道道長13歲上武當山學道，14歲師從道教名師謝宗信。1996年，他抱著濟世救人的夙愿，回到家鄉重修普陽觀，歷時二十三載，終于建成這座占地面積632畝的道觀。

何道長是海譽四方的道醫，他看病以脈診為主，大部分時間都在細心把脈。他不論看病的對象身份如何，一樣態度謙和，一樣認真投入，贏得上佳的口碑。

何道長對我們說，“醫者仁心，醫與道相通，道與德相通。其中最根本的是仁德，慈悲道性的仁愛。習醫者既要掌握好醫技，也要遵循道德的法則，重德、修德、守德、行德、積德，做李時珍的真正傳人。”

何道長自己就曾因為奔跑過去搶救從二樓失足墜落的人，被砸壞脊椎，身受重傷，但他無怨無悔。

近年來，美、德、韓等國的一些海外人士慕名前來，請何道長看病。“這些人對中華傳統醫藥學非常仰慕，我把給他們治病看作修行，不為傳揚自己的名聲。”何道長說。

“師父經常受邀去海外講學。”弟子劉琦補充說。劉琦2017年畢業于江西一家醫學院校，和他一樣拜師學習醫術的，有十多個人，劉琦希望自己能把師傅的醫道傳承下去。

Li Shizhen Medical and Cultural Tourism Region 李時珍醫道旅游文化區