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Case Report | DOI: https://doi.org/10.31579/2693-4779/152
1 Tang, Hangzhou Normal University, 31121, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
2 M.A. Student, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Singapore.
*Corresponding Author: Shiming Tang
Citation: Shiming Tang, Jinkang Hu; (2023), Song Dynasty Classic Culture of Physical and Mental Healing: Clinical Research and Clinical Trials, Clinical Research and Clinical Trials, 8(2); DOI:10.31579/2693-4779/152
Copyright: © 2023, Shiming Tang. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Received: 24 July 2023 | Accepted: 18 October 2023 | Published: 01 December 2023
Keywords: song Yun culture; physical and mental health; clinical research; clinical experiments
The culture of the Chinese nation has evolved over thousands of years, culminating in the Zhao and Song dynasties. The philosophy and culture of the Song Dynasty were unprecedentedly developed, and material and spiritual civilization reached a new height, converging into a "cultural peak". Song rhyme culture is an important period in History of China. Its cultural connotation and artistic form have a profound impact on later generations, especially for the psychological health of modern people. Song rhyme culture is "Tea culture". Accompanied by tea, one can seek inner pleasure and achieve spiritual balance in tea tasting or enjoying tea art. Elegance is the aesthetic heritage of the Song people. Poetry that appreciates rhyme can also regulate themselves in the face of setbacks, hardships, and loneliness, and enjoy themselve in adversity. The Song people have detailed explanations of the causes of psychological and mental illnesses, as well as feasible medical methods such as homology of medicine and food, and artistic healing.
The importance and research on mental health have been developed since ancient times, and the development of ancient Chinese healthy psychological thinking began in the pre-Qin period and gradually improved in the Song and Yuan dynasties.
Historian Chen once pointed out that the splendid Song Dynasty nurtured the brilliant Song rhyme culture. As a peak in Chinese culture, Song Dynasty Neo Confucianism is at the top of the peak. Its in-depth research on spiritual civilization has great reference significance for the development of psychological academia in the present world.
The Song Dynasty advocates for individual physical and mental harmony. Zhu Xi believed that sages are harmonious in both body and mind, and the highest level of harmonious personality for sages is "neutralization".
In order to achieve the goal of 'sage like me', the first step is to achieve physical and mental harmony and unity. The ideal state of mental health is to maintain a state of intact personality, normal intelligence, correct cognition, appropriate emotions, reasonable will, positive attitude, appropriate behavior, and good adaptation. Understanding Song rhyme culture plays a positive role in balancing emotions, shaping personality, and providing a good cultural perspective for individual mental health.
"On December 24, the seventh year of Yuanfeng, I visited Nanshan Mountain from Uncle Liu Qian in Sizhou. The drizzle and the slanting wind made the morning cold, and the light smoke and sparse willows made the sunny beach. It was a long time to enter the Huaihe River and Qingluo gradually. The snow foam and milk flowers floated in the afternoon cup, and the polygonal palmate and Artemisia shoots tried the spring dish. The taste of the world was pure joy." Su Shi recorded the scene when he was demoted to compete with his friends in Nanshan for tea, reflecting the importance attached to "Tea culture" in Song Yun culture.
From the urban life scene of skillfully making tea in the popular drama "A Dream of Splendor" to the graceful and graceful dancing in the phenomenal dance "The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting", the "shape" of Song Yun stands out in front of everyone. But 'viewing flowers is not just about color, viewing mountains is not about height, and viewing women is not about appearance.'
Only by seeing ‘the charm of flowers, the haze of mountains, and the demeanor of women' can one reveal their ‘spirit' and gain an insight into their souls, breaking free from the anxiety, confusion, and other factors that lead to mental health in this world.
Song Yun culture has repeatedly advocated for personal physical and mental harmony, such as basic needs such as food and clothing; The pursuit of delicious mountain delicacies is a personal desire. Human desires need to be established on the basis of natural principles in order to achieve physical and mental harmony.
Interpersonal and social relationships are one of the standards for measuring mental health. Song Dynasty's Neo Confucianism proposed a dialectical view on this, particularly affirming the close connection between people and society. It pointed out that harmonious interpersonal relationships and group social harmony are important foundations for maintaining social order and promoting healthy development.
In the concept of the Song Dynasty, firstly, everyone needs to value "principles", such as etiquette, systems, norms, order, etc. Observing discipline and law is a basic personal accomplishment; secondly, people should respect each other, be humble and care for each other, in order to achieve harmonious interpersonal relationships and ultimately achieve social harmony among groups.
In interpersonal and social relationships, Song Dynasty's Neo Confucianism emphasizes "harmony" and "harmony but difference", advocating for "neutrality" and seeking common ground but reserving small differences. The above propositions can help individuals correctly handle 'gentlemen's relationships', form harmonious interpersonal relationships, and create healthy social relationships.
The above interpretation of Song Yun culture reflects the diversity and complexity of history and culture, which helps people to recognize psychological uncertainty and anxiety. It provides inspiration for coping with external challenges such as information explosion, fierce competition, and rapid change in modern society, especially balancing and adjusting one's own psychological state, and reducing unnecessary pressure and anxiety.
The formation of Tea culture was related to the rise of Zen Buddhism at that time. Buddhism values meditation and practice, and prolonged sitting inevitably leads to fatigue. At this point, tea plays a role in "refreshing and benefiting the mind, promoting fluid production and quenching thirst, and alleviating fatigue". The combination of Zen and tea ceremony, which are also used to relax the body and mind and purify the mind, has made many tea drinking masters come out of temples and promoted Tea culture to all social strata.
Li Qingzhao has gone through peaceful times, the hardships of crossing the south, and the scattered family treasures. Her complex life experiences have created her unique charm. There is both the playful and lively expression of "competing for crossing, competing for crossing, and arousing a flock of gulls and egrets", and the solemn and heroic expression of "wanting to send blood and tears to mountains and rivers, and sprinkle a handful of soil on Dongshan". When Su Dongpo was appointed as the judge of Hangzhou, he once went to Yuqian Jizhao Temple to inspect politics and wrote a small poem to Lvyun Xuan in the temple: "You can eat without meat, you can't live without bamboo. Without meat makes people thin, and without bamboo makes people vulgar." In order to live an elegant life, gourmet Su Dongpo was also willing to give up his desire for words.
Traditional Chinese education mainly emphasizes the integration of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. It was during the Song Dynasty that Neo Confucianism achieved the unity of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Confucianism emphasizes progress, and its doctrine is about joining the world, emphasizing social personnel; Taoist ideology advocates tranquility and inaction, 'the Tao follows nature', emphasizing the harmony between humans and nature; Buddhist thought focuses on the tranquility and harmony of the inner world, and emphasizes the cultivation of the mind and nature. These three theories are complementary. In the Song Dynasty, the three schools of thought were unified, and the completeness of such a knowledge structure made it relatively easy to solve cognitive problems without causing psychological disorders.
Research 1st: Personal cultivation helps personal health management.
From a broad and profound, open and magnanimous demeanor, a diverse and inclusive attitude, an individual's cultivation of "learning for oneself", to a high-level cultural and artistic cultivation, a focus on the quality of life and the sense of historical mission, and a sense of sacrifice for others... These qualities and attitudes directly or indirectly provide assistance in shaping a physically and mentally healthy person.
Research 2nd: The Minimalism lifestyle is as tranquil as water.
The Song people personally practiced their tranquil and watery state of mind, which is particularly applicable in the bizarre society.
Research 3rd: Using creativity and aesthetic taste to enhance cultural confidence.
The Song Dynasty ushered in a period of great creativity and openness, with artistic forms such as poetry, painting, and music possessing rich expressive power and artistic value. Through learning and appreciation, the Song people enriched their spiritual life, improved their aesthetic taste and appreciation ability, and shaped a more open, confident, and independent attitude towards life and cultural consciousness.
Research 4th: Tea plays a role in refreshing and benefiting the mind.
The formation of Tea culture was related to the rise of Zen Buddhism at that time. Buddhism values meditation and practice, and prolonged sitting inevitably leads to fatigue. At this point, tea plays a role in "refreshing and benefiting the mind, promoting fluid production and quenching thirst, and alleviating fatigue". The combination of Zen and tea ceremony, which are also used to relax the body and mind and purify the mind, has made many tea drinking masters come out of temples and promoted Tea culture to all social strata.
Research 5th: Setting a quiet place to recognize the fun and wonders of nature.
Li Qingzhao advocates that there is no need to have thousands of friends to accompany during leisure time, and one can also find a quiet place to explore and feel the fun and wonders of nature; When in pain, there is no need to lock oneself up or complain about tormenting oneself. Just write quickly to express your anger or pick up your interest, shift your attention, and let your heart find a place to rest, without feeling anxious or hurting yourself.
Research 6th：Psychological diseases come from congenital factors.
Invasion of wind, emotional stimulation The Song Dynasty attributed psychological disorders from three perspectives. From a personal perspective, people suffering from psychological diseases are naturally influenced by congenital factors, invasion of wind, emotional stimulation, and other factors. From a social perspective, the pressure of the imperial examination and the constraints of Neo Confucianism in the Song Dynasty may lead to psychological disorders. From a religious view, the Song people attributed psychological illnesses to three factors: ghosts, spirits, karma, and killing.
Trails 1st: Practically achieve personal and environmental friendliness.
The broad and profound, atmospheric and open atmosphere nurtured in the culture of Song rhyme. This kind of demeanor clearly has a positive significance that cannot be ignored for mental health. This can be seen in Zhang Zai's great mission and sacrifice of "making a heart for the heaven and earth, making a life for the people, inheriting the holy and unique learning, and opening peace for all generations", and Cao Cao's worries and optimism of "singing about wine and life geometry", Shao Yong's philosophical thinking of "Unity of Heaven and humanity". As a result, people's horizons broaden and they will not dwell on the details and trivial details of reality, reducing many troubles and displeasure. At the same time, the above practical concept has made Song people more capable of adapting to society and standing more independently and confidently in this world.
Trails 2nd: Healing the mind through self-centered learning.
It has not only formed the "worry and optimism" of "worrying about the world first, but also established the path of" not being pleased with things, not being sad about oneself ". Based on this attitude and state of mind, most Song people opposed the life state and attitude of the previous dynasty, which were uncertain about gains and losses, joys and sorrows. This mindset and psychological state greatly influenced the Song people's outlook on life and health management.
Trails 3rd: Promoting our mental health and comprehensive development.
The Song Dynasty emphasized family virtues, respect for the elderly and love for the young, humanistic care, moral norms, and a sense of social responsibility. These traditional virtues not only help shape our correct life values and behavioral norms, but also help us cultivate healthy interpersonal relationships and social responsibility, thereby promoting our mental health and comprehensive development.
Trails 4th: Adding fun of life for Song people.
The popular "tea ordering method" in the Song Dynasty is in an important position in the history of Chinese tea development. The Song people also popularized "tea fighting". Song people's tea fighting is not only a competition for tea quality, but also an upgraded version of tea ordering skills. During the tea competition, the various "tea dramas" that appear also reflect the creativity and taste of the tea drinkers. The various activities related to tea have added to the fun of life for Song people, helping them relax their minds and enjoy life.
Trails 5th: Pursuing a better self in the perspective and aesthetics of the people
In the communication with Song Yun's "poetry" and "people", personal aesthetic and appreciation abilities can also be significantly improved. At the same time, in the atmosphere of appreciating both refined and popular tastes, the originally naive and unsophisticated psychological age can gradually mature, no longer limited to narrow personal perspectives, and pursue a better self in the perspective and aesthetics of the Song people.
Trails 6th: Seeking medical treatment and non-medical treatment.
Medical empirical analysis includes two aspects: seeking medical treatment and non-medical treatment. Among them, the main targets for seeking medical treatment are doctors, Taoists, monks and nuns, and wizards. The treatment mainly adopted medicine, acupuncture and moxibustion, magic, incantation, and religious rites, among which there were some superstitious elements, but it really reflected the medical orientation at that time.
Achievement 1st: Cultural and artistic cultivation complement the quality of life.
In the cultivation of cultural and artistic cultivation, people constantly pursue the taste of life and cultivate a positive and upward attitude towards life. Emperor Huizong of Song was good at music and painting, and created the "thin golden body". The ever-changing emperor is still like this, and its significance for physical and mental health is self-evident. The pursuit of quality of life and taste by the Song people is vividly reflected in Su Shi's "prefer eating without meat, not living without bamboo".
Achievement 2nd: demonstrated a great pattern that far surpassed their predecessors.
When life and career were not smooth, Song people demonstrated a great pattern that far surpassed their predecessors. For example, Ouyang Xiu was exiled to Yiling because of his words and sent a letter to Yin Zhuyun: "Many people come on the road and commit crimes to meet people who are hanged unexpectedly, so they don't know how to cultivate their hearts." He also encouraged his demoted colleagues to "never be a writer of sorrow". However, Zeng Biyi criticized his poetry for "satirizing and praising the legacy of past sages, contemporary adversity, and not a single word in his life experience." The reason is that he "does not burden his heart with the use of time." In the face of life experiences and poetry creation, he practiced the "self-centered learning" of "not relying on material pleasures, not relying on one's own sorrow," and specifically presented the "inner sage" mentality.
Achievement 3rd: Emphasizing care, virtues, and responsibility.
Song rhyme culture is an important cultural period in History of China, and its cultural connotation and artistic form have a profound impact on later generations. Understanding and learning about Song Yun culture can not only reduce modern people's anxiety and pressure, but also emphasize humanistic care, family virtues, and social responsibility. These traditional virtues also have certain reference significance for modern society
Achievement 4th: Cultivation for spiritual growth and maturity
Tea culture is a kind of aesthetics, which is conducive to the cultivation of sentiment of Song people. Beauty "is a product of the subject's soul, and the aesthetic of the Song Dynasty was exquisite and diverse. The different styles of tea dramas, the exquisite tea sets popular in the market, and the records of various calligraphy works on Tea culture all reflect the superb aesthetic taste of Song people, which is conducive to their spiritual growth and maturity.
Achievement 5th: Caring and respect for human nature.
The Song rhyme culture, which combines great customs and elegance, reflects the care and respect for human nature. In the symbiotic state of blending elegance and vulgarity, Song Yun culture is no longer limited to serving a few elites as a tool. Instead, it uses art and entertainment to enlighten ideas, help individuals shape a healthy psychological state and aesthetic sense, and truly enhance the spiritual and cultural level of the entire society.
Achievement 6th: Appling music therapy.
In the Song Dynasty, music therapy had been widely applied in practice, and this traditional Chinese medicine music therapy was a personalized dialectical treatment method.
Recommendation 1st; Shifting from external material to internal psychology.
The elegant cultural charm of the Song Dynasty can help people learn to enjoy life and strengthen their own health management.
Recommendation 2nd: Handling small things and eliminate negative psychology.
Modern people are often trapped in small things in real life. If they can have a calm attitude towards life and face things calmly, they can get rid of the troubles around them and avoid being exhausted.
Recommendation 3rd: Unleashing healing concepts in contemporary society.
People should actively learn and inherit the Song rhyme culture, allowing it to unleash healing concepts in contemporary society, enriching their spiritual life, enhancing our cultural confidence and identity, promoting our mental health and comprehensive development, and enhancing our international vision and cultural influence.
Recommendation 4th: Developing social activities that pursuit art and a happy life
Tea culture promotes the social activities of literati and tourists, and promotes the development of interpersonal communication in the song dynasty. During the period of economic prosperity, not only were tea fights and banquets prevalent, but professional tea tasting societies such as the "Tang Society" also emerged among literati and officials. The literati equated tea tasting with "qin, qi, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and wine" as an elegant event, and the use of tea in poetry became popular. The continuous development of such social activities embodies people's pursuit and appreciation of art and a happy life, releases various depression feelings caused by unfavorable career paths, purifies the soul, and relaxes the body and mind.
Recommendation 5th: Combining the elegance and vulgarity of traditional culture
The elegance and vulgarity in traditional culture are not two completely separated aspects. Huang Tingjian, who was a close friend of Su Shi throughout his life, revealed secret script, "Using vulgarity as elegance, using tradition as novelty, and winning every battle, just like the tactics of Sun Wu.
Recommendation 6th: Practicing meditation
The Song Dynasty also achieved great success in music therapy and meditation to prevent and treat diseases. Su Dongpo encouraged practicing meditation, saying, "In the end, the initial effect is not very noticeable, but after accumulating for a hundred days, the function is immeasurable. Compared to taking medicine, its effect is a hundred times greater
Song Yunhua stands proudly in the forest of history and culture, and in the future, society will pick up more and more healthy cultures from Song Yunzhi. The spiritual world and attitude in Song rhyme culture can provide answers to questions and doubts for young people facing many social and personal psychological problems in contemporary times. The first is to stay away from the nightmare of their own state of mind, the second is to see through the secular world without sinking, and the third is to look down on the world of mortals without being numb.
Tea tasting and tea playing art are not only shared lifestyles among Song people, but also a unique way to relax. At the same time, one can learn from the positive emotions of Song people such as Li Qingzhao, Su Dongpo, Huang Tingjian, etc., observe their forms, understand their gods, and make the best arrangements.
It is worth mentioning that the ideas and experiments on mental health in the Song Dynasty were greatly influenced by philosophy and aesthetics. Scholars and even a considerable number of ordinary people in the Song Dynasty did not often suffer from psychological disorders, and their lives were characterized by "leisure" and "elegance". The Song people adopted a feasible methodology of combining medicine and food with artistic healing to generate mental health.
This paper is one of the partial achievements of 2023 Collaborative Project for Industry and Education Cooperation between Yi-Ai (Group) Co. and Hangzhou Normal University 《Inheritance and innovation of Song style physical and mental healing culture》
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