In Traditional East AsianMedicine (TEAM™), we discover the same truth. Herbs, formulas, and diagnostic methods mean little without wisdom guiding their application. Knowledge on its own, without the understanding to transform it into action, will lead to both ineffective and dangerous outcomes. It is wisdom that transforms knowledge into action and moves us closer to mastery in the art of medicine.
Ignorance: the absence of truth.
“To know that you do not know is the best. To pretend to know when you do not know is a disease. Only when one recognizes the disease as a disease can one be free from the disease.” -TaoTe Ching.
We all begin here. Ignorance is not the absence of fact, but the absence of truth.
To master anything, a beginner’s mindset is always essential for the birth and growth of wisdom. If you do not become clear and free from pre-existing biases and assumptions, you will not be able to reflect on the truth that is in front of you. Our mind is often dismissive of new information that challenges our established mindsets; preferring to use existing models or approaches without question when they align to our established belief systems. This default setting prevents us from becoming aware of any existing misconceptions and inappropriate treatment methods.
Recognising our ignorance is the true starting point. This becomes clear when we realise we lack complete certainty in the use of herbs, in their outcomes, or when we find ourselves constructing confusing theories to cover the gaps in our understanding. Yet the moment we acknowledge where our understanding is incomplete, something changes.We begin to approach new information with the openness and innocence of a beginner – and in that genuine learning can take root.
Learning and Knowledge
“By following the original methods outlined by the ancient sages, one can attain true knowledge and skill.” – Confucius.
Then comes the second prerequisite: Knowledge which is the accumulation of truth.
In TEAM™, having a clear understanding of herbs and formulas structures and how they present without biases, is an example of gathering truths. Not according to assumptions and habits, but to actual evidence-based methods that can be tested, taught, and replicated.
If we take the example of Dried Ginger Root (Gan Jiang), we learn the right questions to ask, the tongue coatings to observe, the abdominal presentations to note, and the pulse qualities that align with its correct application. We also learn the companion herbs with which it must be combined, and the precise dosages required for its safe and effective use.
In this way, our clinical reasoning becomes structured and precise. Rather than relying on subjective or ego-driven impressions, we start to cultivate systemic, logical thinking - a framework that allows us to identify patterns and formula structures with clarity and consistency.
Nangai, the son of Todo Yoshimasu, explains that Dried Ginger Root is used for obstructed water toxins arising from inhibited gas-level effusion and counter-flow. Its primary indications are marked by either a large, generalised abdominal distention or a cold sensation below the umbilicus. Secondary indications may include an absence of thirst, watery and loose stools, incessant urination, cold extremities, vomiting with excessive salivation or spitting, cough, vexation with agitation, abdominal pain, intestinal rumbling, lower back pain, dizziness, excessive salivation, insomnia, or dryness in the throat. The tongue coating will be white and wet, while the pulse in the right middle position will appear deep and tight, or large and distended, like a taut balloon.
Understanding
“Understanding is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” - Albert Einstein.
Then comes the third prerequisite: Understanding.
Knowledge is built as a library of truths and understanding is the assimilation of this truth. What that means is now that I comprehend the truths that I’ve collected, I also know what it means. InTEAM™, understanding is what transforms herbs and formula structures into living, dynamic structures.
It is the difference between memorising the identification methods for a herb or formula structure and then transforming that into dynamic clinical reasoning. Dried Ginger Root is classified as a gas-level herb, meaning that its pungent nature has the ability to enter the gas level of the small intestine, where it facilitates the physiological transformation and transportation of food and fluids.
The earliest clinical indication of Dried Ginger Root is typically a subtle cold sensation localised below the umbilicus, reflecting reduced functional activity in the digestive organs. Here the pulse will be deep and tight in right middle position. As this dysfunction progresses, patients may present with abdominal distension without objective fullness, characterised by a sense of tension or tightness that initially manifests below the umbilicus and gradually extends throughout the entire abdominal region as the pattern becomes more established. Here the pulse will be tight and inflated in the right middle position.
When the gas level falls below a certain temperature, it disrupts the body's innate warming mechanism - the very process by which ingested food and water are transformed into usable functional substances. As a result, water that cannot be warmed becomes unusable and is termed obstructed water toxins. This condition manifests through signs such as absence of thirst, loose or watery stools, frequent urination, cold extremities, vomiting with profuse saliva or spitting, cough, abdominal discomfort, intestinal rumbling, lower back pain, dizziness, and excessive salivation. The tongue coating will then move from white to white and wet.
As this presentation advances, the unresolved cold obstruction below can trigger a counterflow dynamic. In this state, heat is prevented from entering inward and is instead forced upward.This gives rise to secondary indications such as dry throat, insomnia, vexation, and agitation.
Finally: Wisdom
When you devote yourself wholly to the art of medicine, insight will follow, and wisdom and mastery will quietly unfold’” - Todo Yoshimasu.
The path to wisdom begins with acknowledging our ignorance - the absence of truth. From there, we gain knowledge, the accumulation of truth, and then move to understanding, the assimilation of truth. Finally, we arrive at wisdom, the application of truth. Wisdom is the transformation of memorisation into action. It is not abstract; it is lived through clinical practice and represents the highest form of mastery in the art of medicine.
At this point in the clinic, we can understand the story the body is trying to tell us - how the disease presentation began and how it will progress with or without the correct herbal structure. We know exactly when Dried Ginger Root is required, what the detoxification response will be, the precise outcome that will follow, and when the treatment will be complete - all with full confidence and clarity.
Wisdom is not revealed in what we know intellectually. It is revealed in how we apply truth, knowledge, and understanding in a precise and structured manner. This is the art of medicine, and it is the goal that every true physician and practitioner must strive towards.
