The golden mean is also called "neutralization", "golden mean", "in use" and "in time". Regarding the original meaning of the golden mean, Zhu explained: "Zi said: Impartiality means being in the middle, and it is not easy to be mediocre. The winner is the right path and the loser is the theorem. " The doctrine of the mean is impartial and blameless, but common sense is taken for granted and exquisite to the extreme. It can be seen that the basic essence of the golden mean is "to use both hands", that is, to pursue fairness and neutrality in everything. As an important concept in Confucian culture, the doctrine of the mean is absorbed by Neijing and embodied in the construction of basic theories of physiology, pathology, diagnosis, treatment and health preservation of traditional Chinese medicine.

The disease begins with overuse: Su Wen, meridian syndrome differentiation: "It is normal that the disease begins with overuse in four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter, and yin and yang. The so-called "overuse" refers to exceeding the standard, and "overuse" can be regarded as the universal law of pathogenesis theory in Neijing; Too emotional: "Ling Shu Ke Wen" said: "It is an abnormality to die of panic, the separation of qi and blood, the fragmentation of yin and yang, the failure of meridians, the blockage of arteries and veins, the opposition of yin and yang, the disharmony of defensive qi, the emptiness of meridians and the inferiority of qi and blood. It is pointed out that excess of seven emotions is one of the important pathogenic factors of human body. Incorrect diet: Su Wen Bilun said that "eating is self-doubling, and the stomach is damaged", pointing out that excessive eating will damage the stomach. This is a macro discussion. Su Wen Zhi Zhen Da Lun describes the mechanism of human illness caused by excessive five flavors. As the cloud goes, "Five flavors of husband enter the stomach, each having his own pleasure ..... and often materialize after a long time; The long-term increase in anger also causes death. " The five flavors of diet can be transformed into * * *, enter the five zang-organs and nourish the qi of the five zang-organs. But if the five flavors are partial to the food, it will also damage the five internal organs. Therefore, "Su Wentong's Theory of Strange Heaven" says: "Yin is born in five flavors; Yin, five houses and five smells hurt. Therefore, the taste is too sour, the liver qi produces fluid and the temper is unique; The taste is too salty, exhausted, the muscles are short, and the heart is restrained ... "Put forward the pathogenesis theory that eating a certain taste for a long time will make the qi of the five internal organs flourish and decline.

Excessive fatigue: "Su Wen Tiaojing Lun" says: "A little fatigue leads to less qi decline." Su Wen's General Theory said: "When you are tired, you will be panting and sweating, so you will be exhausted. "Su Wenxuan and Wu Mingqi" said: "Injuries caused by five pains: blood injury caused by long-term vision, gas injury caused by long-term lying, sedentary flesh injury, long-standing bone injury and long-term tendon injury are the injuries caused by five pains." Fatigue, fatigue and fatigue mentioned here are all excessive exercise, which violates the "golden mean", so it will cause damage to healthy qi; Too good luck: too much climate change in nature will also lead to human imbalance. For example, "Su Wen's Theory of Qi Alternation" said, "Too old, full of qi, spleen and soil are affected by evil. People suffer from diarrhea due to illness, food loss, weight, annoyance, bowel sounds and abdominal distension ... dryness is a common phenomenon ... People suffer from mild symptoms, hypochondriac pain, less abdominal pain, bowel sounds and diarrhea ... "

It can be seen that the pathogenesis theory of Neijing, regardless of external factors and internal injuries, has the law that "disease begins with use", and this pathogenesis theory of "using too much is disease" is obviously based on the Confucian thought of "golden mean".

Confucian thought of "respecting power"

Since Dong Zhongshu's concept of "divine right of monarchy" was accepted by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Confucianism has always taken "being poor and being good at the world" as its self-cultivation purpose and "appearing as a figure" as its lifelong pursuit. The values of Confucianism's active entry into the WTO finally formed its world outlook and methodology of advocating imperial power. Therefore, in the process of constructing the medical theory of Neijing, doctors in Han Dynasty were influenced by the mainstream ideology and consciously or unconsciously integrated the idea of "respecting power" into the pathogenesis theory. For example, in Su Wen's Secret Sutra of Linglan, "If the master is clear, he is safe" and "If the master is unknown, he is in danger of twelve officials" emphasizes imperial power; And "examining the five internal organs, giving priority to the heart, listening to the ears, waiting for the eyes, taking the lungs as the phase, the liver as the ambition, the spleen as the defense, and the kidney as the main body fluid" (Lingshu Wupin Body Fluid), extending the imperial power to * * institutions that perform the functions of imperial power. In the feudal dynasty, social disorder was closely related to the power to exercise the functions of * * *. It was ancient doctors who observed this social phenomenon and applied it to the medical field, pointing out that the health status of human body has something in common with social disorder, and finally formed a unique medical theory that explained the pathological mechanism of human body with the authority of feudal society.

Confucian view of "Chongyang"

The Confucian idea of "Chongyang" originated from the Book of Changes, and the most direct expression is that "men are superior to women". "Book of Changes" says: "Heaven is humble, dry Kun is determined, humble Chen is high, and your position is low ... Avenue becomes a man, and Kun Dao becomes a woman. Dong Zhongshu, a Confucian in the Han Dynasty, also put forward a similar view in the Spring and Autumn Period, arguing that "everything begins in the Yang, everything flourishes in the Yang, everything decays at the beginning of the Yang, and everything goes in and out with the Yang." He believes that the rise and fall of everything depends on the rise and fall of Yang. In the feudal society in which men plowed and women wove, men belonged to Yang and women belonged to Yin, and the value system of the whole society was dominated by men. Therefore, Confucius said in The Analects of Yang Huo: "Only women are difficult to raise, and if they are near, they will not stay, and if they are far away, they will complain." Between the lines, the idea of "son preference" is completely revealed. Therefore, while emphasizing the "golden mean" and advocating the balance between yin and yang, Confucianism also emphasizes that yang is more important than yin. Neijing obviously accepted the Confucian concept of "Chongyang", emphasizing the balance of yin and yang, but also emphasizing the importance of yang. The article "The Beginning of Su Wenwan's Disease" said: "Where Yin and Yang are heavy, the secret of Yang is also solid." "Yang, if the sky and the sun, if you lose your position, you will lose your life; So, it should be bright. Therefore, the yang is on the top, and those who are outside the health are also. It is believed that yang plays a vital role in the whole life activities of human body, and it is pointed out that the balance of yin and yang in the body depends on yang to some extent, that is, the secret of yang. Yang secret means that evil is nothing more than yin and essence is nothing more than death; Yang disease leads to premature death.

Confucian thought of "attaching importance to soil"

Maintaining the stability of Jiangshan state is the highest pursuit of feudal dynasties, and land is the most direct carrier to reflect Jiangshan state. Influenced by the supremacy of imperial power, Confucianism has always taken defending the country as its responsibility. When the national territory is threatened, there are always many people with lofty ideals who come forward or gallop on the battlefield at once. Or send grief with songs, or send great wishes with words. When discussing the physiological functions of zang-fu organs, Neijing always emphasizes the importance of spleen and stomach repeatedly, such as Collection of Collected Works by Yu Su, Yangming is the Sea of Five Zangs (Su Wenwei's Theory) and Five Zangs Full of Stomach (Ling Shu Wu Wei), etc. It is based on this idea that "stomach soil" is emphasized, and Neijing puts forward a large number of pathogenesis theories that emphasize the importance of spleen and stomach. For example, it is pointed out that in the process of disease evolution, the retention or abolition of stomach qi is the key to determine the prognosis. Su Wenping's Theory of Meteorology said: "The qi of ordinary people lies in the stomach. People who have no stomach gas say that they are rebellious, and rebellious people will die. " He also said, "People are based on the valley of water, so if they refuse Shui Gu, they will die, and if they have no stomach gas, they will die." It can be seen that stomach qi is the source of health preservation and the main factor that determines the life and death of patients. In Lingshu itself, "Spleen deficiency makes limbs useless and five internal organs uneasy" emphasizes the importance of spleen. "On the Collection of Collected Works of Yu Su" says: "When porridge enters the stomach, it is alive when it is empty." The pathological state of stomach qi is that critically ill patients drink porridge to stop diarrhea, which shows that although the five internal organs are deficient, as long as the stomach qi lasts, there is a chance to survive, and the importance of stomach soil is also emphasized. These pathogenesis theories come down in one continuous line with Confucian thought of attaching importance to soil.