Guest guest Posted June 22, 2000 Report Share Posted June 22, 2000 I sometimes think of individual herbs as fragments of ourselves. This is influenced by my original academic training (and ongoing passion) in evolutionary biology. Plants evolved before humans and most animals. Working with the hypothesis that there is nothing new under the sun, evolution proceeds by rearranging a set of four base pairs into whatever organization and complexity is adaptive for a given environs at a given time. While there is no evidence that evolution always brings progress, it is true that increased complexity of organization always develops from simpler foundations. So animals (in general) are much more complexly organized than plants and the human cerebral cortex is much more complex than any other animals brain. Complexity increase adaptability, but also increases potential for system failure. Thus, animals can move away from danger, a major advantage over plants and humans could potentially avoid most dangers altogether if we used our brains, a major advantage over most animals that admittedly has yet to actually manifest. However, there is also much more to go wrong and it often does. Now since the complex biochemical interactions that regulate our physiology are rooted in the same four base pairs and 20 odd amino acids that form all life on the planet, it does not seem unreasonable to think that plants contain portions of our our own evolutionary heritage, by either chance or direct relationship. thus, the biochemicals produced from this genetic kinship are like a portion of our own complexity. Thus, only formulae can match the complexity of a human being for long term treatment. Any single herb is but a fragment of ourselves. , " HappyHerbalist.com " <Health@H...> wrote: > My teacher attempted to impart in me a feeling of herbs that worked > together, like a family (or army). If one knows the strength and weakness > the General is better suited to mobilize and employ. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 22, 2000 Report Share Posted June 22, 2000 A beautiful analogy. I like your rationale for complexity in herbal prescriptions. A few books you may find interesting on the relationship of the Yi Jing and genetic code: 1) DNA and the I Ching, Yan, Johnson, North Atlantic Books 2) Book of Changes and Traditional Chinese medicine/Yang Li, Beijing Science and Technology Press 3) The I Ching and the Genetic Code/Schonberger, Martin, Aurora Press Fascinating stuff. >I sometimes think of individual herbs as fragments of ourselves. This >is influenced by my original academic training (and ongoing passion) in >evolutionary biology. Plants evolved before humans and most animals. >Working with the hypothesis that there is nothing new under the sun, >evolution proceeds by rearranging a set of four base pairs into whatever >organization and complexity is adaptive for a given environs at a given >time. While there is no evidence that evolution always brings progress, >it is true that increased complexity of organization always develops >from simpler foundations. So animals (in general) are much more >complexly organized than plants and the human cerebral cortex is much >more complex than any other animals brain. Complexity increase >adaptability, but also increases potential for system failure. Thus, >animals can move away from danger, a major advantage over plants and >humans could potentially avoid most dangers altogether if we used our >brains, a major advantage over most animals that admittedly has yet to >actually manifest. However, there is also much more to go wrong and it >often does. > >Now since the complex biochemical interactions that regulate our >physiology are rooted in the same four base pairs and 20 odd amino acids >that form all life on the planet, it does not seem unreasonable to think >that plants contain portions of our our own evolutionary heritage, by >either chance or direct relationship. thus, the biochemicals produced >from this genetic kinship are like a portion of our own complexity. >Thus, only formulae can match the complexity of a human being for long >term treatment. Any single herb is but a fragment of ourselves. > > , " HappyHerbalist.com " ><Health@H...> wrote: > >> My teacher attempted to impart in me a feeling of herbs that worked >> together, like a family (or army). If one knows the strength and >weakness >> the General is better suited to mobilize and employ. >> > > >------ >Shop at gazoontite.com & breathe happier and healthier! Click here! >http://click./1/5491/11/_/542111/_/961695466/ >------ > >Chinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed healthcare >practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate academics >specializing in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety of >professional services, including board approved online continuing >education. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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