Eastern Medicine’s Historic Use of Jade Stone, By: Dr. Hoon C Kim
Eastern medicine teaches, “You are made out of nature, therefore a part of nature--as nature circles around the season--spring, summer, fall and winter and also morning and night, you will grow old and run to the winter. So if you follow the energy of the nature, you will be healthy and content.”
Since the Neolithic time, Jade has been one of the most beloved gemstones in both Eastern and Western civilization’s human history. Many people, especially in Asia, love to wear it or carry with them for the sake of the beauty and health.
In Ancient China, Chinese people considered Jade divine and sacred, and believed that it would keep evil spirits away and protect them. The letter ‘yu’ (玉) is also composed of emperor (王) and one dot (probably symbols of Jade stone), so Jade was the gemstone for the royals and noble men. It was also believed that Jade would keep the dead body from decomposing.
Fritjof Capra says that the Daoists used the word "li (理)" to refer to perfection, which would lead one to think that the great Daoist sages regarded Jade as the perfect stone, being the stone "li (理)." Moreover, according to the Daoists, ingestion of Jade powder allowed them to have access to the immortality of the Wises.
The Chinese philosopher Confucius (Kǒng zǐ 551-479 BC) wrote about the reverence the Chinese had for these magnificent stones, to which many positive virtues were attributed. Among the precious stones perhaps only Jade has such an abundance of legend and magical tradition.
In Chinese culture, Jade shows all the characteristics of the five moral virtues Confucius talked of:
* Kindness or charity (its shine and its splendor, warm and bright at the same time)
* Wisdom (the harmonious purity of its sound)
* Rectitude-uprightness or openness (its translucency)
* Courage (the hard Jade breaks but does never bend)
* Equity (it has uneven and sharp corners, but don’t cut). This is along with kindness, intelligence, purity, education, loyalty.
The Chinese also believe that Jade is an absorbent stone, meaning that it takes up a bit of the personality and spirit of the wearer. Maybe that is why still so many Chinese people love to carry or wear them.
It is also a symbol of long life, and bringer of peace and wisdom. It also carries many health benefits:
* Stops cough/wheezing
* Improves heart and lung function
* Good for the throat
* Good for hair
* Helpful for a healthy gastrointestinal tract
* Helpful for anxiety
* Cures Asthma or mild fever
* Clear the impurities in the body if you drink jade powder water
* Calms the mind
* Strengthens the bones
* Helps muscle spasms, and more
The Chinese also believed that Jade made flesh incorruptible, especially if used in combination with gold. In fact, archaeologists have found some royal tombs containing bodies wrapped in an armor of Jade tesserae, and tied together with threads of pure gold.
Stay tuned for more fascinating facts about Jade stones, just like those used in the Human Touch PC-LiVE Perfect Chair recliners, coming soon!