Taoists believe that humans and the cosmic universe are connected as One, with humans governing the space that lies between Heaven and earth.
Human Body is the Mirror of Earth
Human body is connected to the external space through all the pores of the skin, the 12 joints of the body and many energy points. Through channels and vessels, the human body is connected from head to feet, from internal space to external space, from extremities to internal organs. These are Yin and Yang aspects and connect the nature of Heaven and Earth. Internally, there are differences in these five Zang (Yin) organs (lung, heart, liver, spleen and kidneys) and ingthese six Fu (Yang) organs (gall bladder, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, urine bladder, San Jiao) organs. They carry different functions, and their energies are connected to the Heaven Qi (Yang) and Earth Qi (Yin) respectively, and are in dynamic changes as the cosmic energy changes.
The human body resembles the nature of Heaven and Earth, it is a cosmic being. At the physical level, the human body is a reflection of the cosmos itself. For example, the earth contains 70% water and the human body contains 70% as well. The Earth has oil pipes, and humans have blood vessels; the Earth has gas, and so does the human body. The Earth has all kinds of treasures and the human body has all kinds of organs.
Infinite Cycle of Energy Between Heaven and Earth
Earth and Heaven are constantly exchanging water through sunlight that shines on the Earth and the oceans. The evaporated water meets cold air in the Sky (heaven Qi) and becomes cold, then rain forms. The rain falls to earth and nourishes everything. This is the cycle of life: Qi between Earth and Heaven. A similar phenomenon also happens in the human body. Lungs represent the clouds of the sky, kidneys represent the oceans. Our heart is like the sun that shines on the kidneys, so the water evaporates upward and moistens the upper body and lungs. The lungs thus accumulate clean water and then rain down back to the kidneys and moisten the lower part of the body. This is the water cycle inside the human body. If either the water of the kidneys or lungs is low, the human body will become dry and potentially will develop many problems.
Stop Pollution, Preserve Resources
If water has dried up on earth, the human body will dry up. If the oil and gasoline of the earth are exhausted and the oceans and the air is polluted, the earth will become sick. As the reflection of nature, the human body and human life would then be severely affected. Nowadays, reality has shown us this is the truth. In ancient times, influenced by Taoist culture, people did not drill down into the earth more than a certain depth to get water. Apparently, ancient people had a sensitive understanding about nature. It is something that modern people today need to learn from.
If humans know how to live by following the seasons, by being in harmony with the Heaven Qi and Earth Qi within, and by knowing how to keep ZhongHe Qi in balance, they cannot but have good health and peaceful and content lives. They will also have a better spirit that empowers them to accomplish the tasks they aim to complete.
Each human’s activities and emotions can affect the ZhongHe Qi. Given the consequences of this, people should mindfully do things by following the Tao of Heaven and Earth. If humankind’s activities do not follow with the Tao, or people cannot resolve conflicts on their own, the Heaven Qi (cosmic energies), attracted to our living space, will bring natural disasters, sweeping away homes and countries on a large scale and bringing traumatic injuries and diseases on a smaller scale.
People’s lives could be swept away from the heaven Qi quickly. Going against the Tao increases difficulties and complications in life. Following the Tao, life
flows effortlessly. Thus, human’s activities should follow “Heaven’s Tao,” in all aspects of life. This belief of “Heaven—Human Unity” is a ubiquitous (universal) principle of living that is common among all the aboriginal tribes and cultures around the world. Similarly, this way of living is also seen within all the spiritual belief systems where heaven is called Father and the Earth is called Mother. It is not a unique belief to Chinese culture. This understanding demonstrates that individual consciousness can affect universal consciousness.
