The dialogue between the sexagenary branch and modern science

@秦楚刊号

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How does modern astronomy verify the accuracy of the ancient stems?

In the pre-Qin period, the achievements of ancient astronomy provided the foundation and framework of natural science for classic documents such as the Yellow Emperor's Neijing. The astronomical observations of this period included not only the recording of the movements of the sun and the moon and the five stars, but also the division of the 28 Nakshatras and the 12 Stems, which laid the foundation for the later development of the theory of the heavenly and terrestrial branches. The achievements of ancient astronomy in the pre-Qin period are reflected in the theory that the sky is round and the establishment of the three stars of the Big Dipper has the role of indicating the direction and stipulating the solar terms; During the Western Zhou Dynasty, the heavenly regions were divided according to the 28 Sutras and the 12 Stems; Through the recording of the movement changes of the sun and moon and the five stars, the standard of the equinoxes and solstices was established; The emergence of the "year of the stars" in the calendar is related to the gradual transition from the earthly branch year to the dry branch year. These are the natural scientific sources and foundations of the theory of qi, the theory of the five elements of yin and yang, and the corresponding theory of heaven and man in the Yellow Emperor's Neijing, which provide the basic framework for the establishment of the theoretical system of the Yellow Emperor's Neijing.

In the ancient calendar, "the planets and a certain nakshatra rise in the east in the morning" means that "the planets are close to the sun in a certain nakshatra (or in the same position)", and the "Five Stars" is a record of the celestial phenomena of the Qin and Han dynasties, not a comparison table of star years to copy the calendar. In ancient times, the mainland was first chronicled according to the prince's accession to the throne (according to the matter and the year), in the "Zuo Chuan" there was the germ of the year of the star, in the pre-Qin ancient calendar there was the Tai Sui year, in the Xiang calendar began to use the Ganzhi year, through the Taichu calendar until the four minutes of the calendar and the Ganzhi year was finally completed.

Modern astronomy verifies the accuracy of the ancient sexagenary branch through a variety of methods and theories. First of all, through the study of the ancient calendar, such as the observation of the solar mid-heaven and the analysis of the accuracy of the calculation of the solstice point in the "Calendar of Time", it shows the high precision and accuracy of the ancient astronomers in astronomical observation. These observations provide a scientific basis for understanding the ancient stems and terrestrial branches.

Modern astronomy verifies the accuracy of ancient astronomical theories by studying ancient astronomical records, such as occultation events of planets and stars, as well as precise time records of these events. For example, an analysis of occultation and proximity events from 146 B.C. to 1761 A.D. found that all well-documented events occurred on the recorded dates, suggesting that ancient astronomical theories were accurate on long time scales.

In addition, modern astronomy uses astronomical calculations from the ancient calendar, such as the calculation of the apparent declination of the sun, to assess the accuracy of ancient astronomy. The development context of these calculation methods and the preliminary evaluation of the accuracy level provide important scientific support for our understanding of the ancient sexagenary branch.

Through the reinterpretation of ancient texts and the application of astronomical methods, it is possible to deduce the years of specific historical periods in ancient times, such as the presumption of the age of the kings of the Xia Dynasty. This method combines the astronomical phenomena recorded in ancient documents with the knowledge of modern astronomy, and further confirms the scientific and accurate dating of the ancient sexagenary branches.

What are some surprising applications of the sexagenary branch in modern technology?

The specific case of the combination of sexagenary and modern medicine can be explored from multiple perspectives. First of all, the sexagenary branches are very widely used in TCM, they are not only the basis of TCM theory, but also an important tool for TCM diagnosis and treatment.

Acupuncture treatments based on time rhythms, such as the application of the Twelve Meridians and the Songs of the Earth, demonstrate the application of the Sexagenary Branches in modern acupuncture practice. This method emphasizes the connection between the meridian qi and blood flow of the human body and the 12-hour transition of day and night to guide acupuncture treatment, which is helpful for clinical practice to predict upcoming symptoms, diagnose the diseased organs, formulate treatment plans, and judge the prognosis according to the time of symptom onset.

The establishment of the Ganzhi is a model of the ancients' modelling of time and space, and it is deeply related to the theories of traditional Chinese medicine such as the one-day entry and exit of the camp, the meridian flow injection, the 24 solar terms, and the five luck and six qi. The application of this spatiotemporal model has a wide range of applications in guiding the construction, diagnosis and treatment of basic theories of traditional Chinese medicine.

Meridian flow injection acupuncture is an ancient acupuncture method for treating diseases at different times. The stem branch not only exists in the meridian injection system as a tool for deduction, but also plays an important role in strengthening the meridian injection system itself and its connection with other disciplines. By introducing Ge Minqin's formula, the calculation of daily stem branch was simplified, which is very important for improving the accuracy and practicability of the meridian flow injection method.

My Reflections – How can ancient wisdom and modern science inspire each other, and how should we deal with tradition?

There is a kind of isomorphic compatibility between the wisdom of the ancients and modern science, although the two may be different in form and method, they both reflect certain objective laws in essence, and this compatibility provides the basis for the inspiration of ancient wisdom to modern science. For example, the ancient Chinese astronomy, arithmetic, agriculture and medical systems are not only innovative in their time, but also have important reference and enlightenment significance for the exploration and innovation of contemporary scientific and technological frontiers in terms of natural records, scientific methods and thinking orientations. Therefore, if we do not study, we will naturally not understand the development of modern science, rooted in ancient cultural phenomena, and these phenomena, and the phenomena explained by the development of modern science and technology, constitute the world in which we exist.

Some of the core concepts of ancient wisdom, such as "induction", "yin and yang", "cause and effect", "circulation", etc., have a wide range of similarities with modern science. These concepts not only have profound philosophical connotations, but also show their value in scientific research. For example, the holistic and comprehensive approach of ancient Chinese natural philosophy and the ecological concept of the unity of nature and man are of great significance for overcoming the opposition between scientism and humanism caused by mechanistic theory!

However, in the face of tradition, we must also recognize that while ancient wisdom has a non-negligible enlightening effect on modern science, it may be difficult to directly apply ancient theories to modern scientific research. This is because there are differences between ancient wisdom and modern science in terms of conceptual systems, ways of thinking, and research methods. Therefore, we need to adopt a dialectical attitude, not only to study, excavate and carry forward the precious essence of thought in traditional Chinese science, but also to avoid blind worship or simplistic application of ancient theories, completely abandon our own subjective initiative, and instead seek so-called divination and fortune-telling. Cultivating one's own independent thinking and critical thinking is the right way to further discover and form one's own worldview.

Therefore, although we are discussing metaphysics, we should not blindly attribute it to unknown and mysterious forces, and turn to the so-called gods. Remember that the unity of heaven and man is the highest pursuit, if you seek the gods, it is better to seek the gods in your heart, improve self-cultivation, continue to explore and solve doubts in life, and live a clear life.