In this episode of the Purple Cloud Podcast, we talk to James Flowers about the history of Chinese medicine in Australia, as well as delving into the nature of scientific research and where it fits into the future of Chinese medicine. James Flowers is a Research Fellow at Kyung Hee University of Korean Medicine, South Korea. He is a historian of medicine in East Asia focusing mostly on Korea, and a Chinese medicine practitioner. He has a PhD in History of Medicine from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and was the former President of the Australian Acupuncture Chinese Medicine Association.

Efforts to Preserve the Ancient: Simon Feeney

Renowned translator of Chinese poetry and religious texts, Bill Porter, discusses his translation methodology, Zen Buddhism, and his upcoming anthology 'Dancing with the Dead'. The podcast explores challenges in translating Chinese poetry, life in Zen monasteries, government restrictions on religion in China, emotional impact of Chinese poetry, and encounters with influential figures like John Blofeld.

In this episode of the Podcast, we talk to Professor Taewoo Kim of Kyung Hee University in depth about the practice of traditional medicine in Korea. We discuss the various different lineages being practiced in Korea today, some older and some newer, delving into to what role older classical medical texts play and how systems of acupuncture and constitutional diagnosis are employed by some of these lineages.

The Eight Commentaries on Observing the Precepts of Life 遵生八箋 , is a Ming dynasty text focused on health and longevity. This lecture provides an introduction to the work, focusing on the chapter which delineates various methods to maintain optimal health in each particular season. These methods include physical exercises, herbal formulas and general lifestyle advice. This video was recorded as a part of a series of online lectures held by the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association designed to allow many Australian researchers to share their work with a wider audience.

In this first of our solo podcast series on Chinese mythology, we delve into the myth of Pan Gu and Chinese cosmology. We explore the historical origins of the myth, and how this particular conception of the origins of the universe can enhance our understanding of Chinese medicine.

In this episode we talk to Chen Hsiu Fen about the Yangsheng Nourishing Life culture of the Jiangnan region in Ming dynasty China and how it was exemplified by Gao Lian in his work the Zunsheng Bajian. We also delve into the use of the seldom discussed tradition of talking cures in Chinese medicine, in which doctors elicit strong emotional reactions within their patients to cure disease, and the stances doctors took to demonological elements in the healing of diseases.

In this episode we talk to Michael Brown about his its long-awaited second installment of ‘Explanations of Channels and Points Vol.2’ . a Qing dynasty acupuncture commentary by Yue Hanzhen (1602-1693 CE). Despite having never been published, this work has survived owing to its historical significance. It was the first to integrate point locations and classical channel pathways, thereby setting a precedent of assigning a numbering scheme to channel points. It is currently available for purchase at www.purplecloudinstitute.com

In this episode we talk to Yan Liu about the long history of the use of poisonous medicine in the Chinese medicine tradition, particularly in the medieval era. We delve into topics such as the similarities and differences in the use of poisons in the Western and Chinese traditions, the use of poisons in alchemical practices and the role it played in religious healing practices. The book is open source, and available for download at : https://uw.manifoldapp.org/projects/healing-with-poisons

In this episode we talk to Tsai Ling-yi and Chen Po-Hsun, two Taiwanese Chinese medical doctors and academics in the field of Chinese medical history. We discuss how they have simultaneously navigated the Chinese and Western medical worlds, and discuss how the Chinese medicine exists in Taiwan within and outside of the official system. We also talk about the training of Chinese medicine in Taiwan, and similarities and differences with Mainland China and the West.