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In winter, "seeking roots" for life: the third answer of Lehe Tzu Chi's "soothing the nerves" camp

时间:2026-04-16 人气:

Lehe Tzu Chi Health Promotion Camp
     
The concurrent treatment of body and mind through technology and humanities

       
     

       

The winter solstice has just arrived in Suzhou, bringing a chill to the air. However, within the Health Promotion Camp at the Tzu Chi Outpatient Department, an invisible warmth is slowly flowing among the eighty-one hearts and minds. This is the third course jointly organized by Lehe New Medicine and Tzu Chi Outpatient Department, titled "Calm the Mind".

If the previous two courses, "Settle Down" and "Settle the Heart", laid a solid foundation and stabilized the structure of life, then at this moment, everyone's gaze is directed towards a deeper question: above this limited body and fluctuating emotions, where does the eternal and indestructible "spirit and meaning" that makes us who we are reside?



At the beginning of the course, Professor Zhang Minghui didn't give a direct answer. He asked a seemingly simple question: Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going?



Professor Zhang told us that the human body can be interpreted from three levels: tangible molecules, intangible energy, and intangible information. Analogizing to a smartphone, it consists of hardware, software, and electricity. The physical body is analogous to the hardware, merely serving as a carrier of information and energy. When the phone battery is drained, the hardware is damaged, and the screen goes completely black, the information inside — those photos, conversations, memos — do they disappear? Is the death of life as terrifying as the destruction of phone hardware? But the love, memories, experiences, and relationships carried by the human body, these pieces of information never dissipate.

This is not obscure philosophy, but rather sets the tone for "peace of mind": what we seek to settle is the eternal flow of information and spiritual existence that transcends the transience of the physical body.


1、 Breaking the Cocoon"

When" Good people "learn to be true to themselves

" Good people are more likely to get sick than bad people. ”The words of Professor Wang Erdong from Soochow University are like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating layers of ripples. Many pairs of eyes in the audience, accustomed to smiling, enduring, and giving, showed surprise and deep reflection for the first time.


         


A breast cancer patient choked up while sharing: "We always suppress ourselves and pursue perfection, but forget that emotions also need an outlet." Xu Guoyuan, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, pointed out the root cause of emotional disorders with a sharp and to-the-point observation, and advised, "Don't always treat yourself as a 'patient'. Do what you can and live without pressure."


         


This is no longer a mere health science popularization, but an enlightenment about “self-authenticity”. Behind the facade of a good person, there is often the suppression of anger, the concealment of sadness, and the neglect of needs. And sometimes, illness is precisely the body's most honest and intense cry. The first step towards "soothing the nerves" may be to bravely gaze into one's inner self, acknowledging and accepting those real emotions that were once defined as "bad".


         


When Ms. Qu, a psychologist from Shandong, shared how she had exhausted herself in the process of pursuing achievements and was finally brought to a halt by a serious illness , many people saw themselves reflected in her story , and realized that perhaps they had always wanted to live for others to see, and after falling ill, they should simply breathe freely for themselves.


"II. Resonance"

Melting ice in the sound waves of a "family"

Theory is a map. And experience is the true journey. The most touching scenery in the camp is not all on the podium.


         


Ms. Cao, originally from Tianjin, arrived with a heavy burden in her heart. She was filled with distrust towards the medical system and fear of illness, enveloping herself tightly. However, with the love and support of her friend Aunt Rui Zhi, who accompanied her on walks around Suzhou, and the kindness and care provided by Teacher Zhang Wei, as well as the listening and attention from Doctors Ye and Wang, who never condescended to her—“unlike the doctors I had seen before who spoke to patients with their hands crossed and their backs bent”—she felt a profound change. It was until one night when her roommate Xiaofei silently administered her medication that the iceberg in her heart suddenly melted. "Everyone and everything I encounter is love. This medicine of love, I have swallowed," she said with tears in her eyes, her tone soft and firm like never before          


This is the energy field of 'soothing the nerves'. It's not isolated meditation, but rather the silent healing accomplished through the 'we are family' sign language dance, deep bows to each other, and the synchronized rhythm of group wellness. When everyone's hands are tightly clasped together, following Professor Wang Erdong's lead in the classroom, and everyone lets out a hearty and satisfying “ha!” from their abdomen, the accumulated depression seems to pour out with it.



The ice of individuality quietly melts in the collective warmth and safe resonance. Here, no one looks at the patient with strange eyes, only with family-like understanding and embrace.


"Three, Sublimation"

Taking Disease as a Teacher, Entering the Way from Medicine

The profound aspect of this"Soothing" course is that it does not stop at psychological comfort, but leads the topic to fundamental reflection on medicine and life.H513>Its core points directly to"Sovereignty"Return-Who holds the decision-making power of life?


         


The sharing by Professor Yao Li from China-Japan Friendship Hospital was heavy and profound. He is a very well-known surgical expert in China, yet he calls himself a "lower-level doctor," admitting that surgeons wield a "double-edged sword" that can both save and harm lives, and are constantly haunted by a sense of "depression" - not only worrying about the limitations of their own cognition, but also concerned about young doctors not finding a direction for growth, and fearing that they might get lost under pressure. This rare honesty tears away the humanistic truth beneath the halo of medicine, and also brings the "physician" back to an equal position as a "human being.".


Professor Cai Lianghua's response pushed this reflection to a clearer realm. When a loved one fell into confusion due to insufficient self-awareness and blindly following family advice, Professor Cai gently yet firmly reminded him: "You have handed your fate over to your family. He suggested that he should take control of his own destiny, that others' words were only for reference, and that ultimately, he needed to improve his cognition and take responsibility for himself. His subsequent remarks to Professor Yao Li were like a light illuminating the essence of the doctor-patient relationship: "Doctors should seriously provide all options, but this is a 'suggestion' for reference only. The source of wisdom is to return control of your fate to its owner. "


         



This handing back action is precisely the essence of soothing the nerves. It transcends the scope of medical technology and touches upon the fundamental of life education: Whether it is the patient reclaiming sovereignty from the outside world or the doctor solemnly handing back sovereignty, the purpose is to make the individual a conscious master of their own life. This is precisely the core purpose of the "physician-researcher-patient" joint decision-making advocated by Professor Zhang Minghui's team on the path of comprehensive cancer treatment.


Professor An Yanjun, in response to another friend's question about why his weight didn't increase after getting sick, vividly explained what it means to be a "good doctor who heals the soul" - he treats not physiological indicators, but the self-criticism, pursuit of perfection, misconceptions about health, and inability to accept the present me. Professor Cai Lianghua provided the path to reach this realm: The secret to calming the mind lies in acceptance. Say 'yes' to all the gifts of life, let go of thoughts, and find yourself in the breath in and out.



Thus, the outline of "Taking illness as a teacher, and entering the path of medicine through healing" becomes crystal clear: illness forces people to pause and re-examine their relationships with the outside world (including family members and doctors); while true healing begins with withdrawing the gaze that once sought answers and placed hopes in fate, and turning inward to take full responsibility for and accept one's own life. This journey of "calming the mind" thus becomes a ritual of awakening to life sovereignty.



"IV. Rising to Splendor" Love is an endless cycle of growth and renewal           


Eighty-five-year-old Grandpa An traveled from Shanxi to bring Professor Zhang his favorite hometown noodles made of naked oats. Upon meeting, he loudly shouted to Professor Zhang Minghui, "I missed you!" His good health and joyful mood are the result of Professor Zhang's meticulous care. This gratitude transcends age and distance. Volunteer Huang Dinglin gifted a cherished meditation bookmark to a young friend; volunteer Zhang Wei, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer eleven years ago, has grown into a pillar of strength in the camp...



                   
                   
                   

Slide left and right to view on-site pictures


These images, when connected, form an endless chain of love. What "Anshen" brings is not just the tranquility of the individual at the moment, but also the transformation of this understanding and strength into a willingness to pass on kindness. As Mr. Xu, who has participated in the camp multiple times, said, "Because of trust, I follow closely. And this trust will eventually make him a support for others as well." When the camp ended, the amiable teacher hugged her friends and said, "I am very happy that everyone is willing to listen to me." Behind these simple words lies the infinite cycle of life influencing life.


         


Three days flew by in the blink of an eye. The students received their lucky charms as a symbol of blessings. When they took a group photo, something different was evident on everyone's faces - it wasn't just a simple smile, but a calm and determined light that shone from their eyes. They may still face complex medical conditions and challenges in life, but the cornerstone in their hearts, named "meaning," has been quietly solidified.


         


To calm the mind is not to eliminate waves, but to comprehend the depth of the ocean amidst the waves; it is not to make doubts disappear, but to touch upon the eternal information that transcends the individual and connects all things when asking “Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going?”


In this early winter in Suzhou, a group of people took illness as their teacher and love as their vessel, jointly completing a pilgrimage to the essence of life. What they took away from the three-day event was not only knowledge about health, but also a settled, full, and powerful “spirit”, which is sufficient to illuminate the longer path ahead.


In 2026,

at the “Lehe Ciji Health Promotion Camp”, we will not part until we meet again. ~



         
             
             
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Contributor / Typesetter: Lehe Qiaoqiao


Photography   by: Lehe Qiaoqiao