The Challenges and Opportunities of Buddhist Music Discipline in a New Era-The Practice and Application of Mind and Body System in Chinese Buddhist Chanting

Religious music is an inevitable and important topic when exploring the significance of the“new”or“deep”dimension of religion or spirituality.Traditional Chinese culture influenced Chinese Buddhist chanting practices,developing special melodies,languages,and meaning,and establishing special mind and body practice system spanning thousands of years.Advances in music therapy,meditation,and vocal research give the Chinese Buddhist chanting mind and body practice system enough theoretical support to facilitate the construction of the discipline in the modern era.This paper adopts the scientific approach to tracing and analyzing the origins of the body and mind system in Chinese Buddhist chanting practice and reviews how the system benefits the mind and body and modern society in general.This paper also examines the issues confronting the standard and development of special chanting skills in Chinese Buddhist music in the modern era.

Applying the Chinese Shichen for a Healthy Body and Mind

Gall Bladder MeridianThe Gall Bladder Meridian works dynamically in Zishi(from 11 p.m.to 1 a.m.).Going to sleep before Zishi means that the gall bladder is able to complete the process of metabolism.In the morning,people will feel refreshed with no dark circles around the eyes.Reminder:Stay relaxed,keep warm and sleep well.

What is Mind,What is Consciousness,and Where This Resides

The main purpose of this paper is to respond to the questions what is mind and consciousness and where this resides.The answers are based on the frontline Informational Model of Human Body and Living Structures(IMHBLS),which shows that mind and consciousness can be described by the activity of the Informational System of the Human Body and Living Structures(ISHBLS),consisting of seven informational components,each of them with specific activity and functions,inter-correlated to support the immaterial/informational manifestation of the body expressed by mind and consciousness.The basic concept of matter-related and virtual information results as a consequence of the operability of the physics,chemistry,biologic,or mathematics laws,which actually act as informational operators,such processes are informationally driven and manifested finally as a“media-like functions”of mind and consciousness,on the“screen/display”of prefrontal cortex.The mind is therefore described as the capacity of every individual to access the data field of own life experience,where the thought acts as an informational operator,which can activate the required information from internal/external reality.Consciousness is the result of the info-representation of the explored reality,accumulated by the momentary connection,and compared/combined with the life experience,serving as judgment reference/criteria.The question is discussed in relation with the localization of consciousness,showing that this resides in the brain,as a result of the activity of ISHBLS.The discussion on the experimental evidences concerning the minimal basic components necessary and sufficient to sustain consciousness,compared with the results of the informational model,indicates the cortico-thalamus axis,in a full agreement each other.One of the basic findings is that the activation of consciousness is operated in two steps,one consisting in a feed-forward reception and another in feedback perception for recognition of the info-significance,which is fully supported by the recently reported experimental results.The phenomena of intuition,inspiration,premonition,“deja vue”,retrocausality,and intentionality are discussed.This model unifies the eastern and western concepts/models on consciousness and mind,explaining the energetic Yung/Yin Chinese model by YES/NO-informational Bit-type behavior,the Plato’s ideas/forms by“information”concept as a participating component of reality,Aristotle’s materialist view with matter structuration(assisted by information),and archaic model of the seven“chakras”at human,as vital informational centers connected with the body.

Embodiment of Rationality:Philosophical Interpretation of Embodied Cognition

Under the influence of European rationalism,which holds that human rationality is higher than,or at least independent of human sensory cognition,the first generation of cognitive science advocates for disembodied cognition,manifesting the concept of dualism of mind and body.With the development of cognitive science in the 1980s,the second generation of cognitive science redefines the relationship between mind and body,thought and behavior,and reason and feeling and puts forward the concept of embodied cognition,representing monism of mind and body.It is claimed that the formation of concepts,categorical cognition and the evolution of rational thinking are characterized by embodiment,which is the necessary condition and basis for the formation of human rationality.The current study traces the shift of cognitive science from dualism to monism of mind and body and explores the relationship between rationality and sensibility from the perspective of philosophical basis and interpretations,with an aim to achieve a better understanding and thorough interpretation of human rationality.In this heated discussion about embodied cognition,there are still some fundamental questions that need to be further clarified,such as the essence and mechanism of human cognition,the ways that human body participates in cognitive activities,especially imagination and reasoning.The research paradigm of embodied cognition and its relevant theory have not been established and developed yet,and empirical research from interdisciplinary perspectives is far from enough to provide hard evidence for embodied cognition.

Reiki as a Communication Process:Between Philosophic Concepts and Experimental Application

The main purpose of this paper is to analyze and provide reliable solutions to the Reiki application technique,starting from the fundamental principles expressed by the Reiki origin philosophy,which are proved to be in accordance with the Informational Model of Human and Living Structures(IMHLS).This model reveals the following main fundamental features of the living organisms:(i)On the entire scale of evolution and organization,from the eukaryotic cell-the composing unit of human,plants,animals to human,the living organisms show a similar informational structure,defined as Informational System of Human and Living Structure(ISHLS);(ii)this informational system is organized in seven informational components,three of them assuring the structuration/restructuration/reproduction and maintenance of the body itself,and the other four the connection with external/inner reality for adaptation;(iii)the neuro-connections between brain and body of the informational components of the ISHLS correspond with the activity of“Chakras”of the ancient empirical model as vital centers of human;(iv)the activity of the ISHLS is reflected in mind by cognitive centers,explaining consciousness.The comparison between the informational results of the IMHLS,with the philosophic Reiki origin concepts,sustains the application of Reiki technique,but improves its understanding and right application by using new,modern concepts developed by the informational model,in accordance not only with their ancient,empirical expression,but much more than that,with actual scientific knowledge on this issue nowadays,concerning information and info-transferring/communication stream in the living bodies.The successful application and effective results of this new version allow to consider this as Ro-Reiki version,just to recognize the essential Romanian contribution to this improvement,concerning the implication and effectiveness of information and the info-communication mechanisms into the human and living organisms,explained in scientific terms of information and psycho-somatic therapy effects.

身体的澄明之途——对西方哲学中的“身体性”问题的思考

从身体的维度出发,揭示了西方哲学对“身体性”问题两种截然不同的解答：其一,传统西方哲学将肉体和心灵的关系置于一种对立二元论的基本构架中,使肉体在意识哲学中一直处于一种隐匿和遮蔽的状态。其二,后现代哲学家用“肉体”来反抗意识哲学的独断性。展开了所谓的“哲学肉身化”运动,又将肉体以及与肉体相关的一切推上了至高无上的地位。以上这两种哲学在“身体性”问题上仍然是一种“非此即彼”的、“独白式”的主体性哲学,而要真正解决“身体性”问题,只有坚持的一种“身体间性”维度的现象学精神,才可能达到“身心合一”的完美之境。

A Model of How Matter Produces Qualitative Perception

A model of the way subjective experience arises in matter is proposed, beginning with a brief history of the mind/body problem and proceeding to describe how quantum physics has made modest in roads into an in-depth account. The promise quantum biology holds for developing neuroscientific theory is drawn to its logical conclusions, establishing the preliminaries of a comprehensive paradigm for explaining basic elements of perception and how they give rise to full-fledged consciousness.

Study on the Organic Correlation of Prana Energy

Since India＇s philosophical discussion on the correlation between the mind and the body, the goal achieved through practice has been imbued with much meaning under the influences of yoga. Self-transcendence can be reached through self-discipline that is founded upon the fundamental change and potential for existential practice. The mind and the body do not comprise a binary relationship but instead maintain an intimate relationship bound by the medium of organic energy of breathing, breath, and pr^0a. Of these medium that form the relationship, the pr^-0a has a natural healing tendency, which has been well documented within classics such as Upani.sads and Bhagavad G^ta. Classic yoga explains that pr^0a imbues within it a vivacious passion and energy that will connect the human body with the human mind. Thus, the pr^0a functions as bio-energy. From ancient Indian philosophy to Buddhism, yoga therapy actively utilizes practice as a main element. In particular, the Patafijali yoga＇s methodology details the organic correlation within its eight limbs （支） yoga practices. The prana is breath. This is the only sense in which Patafijali has used this word. Breath is called prana because it moves on continuously throughout the body and reaches the basic circle of the individual self. It pervades mouth, nostrils, heart, navel region and toes. As a result, it is a healing method that achieves far more than the scientific healing methods common in society.

The effects on students＇ physical and mental health of colleges and universities carrying out ideological and political education

In the background of modem education, ideological and political education and health education in universities play an important part in quality education. In higher education, ideological and political education and health education plays a role in their respective fields. Ideological and political education determines socialist direction of education and promotes the development of quality education. Mental health education starting from individual students, which improves student＇ s personality, promotes the comprehensive development of students; further promote the development of quality education. We can say that physical and mental health education and ideological and political education are supplementary to each other as well as enrich and expand health education, ideological and political education.

Cultural stress:The undiagnosed epidemic of our time

Global technologies that have made the world more interconnected have also,inadvertently,amplified the forces of stress that are now with us 24 hours a day,7 days a week.The accumulated impact of this stress I call cultural stress anxiety syndrome and call on integrative medicine practitioners to recognize that it is exacerbating whatever acute stressors are also present in our patients'lives.In this Commentary,I outline seven major components of cultural stress(time pressure,digital intrusion,digital dependency,isolation,sedentary lifestyle,poor sleep and uncertainty),describe their health consequences,and finally,offer cultural stress-specific remedies I have utilized in my own practice,along with studies that affirm their efficacy.My hope is that we,as integrative medicine practitioners who are cognizant of the role that stress plays in disease development,will more fully appreciate the added impact of cultural stress,and advise our patients on the importance of proactive stress management.

Emotion Regulation Effect of Baduanjin on College Students:A Pilot Event-Related Potential Study on Late Positive Potential

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the emotion regulation effect of Baduanjin Qigong on college students.Methods:The late positive potential(LPP)components were recorded while performing emotional pictures from 12 college students with Baduanjin Qigong experience and 12 with no experience of any mind–body exercises.Results:Under positive emotional stimuli,greater LPP amplitudes were observed in the experimental group in the frontal,central,and temporal areas than in the control group.Under negative emotional stimuli,greater LPP amplitudes were found in the experimental group in the prefrontal area and smaller amplitudes in the occipital area than in the control group.Conclusion:The results reveal the emotion regulation effect on the event-related potential of Baduanjin Qigong to college students.The findings suggest that the regulatory effect of Baduanjin Qigong on emotional stimulation may be a possible reason for reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Psychosomatic skin disease treated by acupuncture and moxibustion

Based on the theory of "regulating body" integrated with "regulating mind",following the principle of "treating the body and mind simultaneously,treating both symptoms and root causes",Prof.Shao-jun WANG adopts flexibly the different techniques,including body acupuncture,wrist-ankle acupuncture,umbilical acupuncture,fire needling,moxibustion,and cupping,etc.for the treatment of psychosomatic skin diseases.According to the manifestations of skin diseases in different stages,she adopts different acupuncture and moxibustion techniques for the comprehensive treatment of psychosomatic skin diseases,including senile pruritus,alopecia areata,neurodermatitis,eczema,urticaria,and acne,on the basis of syndrome differentiation and different acupoint selections,and achieves good results.

Towards Semiotics of Art in Record of Music

Record of Music,a classic in traditional Chinese art theories,has established an aesthetic model of"Wu gan",which offers a unique and important perspective for how feelings are sparked by things and artistic creations come into being thereafter.Being re-examined in the context of Peircean semiotics,such a model reveals the mechanism of feeling and meaning generation of artistic semiosis,and could,therefore,provide an alternative interpretation of the interpretative semiotics initiated by Charles S.Peirce.