Shared Wisdom about Health Preservation in Traditional Maltese and Chinese Proverbs

Abstract

194 Introduction Health preservation plays a vital role in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and it is dealt with several times in the TCM classic Huang Di Nei Jing (《黄帝内经》 Huangdi’s Internal Classic) compiled thousands of years ago. For example, the chapter Discourse on the True Qi Endowed by Heaven in High Antiquity contains the following description: The sages in ancient times who knew the tenets for cultivating health followed the rules of yin and yang and adjusted the ways to cultivate health. They were moderate in eating and drinking, regular in working and restraint, and avoiding any overstrain. That is why they could maintain a desirable harmony between the mind and the body, enjoy good health, and sustain a long life.[1] Many other well-famed doctors and thinkers throughout the history have contributed inspirational sayings aiming at preserving health. The great physician Zhu Zhenheng (朱震亨) in the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) observed in his book Dan Xi Xin Fa (《丹溪心法》Danxi’s Experiential Therapy) that: “It is better to take preventive measures ahead of the disease rather than treat the disease after it occurs (与其救疗于有疾之后, 不 若摄养于无疾之先),”[2] with the emphasis of this observation being on the significance of disease prevention. However, these classical intellectual sayings are not well known to most Chinese people as classical form of the Chinese language is no longer in the current use.