Pondering over how the ancient Chinese viewed the universe, I always see, in my mind’s eye, what I perceive as the remotest ancestor of our nation who is deep in thought about Man in relation to Heaven and Earth. He is looking upward, into the star-studded sky, for knowledge of the celestial bodies and their movements. Looking downward, he is keen to study all the living things on earth and the laws governing the changes of the four seasons in a year. And as painstakingly, sometimes he diverts his attention to study himself, the physical conditions and mental outlook of his own. From time to time, draws some signs or scripts on the ground, obviously to keep a record of what he has seen. The image becomes clearer and clearer, until it becomes the legendary Fu Xi, to whom the Eight Trigrams is attributes.
    The Eight Trigrams comprises eight combinations of three solid or broken lines, which are joined in pairs to form 64 hexagrams. It is in fact the sign of an ancient Chinese philosophical system with the Book of Changes as its central text. It may be necessary to note that the Book of Changes is one of the Five Classics, which together constitute the foundation of the ancient Chinese philosophy that calls for integration of Man and Nature, for harmony of Man with Heaven and Earth.

    "Pattern after Nature"
    “To pattern after Nature” — this is the basic philosophical concept in China’s traditional culture, suggesting that in developing human civilization, Man has the need to learn from Nature, to be inspired by the laws governing the changes in the natural world.
    Ancient Chinese attributed the origin of human civilization to the “Chart of the Yellow River” and the “Book of the Luoshui River.” Once upon a time, so goes legend, a “dragon horse” emerged from the depth of the Yellow River, with a set of patterns on its back. Then a “divine tortoise” was found swimming in the Luoshui River, and on its back there was a different set of patterns. Both sets of patterns were interpreted as representing commandments of Nature. Those on the back of the “divine horse” came to be called the “Chart of the Yellow River” and those on the shell of the “divine tortoise,” the “Book of the Luoshui River.” By modeling after them, Fu Xi created the Eight Trigrams seen as epitomizing the basic principle of the ancient Chinese philosophy, namely, “to pattern after Nature..”
    This philosophical principle was to develop into the theory of Man being an integral part of Nature, the theory that calls for harmony of Heaven, Earth and Man. The theory, in fact, permeates all parts of the Chinese culture, ranging from medicine to politics. Here is a maxim popular among ancient Chinese scholars: “If unable to be a good official, then try to be a good doctor.” Ancient Chinese believed that to run the country well, the sovereign must be in harmony with all his subjects — aristocrats, officials and common people. The same rationale applied to medicine. The heart was taken as the “sovereign” of the human body, and all other parts of the human body were its “subjects.” One would be in good health when the “sovereign” and its “subjects” were in harmony, and one would fall ill when this harmony was disrupted. Treatment of the diseases, therefore, was seen as a process in which the doctor tried to restore this “harmony.”
    The belief has remained throughout the centuries. A preparation of traditional Chinese medicine calls for use of a dozen or more medicinal materials - herbal, mineral and animal. A “standard” prescription always comprises four parts: the sovereign” (the most essential medicinal material or materials), the “minister” (medicinal materials meant to enhance the curative effect of the “sovereign”), the “assistant” (those capable of neutralizing the toxicity in the “sovereign” and “minister”) and the “courier” (those to enable all the medicinal materials to “work” together for the maximum curative effect).
    Traditional Chinese medicine came into being as a result of the observation by the ancient Chinese of the changes in nature. So did the theory of yin and yang and the theory of the five elements. The theory of yin and yang stands for two opposing principles in nature, the former feminine and negative, and the latter masculine and positive. The “five elements” are metal, wood, water, fire and earth, which together compose the physical universe. Both theories are used in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as in acupuncture and the Taoist way of conserving the vital energy of the human body, to explain the various physiological and pathological phenomena. To sum up, ancient Chinese believed that to develop properly, both Man and Nature must follow the laws governing the changes that take place in relations between yin and yang and among the “five elements.”
    In ancient China, not only natural sciences, but also politics and ethics, were governed by the theories centered on an integration of Man and Nature. Confucianism, which calls for positive efforts to improve human society, is regarded to be in close association with the yang aspect of the yin-yang theory. Likewise, it is the yin aspect of the theory that gave rise to Taoism, which calls for non-action or inaction, understood as no unnatural action rather than complete passivity. The Chinese for “emperor,” the supreme ruler on Earth, is the synonym of the Big Dipper, the brightest star to the naked eye which, in ancient times, was believed to be the seat of Heavenly God, the supreme ruler of the universe. Likewise, the Chinese for “power” is the synonym of the 28 constellations round the Big Dipper, which used to be seen as symbolizing people rallying round their emperor. 

        For a Better Civilization
    Here is the question: while calling for integration, or harmony, of Heaven, Earth and Man, does China’s traditional culture negate human initiative, or the personal values of individual human beings?

The answer is “no.”
    In China’s traditional culture, Heaven, Earth and Man are seen as an integral whole, in which they depend on one another in maintaining the boundless universe. Man and Nature are locked up by a relationship of mutual complementation. In plain language, China’s traditional culture calls on Man to befriend Nature, instead of running into conflict with it, in order to create the kind of ecological conditions that allow sustainable development of both.
    While obliging Man to pattern after Nature, China’s traditional culture empowers Man to communicate with Nature, to participate in efforts of Heaven and Earth to create a better civilization. Heaven, as ancient Chinese saw it, plays the role of life-giving, and Earth has the task of sustaining lives. Man, on his part, has the task of assisting Heaven and Earth in performing their respective duty. By doing so, Man improves himself in such a way as to become an indispensable part of Nature, something that is immortal just like Nature.
    While great for giving and sustaining lives, ancient Chinese believed that Nature is far from being free from any fault. One place can be struck by a severe drought while another place is being inundated with too much rain, and there are places barren of any living thing, in contrast to areas with luxuriant grass and plenty of water. By using his own strength and wisdom, however, Man can make up for what Nature fails to accomplish in an effort to build a better world.
    Ancient Chinese philosophers of all generations, starting with Confucius who lived 2,500 years ago, were keen to study Man’s role vis-vis the role of Nature in the physical universe. The most representative works on the subject include the Book of the Mean by Zeng Zi (505 BC-436) and the Philosophical Notes of the Western Studio by Zhang Zai (1020-1077) of the Song Dynasty. According to Zhang Zai, in striving to develop human civilization, Man should try to make Heaven and Earth more substantial, carry forward the teachings of the previous sages and safeguard the livelihood of the people to achieve the ultimate purpose of ensuring ever-lasting peace and harmony of human societies.