On the Absolute Sincerity of Great Physicians

Whenever a great doctor treats an illness, he must first of all calm his spirit
and fix his resolve. He should not give way to wishes and desires but should
develop first of all an attitude of compassion. He must vow to rescue the
sufferings of all sentient beings. If someone comes for help, he must not ask
if the patient is noble or common, rich or poor, old or young, beautiful or
ugly. Enemies, relatives, good friends, Chinese or barbarians, foolish and
wise, all are the same.

He should think of them as his closest relatives. He should not be overly

circumspect and worry about omens or his own life. He should look on
others' sufferings as his own and be deeply concerned. He should not hide
away in the mountains. Day and night, in cold and heat, in hunger, thirst,
and fatigue, he should single-mindedly go to the rescue. Whoever acts in
this manner is a great doctor for the living. Whoever acts contrary is a great
thief for those who still have their spirits.

On the Absolute Sincerity of Great Physicians

Whenever a great doctor treats an illness, he must first of all calm his spirit
and fix his resolve. He should not give way to wishes and desires but should
develop first of all an attitude of compassion. He must vow to rescue the
sufferings of all sentient beings. If someone comes for help, he must not ask
if the patient is noble or common, rich or poor, old or young, beautiful or
ugly. Enemies, relatives, good friends, Chinese or foreigners, foolish and
wise, all are the same.

He should think of them as his closest relatives. He should not be overly

circumspect and worry about himself. He should look on others sufferings
as his own and be deeply concerned. He should not hide away in the
mountains. Day and night, in cold and heat, in hunger, thirst, and fatigue, he
should single-mindedly go to the rescue. Whoever acts in this manner is a
great doctor for the living. Whoever acts contrary is a great thief for those
who still have their spirits.

From "A Thousand Golden Remedies":

Medicine is an art which is difficult to master. If one does not receive a
divine guidance from God, he will not be able to understand the mysterious
points. A foolish fellow, after reading medical formularies for three years,
will believe that all diseases can be cured. But after practicing for another
three years, he will realize that most formulae are not effective. A physiican
should, therefore, be a scholar, mastering all the medical literature and
working carefully and tirelessly.
A great doctor, when treating a patient, should make himself quite and
determined. He should not have covetous desire. he should have bowels of
mercy on the sick and pledge himself to relieve suffering among all classes.
Aristocrat or commoner, poor or rich, aged or young, beautiful or ugly,
enemy or friend, native or foreighner, and educated or uneducated, all are
to be treated equally. He should look upon the misery of the patient as if it
were his own and be anxious to relieve the distress, idsregarding his own
inconveniences, such as night-call, bad weather, hunger, tiredness, etc.
Even foul cases, such as ulcer, abscess, diarrhoea, etc., should be treated
without the slightest antipathy. One who follows this principle is a great
doctor, otherwise, he is a great thief.
A physician should be respectable and not talkative. it is a great mistake
to boast of himself and slander other physicians.
Lao Tze, the father of Taoism, said, Open acts of kindness will be
rewarded by man while secret acts of evil will be punished by God.
Retribution is very definite. A physician should not utilize his profession as a
means for lusting. What he does to relieve distress will be duly rewarded by
Providence.
He should not prescribe dear and rare drugs just because the patient is
>rich or of high rank, nor is it honest and just to do so for boasting.

Translation by T'ao Lee (268-269)