09/02/2026
Thirty years ago, I entered professional practice carrying the point of a sword. I did not understand it that way at the time.
Looking back, I can now see three decades of medicine through the three sections of the Chinese straight sword, the Jiàn (劍).
The first decade was the point. Formal training met actual practice, and the blade entered the surface of the pattern.
The second was the body. Support in the East and rebuke in the West became the two edges that demanded greater accuracy.
The third has been the handle. This is where intention enters and where experience can finally be placed into another person’s hands.
The seasons move through the same progression. So do the three physician brothers of Bian Que. The most famous brother treated illness after it had become severe. The most skilled treated it before anyone else could see that it existed.
In the newest edition of The Lotus Letter, I reflect upon what three decades, three brothers, and three Solar Terms has taught me about refinement.
The Seasons, the Solar Terms, and the Sword
https://drkamalpolite.substack.com/p/the-seasons-the-solar-terms-and-the
