After several days of cultivation, Mu Lin arrived at the Massachusetts State Capitol. The organizers had initially believed that mobilization efforts would be necessary to ensure sufficient attendance for today’s special event. Unexpectedly, when registration opened, thousands of people signed up. With no choice, the organizers had to distribute tickets based on status and the seating capacity of the hall, in order to prevent overcrowding. However, more people kept coming, so additional seating was added, but it still couldn’t meet the demands of many influential and wealthy individuals. The organizers requested Mu Lin to increase the number of lectures, but he was not in the mood and firmly refused.
Due to the scarcity of tickets, they eventually ended up in the hands of the elite and wealthy. Today’s attendees were mostly high-profile individuals, and security at the Capitol was extremely tight. To avoid drawing too much attention, Mu Lin requested that the press not be allowed to cover the event. He knew that with so many people, differing opinions would arise, and the lecture might turn into a verbal dispute. Moreover, since traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) had not yet been widely accepted by the general public, there was a risk that some individuals might exploit the situation, creating an unfavorable environment for TCM, which opponents could use against it.
As Mu Lin approached the Capitol, some reporters were staging a protest, demanding that the lecture be opened to the press. Mu Lin ignored them, and when the organizers sought his opinion, he firmly refused. The organizers dared not open the venue to the press either, because Mu Lin had made it clear that if reporters were allowed in, he would cancel the lecture. If Mu Lin canceled the lecture over this, those high-profile attendees—who had come in search of a life-saving opportunity—would hold the organizers accountable. The organizers had not anticipated the situation would turn out this way.
Standing at the podium, Mu Lin began what would later be regarded as the foundational lecture that introduced TCM to the Western world—his last such lecture ever.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this gathering hosted by a young man like me!” A faint ripple of laughter spread through the audience. Indeed, who else could possibly bring them all together here?
Mu Lin went straight to the point. “I know many of you are curious about how I managed to cure people suffering from diseases that modern medicine considers incurable. Let me tell you—it was through acupuncture, a technique from ancient Chinese medicine, combined with the most advanced Western medical technologies. Together, they cured these diseases, with acupuncture playing the central role.” A murmur rippled through the crowd.
“You may find it hard to believe that someone so young—perhaps even younger than some of your own children—could have achieved this. But before this, I have already treated thousands of people in my homeland using acupuncture and Western medicine within just three years.” As Mu Lin spoke, the murmuring gradually faded.
After several days of cultivation, Mu Lin arrived at the Massachusetts State House. The organizers of the assembly had initially thought they would need to mobilize people to ensure sufficient attendance for today’s special topic. To their surprise, thousands signed up when registration opened. Left with no choice, the organizers had to distribute tickets based on status and the seating capacity of the assembly hall to prevent overcrowding. Yet, as more and more people continued to arrive, additional seats had to be added, though even that couldn’t satisfy the demands of many dignitaries. The organizers asked Mu Lin to increase the number of lectures, but he had no interest in doing so and firmly refused.
Due to the scarcity of tickets, most ended up in the hands of dignitaries or wealthy individuals. Today’s attendees were mostly heavyweight figures, and security at the State House was extremely tight. To avoid unnecessary exposure, Mu Lin insisted on banning press interviews. He knew that with too many voices, opinions would be hard to reconcile, and the lecture could devolve into a war of words. Moreover, since traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theories had not yet been widely understood by the general public, they could easily be exploited by certain individuals to create an unfavorable perception of TCM, which opponents might then seize upon.
When Mu Lin arrived outside the State House, some journalists were staging a protest, demanding access to the lecture. Mu Lin ignored them. When the organizers sought his opinion, he firmly rejected the idea. The organizers dared not open the venue to the press because Mu Lin had made it clear that if journalists were allowed in, he would cancel the lecture. The organizers knew that if Mu Lin canceled the event over this, the influential attendees would be furious—they would lose a potentially life-saving opportunity. The organizers had never anticipated such a situation.
Mu Lin stood at the podium in front of the microphone and began what would later be called the pioneering work that introduced TCM to the Western world—because he never held another lecture like this again.
“Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this gathering hosted by a young man like me!” A few light chuckles rippled through the audience. Indeed, who else could have brought them all together like this?
Mu Lin got straight to the point. “I know many of you are curious about me—how I managed to cure illnesses that modern medicine considers incurable. Let me tell you: I used acupuncture, an ancient Eastern medical technique, combined with the most advanced Western medical treatments available today. The combination of these two methods cured these patients, with acupuncture playing the primary role.” A murmur spread through the crowd.
“You may find it hard to believe that someone as young as me—perhaps even younger than some of your children—could achieve this. But before coming here, I spent three years in my homeland using acupuncture and Western medicine to treat tens of thousands of people.” As Mu Lin spoke, the murmurs gradually faded.
“Now, let me show you a Chinese character.” Mu Lin casually wrote the character “思” (thought) on the blackboard behind him. “Does anyone recognize this character?” Surprisingly, someone did, and Mu Lin invited them to explain its meaning.
“Good. Let me tell you, this is a Chinese character. The upper part represents the brain, and the lower part represents the heart. Ancient Chinese believed that human thought was deeply connected to the heart—a relationship that modern medicine has since confirmed. The TCM techniques I use today are the legacy of the people who created this very character.” The audience fell silent, their thoughts momentarily suspended.
“Ancient Chinese believed that the universe expanded from an extremely dense singularity. Fragments scattered in all directions, forming our cosmos. ‘The Dao begets One, One begets Two, Two begets Three, and Three begets all things.’ In 1965, Penzias and Wilson discovered cosmic background radiation, later confirmed as remnants of the Big Bang, providing crucial evidence for the theory. They won the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physics for this.
“Observing the world around us, we see the Earth orbiting the Sun, vast galaxies expanding outward—everything in the universe follows an orderly system. Our observations are limited, but what we can perceive must be part of a vast, structured cosmic system. The solar system and the Milky Way are merely subordinate components of this grand system, neither capable of being seen as independent, self-sustaining systems. Only by considering the entire universe as a whole can we compare it to life systems. The stable, orderly existence of natural systems provides a template for the emergence of life. When we break down and magnify the human body, we find it, like all matter in the universe, is composed of particles in irregular motion. Yet why do these particles arrange themselves in a certain order to form conscious beings? Life systems are a simulation of cosmic order, and TCM theory is an exploration of this order.
“Let’s start with the most fundamental TCM principles. TCM theory has two main characteristics: holism and syndrome differentiation. Holism encompasses three aspects: (1) the human body as an organic whole, (2) the unity of humans and their natural environment, and (3) the unity of humans and their social environment. What is a ‘syndrome’? It’s a pathological summary of the body at a specific stage of illness, in a specific moment and environment. What is ‘disease’? It’s the disruption of the body’s functions, deviating from the natural ‘order.’ How do we identify a ‘syndrome’? In the past, we used observation, listening, questioning, and pulse diagnosis. Now, we can use CT scans, ultrasounds, and MRIs. Perhaps with each passing day, we move closer to truth rather than further away…”
Mu Lin’s speech melted the skepticism in their hearts. Subsequently, countries around the world intensified their research and study of TCM and acupuncture. Acupuncturists gradually gained acceptance in the West, and people began adopting acupuncture for various ailments. Germany became the first country to officially recognize acupuncture as a legitimate therapy, mandating that statutory health insurers cover its costs. However, this decision did not spark widespread celebration among acupuncture enthusiasts in Germany. For them, it was long overdue and too restrictive.
As reported by Deutsche Welle, the regulation only applied to patients suffering from chronic back pain or chronic knee pain lasting over six months. Additionally, only licensed physicians with advanced training in pain therapy—where acupuncture was just one method—were eligible for reimbursement. Patients with headaches, hip pain, or elbow pain had to pay out of pocket.
After a six-year pilot program funded by insurers, involving around 10,000 doctors treating hundreds of thousands of patients, Germany’s Federal Joint Committee (G-BA)—the key decision-making body for healthcare—finally reached this conclusion. While many insured Germans already had acupuncture coverage due to competitive insurance markets, G-BA chairman Dr. Hess expressed slight disappointment: “Overall, the decision imposes more restrictions.”
However, the G-BA’s decision was based on efficacy, not patient preferences. The pilot study found that acupuncture’s effects were comparable to sham acupuncture (needling non-acupuncture points). Yet Dr. Germann, chairman of the German Acupuncture and TCM Association, questioned the study’s design, arguing that sham acupuncture might still have therapeutic effects. This could explain the study’s main finding: both real and sham acupuncture outperformed standard Western treatments for knee and back pain. But Germann was puzzled by the exclusion of other conditions: “Why does acupuncture work for knee pain but not hip pain?” He also couldn’t reconcile the study’s conclusion that acupuncture was no better than Western medicine for migraines and tension headaches.
The German Federal Consumer Association criticized the decision as a “step backward in pain therapy diversity.” Ultimately, the final say rested with the German Federal Ministry of Health, which promised to review the G-BA’s decision. Even Stuparder, representing insurers on the G-BA, regretted excluding migraines but predicted that further testing might expand coverage in the coming years.
Similarly, in the U.S., the government officially recognized acupuncture anesthesia as viable. The largest corporate health insurer, BKK, announced it would cover acupuncture for chronic back and knee pain, previously only reimbursed under the pilot program. BKK’s CEO, Schütz, welcomed the G-BA’s decision, stating, “Many insured individuals have found acupuncture more effective for their conditions. It’s good they won’t have to revert to conventional treatments now. The priority is ensuring quality within pain therapy frameworks.”
However, Schütz lamented the exclusion of chronic headaches and hay fever, arguing that acupuncture had shown unique efficacy for these conditions. He proposed extending the pilot program for these patients until its original 2009 end date to gather more data.
Mu Lin’s actions significantly advanced TCM’s global recognition, particularly acupuncture’s acceptance in the West, leaving a lasting legacy. Unfortunately, his time was limited—he needed to focus on self-cultivation and personal growth. Otherwise… what a missed opportunity. Later generations in the secular world would say so. (This story originates from Qidian.)
“Very well, I will tell you. This is a character from the ancient Chinese script. The top part represents the brain, and the bottom part represents the heart. The ancient Chinese believed that the human mind and the heart were closely related—a belief that has since been confirmed by modern medical knowledge. The TCM techniques I use today are inherited from these ancient Chinese people who created this script.” The audience fell silent, their thoughts momentarily suspended.
“The ancient Chinese believed that the universe originated from a highly dense singularity, which expanded outward, forming our cosmos. ‘The Dao produced the One; the One produced the Two; the Two produced the myriad things.’ In 1965, Penzias and Wilson discovered cosmic background radiation, later proving it to be a remnant of the Big Bang, providing crucial evidence for the Big Bang theory. They were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1978 for this discovery.
“Observing the surrounding world, we see the Earth orbiting the Sun, vast galaxies expanding outward, and the universe maintaining a remarkable order. Our observations are limited, but all that we can see is part of a larger, orderly cosmic system. However, the solar system and even the Milky Way are merely subordinate components of a much greater cosmic system. Only by viewing the entire vast cosmic system as a model can we compare it to life systems. The stable, orderly structure of natural systems provides a template for the emergence of life. When we analyze and expand the human body, we find that, like other cosmic entities, it is composed of irregularly moving particles. But why do these particles come together in an orderly fashion to form conscious beings? Life systems are simulations of cosmic order, and TCM is an exploration of that order.
“Let me begin with the most fundamental theories of TCM. The TCM theoretical system has two main characteristics: first, the concept of holism, and second, the principle of syndrome differentiation and treatment. Holism includes three aspects: one, the human body is an integrated whole; two, the unity between humans and the natural environment; and three, the unity between humans and the social environment. What is a ‘syndrome’? It is a summary of the pathological state of the body at a particular moment under specific environmental conditions. What is a ‘disease’? It is a disruption of the body’s functions, a deviation from the natural order. How do we grasp this ‘syndrome’? In the past, we used inspection, listening and smelling, inquiry, and palpation. Now, we can use CT scans, ultrasounds, and MRI. Perhaps each passing day brings us one step closer to the truth, rather than further away…”
Mu Lin’s speech broke through the mental barriers of those present. Afterwards, countries around the world began to invest more in the study and promotion of acupuncture. Acupuncture gradually gained popularity in the West, and people started adopting it for various ailments. Germany was the first to officially recognize acupuncture as a legitimate medical treatment, requiring statutory health insurers to cover the costs of acupuncture treatments. However, this decision did not bring much celebration among German acupuncture enthusiasts, who felt it was long overdue and too limited.
According to a Deutsche Welle report, the regulation applied only to patients suffering from chronic lower back pain or chronic knee pain, and only if the pain had persisted for more than six months. Additionally, the acupuncturist had to be a university graduate who had undergone comprehensive training in pain management, with acupuncture being just one of the techniques used.
Patients suffering from headaches, hip pain, or elbow pain still had to pay out of pocket for acupuncture treatments. After a six-year pilot program, the Federal Joint Committee—Germany’s most important self-governing health authority, composed of doctors and health insurers—finally made the decision. During the pilot, health insurers funded acupuncture treatments for hundreds of thousands of patients by about ten thousand doctors nationwide.
For many German policyholders, acupuncture has now become part of standard insurance coverage. However, the chairman of the Federal Joint Committee, Herr Haas, expressed slight disappointment: “Overall, the decision has actually imposed more restrictions.” Yet, when making decisions, the committee must consider not which therapy is trendy, but which therapy is effective. Supporting research from the pilot program showed that acupuncture was as effective as treatments using non-specific acupuncture points.
However, German Acupuncture and TCM Association President Gerhard questioned the design of the pilot study. He believed that even non-specific acupuncture points might have an effect. Perhaps this could explain the main conclusion of the pilot study—that both accurate and non-specific acupuncture points were more effective than standard Western treatments, at least for knee and back pain. But Gerhard was puzzled by the restriction to only these two areas. He asked, “Why is acupuncture effective for knee pain but not for hip pain?” Regarding the finding that acupuncture was as effective as Western medicine for migraines and tension headaches, Gerhard could not understand it at all. The German Federal Consumer Association also considered the decision a “step backward in the diversity of pain therapies.” However, the final decision rested with the German Federal Ministry of Health, which stated it would carefully review the Federal Joint Committee’s decision. Mr. Stupart from the German Federal Industry Health Insurance Association, representing the interests of health insurers, also expressed regret over the exclusion of migraines. However, he predicted that after more testing phases in the coming years, acupuncture might gain recognition in more areas.
In the U.S., the government officially recognized acupuncture anesthesia as a viable method. The largest corporate health insurer, BKK, announced that it would include acupuncture for chronic lower back and knee pain in standard coverage. Previously, these costs were only covered under pilot programs. BKK’s CEO, Mr. Schütz, welcomed the Federal Joint Committee’s decision, stating, “Many policyholders have already experienced how helpful acupuncture can be in treating their conditions. Therefore, patients no longer need to return to traditional Western treatments, which is a good thing. The priority now is to ensure the quality of acupuncture treatments within the framework of pain management.”
However, Mr. Schütz also expressed regret over the exclusion of acupuncture for chronic headaches and hay fever from standard coverage. He believed it was difficult for patients to understand, as acupuncture had also shown special effectiveness for these two conditions. He proposed that the existing pilot programs for these two groups should not be terminated but continued until the originally planned end date of 2000 to collect more data.
Mu Lin’s actions significantly contributed to the spread of TCM, gradually gaining recognition for acupuncture in the Western world, influencing generations to come. Unfortunately, his time was limited, as he needed to continue his cultivation and self-improvement. Otherwise… it would be a great pity, as later generations of TCM practitioners often remarked. This article was first published on Qidian.
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