Bob,

Our focus on scholarship in TCM may appeal to my inner nerd, but your final blog has precisely summarized why I'm glad to be a Poppy. Thank you.

Bob, Wishing you all the best.

Thank you, Bob. There's no way I could have said this any better. I appreciate all you've done for all of us. Take care; enjoy retirement. You will be missed.

Bob, you have influenced us from the start of our careers as acupuncturists. Your works have fed us throughout that career to this day. Now with your final post you remind us why we are acupuncturists; it's a life not a job, it's an honour not a task. Thank you for all you have done and, I'm sure, will do for the art and science of it. Namaste.

Bob I would like to thank you for not only being a great educator but also for being a critical mind in our field. Best wishes on your continued journey.
Gabe Fuentes

Hi Bob,

I thought retirement meant now you have more time to write blog posts! :) Thank you for sharing your insights and for giving us all food for thought (and action). You have always been a leader for all of us to look up to and learn from. You helped bring our profession from gestation to adolescence. And even though you are retiring I am certain your many contributions will continue to bring us to full maturity.

Much gratitude,
Lisa

I have never failed to learn something from your teachings, information and am so sorry to see you leave. Also so happy to see you leave to enjoy retirement. Thank you for all that you have done and shared.
Happy Trails,
Joyce

Thank you for this post and for all the work you have done.
Although I have never met you personally, your warmth and caring has touched me heart through the books, articles, posts, and podcasts you were so kind to publish or share with us.
I know I am a better practitioner because of you.
Thank you very much and good luck,
Guy Sedan

This is a very nice post. Thank you and well said. I am sorry that you will not be posting any more. I must say that I did enjoy reading your posts on your adventures as a youngster in India. I hope more people can think about the message in your last post. Thanks again, James Flowers

sorry to see you retire, you have been an awesome herbalist role model and teacher, thanks

Wow, it really is the end of an era. A feeling of sadness washes over me as I remind myself nothing is permanent. I am a big fan of Bob's contribution to the academic material on TCM (to say the least). Wow, where would I be without Blue Poppy? I loved the podcasts (and wish there was more).... and Bob you had such an influence on me as a tcm student 20 years ago at a gyny seminar in Australia you even got me back to uni to complete a Degree in Asian studies and major in Mandarin. You are a legend and you will be greatly missed. Thank you!

Nice blog Bob. Thank you for the food for thought. I will try my best to monitor my "moment to moment" for a better change. Best wishes in your retirement. I'm sure it wll be as interesting as your career has been.

Bob’s last blog is indeed a thought-provoking and insightful commentary on the state of our world today. As my own knowledge of Buddhism is modest, I would like to set the Buddhist perspective aside for a moment and say something about what Chinese medicine has taught me about understanding ourselves and the world in which we live.

Reading Roberts’ A History of China a few days ago, I was struck by the comment that the transition from Paleolithic to Neolithic culture in China was a shift from hunting and gathering to agriculture and animal husbandry. This suggests that the earliest beginnings of civilization involved a shift from passively receiving what nature has to give to actively controlling the natural world. Over the last 10,000 years, the concept of progress has been closely linked to control of nature, and today we simultaneously revel in our ability to manipulate natural systems down to the level of genetics while bemoaning the environmental devastation that our progress has incurred. The ancient Greeks were so very prescient when they described the myth of the boy whose technological marvel of wax wings allowed him to soar towards the sun only to have unbridled hubris lead to his plummeting to his death. As the consequences of humanity’s arrogance become more apparent with each passing day, we face the choice of seeing ourselves with honest clarity and rediscovering humility towards nature and its forces or continuing down a road of destruction and suffering, hungrily plundering what precious little Mother Nature has left.

If we are receptive to its lessons, Chinese medicine has much to teach us about how to develop a better relationship with the planet. Modern Western medicine offers many solutions to disease, but its invasive surgeries and concentrated pharmaceuticals must be utilized with commensurate respect and care. Although we might wish to shape and modify human body according to our whims, as an organic ecosystem, the human body does not always respond well to micromanagement. If we automatically resort to the convenience and ease of using potent antibiotics in treating pediatric ear infections, for example, we risk damaging the body’s innate intestinal flora during the delicate development stage and weakening immunity—setting the stage for the possibility of a lifetime of disease. On the contrary, working within the parameters of universal laws and utilizing plant, animal, and mineral substances according the natural tenets of yin and yang, the eight principles, and the five phases, Chinese doctors have the tools to manage many infections without the need for powerful drugs. One can extrapolate this to other contexts and realize the crucial importance of harmonizing with the Dao in medicine and beyond, learning to use our technologies wisely and sparingly to achieve our goals and avoid wrecking havoc on living systems in the process. The resources of this remarkable bountiful planet are a precious gift to use and not just resources for profit-minded human beings to exploit. This critical juncture in history presents us with one of the most important challenges in human history: while preserving individual and basic human rights, humankind must choose to return to state of respect and awe for the planet, learning to live in a synergetic partnership with the flora and fauna of the earth. Not only must we rediscover how to live in harmony with the planet again, we also must work together as a species, setting our political, social, and religious differences aside, to cease this freefall into a lethal tailspin.

As for immorality, greed, and hedonism, the issue is again one of control, not control of nature or other people but self-control. Under the influence of Confucian thought, ancient Chinese medicine gained the insight that illness is less the result of a capricious universe where demons strike the innocent at random and more the logical consequence of poor life choices. For thousands of years, Confucians, Buddhists, and Daoists have all argued that maintaining harmony and balance in the world is the natural result of proper human behavior based on ethics, moderation, and compassion. Appreciating the connection between the four pillars of rest, activity, diet, and attitude and our health and well-being demonstrates the emphasis that Chinese medicine places on personal and social responsibility. If more of us followed the admonitions of the ancient doctors, we would see considerably less of the errant behavior Bob described in his commentary and all lead healthier and happier lives. The key lies in changing the object of our control from the planet and our fellow citizens to ourselves, starting with assessing, challenging, and refining our own attitudes and assumptions. This alchemical transformation is, in fact, the ultimate goal of medicine. Between the disease and the cure there exists the opportunity for greater understanding and potential for growth and self-realization. There is, indeed, a great deal more at stake, both for patient and practitioner, than pain and its resolution.

One of the contributions that we as a community can make is to practice well and ethically and to understand that Chinese medicine is a feature of Chinese culture. In the West, we have a long history of imposing our own cultural prejudices on others, and the tradition of Orientalism is alive and well. We in the West has not yet fully atoned for the signs ‘NO CHINESE OR DOGS ALLOWED’, an insult from the not so very distant past egregiously imposed on the venerable culture that gifted the world with the compass, gun powder, and printing. As American practitioners of Chinese medicine, we can do much more to right the wrongs of the past and practice more authentic, sophisticated, and effective medicine. We continue to by and large avoid the task of teaching our students the culture and language of the originators of this vast medical treasure, and, in doing so, perpetuate a solipsistic and self-important prejudicial attitude towards this tradition. Respect for the organic autonomy of other cultures is not so different from respect for the holistic integrity of the external and internal ecosystems. We must become aware of the many negative repercussions that ensue from inconsiderate imposition of our own selfish will and accept that embracing the rich variety of human and natural life on earth, despite the initial difficulties and discomfort, will ultimately lead to a better existence for all.

Pontification aside, I would like to commend Bob Flaws for being a remarkable exception to all of the decadence and ignorance rampant in society today and an example for us all in the field of Chinese medicine. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, there truly are few adequate words to thank Bob for his decades of hard work on behalf of our community. Despite having occasionally ruffled some feathers with his unabashed honesty along the way—like a modern day Ikkyu—no one to date has contributed as much to the field of Chinese medicine in the West as Bob. His books, articles, translations, lectures, blogs, and podcasts compromise an immense resource for English-language practitioners of Chinese medicine, now and for generations to come. How he found the time to achieve all of this while maintaining a busy practice and building a company will always be a mystery to me…one would have to be an intractable insomniac.

Doc, I wish you the best as you transition into the next phase of life. Your sharp humor and sage wisdom will be sorely missed!

Duo xie xie, lao shi!

ALL THE BEST,
David.

I think the fact that someone who has devoted their whole existence to healing, herbs and TCM and can actually afford to retire in the Kaliyug is inspirational to say the least! The seed of light emerges from darkness, the brightest yang emerges from the darkest yin.

Of course with all of this new found time on your hands I don't imagine this is your last blog post :-)

心正而后身修，身修而后家齐，家齐而后国治，国治而后天下平。

Thanks for doing your best Bob.

another thanks for all you've done.
have you checked out the soka gakki? (i imagine you have) never the less-
sort of an evangelical form of buddhism- we just had 30,000 youth participate in 'rock the era' festivals here in the US focusing on each individuals 'human revolution' to turn the tide. we can't just except a bleaker and bleaker downward spiral!

Don't the door hit your ass on the way out!!!

Thanks for being there.

Love and Laughter,

Greg

Bob,

My deepest thanks & gratitude to you for all that you have contributed to our Medicine here in the west and abroad! You have made it possible for all of us to learn, expand and grow within Chinese Medicine and for that I will forever be grateful. You are and will remain one of my biggest inspirations. Thank you for inspiring & enlightening our community, not only on the topic of Chinese Medicine, but also on life, for challenging us, and for all your amazing and immense contributions! Your work and your name will live on forever! Wishing you all the best as you enter your next journey in life!! With Gratitude and blessings, Gina

Amitabha Bob, I would love to think that you are heading off to a 3 year long solitary silent Shamatha Vipassana or Dzogchen Meditation Retreat.

Keep fulfilling your Big Dao and Bodhisattv Vows.

May your Bodhichitta increase evermore until full Buddhahood.

Buddha with you,
Losang Jinpa of Medicine Buddha Healing Center

Somehow just always thought you would be there Dr. Bob - in many ways you will!
"Thank you" in words isn't big enough but in my mind and no doubt the minds of so many it is boundless.
May the gratitude of that "so many" lend hope and buoyancy to your retirement.

With deepest respect,
Pam

Hey Bob, thanks fro the last remarks. I have enjoyed many of your cd programs and plan to order some more. I share your state of mind about the world we live in.
However, what about having lived thru times of world war? or being a Jew in Nazi Germany? or a dissident in many countries throughout history?
well, you get my drift, things have gone downward for a long time maybe 10,000 yrs like by an early post commenting on yours. What I am suggesting is that in other times in history things may have gotten gloomier than now, of course debatable which period had been worse.
In any case, enjoy your garden and pond and retirement. Thanks for all the teachings. Augusto

Bob, thanks so much for all your work for a good world!

Yours,

Peter

Thanks for all of the inspiration Bob! You are one of my Heros.

Bless & be well.

Curtis

Thanks for the parting words, Bob. Your work in the field will not be forgotten.

Hi Bob,
I reckon you still could not imagine how much the world changed by what you've done for TCM.
I agree with what you said, but how can we expect the world to behave differently when people don't know themself for self-control ? They don't know karma, nor how to purify the body, how to purify the mind so that the world would become better.
I still believe God and/or Buddha will send great teachers to educate people and therefore change the world.
I've learnt very much from Bluepoppy. Thank you from my heart. Happy retirement.

The world may be going to hell in a hand-basket, but the practice of Chinese medicine in the west is in a much better place thanks to the contributions you've made. Your teachings have made us better at doing what we do, expanding our knowledge and capabilities to effect so many patients out there. It's quite a legacy.

On a personal note, as valuable as all the knowledge you've imparted has been, the lifestyle of "studying with Bob & Honora" - eating Ethiopian food in Phoenix, snorkeling Cenotes in Mexico, grabbing lunch in NYC (not to mention doing classes in either of our actual home towns...) holds incredibly fond memories for me. It was always a pleasure to be with you both at times when your work blended with enjoying life.

As to your departing thoughts - there's always light within darkness, and I agree that being mindful moment-to-moment is the way to create more light. (Makes me think of "The Power of Now" which I read when we were in Kailuum). Thanks for being a bright light in my professional life, and thanks for keeping it real! Best wishes for your retirement.

Dear Bob,

You have been a great inspiration and teacher. Thanks for all your have done for our profession, it will never be forgotten.

May the sun shine upon your house always.

Many Blessings,

Deborah

Hello Bob,

Thank you for this hopeful last blog. I really enjoyed it and will take it to heart!

I have always wanted to thank you for the the wisdom in your book: The Tao of Healthy Eating. I esp. liked your suggestion to end each meal w/ 1/2 cup of very hot water, which helps the food at the top level in your stomach digest much better. It's true, it really does do exactly that, and the many more tips in that book that explains how to eat for health.

I would like to recommend to you and all others reading this a film I just saw on Youtube: "Horseman On The Roof" on Youtube, by Rappeneau, a wonderful French Director, about the Cholera Epidemic, & stars lovely Juliet Binoche.
Written by Jean Giono, who also wrote "The Man Who Planted Trees" ~ a wonderful little book about the power of doing positive things and how far reaching that can be! This book is also a lovely short film on Youtube.
[Rappeneau also did the wonderful film: "Bon Voyage"].

Thank you for all your efforts and accomplishments as they benefit us all!

~ Emily

Hey Bob, I don't know you well personally, but I have been positively impacted by all you've done for the Chinese medicine community. I hung out a bit with Honora over this past weekend, and she suggested I read your blog post. While it's a big deal that you're on your way to other adventures, it's also a sign that the only constant is change. You have been a constant in my career, and the fact that your seeming constancy is also subject to change somehow gives me the feeling we all have permission to do so. That's invaluable, simple as it may read.

Up above, much of what you wrote reminds me of one of the presuppositions of neurolinguistics: "The map is not the territory." What we experience is not the way we interpret it; but the way we interpret reality most often gets ossified into what we think is reeeeally going on. All an illusion of perception, so one's perception is key. And it can change. Thanks for that reminder as well. And good luck and godspeed in your next iterations.

Best,

Jason