The Meaning of Mǐn Jié

Mǐn Jié is what it takes be a master practitioner of Chinese medicine

The name Min Jie derives from two Chinese characters:

敏 mǐn, which means agile, sensitive, acute, sharp, quick, clever, perceptive

and

杰 jié, meaning an outstanding person, hero, prominent.

Mǐn Jié was the Chinese name that Dr. Richard Teh Fu Tan gave me after years of contemplation and deliberation. Due to the gravity of its implications, I have never applied this name to myself. I do feel that it is appropriate however to apply it as a title to the Min Jie school, its students and practitioners.

Mǐn Jié is what it takes be a master practitioner of Chinese medicine. It’s not enough to study or even learn from a master. There comes a time to apply everything you know with 敏, mǐn, agility, sensitivity, acuteness, sharpness, quickness, cleverness and perceptivity to the clinical moment at hand. All your tools come together in that moment to create the magic of healing. When you can do that consistently to help the people in your community and the world, you become 杰 jié, an outstanding, prominent person in your field, a hero.

We can’t sleepwalk through the process of practicing medicine. Being awake and aware are essential prerequisites to the medical art. As soon as we go to sleep or go on autopilot, we miss the healing moment and it’s gone. Sometimes that can cost a life. If we show up with full awareness and willingness, it can save a life. It’s that simple.

That’s the meaning of 敏杰 Mǐn Jié.

The Min Jie School