Plain Language Explanation of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon (Volumes 1-5)

Author: Zhang Dengben
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-10-01
Features: The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon is one of the earliest medical theory books in China. It should be noted that the value of The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon not only lies in its significant contribution to the health of the Chinese people in history, but it also continues to play a guiding role in clinical practice today because it contains rich scientific components, including the basic theoretical knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine. The composition and content of The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, as well as the issue of determining its composition date, have been extensively researched by many scholars. It is generally believed to have been written during the Warring States period, and the addition of the name "Yellow Emperor" was merely a later fabrication. After it was compiled, scholars from the Han Dynasty or even later periods made revisions and additions. The title The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon first appears in the Book of Han's Treatise on the Arts and Literature. The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon as it is known today consists of two main parts, Suwen and Lingshu, each containing 81 articles, with content that is very extensive, covering physiology, pathology, anatomy, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, as well as preventive medical concepts.
The fundamental theory of The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon—the theory of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements—is an ancient philosophical thought of China. Ancient people, through long-term observation of various natural phenomena, recognized that everything in the universe exists in terms of opposing yet unified dual aspects, which can be summarized as "Yin" and "Yang." For example, the sun is Yang, the moon is Yin, fire is Yang, water is Yin, men are Yang, women are Yin, qi is Yang, blood is Yin, movement is Yang, stillness is Yin, excitement is Yang, inhibition is Yin, functional aspects are Yang, material aspects are Yin, hyperactivity is Yang, decline is Yin, heat is Yang, and cold is Yin... Yin and Yang represent the opposing yet unified contradictory aspects of all things or phenomena. Therefore, in a certain sense, the theory of Yin and Yang aligns with dialectics. Yin and Yang are the way of heaven and earth, the principles of all things, the parents of change, and the origins of life and death. To treat diseases, one must seek the root cause. This means that in diagnosis and treatment, we cannot ignore the "principles" of Yin and Yang.
The Five Elements are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. An ancient book, the Zuo Zhuan, records: "Heaven has created the five materials, which are used by the people, and none can do without them." Although the term "Five Elements" is not used here, it clearly refers to the five materials—wood, fire, earth, metal, and water—and emphasizes that they are all indispensable material foundations in people's lives, devoid of any mystical connotations. When it entered the field of medicine, it was first used to correspond with the five internal organs of the human body: the liver corresponds to wood, the heart to fire, the spleen to earth, the lungs to metal, and the kidneys to water. The relationship between one of the five internal organs and the other four is analogous to the relationship between one of the Five Elements and the other four. For example, the relationship between the liver and the heart, spleen, lungs, and kidneys is compared to the relationship between wood and fire, earth, metal, and water. The theory of the Five Elements holds that wood, fire, earth, metal, and water have mutually promoting effects, known as "mutual generation" among the Five Elements, as well as mutually restraining effects, known as "mutual control" among the Five Elements. In traditional Chinese medicine, the application of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements explains the connections between internal organs. Under normal physiological conditions, there is a regular pattern of activity; under pathological conditions, this regularity is disrupted. Thus, the theory of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements serves as a framework to demonstrate the connections between things and their relationships, embodying spontaneous dialectical thinking and a naive materialist philosophy in ancient Chinese medicine.
The scientific nature of The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon
The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon holds that Yin and Yang qi are the roots of all phenomena. Addressing the beliefs of the time that attributed diseases to gods and ghosts, it states in Suwen's Great Discussion on Regulating the Spirit According to the Four Seasons: "Therefore, Yin and Yang and the four seasons are the beginning and end of all things, the root of life and death. To oppose them brings harm, while to follow them prevents severe diseases—this is called following the Dao." This means that the changes of Yin and Yang and the four seasons are the fundamental principles of the growth, aging, and death of all things. To defy them will lead to harm, while to follow them will prevent diseases—this is the principle of health preservation.
Regarding the treatment of diseases, The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon points out in Suwen's Great Discussion on the Ultimate Truth: "Carefully observe where Yin and Yang are located and adjust them to achieve balance." This means that by carefully observing the presence of Yin and Yang and making adjustments, the goal is to reach a state of equilibrium. In other words, when Yin and Yang qi maintain a normal relative balance in the human body, it is health; if they are imbalanced, disease will arise.
The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon also recognizes that physiological and pathological phenomena are related to the external environment of nature, but it further emphasizes a close and interconnected relationship with the internal emotional activities of the human body. This shows that The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon consistently maintains that when discussing the causes of diseases and health preservation methods, one must fully consider the entire objective external environment.
The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon also reflects the concept of preventive medicine. In Lingshu's Chapter on the Spirit, it writes: "Therefore, the wise in preserving health must follow the four seasons and adapt to the cold and heat; harmonize their emotions and live in a stable environment; regulate Yin and Yang and balance strength and weakness. In this way, deviant influences will not reach them, and they can achieve longevity and enduring vitality." This means that knowledgeable people adopt health preservation methods that align with the seasons, adapt to different climates, regulate their emotions (avoiding excessive joy or anger), and adapt well to their surroundings; they also regulate the fluctuations of Yin and Yang to maintain relative balance. By doing so, pathogens cannot invade, and life can be prolonged without aging.
Suwen's Great Discussion on Regulating the Spirit According to the Four Seasons states: "Therefore, the sages do not treat diseases that have already arisen but treat those before they arise; they do not quell chaos but prevent it before it occurs—this is what is meant."
Beyond discussing human physiology, pathology, and anatomical morphology, The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon pays special attention to the interconnected and mutually restrictive relationships between the functions of the body. It holds that in addition to the internal organs, the human body also contains essence, qi, body fluids, blood, meridians, skin, muscles, bones, and the five senses, each performing their own functions while forming a whole. When these parts function, they are not isolated but interconnected. More importantly, the body is a unified whole interconnected by meridians.
The appropriate evaluation of The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon
Phenomena, theoretical phenomena, and pathological phenomena are all intricate and complex. More than two thousand years ago, due to the limitations of productive forces and scientific practice, people were still unable to deeply understand these laws. The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon reflects the integration of ancient Chinese philosophy and medicine. It also signifies the further elaboration of ancient Chinese materialist philosophy in the field of medicine. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Chinese medicine underwent long-term practice, accumulating rich experience, making it possible to write medical works that met the scientific requirements of the time. The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon used naive materialist perspectives and spontaneous dialectical thinking to understand human physiological phenomena, the causes of diseases, emotional activities, and to combat religious superstitions. It paved the way for the further development of medicine in later generations.