Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Basic Questions with Annotations and Revelations

Author: (Qing) Feng Shi, annotation and proofread by Sun Guozhong and Fang Xianghong
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-09-01
Features: The original text of The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon is profound and obscure. Modern colloquial translations struggle to fully convey its subtle meanings. Only by carefully studying the annotations of ancient scholars on the canonical texts can one grasp its profound essence, thereby understanding the holistic perspective and syndrome differentiation and treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In other words, revealing the deep internal mechanisms of The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon and uncovering the meanings that were implied but not explicitly stated, or stated but not fully elaborated, it is the ancients who spoke more and expressed it more profoundly. Modern works in this regard often fall short, and the annotations of ancient scholars can make up for this deficiency, thereby guiding us to conduct serious, meticulous, in-depth, systematic, and comprehensive research. Su Wen and Ling Shu together constitute the whole of The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon. However, in terms of their relationship, it can be said that Su Wen is the foundation, while Ling Shu is the application. This is because the ancients first wrote Ling Shu, and Su Wen actually complements what was lacking in Ling Shu, tracing its origins and elucidating its essence. Therefore, later generations of medical learners first studied Su Wen, making Ling Shu easier to understand. In the Western Han Dynasty, Chunyu Yi was renowned for his medical records in historical texts, and (Huangfu Mi) stated that all scholars drew from Su Wen. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Zhongjing wrote Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases, establishing a timeless framework for syndrome differentiation and treatment, and he first cited Su Wen as the source of his work, demonstrating the importance of Su Wen. Therefore, this series selects influential, representative, and authoritative monographs from the annotators of Su Wen, to serve as guides for modern researchers, helping them navigate confusion and resolve doubts, thereby enabling readers to grasp the essence of The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon and achieve the noble goal of healing the world.