Spiritual Pivot Canon Direct Translation

Author: Chen Zhongren
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-07-01
Features: The Spiritual Pivot (Lingshu) is an important component of The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon and one of the earliest classical works in the literature of traditional Chinese medicine. It is extremely rich in content, comprising twelve volumes and eighty-one chapters, detailing the fundamental theories of traditional Chinese medicine, the theory of Yin and Yang, the physiological and pathological functions of organs and viscera, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. The discussions on acupuncture are particularly extensive and profound, mainly including: acupuncture tools, usage methods, the origins and distributions of meridians, acupoints and their applications, as well as the principles and methods for treating various conditions. Therefore, it has been called the "Acupuncture Canon" by later generations of medical practitioners. It has not only played a significant guiding role in the clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture in China for thousands of years but has also served as the standard for all subsequent works on acupuncture. To excavate the heritage of traditional Chinese medicine, it is necessary to study and research it seriously. Due to the great age of the book, its original text is profound and obscure, making it difficult for general readers to understand. The author, under extremely difficult conditions, spent over twenty years studying The Spiritual Pivot and translated it into colloquial Chinese during his free time on medical consultations. Drawing from the consensus of scholars, he integrated these interpretations into the translation, ensuring both faithfulness to the original meaning and simplicity of language. He provided brief annotations for difficult or obscure words and added explanations for complex sentences to aid in understanding the text. This work serves as a must-read for those conducting in-depth research on traditional Chinese medicine theory and acupuncture, as well as a valuable reference for teaching in traditional Chinese medicine.