Curated Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon

Author: Xie Hua
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-03-01
Features: The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon is a great masterpiece in the history of Chinese culture and also the foundational work of ancient Chinese medicine. It completely embodies the unique understanding of the Chinese ancients regarding the relationship between the human body and the seasons, climate, and the holistic concept of the body's parts mutually responding to each other. It is a supreme masterpiece that guides Chinese medicine, ancient health preservation, and Qigong. It is also the source of the theoretical system of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It serves as a model for explaining human physiology, pathology, diagnosis, and treatment using the Yin-Yang and Five Elements theories, as well as for illustrating the unity of the internal and external environments of the human body with the "Heaven-Mankind Correspondence" holistic concept. Therefore, it has become a must-read for those studying TCM. However, due to its profound terminology, beginners may find it challenging. Thus, translating and explaining it in modern language plays an important role in making it more accessible and understandable for learners. The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon is the earliest extant medical book in China. According to many experts, it was compiled around the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon is a summary and embodiment of the wisdom of ancient and prehistoric peoples in the fields of medicine and health preservation. It not only clearly describes the anatomical structure of the human body and the circulation of the meridians but also provides more profound and comprehensive discussions on human physiology, medical pathology, medical geography, medical phenology, and other subjects than the disciplines on human discovery that emerged in the West only in recent modern times. The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon is also an extremely rare masterpiece of health preservation, alongside Fuxi's Eight Trigrams and Shennong's Herbal Classic, it is ranked as one of the "Three Ancient Classics of Antiquity." The major academic achievements in the history of Chinese medicine and the emergence of numerous outstanding medical experts are all closely linked to The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, earning it the title of "The Ancestor of Physicians" from generations of medical scholars. Throughout the entire book, it covers various fields such as geography, health preservation, philosophy, astronomy, psychology, seasons, fengshui, calendar, Yin-Yang, and the Five Elements, making it a remarkable masterpiece in the treasure trove of ancient Chinese culture. As a classic work of TCM, The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon is the source of the theoretical system of TCM, serving as a model for explaining the unity of the human internal environment using the Yin-Yang and Five Elements theories. Therefore, it has become a must-read for those studying TCM. However, due to its profound terminology, beginners may find it challenging. Thus, translating and explaining it in modern language plays an important role in making it more accessible and understandable for learners. In the process of translating and interpreting the book into colloquial language, we referred to a wide range of ancient commentaries, modern translations, and other versions that could be found, and incorporated the opinions of many fellow experts. In particular, several experts and professors from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine provided extensive support and assistance, reviewing and revising the manuscript multiple times. We hope that the fruits of the hard work and dedication of the many editorial committee members will benefit readers who wish to learn and understand The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon in their reading.