Research on the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon Literature

Author: Zhang Canmei, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-27
Features: The book Huangdi Neijing is one of the classic works of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and has long been revered by medical practitioners as the cornerstone of their profession. Sun Simiao of the Tang Dynasty once said, "Anyone aspiring to be a great physician must be thoroughly familiar with Suwen, Jia Yi, and Huangdi Zhenjing." Zhou Mu of the Ming Dynasty remarked, "The book Suwen is ancient in language yet profound in meaning, subtle in theory yet detailed in practice. It achieves harmony with nature before illness strikes and extends human life even in critical situations. It strengthens social ethics and promotes the prosperity of governance, truly serving as the ancestor of physicians, akin to the Five Classics in Confucianism. Thus, it is said: A physician who does not read Suwen is like a scholar who neglects the study of their own classics—so it is with medicine." However, only those who truly understand the profound meanings of Neijing can appreciate the validity of Zhou’s words. This collection focuses on issues related to the literature research of Huangdi Neijing, such as the origins of Huangdi Neijing, its compilation date and historical context, the examination of the names and origins of Suwen and Jiujie, the analysis of cited texts and quotations in Suwen and Lingshu, the different schools of thought in Suwen and Lingshu, the arrangement of chapters in Suwen and Lingshu, the study of academic thoughts in Neijing, and the literature research of variant versions of Neijing. Building upon previous studies and combining decades of personal research, this work presents some preliminary insights. Given the vastness and depth of Neijing, the content of this book is limited to the author’s understanding and does not exhaust the subject. Further research is welcome. If this work can serve as a stepping stone for others, it will be more than sufficient.