The position of Yellow Emperor's Classics in Chinese medicine may be compared to that of Plato's Republic in Western philosophy and that of Shakespeare in English literature, for the good reason that the classic in question had, since its first publication, become the most authoritative guidance for the practice of Chinese medicine. It had become the foundations of Chinese medicine in the same way as the thought of Confucius had become the foundations of Chinese philosophy. Very few, if any, Chinese physicians of traditional Chinese medicine would challenge the basic contents of this celebrated classic to this day. Chinese medical classics published after Yellow Emperor's Classics always made numerous references to it, and for that reason, it would be easier for anyone to understand Chinese medical classics after reading through the contents of Yellow Emperor's Classics. Some Chinese physicians held the view that after one had read through Yellow Emperor's Classics from cover to cover and understood its contents thoroughly, it would be like climbing to the top of a mountain with a clear view of the surrounding regions from the top.

Designed as an entry level text on classical Chinese medicine, this book combines the essential passages of the ancient texts with interpretive information from TCM professors across China, with respect to international student needs. The book enables readers to access the ancient sources of the Chinese medical theories and methods they use today.

The first text to restore the Four Canons of the Yellow Emperor to its rightful place alongside the Tao Te Ching • Presents the practical guidance of the Four Canons on the art of ruling, metaphysics, military matters, and ways of meditation • Includes translations of the earliest known versions of the Tao Te Ching • Highlights the many links between the Four Canons and the Tao Te Ching In 1973, in Mawangdui, China, a large number of silk manuscripts were discovered at an early Han burial place. Among these were two versions of the Tao Te Ching by Lao-tzu. Dated to around 200 bce, these manuscripts were much older than all existing versions and included, quite surprisingly yet deliberately, the Four Canons of the Yellow Emperor--a long-lost treatise never-before seen in modern times. Based on both the Mawangdui version of the Tao Te Ching and the recently discovered Guodian version, this book is the first to restore the Four Canons of the Yellow Emperor to its rightful place alongside the Book of the Way. Complementing the philosophy of the Tao Te Ching with its more practical advice, the Four Canons cover the art of ruling, metaphysics, military matters, and ways of meditation. Showing how this pairing of texts established the foundations of the Han Dynasty’s power, Jean Levi offers extensive notes throughout the text, providing information essential for understanding as well as highlighting the many connections between these two classic works.

In this selection of core texts, Richard Bertschinger presents a commentary and translation of the key writings for students and practitioners of Chinese medicine in the 21st century from the ancient, definitive set of books on Chinese medicine, the Huangdi Neijing or 'the Yellow Emperor's Medical Classic'. Bertschinger selects the key sections of the long and often impenetrable Huangdi Neijing that are vital for students and practitioners to know and understand for practice today, and provides an accessible view of these fundamental writings which remain central to all traditional approaches to medicine in China. Taking eminent Ming doctor and scholar Li Zhongzi's selection of texts as a basis, he also includes a number of additional texts from the Huangdi Neijing on topics such as the spirit in treatment, a resonance with nature, the art of needling, and the Five Elemental body and personality types, thus ensuring the relevance of this core set of information for students and practitioners of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine today.

中英文本

The Neijing is one of the most important classics of Taoism, as well as the highest authority on traditional Chinese medicine. Its authorship is attributed to the great Huang Di, the Yellow Emperor, who reigned during the third millennium BCE. This new translation consists of the eighty-one chapters of the section of the Neijing known as the Suwen, or "Questions of Organic and Fundamental Nature." (The other section, called the Lingshu, is a technical book on acupuncture and is not included here.) Written in the form of a discourse between Huang Di and his ministers, The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine contains a wealth of knowledge, including etiology, physiology, diagnosis, therapy, and prevention of disease, as well as in-depth investigation of such diverse subjects as ethics, psychology, and cosmology. All of these subjects are discussed in a holistic context that says life is not fragmented, as in the model provided by modern science, but rather that all the pieces make up an interconnected whole. By revealing the natural laws of this holistic universe, the book offers much practical advice on how to promote a long, happy, and healthy life. The original text of the Neijing presents broad concepts and is often brief with details. The translator's elucidations and interpretations, incorporated into the translation, help not only to clarify the meaning of the text but also to make it a highly readable narrative for students—as well as for everyone curious about the underlying principles of Chinese medicine.

The Shang Han Lun has been a primary treatment theory and practice source for nearly two millenia. Its author, Zhang Zhong Jing, has been named the “Chinese Hippocrates” to highlight the depth and breadth of his contribution to traditional Chinese drug therapy. This edition features the Chinese text, Pinyin transliteration, and an English translation of the entire Song Dynasty text, the content and textual order most used in Asia. Just as in Chinese language editions, it is fully supplemented with notes and commentaries. The notes describe the clinical symptoms Zhang Zhong Jing associated with the Chinese terms. For example, modern interpretations of a “moderate” pulse often refer to the speed of its beats. The same term, when used in the Shang Han Lun, refers to a pulse that is loose, soft, and harmonious. Such notes provide practitioners with the clinical observations necessary to properly apply the information. The commentaries further enhance the text’s clinical utility by explaining the theoretical and practical foundations behind the lines of text. Because entire bodies of theory and practice can be associated with the terms and expressions used in canonical works like the Shang Han Lun, commentaries have become a standard means of knowledge acquisition for Asian students. The commentaries in this edition serve exactly the same purpose, greatly enhancing its utility. The introductory matter explains the background of the text, the conceptual structure of its contents, and the problems of exegesis. The appendices are designed to assist those studying Chinese and the glossary and the full Pinyin-English index make this an easily accessed reference.