Library

Books serve to carry the Dao (the Way). If what is carried is not pure, it will instead cause harm. Ah, books! Medical works, ranging from *Bencao* (Materia Medica), *Suwen* (Basic Questions), *Lingshu* (Spiritual Pivot), *Nanjing* (Classic of Difficult Issues) up to *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Pathogenic Diseases), possess complete methods and fully prepared substance and function. The books are few yet the principles are refined; this is the origin of the Dao. In later generations, however, works have proliferated, filling ox-carts and lining buildings like dust. Most have become chaotic and sprawling, while a few have become blocked and stagnant. Due to chaos, one resorts to forced connections and arbitrary attachments; due to stagnation, one becomes narrow-minded. Those who hunt for fame and profit through such chaotic assertions merely become bookworms and foul air. As for discussing these works, are they pure? They are likely nothing more than futilely creating confusion and disturbance, making the Dao even dimmer and the world more bewildered. What use is there in having many?

The Way of Medicine is connected with the Way of Confucianism. Why is it that after reading Confucian books for three years, there inevitably emerge Confucians who can lead the world and gain fame? Yet, when reading medical books, even over generations, no truly capable physicians seem to emerge among them. Why is this? Is Confucianism difficult or is Medicine difficult? There are indeed those in the world who look down upon medicine, considering it easy and speaking of it lightly. This is likely said without deep reflection. I, regarding Confucianism, am already afraid that I cannot achieve it; why then do I now engage in medicine? Heaven has used the Way of Medicine to encourage me. Although I am not intelligent, I dare not fail to strive. If one wishes to strive, then everything related to the Dao must be strived for, so that one may eventually speak of "striving." Therefore, the *Jing Shu* (Book on Stiffness/Spasm) possesses the Dao; the Yellow Emperor, Bo Gao, and Zhang Zhongjing have expounded upon it. Later people did not follow the Dao but instead harmed it with the absurdity of "Wind Shock" (Jing Feng). The disaster to the world and the obstruction of the Dao have lasted long enough. This is perhaps why Medicine is difficult. I truly cannot bear to see this situation, so I dare to clarify this Dao and write this book again, to engage in striving together with those who understand me. This is what is meant by the *Jing Shu*.

Postscript by Fang Youzhi, Mountaineer of Jiulong, on the Human Day (7th day) of the first month of the Jihai year of the Wanli era.

*Shanghan Lun* refers to Zhang Zhongjing's differentiation and discussion of cold pathogenic diseases. Why differentiate and discuss cold pathogenic diseases? Because "Zhongfeng" (Wind Strike) confuses the concept of Shanghan, conflating wind strike with cold; and "Wenbing" (Warm Diseases), Fengwen (Wind-Warmth), Huoluan (Cholera-like disorder), Benqi Zibing (Diseases originating from internal Qi imbalance), as well various Jing (Stiffness/Spasm), Shi (Dampness), and He (Heatstroke) conditions all intermingle with Shanghan amidst doubt. Therefore, each must be differentiated and discussed by category, so that each can begin to be clear and free from confusion. This is the reason for the creation of *Shanghan Lun*. However, the reason why various diseases require differentiation and categorical discussion to become clear and free from confusion is that they are all unified under the Six Channels (Liu Jing). Each of the Six Channels involves meridians and zang-fu organs. Only the Taiyang (Greater Yang) channel initially involves both Ying (Nutritive) and Wei (Defensive) pathways. Discussing diseases by channels means that once the channels are differentiated, the diseases become clear. Between Shanghan and Zhongfeng, within the discussion of channels, lies a critical relationship: strict differentiation focuses on the Ying and Wei of the Taiyang channel. Generally, wind pathogens affect the Wei, while cold pathogens affect the Ying. If both wind and cold are present, both Ying and Wei are affected and both become diseased. The Taiyang channel is one, Ying and Wei are two, but the diseases are three. This is why the Taiyang channel requires strict differentiation, differing from other channels. Beyond the Taiyang, for Yangming and subsequent channels, differentiation and discussion allow each to return to its respective channel. Thus, it proceeds from subtle to manifest, from few to many. Merely counting the methods to cover all possibilities, the items of law extend to 397, and the formulas inherited number 113. Yet within these laws, there are clauses stating: "Know what deviation has occurred, and treat according to the syndrome," and items stating: "Know what deviation has occurred, and apply the appropriate method." Laws stated thus, does it not imply that because the differentiation is as detailed as sorting silk threads, accumulating so much, it still is insufficient to exhaust all that needs to be discussed regarding wind and cold? Alas! From this, one can imagine one ten-thousandth of Zhang Zhongjing's intention in writing this treatise, beyond mere words and text. Who would say that this is not differentiation and discussion, and how else could chaos be cleared and the name and reality of Shanghan be rectified? It cannot be done otherwise. Therefore, *Shanghan Lun* should not be treated as a Classic (Jing) but only as a Treatise (Lun); is not its intent here? Although nominally called a "Treatise," in essence it is a "Classic." Commentators say that for medical practitioners, having this book is like Confucians having the *Analects* and *Mencius*, largely because it is holistic and comprehensive, capturing subtleties with precision, broad enough to support *Suwen* and *Nanjing*, serving as the sun and moon of this Dao. Truly so. It grasps the key points and details, manages the opening and closing of meridians, maintains coherence from beginning to end, and clarifies the network. Closely, it resembles *Daxue* (Great Learning) and *Zhongyong* (Doctrine of the Mean); distantly, it can be compared to *Chunqiu* (Spring and Autumn Annals) and modeled after *Yijing* (Book of Changes). Commentators who overlook this seem unable to claim full knowledge of the purity of this book. Alas! The text is not far removed from antiquity; its language is concise and its meaning profound. Those who read it and practice its way generally only imitate forms and shadows, trace the footsteps of decoctions and pills, mistakenly choose fame and profit, seeking a fit in the remnants of blindness. It is like a music master learning techniques to tune bells, qin, and se; although the rhythm is skillful, to seek the so-called correct Six Pitch-pipes, harmonious Five Tones, communication of Eight Winds, and harmony with Heaven and Earth is hard to achieve. Wang Shuhe classified, collected, and arranged them into separate chapters. He divided the Taiyang chapter into three parts, differentiating each one and labeling the titles. Since he labeled them by differentiation, the focus of the treatise lies in differentiation; Wang Shuhe had grasped this. Since he divided Taiyang into three chapters, the focus of the Taiyang channel lies in three differentiations; Wang Shuhe had clarified this. Viewing it from today, within each chapter, those that do not conform to differentiation are clearly identifiable. Especially in the three Taiyang chapters, they are particularly confused, lacking distinction among the three. Such arrangement relies merely on Wang Shuhe's name for preservation; where is the actual content of Wang Shuhe? It must be that frivolous later generations, like those compiling case classifications, ignorant of the treatise's meaning and the intent of differentiation, relying on their own pettiness, attempting plagiarism, aiming for deception and display, frequently altering, causing chaos and inversion, breaking apart the laws and modifying the formulas arbitrarily. They believed that without doing so, they could not attract attention, catering only to selfish desires and misunderstanding, leading others astray. However, putting caps on feet and shoes on heads will surely shock observers; mixing fragrant herbs with foul ones will surely disgust sniffers. Perhaps someone might come out to re-edit it. Thus, although the outer frame remains intact, the structure and bones are ultimately lost, causing later readers to doubt and eventually concluding it is not the complete work. Even specialists in medicine place it aside unread. To consider this book not the complete work of Zhang Zhongjing and leave it unread is understandable for those not engaged in medicine. But for those engaged in medicine, viewing it as incomplete and refusing to read it—can such a person be called a complete physician? How thoughtless. Thus, this literature was obscured, the Great Dao overgrown, and people suffered from diseases. Whether luck or misfortune, it is uncertain. I privately feared this state, traversed mountains and rivers, braved thorns, traveled north and south, reaching Qilu in the east and Sichuan-Shaanxi in the west, dedicating myself to the right path, seeking enlightened masters, hoping to restore Wang Shuhe's original order and connect to Zhang Zhongjing's source. Through twenty years of wind and frost, my face darkened and hair turned white, spirits silently guided me, until one day I suddenly understood. Testing this on my journey, my strength sufficed for a small trial. Tired and old, thinking of rest, I returned to the fields, closed the door, examined differences among various editions, corrected deviations, consulted friends and teachers, and presumptuously undertook this compilation. Over eight winters and summers, the manuscript was rewritten seven times. Deeply ashamed of my shallow contributions like a frog's croak, yet honored to attach myself to the steed. Although insufficient to match Wang Shuhe's elegant tone or proclaim Zhang Zhongjing's legacy, tracing the stream to its source, stretching my neck to gaze at the correction of Six Pitch-pipes, harmony of Five Tones, passage of Eight Winds, and unity of Heaven and Earth, aiming for the health of people and things, aspiring to the prosperity of Tang and Yu, I have never ceased longing for gentlemen who bear this Dao. This is why I dare not escape, even if accused of presumption. I respectfully record this on bamboo slips to inform my comrades.

Written by Fang Youzhi of Lingshan, She County, at Wuyi Studio in Xinan, on the Winter Solstice day of the Xinmao winter.