Library

The *Lingshu* was originally named the *Zhenjing* (Needle Classic). The *Sui Shu: Jingji Zhi* (Bibliography of the Book of Sui) referred to it as the *Jiuling* (Nine Spirits), and Wang Bing of the Tang Dynasty renamed it *Lingshu*, which was likely based on some existing sources. It discusses the Yin and Yang of the Zang-Fu organs, the pairing of Yin and Yang (female and male principles), the spirit, Qi, and blood, the origins of life and death, the circulation and entry/exit of Ying (Nutritive) and Wei (Defensive) Qi, and the beginning and end cycles of the meridians. It details the varying amounts of Qi and blood in the Three Yin and Three Yang meridians, and the differences in length between the Hand and Foot meridians; the Qi of the Five Zang organs corresponds externally to the skin, flesh, tendons, and bones with the Five Elements, while the commands of the Four Directions and Four Seasons internally connect to the Lungs, Kidneys, Heart, and Liver; the Twelve Meridians correspond to the twelve major rivers of the earth, and the Eleven Zang-Fu organs correspond to the six musical pitches and five tones of heaven; Heaven and Earth, Sun and Moon are matched with the upper and lower parts of the human body, indicating that humanity is in correspondence with Heaven and Earth; growth, flourishing, harvesting, and storing follow the coming and going of cold and heat, and the human body responds accordingly. The pulse follows the rhythm of respiration, corresponding to the twenty-eight lunar mansions of the celestial sphere; Ying Qi circulates with Wei Qi, conforming to the Yin and Yang of the hundred ke (time units) of day and night; within the Twelve Meridians, it distinguishes the syndromes of "Shi Dong" (Affecting Movement) and "Suo Sheng" (Causing Generation); the pulse methods for the Five Zang organs have "Huan" (Slow), "Ji" (Rapid), "Hua" (Slippery), and "Se" (Choppy) as key guidelines; it discusses the spirits of the Five Zang organs, which reside internally within the five emotions and wills; it classifies five types of constitutions, which externally manifest five colors and five tones; observing the tip of the nose (Mianwang) allows one to know the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of the Zang-Fu organs, and examining the form and Qi enables one to know the length of lifespan. It discusses the clear and turbid Yin and Yang of Qi, which can be either smooth or reversed; the flavors of sour, pungent, sweet, and bitter have their taboos and appropriateness. It discusses internal injury diseases, distinguishing the effects of Yin/Yang and joy/anger; external contraction diseases each have their specific locations and layers. The onset of all diseases involves cold, heat, deficiency, and excess; the methods of decoctions involve tonification, purgation, warming, and cooling. The profound principles within cannot be fully expounded.

Unless one is a sage born with innate wisdom, how can one perceive what lies behind a wall? This is truly the primordial origin of the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity), and indeed the highest attainment of medicine. Yet later generations treated it merely as the *Zhenjing* and neglected it! If physicians can understand the generation, origin, entry, and exit of Zheng Qi (Upright Qi), they will then know the deficiency and excess, superficiality and depth of pathogenic diseases. If one abandons the fundamental Great Way and instead pursues trivial matters, when encountering complex and knotty conditions, one will inevitably become confused and lost in mind. If one can devote oneself to studying this classic, one will naturally stand out from the crowd.