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Wang Shuhe compiled the *Mai Jing* (Pulse Classic), categorizing and classifying pulse diagnoses, presenting them in a clear and detailed manner. Its origins are based on the *Nei Jing* (Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor), and it includes all theories from the Han Dynasty onwards without omission.

However, its core principles are not entirely uniform, making it difficult for practitioners to hold onto a single standard. Nevertheless, by compiling these various views, it provides a reference for future generations, making it an indispensable work.

I observe that the principle of pulse diagnosis is merely to verify the abundance or deficiency of Xue Qi (Blood and Vital Qi), and the flow of Cold-Heat and pathogenic factors within specific meridians and Zang-Fu organs. By cross-referencing these findings with the manifested symptoms, one can investigate the principles of generation, restriction, smoothness, and reversal, thereby determining auspicious or inauspicious outcomes. Therefore, the discussions on pulse diagnosis in the *Nei Jing*, *Nan Jing* (Classic of Difficult Issues), and Zhang Zhongjing's works appear somewhat sparse in their theoretical formulation, yet they prove remarkably accurate in practice. If one rigidly adheres to the statements in the *Mai Jing*, assuming that a specific disease must present a specific pulse, or a specific pulse indicates a specific disease—even though such correlations exist occasionally in the *Nei Jing*—this approach is overly dogmatic and cumbersome. When clinical application fails, some blame the inaccuracy of the pulse, others blame the misdiagnosis of the disease, and still others blame the incompatibility of the prescription and herbs, failing to realize that all these attributions are incorrect.

Diseases may align with pulses, contradict them, or even oppose them. The same pulse may be appropriate for one symptom but inappropriate for another. The same symptom may correspond to a suitable pulse in one context but an unsuitable one in another. A single disease may present dozens of different pulses, while a single pulse type may manifest across hundreds of different symptoms; these variations are flexible and unrigid. If one sticks dogmatically to a single theory, deriving symptoms from pulses will lead to inconsistencies, and deriving pulses from symptoms will also fail, causing confusion and indecision. Thus, ancient and modern experts on pulse diagnosis differ from each other, with distinct judgments on right and wrong. Each holds their own theory, resulting in mixed success and failure, primarily due to a lack of understanding of the profound meaning of adaptability; consequently, the more meticulous the theory, the more flawed it becomes.

Those who study the *Mai Jing* should recognize the detailed and rigorous nature of ancient pulse discourse, use it to examine similarities and differences, distinguish merits and faults, assess authenticity, and explore its adaptability, thereby gaining personal insights. However, attempting to treat diseases solely by rigidly following pulse indications will inevitably lead to a lack of confidence. Students of medicine must first study and integrate the teachings of the *Nei Jing*, *Nan Jing*, and Zhang Zhongjing to establish a firm foundation in their minds. Only then can the discussions of later scholars serve to broaden their horizons and refine their diagnostic acumen. This is the correct method for studying the *Mai Jing*.