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Those who study medicine today are mostly in dire straits, taking up this profession merely as a means of livelihood. How could they know that the Way of Medicine is what the ancient sages used to unveil the secrets of Heaven and Earth, seize the power of creation, and save people from death. Its principles are subtle and divine; only those who are intelligent, keen, and wise can study it. The works of Huangdi (Yellow Emperor), Shennong (Divine Farmer), Yue Ren (Bian Que), and Zhang Zhongjing feature archaic and profound language, with broad and far-reaching implications; only those who are erudite and versatile can study them. The transmission and transformation of diseases occur within moments, making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood at once; if one is rigid or inflexible, life and death are decided instantly. Thus, only those who are open-minded and adaptable can study it. Disease names number in the thousands, and syndromes in the tens of thousands; the theories of Zang-Fu organs and meridians, internal and external treatments, and books on prescriptions and herbs cannot be fully explained in a few years. Therefore, only those who read diligently and memorize well can study it. Furthermore, after the *Neijing* (Inner Canon), medical schools branched out, each acting as its own teacher, inevitably leading to biased and flawed theories. There are also bizarre arguments and vulgar sayings, presented chaotically and confusingly; if one believes them by mistake, they may never return to the right path. Hence, only those with precise discernment and solid insight can study it. Therefore, practitioners of this art must possess extraordinary aptitude and universal understanding; they must also set aside worldly affairs, devote themselves to study for several years, and receive instruction from a master, so that they can secretly connect and tacitly understand the minds of the ancient sages. However, those who study medicine today are opposite to all these requirements. They expect people without literary foundation to master in an instant what even learned Confucian scholars cannot achieve in a lifetime. No wonder the Way of Medicine declines daily, and the wrongly dead fill the world.

Being a doctor is indeed difficult, but being a famous doctor is even more so. Why? A famous doctor commands high prestige and price, and is hard to invite. Even if one has the means to hire him, there is fear that he may not be available or willing upon arrival. If he does come, his residence is likely far away, preventing immediate access morning or night. Consequently, patients do not seek treatment for minor ailments immediately; they wait until the condition is critical, local doctors have given up, and the whole family considers it hopeless, before seeking help. Since everyone deems the condition critical, it truly is critical. Moreover, such illnesses often persist for a long time, involving multiple changes of doctors and extensive trials of medicines, leading to repeated errors and complex transformations, resulting in complicated and refractory syndromes. Does a famous doctor truly possess the magic to revive the dead? Patients' families fail to understand this logic; believing that such great fame implies the power to reverse fate, they feel disappointed if the doctor is helpless like others. Thus, their expectations are intense, and their blame heavy. For a doctor who seemingly holds the power of life and death, this situation is awkward. If the disease is undoubtedly fatal, clearly explaining the reasons for untreatability and predicting the time of death, then leaving gracefully, allows one to avoid blame. However, if there is a sliver of hope in a desperate case, using mild prescriptions to shirk responsibility, leading to certain death, causes inner unrest; using strong prescriptions for a last stand, if complications arise, triggers swarms of criticism, placing all blame for prior mismanagement on oneself. Although risks are usually stated clearly when prescribing, public opinion judges right and wrong by success or failure. Having taken one's medicine and died, the fault cannot be denied. Or, after recovery from a major illness, although Qi deficiency is addressed, residual pathogens may remain; post-illness care requires deep attention. Families often neglect proper regulation, leading to relapse, and still blame the doctor for poor skill. Such cases are numerous. Thus, treating patients is twice as difficult for famous doctors as for ordinary ones. Knowing this difficulty, doctors should be extremely cautious; patients and bystanders should also show empathy. Yet, there are quacks gaining false reputations who harm people everywhere; families complain that treatment failed, attributing it to fate. These individuals commit murder in fact but escape the reputation of murder, implying they use some cunning methods beyond normal reasoning.