淮南子云。神农尝百草。一日七十毒。予尝诵其书每至于此。未始不叹夫孟子所谓尽信书。
则不如无书。夫神农立极之大圣也。闵生民之不能以无疾。故察夫物性之可以愈疾者。以贻
后人。固不待乎物物必尝而始知也。苟待乎物物必尝而始知。则不足谓之生知之圣也。以生
知
之圣言之。则虽不尝亦可知也。设使其所知。果有待乎必尝。则愈疾之功。非疾不能以知之
。其神农众疾俱备。而历试之乎。况污秽之药。不可尝者。其亦尝乎。且味固可以尝而知。
其气。其性。其行经主治。及畏恶反忌之类。亦可以尝而知乎。苟尝其所可尝。而不尝其所
不可尝。不可尝者。既可知。而可尝者。亦不必待乎尝之而后知矣。谓其不尝不可也。谓其
悉尝亦不可也。然经于诸药名下不着气性等字。独以味字冠之者。由药入口惟味为先故也。
又药中虽有玉石虫兽之类。其至众者惟草为然。故遂曰尝百草耳。岂独尝草哉。夫物之有毒
。尝而毒焉。有矣。岂中毒者。日必七十乎。设以其七十毒。偶见于一日而记之。则毒之小
也。固不死而可解。毒之大也。则死矣。孰能解之。亦孰能复生之乎。先正谓淮南之书多
寓言。夫岂不信。
予读内经六微旨论。至于亢则害。承乃制。喟然叹曰。至矣哉。其造化之枢纽乎。王太仆发
之于前。刘河间阐之于后。圣人之蕴。殆靡遗矣。然学人尚不能释然。得不犹有未悉之旨也
欤。谨按内经。帝曰。愿闻地理之应六节气位何如。岐伯曰。显明之右。君火之位也。君火
之右。退行一步。相火治之。复行一步。土气治之。复行一步。金气治之。复行一步。水气
治之。复行一步。木气治之。复行一步。君火治之。相火之下。水气承之。水位之下。土气
承之。土位之下。风气承之。风位之下。金气承之。金位之下。火气承之。君火之下。阴精
承之。帝曰。何也。岐伯曰。亢则害。承乃制。制生则化。外列盛衰。害则败乱。生化大病
。尝观夫阴阳五行之在天地间也。高者抑之。下者举之。强者折之。弱者济之。盖莫或使然
。而自不能不然也。不如是。则高者愈高。下者愈下。强者愈强。弱者愈弱。而乖乱之政日
以极矣。天地其能位乎。虽然。高也。下也。弱与强也。亦莫或使然。而自不能不然也。故
易也者。造化之不可常也。惟其不可常。故神化莫能以测。莫测故不息也。可常则息矣。亢
则害。承乃制者。其莫或使然。而自不能不然者欤。夫太仆河间已发挥者。兹不赘及。其未
悉之旨。请推而陈之。夫自显明之右。止君火治之十五句。言六节所治之位也。自相火之
下。止阴精承之十二句。言地理之应乎岁气也。亢则害。承乃制二句。言抑其过也。制生
则化。止生化大病四句。言有制之常。与无制之变也。承犹随也。然不言随。而曰承者。以
下言之。则有上奉之象。故曰承。虽谓之承。而有防之之义存焉。亢者过极也。害者害物也
。制者克胜之也。然所承也其不亢。则随之而已。故虽承而不见。既亢。则克胜以平之。
承
斯见矣。然而迎之不知其所来。迹之不知其所止。固若有不可必者。然可必者。常存乎杳置
恍惚之中。而莫之或欺也。河间曰。已亢过极。则反似胜已之化。似也者。其可以形质求哉
。
故后篇厥阴所至为风生。终为肃。少阴所至为热生。终为寒之类。其为风生为热生者。亢也
。其为肃为寒者。制也。又水发而为雹雪。土发而飘骤之类。其水发土发者。亢也。其雹雪
飘骤者。制也。若然者。盖造化之常。不能以无亢。亦不能以无制焉耳。夫前后二篇。所主
虽有岁气运气之殊。然亢则害。承乃制之道。盖无往而不然也。惟其无往而不然。故求之
于人。则五脏更相平也。一脏不平。所不胜平之。五脏更相平。非不亢而防之乎。一脏不平
。所不胜平之。非既亢而克胜之乎。姑以心火而言。其不亢。则肾水虽心火之所畏。亦不过
防之而已。一或有亢。即起而克胜之矣。余脏皆然。制生则化。当作制则生化。盖传写之误
。而释之读之者。不觉求之不通。遂并遗四句而弗取。殊不知上二句。止言亢而害。害而制
耳。
此四句。乃害与制之外之余意也。苟或遗之。则无以见经旨之周悉矣。制则生化。正与下文
害则败乱相对。辞理俱顺。不劳曲说。而自通。制则生化者。言有所制。则六气不至于亢而
为平。平则万物生生。而变化无穷矣。化为生之盛。故生先于化也。外列盛衰者。言六气分
布主治。迭为盛衰。昭然可见。故曰外列。害则败乱。生化大病者。言既亢为害。而无所制
。则败坏乖乱之政行矣。败坏乖乱之政行。则其变极矣。其灾甚矣。万物其有不病者乎。生
化。指所生所化者言。谓万物也。以变极而灾甚。故曰大病。上生化。以造化之用言。下生
化。以万物言。以人论之。制则生化。犹元气周流。滋营一身。凡五脏六腑四肢百骸九窍。
皆藉焉以为动静云。为之主生化大病。犹邪气恣横。正气耗散。凡五脏六腑四肢百骸九窍。
举不能遂其运用之常也。或以害为自害。或以承为承袭。或以生为自无而有。化为自有而无
。或以二生化为一意。或以大病为喻造化之机息。此数者皆非也。且夫人之气也。固亦有亢
而自制者。苟亢而不能自制。则汤液针石导引之法以为之助。若天地之气。其亢而自制者。
固复于平。亢而不制者。其孰助哉。虽然。造化之道苟变至于极。则亦终必自反。而复其常
矣。学人能本之太仆河间。而参之此论。则造化枢纽之详。亦庶矣乎。然张戴人治法心要。
则曰。假令水为母。木为子。当春旺之时。冬令犹在。即水亢也。水亢极。则木令不至矣。
木者继冬而承水也。水既亢。则害其所承矣。所以木无权也。木无权。则无以制土。土既旺
。则水乃受制也。土者。继长夏之令也。水受土制。热克其寒也。变而为湿。此其权也。又
如火为母。土为子。当长夏之时。暄令犹在。即火亢也。火既亢极。则湿令不至矣。湿者。
继夏而承火也。火既亢。则害其所承矣。所以湿无权也。湿无权。则无以制水。水既旺。则
火乃受制也。水者。严冬之令也。火受水制。寒克其热也。变而为土湿。土斯得其权也。
斯言也推之愈详。而违经愈远矣。或曰。心要者。他人成之。盖得于所闻之讹耳。
The *Huainanzi* states: "Shennong tasted a hundred herbs, encountering seventy types of poison in a single day." Whenever I recite this book and reach this passage, I cannot help but sigh at Mencius's saying, "To believe everything in books is better than having no books at all." Shennong was a Great Sage who established the fundamental principles. Pitying that the people could not be without disease, he investigated the properties of substances that could cure diseases to leave for future generations. This certainly did not require tasting every substance individually to know its nature. If one had to taste every substance individually to know it, he would not be worthy of being called a Sage who knows from birth. Speaking of a Sage who knows from birth, even without tasting, he could know. Suppose what he knew indeed required tasting; then the efficacy of curing diseases could not be known without experiencing the disease itself. Did Shennong suffer from all kinds of diseases simultaneously to test them? Moreover, regarding foul or repulsive medicines that should not be tasted, did he taste them too? Furthermore, while flavors can indeed be known by tasting, can the qi (vital energy), nature, meridian tropism, therapeutic indications, and mutual aversion or incompatibility of medicines also be known by tasting? If one tastes only what can be tasted and does not taste what cannot be tasted, and since what cannot be tasted can already be known, then what can be tasted need not wait until after tasting to be known. It is impossible to say he did not taste anything, but it is also impossible to say he tasted everything. However, the classics do not annotate terms like qi or nature under the names of various medicines, but exclusively prefix them with "flavor," because when medicine enters the mouth, flavor comes first. Additionally, although medicines include minerals, stones, insects, and animals, among these, herbs are the most numerous. Thus, it is said he tasted a hundred herbs. Does this mean he only tasted herbs?
There are indeed cases where toxic substances cause poisoning upon tasting. But must those poisoned number exactly seventy per day? Suppose those seventy poisons were recorded as occurring accidentally in one day: for minor poisons, death would not occur and they could be resolved; for major poisons, death would ensue. Who could resolve them? And who could bring them back to life? The ancients stated that the *Huainanzi* contains many allegories. Is this not true?
When I read the *Suwen: Treatise on the Six Micro-Principles* (*Liuwei Zhi Lun*) of the *Neijing*, reaching the phrase "Excess leads to harm, succession brings regulation" (*Kang ze hai, cheng nai zhi*), I sighed deeply, saying: How profound! This must be the pivot of creation. Wang Bing (Wing Taipu) elucidated it beforehand, and Liu Wansu (Liu Hejian) expanded upon it afterwards. The profound meaning of the Sages seems to have been fully revealed. Yet learners still remain unconvinced; is there perhaps an aspect of the intent that has not been fully comprehended? According to the *Neijing*: The Yellow Emperor asked, "I wish to hear how geography corresponds to the positions of the six qi phases." Qibo replied, "To the right of Xianming is the position of Minister Fire. To the right of Minister Fire, moving backward one step, Phase Fire governs. Moving another step, Earth Qi governs. Moving another step, Metal Qi governs. Moving another step, Water Qi governs. Moving another step, Wood Qi governs. Moving another step, Minister Fire governs again. Below Phase Fire, Water Qi succeeds it. Below the Water position, Earth Qi succeeds it. Below the Earth position, Wind Qi succeeds it. Below the Wind position, Metal Qi succeeds it. Below the Metal position, Fire Qi succeeds it. Below Minister Fire, Yin Essence succeeds it." The Yellow Emperor asked, "Why?" Qibo answered, "Excess leads to harm, succession brings regulation. With regulation, there is generation and transformation; externally, prosperity and decline are displayed. Harm leads to disorder and ruin, generating severe illness." I have observed Yin-Yang and the Five Elements operating within heaven and earth: what is high is suppressed, what is low is lifted, what is strong is broken, what is weak is aided. There is likely no external agent causing this, yet it naturally cannot be otherwise. If it were not so, what is high would become higher, what is low lower, what is strong stronger, what is weaker weaker, and the chaotic governance would reach its extreme daily. Could Heaven and Earth maintain their positions? Although high, low, weak, and strong arise without an external agent, they naturally cannot be otherwise. Thus, the *Yijing* speaks of the impermanence of creation. Precisely because it is impermanent, divine transformation cannot be measured. Because it cannot be measured, it does not cease. If it were permanent, it would cease. "Excess leads to harm, succession brings regulation"—this is precisely the principle where no agent causes it, yet it naturally cannot be otherwise. What Wang Bing and Liu Wansu have already expounded upon will not be repeated here. Regarding the aspects not yet fully explained, please allow me to deduce and present them. The fifteen sentences from "To the right of Xianming" to "ending with Minister Fire governing" describe the positions governed by the six phases. The twelve sentences from "Below Phase Fire" to "ending with Yin Essence succeeding" describe how geography responds to annual qi. "Excess leads to harm, succession brings regulation" describes suppressing excess. The four sentences from "With regulation, generation occurs" to "generating severe illness" describe the normal state with regulation versus the variable state without regulation. "Cheng" (succession/succeeding) is akin to following. However, it says "cheng" rather than "sui" (follow) because speaking from below upwards implies a sense of upholding or supporting, hence "cheng." Although called "cheng," it contains the meaning of prevention. "Kang" (excess) means reaching the extreme limit. "Hai" (harm) means damaging things. "Zhi" (regulation/control) means overcoming or subduing. However, if what is succeeded is not excessive, it merely follows, so although succeeding, it is not visible. Once excessive, it is overcome and subdued to restore balance, and the function of succession becomes visible. Yet, attacking it, one does not know where it comes from; tracing it, one does not know where it stops. It seems somewhat uncertain. However, what is certain often exists in the obscure and indistinct realm, deceiving no one. Liu Wansu said: "When excess reaches the extreme, it reverses to appear as the transformation of that which overcomes it." The term "appear" (si)—can this be sought through physical form? Therefore, later chapters state such phrases as "Where Jueyin arrives, wind generates, ending in肃 (dryness/clearing); where Shaoyin arrives, heat generates, ending in cold." That they generate wind or heat represents excess; that they end in dryness or cold represents regulation. Similarly, water erupting into hail and snow, earth erupting into gusty winds and sudden rain: the eruption of water or earth is excess; the hail, snow, or gusts represent regulation. In this way, it seems the normal course of creation cannot exist without excess, nor without regulation. Although the preceding and latter chapters differ in their focus on annual qi and luck, the principle of "excess leads to harm, succession brings regulation" is universally applicable. Because it is universally applicable, when applied to humans, the five zang organs balance each other. If one zang is unbalanced, the zang that overcomes it balances it. The mutual balancing of the five zang organs is not preventing excess? When one zang is unbalanced, the overcoming zang balances it—is this not overcoming excess after it has occurred? Taking Heart Fire as an example: if it is not excessive, although Kidney Water is feared by Heart Fire, it merely prevents it. If there is any excess, Kidney Water rises to overcome it. The same applies to other zang organs. "Zhi sheng ze hua" should read "Zhi ze sheng hua" (Regulation leads to generation and transformation). This is likely a transcription error. Those interpreting and reading it, finding it difficult to comprehend, omitted these four sentences entirely. Little did they know that the previous two sentences only discuss excess leading to harm, and harm leading to regulation. These four sentences contain the residual meaning beyond harm and regulation. If omitted, the comprehensive intent of the classic cannot be seen. "Regulation leads to generation and transformation" stands in direct contrast to the subsequent text "Harm leads to disorder and ruin." The wording and logic are smooth, requiring no forced interpretation to make sense. "Regulation leads to generation and transformation" means that with regulation, the six qi do not become excessive but remain balanced. Balance allows all things to generate continuously, with infinite transformation. "Transformation" is the flourishing of "generation," so "generation" precedes "transformation." "Externally displayed are prosperity and decline" means the six qi are distributed and govern, alternating between prosperity and decline, clearly visible, hence "externally displayed." "Harm leads to disorder and ruin, generating severe illness" means that once excess causes harm and lacks regulation, chaotic and disruptive governance prevails. When chaotic governance prevails, changes reach extremes and disasters become severe. Can all things avoid illness? "Sheng hua" (generation and transformation) refers to the generated and transformed entities, i.e., all things. Because changes are extreme and disasters severe, it is called "severe illness." The former "sheng hua" refers to the function of creation; the latter "sheng hua" refers to all things. Applying this to humans: "Regulation leads to generation and transformation" is like Yuan Qi (Original Qi) circulating and nourishing the entire body. All five zang, six fu, limbs, bones, hundred joints, and nine orifices rely on it for movement and stillness. "Harm leads to disorder and ruin, generating severe illness" is like pathogenic qi acting arbitrarily and healthy qi dissipating. All five zang, six fu, limbs, bones, hundred joints, and nine orifices fail to perform their normal functions. Some interpret "harm" as self-harm, "cheng" as inheritance, "sheng" as coming from nothing, "hua" as returning to nothing, or merge the two instances of "sheng hua" into one meaning, or view "severe illness" as a metaphor for the cessation of creative mechanisms. None of these are correct. Moreover, human qi also has instances of excess and self-regulation. If excess cannot self-regulate, methods such as decoctions, acupuncture, stone therapy, and qigong are used to assist. As for heavenly and earthly qi, if it excesses and self-regulates, it naturally returns to balance. If it excesses and is not regulated, who assists it? Nevertheless, if the way of creation changes to the extreme, it will inevitably reverse and return to normalcy. If scholars base themselves on Wang Bing and Liu Wansu and refer to this treatise, the details of the pivot of creation will be largely understood. However, Zhang Congzheng (Zhang Dairen) in his *Zhifa Xinyao* states: "Suppose Water is the mother and Wood is the son. During the prosperous time of Spring, the command of Winter remains; this is Water excess. When Water excess reaches the extreme, the command of Wood does not arrive. Wood inherits Winter and succeeds Water. Since Water is excessive, it harms what it succeeds (Wood), so Wood has no power. Without power, Wood cannot control Earth. Since Earth is prosperous, Water is controlled by Earth. Earth commands Late Summer. Water controlled by Earth: Heat overcomes Cold, transforming into Dampness. This is Earth's power. Again, suppose Fire is the mother and Earth is the son. During Late Summer, the warmth of Summer remains; this is Fire excess. When Fire excess reaches the extreme, the command of Dampness does not arrive. Dampness inherits Summer and succeeds Fire. Since Fire is excessive, it harms what it succeeds (Dampness), so Dampness has no power. Without power, Dampness cannot control Water. Since Water is prosperous, Fire is controlled by Water. Water commands Deep Winter. Fire controlled by Water: Cold overcomes Heat, transforming into Wet Earth. Only then does Earth gain power." This argument, the more detailed it becomes, the further it deviates from the classic. Some say: *Zhifa Xinyao* was compiled by others, likely based on erroneous hearsay.