僧海渊阆人也工针砭天禧中入吴楚游京师寓相国寺中书令张士逊疾国医拱手渊一针而愈
由是知
名既老归蜀范景仁赋诗饯之云旧乡山水绕禅扃日日山光与水声归去定贪山水乐不教魂梦到神
京治平二年化去张唐英贻以偈曰言生本不生言灭本不灭觉路自分明勿与迷者说刘季孙铭其塔
曰资身以医有闻于时余币散之拯人于危此士君子所难嗟乎师
王况字子亨本士人为南京宋毅叔婿毅叔既以医名擅南北况初传其学未精薄游京师甚凄然
会盐
法忽变有大贾睹揭示失惊吐舌遂不能复入经旬食不下咽 羸日甚国医不能疗其家忧惧榜于市
曰有治之者当以千万为谢况利其所售之浓姑往应其求既见贾之状忽发笑不能制心以谓未易措
手也其家人怪而诘之况谬为大言答之曰所笑者辇毂之大如此乃无人治此小疾耳语主人家曰试
取针经来况谩检之偶有穴与其疾似是者况曰尔家当勒状与我万一不能治则勿尤我当为针之可
立效主病者不得已亦从之急针舌之底抽针之际其人若委顿状顷刻舌遂伸缩如平时矣其家大喜
谢之如约又为之延誉自是翕然名动京师既小康始得尽心肘后之书卒有闻于世事之偶然有如此
者况后以医得幸宣和中为朝请大夫着全生指迷论一书医者多用之(王明清余话)
医用艾一灼谓之一壮以壮人为法也其言若千壮壮人当根据此数老幼羸弱量力减之(类苑)
The monk Haiyuan was from Langzhong and was skilled in acupuncture (Zhenjiu, 针灸) and bian stone therapy. During the Tianxi era, he traveled through the Wu and Chu regions and later arrived at the capital, where he resided in the Xiangguo Temple. At that time, Chancellor Zhang Shixun fell ill; imperial physicians (Guoyi, 国医) held their hands up in helplessness, but Haiyuan cured him with a single needle insertion.
From this, it is known that after gaining fame, he returned to Shu in his old age. Fan Jingren composed a poem to see him off, stating: "The mountains and rivers of my hometown surround the gates of the Zen monastery; day by day, the mountain scenery and water sounds accompany me. Upon returning, I shall surely indulge in the joy of nature, preventing my soul and dreams from reaching the Divine Capital." In the second year of Zhiping, Haiyuan passed away (parinirvana). Zhang Tangying presented him with a gatha (Ji, 偈): "To speak of birth is originally not to be born; to speak of extinction is originally not to be extinguished. The path of awakening is naturally clear; do not tell this to those who are deluded." Liu Jisun inscribed his stupa saying: "He sustained himself through medicine and gained renown in his time; he scattered his wealth to rescue people from peril. This is what a scholar-official or gentleman finds difficult to achieve. Alas, what a venerable master!"
Wang Kuang, courtesy name Ziheng, was originally a scholar and the son-in-law of Song Yishu from Nanjing. Song Yishu was renowned for his medical skills throughout the north and south. Wang Kuang initially inherited his teachings but had not yet mastered them. While wandering alone in the capital, his life was quite desolate. Coincidentally, the salt laws suddenly changed. A wealthy merchant, upon seeing the proclamation, was startled into protruding his tongue, which could not retract. For ten days, he could not swallow food, becoming increasingly emaciated and weak. Imperial physicians were unable to treat him. His family, filled with worry and fear, posted notices on the streets stating: "Whoever can cure him shall be rewarded with ten million coins." Wang Kuang, tempted by the lucrative reward, went to fulfill the request. Upon seeing the merchant's condition, he suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter. He thought internally that the case was not easy to handle. His family found this strange and questioned him. Wang Kuang lied grandly, replying: "I laugh because the capital is so vast, yet there is no one who can treat such a minor ailment." He told the host: "Try to fetch the *Classic of Acupuncture* (*Zhenjing*, 针经)." Wang Kuang casually flipped through it and happened upon an acupoint that seemed relevant to the disease. Wang Kuang said: "You must draft a written agreement for me. If I cannot cure him, do not blame me. I will administer acupuncture, and he will recover immediately." The patient, out of desperation, agreed. They urgently needled the base of the tongue. As the needle was withdrawn, the person appeared lethargic and debilitated. Within moments, his tongue began to extend and retract as usual. His family was overjoyed and thanked him according to the agreement, further spreading his reputation. From then on, his fame shook the capital. Only when his family became moderately prosperous did he have the leisure to study books like the *Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies* (*Zhouhou Beiji Fang*, 肘后备急方), eventually gaining renown in the world. Such coincidences in worldly affairs are indeed remarkable. Wang Kuang later gained favor through his medical skills and served as Chaoqing Dafu during the Xuanhe era. He authored the book *Quansheng Zhimi Lun* (Treatise on Guiding the Lost in Life Preservation), which was widely used by physicians. (From Wang Mingqing's *Yu Hua*)
When physicians use moxibustion (Moxiu, 艾灸) with mugwort, one application is termed one "zhuang" (unit of moxa cone). This standard is based on robust, healthy adults. The number of zhuang mentioned refers to this count; healthy adults should adhere to this quantity, while the elderly, children, and the frail should reduce the amount according to their capacity. (From *Lei Yuan*)