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Xiu commented: The pulse is the blood vessel, and the tendons and bones of the entire body rely on it as their root; all pains and diseases of the body are evidenced through it. Examining the remaining discourses of ancient sages, there are indeed many profound principles uniquely highlighted, with clear intentions like a raised banner, serving as guidelines for later generations. However, some arbitrarily link seasonal changes, cleverly borrowing upon life-and-death timing correspondences, padding out full pages; while others focus merely on pulses and symptoms, mechanically segmenting and analyzing them without any flexibility, which does not seem to be essential language for clinical practice. This chapter gathers essence and brilliance; I presumptuously offer my humble words, removing superficiality and further adapting and transforming thoroughly, promoting complete understanding. It is truly the vitality within medicine and the most critical aspect of pulse diagnosis. Therefore, I have separately compiled this into a volume, adding a few remarks as a preface.

Furthermore, regarding the discussion of pulse essentials in this chapter, the first half merely introduces pulse images and locations leisurely, pointing out key aspects where necessary. Only in the latter part does it progressively peel back the layers of the major principles of pulse diagnosis, ensuring no meaning of diagnostic methods is left behind, similar to the ultimate effort described in the Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong), seeking the root in reverse, until sound and color vanish completely before ceasing. Readers must not only take the pulse image locations but also neglect the flexible and essential meanings in the latter part without careful examination.

Hui'an (Zhu Xi) said: In ancient times, observing the pulse was not limited to one method; nowadays, people only adhere to the Cun (Inch), Guan (Bar), and Chi (Cubit) methods, and what is called "Guan" is often unclear. Only the popularly circulated Pulse Rhymes (Maijue), with its most vulgar and shallow language, is not the original book by Wang Shuhe, yet it can directly point to the high bone as the Guan. However, eminent physicians of the world, considering this book a forgery, discard it and feel ashamed to speak of it. Qian Pu from Yunjian said: Wang Shuhe, Grand Physician of the Jin Dynasty, wrote the Pulse Classic (Maijing); its words can be followed but not changed. Once the Pulse Rhymes falsely attributed to Wang Shuhe became prevalent, the principles of medical classics thus became obscure. This is likely because Wang Shuhe was trusted and valued by the world, so his name was borrowed for it to circulate. However, the decline of medical knowledge may well be misled by this. Zhang Lu, in Zhenzong Sanwei (Three Essentials of Diagnosis), stated: Wang's Pulse Classic and Quan's Taisu mostly pick up phrases from classics, mixing dross and poison within. Occasionally opening a scroll, one cannot help but feel regret akin to gold dust entering the eye. As for books such as Zixu's Sizhen, Danxi's Zhizhang, Yingning's Shuyao, Binhu Maixue (Pulse Studies of Binhu), and Shicai Zhengyan, although praised at the time, they are essentially like carving a mark on a boat to find the sword, or looking for a horse according to a picture, rather than cutting-to-the-chase diagnostic essentials.