礼记所载医不三世。不服其药。或曰。祖孙世传。历久效彰。或曰。黄帝三代书。当尽读。鄙意窃谓不难。查三世
者。必有夙。因前定。何则。宇宙茫茫。业医万计。有名满都邑。铁限且穿。要旨元机。毫不领会。有关尺了了。指下
分明。议病处方。俱与古合。此岂非夙因与。心少斟师承。长喜读内经、难经、伤寒、金匮、千金、外台。汉魏唐宋元
明秦初诸大家。寝馈其中。十更裘葛。启扃发微。问世未遑。玮板瑶函。多方购置。良师益HT 。极意讲求。嗣遇李梦
舟先
生传授针灸。其补泻迎随。候气留气诸法。皆与灵枢甲乙经。古书相符。详勘细玩。略有寸步前闻。知者延为延医。何
一出手。幸
获大效。世有狂妄讥予泥古。予以闭门合辙。戾古炫奇者悉。尽信无书。援古引咎者谬。予不敏。每兢兢焉以陨越
古绳墨为虑。炫奇以矜能。不敢也。引咎以速谤。尤不敢也。噫嘻。心既无家传秘诀。而黄帝三代之书，又不能深入
显出。伐毛洗髓。凭是风因。所在望古遥集。采菁撷华。焚膏继晷。乐此不疲。禅修用力满腔悲悯。打包出山。由宁而
杭。倏忽三载。虚名浪得。延请踵至。积稿成册。癣等嗜痂。诸公谬赏。嘱咐手民。二符之愚。以谂来者。疾我罪
我。均不知焉。时
光绪己丑余月下浣三日心禅自书于虎林紫阳山旅邸。
《礼记》中记载：“医不三世，不服其药。”有人解释说，这是指祖孙三代相传，历经长久疗效显著；也有人认为，是指《黄帝内经》等“三代”之书应当全部读完。我私下认为这并不难理解。所谓“三世”，必定有前世的因缘注定。为什么呢？宇宙浩瀚，行医之人数以万计，有的名声传遍都市，连铁门都磨穿了（形容名气极大），但对于医学的要旨和玄机却毫不领会；而有的人对寸口、尺脉的诊察了如指掌，手指下的脉象分明清晰，议论病情、开具处方，都与古法相合。这难道不是前世的因缘吗？
我年少时很少接受系统的师承教育，长大后喜欢阅读《内经》、《难经》、《伤寒论》、《金匮要略》、《千金方》、《外台秘要》等典籍，以及汉、魏、唐、宋、元、明、秦初各位大家的著作，沉浸其中，寒来暑往，十年如一日地研读，开启门户，发掘微言大义。但当时没有闲暇问世行医。为了获取知识，多方购置善本秘籍，遇到良师益友，便极意钻研讲求。后来遇到李梦舟先生传授针灸技术，其补泻、迎随、候气、留气等方法，都与《灵枢》、《甲乙经》等古籍相符。我详细考察并仔细玩味这些理论，略有进步，听闻者便邀请我为其治病。为何我一出手，便能侥幸获得显著疗效？世间有狂妄之人讥笑我拘泥于古人，我认为那些闭门造车却合乎辙迹、背离古人却炫耀新奇的人，都是完全相信书本而无视实际的人，引用古人来推卸责任是谬误的。我虽然不敏，但常常兢兢业业，担心违背古法准则而导致失败；炫耀新奇以夸耀才能，我不敢；引用古人来招致诽谤，更不敢。唉！我心中既无家传秘诀，而《黄帝内经》等“三代”之书，又不能深入显出、彻底领悟。凭借这种肤浅的原因，所在之处却期望像古人那样遥不可及的高超境界，只能采集精华，焚膏继晷（点灯夜读，形容勤奋），乐此不疲。怀着慈悲之心修行用力，打包出山，从宁波到杭州，转眼三年，虚名浪得，求诊者接踵而至。积累稿件成册，如同嗜痂成癖，蒙诸公错爱欣赏，嘱咐刻印出版，以此愚见告知后来者。批评我或怪罪我，我都无从知晓了。时间是光绪己丑年（1889年）六月下旬三日，心禅在虎林紫阳山旅馆亲自书写。
The *Book of Rites* records: "If a physician has not practiced for three generations, do not take their medicine." Some say this means that if the medical knowledge is passed down from grandfather to grandson over generations, its efficacy will be evident after a long time. Others say it refers to the need to thoroughly read the "Three Dynasties" books attributed to the Yellow Emperor. I privately believe this is not difficult to understand. The so-called "three generations" must imply a predestined karmic connection. Why? The universe is vast, and there are countless practitioners of medicine. Some have reputations that fill the cities, wearing through iron gates (a metaphor for immense fame), yet they fail to grasp the essential principles and mysteries of medicine. Conversely, some physicians clearly understand the cun and chi pulses at the wrist, perceive the pulse qualities distinctly under their fingers, discuss diseases and prescribe formulas in accordance with ancient methods. Is this not due to past-life karma?
In my youth, I received little systematic instruction from a master; as I grew older, I enjoyed reading the *Neijing* (Classic of Internal Medicine), *Nanjing* (Classic of Difficult Issues), *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Damage), *Jingui Yaolue* (Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet), *Qianjin Fang* (Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold), *Waitai Miyao* (Secret Essentials from the Outer Tower), as well as works by major masters from the Qin, Han, Wei, Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. I immersed myself in these texts, enduring ten cycles of winter furs and summer clothes (indicating many years), opening doors to insights and uncovering subtle meanings. However, I had no leisure to publish or practice publicly at that time. To acquire knowledge, I purchased fine editions and rare manuscripts from various sources. When encountering good teachers and beneficial friends, I studied them with great intent. Later, I met Mr. Li Mengzhou, who taught me acupuncture. His methods of tonification and sedation, following and opposing, waiting for qi, and retaining qi all corresponded with ancient texts such as the *Lingshu* (Spiritual Pivot) and *Jia Yi Jing* (A-B Classic). I carefully examined and pondered these teachings and made slight progress. Those who heard of this invited me to treat their illnesses. Why did I achieve significant effects upon first treatment? There are arrogant people in the world who mock me for being stuck in antiquity. I believe that those who work behind closed doors yet follow the correct track, or who deviate from ancient standards while showing off novelty, completely trust books without regard for reality, and use references to ancient authorities to shift blame are erroneous. Although I am not intelligent, I am always diligent and cautious, fearing failure by violating ancient standards. I dare not show off novelty to boast of my skills, nor dare I cite ancients to hasten slander. Alas! I have no family-secret prescriptions in my heart, and the "Three Dynasties" books of the Yellow Emperor cannot be deeply understood and brought out explicitly. Relying on such superficial causes, yet hoping to reach the lofty realms of the ancients, I can only collect essences and pick flowers, burning oil to continue reading by day (working tirelessly day and night), finding joy in this without fatigue. With compassion filling my heart, I cultivated diligently, packed my bags, and left home. From Ningbo to Hangzhou, three years passed swiftly. I gained empty fame, and requests for consultation followed closely. My accumulated drafts formed a volume. Like someone addicted to eating scabs (a metaphor for a peculiar obsession), I was mistakenly appreciated by gentlemen. I instructed the printers to engrave and publish this, offering my foolish views to inform future generations. Whether you criticize or blame me, I am unaware. Written personally by Xinch'an on the third day of the latter half of the sixth lunar month in the Ji-Chou year of Guangxu (1889), at the inn on Ziyang Mountain in Hulin.