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Huangdi Neijing

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"Suwen" and "Su wen" redirect here. For the county in China, seeSuwen County.
A digitized copy of theSu Wen of the Huangdi Neijingfor online reading

Huangdi Neijing(simplified Chinese:Hoàng đế nội kinh;traditional Chinese:Hoàng đế nội kinh;pinyin:Huángdì Nèijīng), literally theInner Canon of the Yellow EmperororEsoteric Scripture of the Yellow Emperor,is anancient Chinesemedical text or group of texts that has been treated as a fundamental doctrinal source forChinese medicinefor more than twomillennia.The work comprises two texts—each of eighty-one chapters or treatises in a question-and-answer format between the mythicalYellow Emperorand six of his equally legendary ministers.

The first text, theSuwen(Tố Vấn), also known asBasic Questions,[1]covers the theoretical foundation of Chinese Medicine and its diagnostic methods. The second and generally less referred-to text, theLingshu(Linh xu;Spiritual Pivot), discussesacupuncturetherapy in great detail. Collectively, these two texts are known as theNeijingorHuangdi Neijing.In practice, however, the titleNeijingoften refers only to the more influentialSuwen.

Two other texts also carried the prefixHuangdi Neijingin their titles: theMingtang(Sân phơi;Hall of Light) and theTaisu(Quá tố;Grand Basis), both of which have survived only partially.

The book was popular among Taoists.

Overview[edit]

The earliest mention of theHuangdi Neijingwas in the bibliographical chapter of theHanshuHán Thư(orBook of Han,completed in 111 CE), next to aHuangdi WaijingHuỳnh Đế ngoại kinh( "Outer Canon of the Yellow Emperor" ) that is now lost. A scholar-physician calledHuangfu MiHoàng Phủ mịch(215–282 CE) was the first to claim that theHuangdi Neijingin 18 juanCuốn(or volumes) that was listed in theHanshubibliography corresponded with two different books that circulated in his own time: theSuwenand theZhenjingChâm kinh( "Needling Canon" ), each in 9 juan.[2]Since scholars believe thatZhenjingwas one of theLingshu's earlier titles, they agree that theHan dynastyHuangdi Neijingwas made of two different texts that are close in content to the works we know today as theSuwenand theLingshu.

TheYellow Emperor's Inner Classic(Huangdi Neijing,Hoàng đế nội kinh) is the most important ancient text in Chinese medicine as well as a major book ofDaoisttheory and lifestyle. The text is structured as a dialogue between the Yellow Emperor and one of his ministers or physicians, most commonlyQíbó(Kỳ bá), but also Shàoyú (Thiếu du). One possible reason for using this device was for the (anonymous) authors to avoid attribution and blame.[3]

TheNeijingdeparts from the old shamanistic beliefs that disease was caused by "demonic influences" ( tà khí ) which is to be interpreted as any disease causing element, be it virus, bacteria or carcinogen, which can further be categorised by imbalance in diet, lifestyle, emotions, environment and the premature aging, etc. According to the Neijing, the universe can be represented by various symbols and principles, such asyin and yang(--, — ),[4]thewu xing( which must be interpreted as symbols no different than x,y, z or a, b, c in algebra),[4]andqi.[5]These systems of abstraction of natural phenomenon aid our understanding of natural processes of which human health is among. Man is a microcosm that mirrors the larger macrocosm. The principles of yin and yang, the five elements, the environmental factors of wind, damp, hot and cold and so on that are part of the macrocosm equally apply to the human microcosm. Traditional medicine is a way for man to maintain this balance.

Date of composition[edit]

Before archeological discoveries atMawangdui,Hunan,in the 1970s, the work had been dated to between theWarring States periodto as late as theHan dynasty(206 BCE–220 CE).[1]However, excavations found medical texts that changed this opinion. Donald Harper, Vivienne Lo and Li Jianmin agree that the systematic medical theory in the Neijing shows significant variance fromMawangdui Silk Texts,which were sealed in a royal tomb in 168 BCE. Because of this, they consider the Neijing to have been compiled after the Mawangdui texts.[citation needed]Historian of scienceNathan Sivin(University of Pennsylvania) concluded that theSuwenandLingshuprobably date to the first century BCE, far later than most scholars would have dated it before the discoveries at Mawangdui. Those medical texts also show that it is not one book, "but a collection of diverse writings, many of which disagree and some of which comment on others. He is also of the opinion that (as of 1998)" no available translation is reliable. "[6]

They therefore challenge earlier arguments.Celestial Lancets(1980, byJoseph NeedhamandLu Gwei-djen)[7]states that the consensus of scholarly opinion is that theSuwenbelongs to the second century BCE, and cites evidence that theSuwenis earlier than the first of the pharmaceutical natural histories, theThần Nông thảo mộc kinhShennong Bencao Jing(Divine Farmer's Classic of the Materia Medica). So suggestive are parallels with third and fourth century BCE literature that doubt arises as to whether theSuwenmight be better ascribed to the third century BCE, implying that certain portions may be of that date. The dominant role the theories of yin/yang and the five elements play in the physiology and pathology indicates that these medical theories are not older than about 320 BCE.

The German scholarPaul U. Unschuldsays several 20th-century scholars hypothesize that the language and ideas of theNeijing Suwenwere composed between 400 BCE and 260 CE, and provides evidence that only a small portion of the received text transmits concepts from before the second century BCE.[8]The work subsequently underwent major editorial changes.[9]

Du Fu,a fourteenth-century literary critic, was of the opinion that theSuwenwas compiled by several authors over a long period. Its contents were then brought together by Confucian scholars in the Han dynasty era.[10]

Wang Bing version[edit]

In 762 CE, Wang Bing finished his revision of theSuwenafter labouring for twelve years. Wang Bing collected the various versions and fragments of theSuwenand reorganized it into the present eighty-one chapters (treatises) format. Treatises seventy-two and seventy-three are lost and only the titles are known. Originally his changes were all done in red ink, but later copyists incorporated some of his additions into the main text. However, the 1053 version discussed below restored almost all of his annotations and they are now written in small characters next to the larger characters that comprise the main or unannotatedSuwentext. See Unschuld, pages 40 and 44.)

According to Unschuld (pages 39 and 62) Wang Bing's version of theSuwenwas based on Quan Yuanqi's (early sixth century) commented version of theSuwenconsisting of ninejuan(books) and sixty-nine discourses. Wang Bing made corrections, added two "lost" discourses, added seven comprehensive discourses on the five phases and six qi, inserted over 5000 commentaries and reorganized the text into twenty-four juan (books) and eighty-one treatises.[11]

In his preface to his version of theSuwen,Wang Bing goes into great detail listing the changes he made. (See Veith, Appendix II and Unschuld pages 41–43.)

Not much is known about Wang Bing's life but he authored several books. A note in the preface left by the later editors of theChong Guang Bu Zhu Huangdi Neijing Suwen(version compiled by 1053 editorial committee) which was based on an entry inTang Ren Wu Zhi(Record on Tang [Dynasty] Personalities) states that he was an official with the rank oftai pu lingand died after a long life of more than eighty years.[12]

Authoritative version[edit]

The "authoritative version" used today,Chong Guang Bu Zhu Huangdi Neijing SuwenTrọng quảng bổ chú hoàng đế nội kinh Tố Vấn(Huangdi Neijing Suwen: Again Broadly Corrected [and] Annotated), is the product of the eleventh-century Imperial Editorial Office (beginning in 1053 CE) and was based considerably on Wang Bing's 762 CE version.[13]Some of the leading scholars who worked on this version of theSuwenwereLâm trăm triệuLin Yi,Tôn kỳSun Qi,Cao bảo hànhGao Baoheng andTôn triệuSun Zhao.

For images of theChong Guang Bu Zhu Huangdi Neijing Suwenprinted in theMing dynasty,(1368–1644 CE) see the external links section below.

English translations[edit]

Sinological Translations
  • Handbooks for Daoist Practice,translated by Louis Komjathy. Ten volume set of pamphlets, where volume three of the set isYellow Thearch's Basic Questions.Only the first two discourses out of the total eighty-one are translated.
  • Beginning in 2003, the Sinlogists and scholars ofChinese medical historyPaul Unschuld, Hermann Tessenow and their team at the Institute for the History of Medicine at Munich University published several volumes of translation and scholarly apparatus. theNeijing Suwen,including an analysis of the historical and structural layers of theSuwen.[14][15][16]
TCM Style Translations
  • The Medical Classic of the Yellow Emperor,translated by Zhu Ming, Foreign Language Press, Beijing, China, 2001, 302 pages.ISBN7-119-02664-X.An edited version of theNeijingwith the treatises reordered by topic. About a 20–25 percent of theNeijing(bothSuwenandLingshu) is translated. Includes annotations and commentaries by translator.
  • Yellow Empero's[sic]Canon of Internal Medicine(stated to be Wang Bing's version, but a quick examination shows it to appear to be identical to the authoritative version, but without the commentary), translated by Nelson Liansheng Wu and Andrew Qi Wu. China Science & Technology Press, Beijing, China, 1999, 831 pages.ISBN7-5046-2231-1.Complete translation of bothSuwenandLingshu.Contains theNeijingtext in simplified Chinese characters, along with alternate variants ofNeijingtext also in simplified characters. The alternate variants of theNeijingare not translated, only the main version is translated. None of the commentary by Wang Bing is translated.
Medical History Translations
  • Huang Di nei jing su wen: Nature, Knowledge, Imagery in an Ancient Chinese Medical Text,Unschuld, Paul U., 2003. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, California.ISBN0-520-23322-0.Analysis and history of theSuwen.Includes significant portions of theSuwentranslated into English.
  • The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine,translated by Ilza Veith. University of California Press, December, 2002, 288 pages.ISBN0-520-22936-3.Translation of: (1) Wang Bing's 762 CE preface, (2) the c. 1053 CE Imperial Office's preface, (3) a historical account of theHuangdi Suwenfrom chapter 103 of theBốn kho toàn thư mục lục lược thuật trọng điểmSiku Quanshu Zongmu Tiyao(Complete Library of the Four Treasuries: General Catalog with Abstracts) and (4) the first thirty-four chapters (treatises) of theSuwen.Includes an extensive introductory study with illustrations. The first published English translation of theSuwen.(Originally copyrighted in 1949.)

Modern Chinese translations and references[edit]

  • Hoàng đế nội kinh Tố Vấn chú thích ngữ dịchHuangdi Neijing Suwen Jiao Zhu Yu Yi(Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic: Plain Questions – Critically Compared, Annotated and Translated), Guo Aichun, 1999, vi, 1296 pages. Tianjin Kexue Jishu Chubanshe (Tianjin Science and Technology Press), Tianjin, China.ISBN7-5308-2114-8.ContainsNeijing Suwentext in simplified characters, variants, annotations (both by present day author, Wang Bing and other sources) and Modern Chinese translation. Contains comprehensive index (220 pages) ofNeijing Suwenterms. All Chinese in simplified characters.
  • Hoàng đế nội kinh từ điểnHuangdi Neijing Cidian(Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic Dictionary), Guo Aichun (editor-in-chief), 1991, vi, 1296 pages. Tianjin Kexue Jishu Chubanshe (Tianjin Science and Technology Press), Tianjin, China.ISBN7-5308-0906-7.Dictionary ofNeijingterms in simplified Chinese.
  • Nội kinh Tố VấnNeijing Suwen(Chong Guang Bu Zhu Huangdi Neijing Suwenversion),Vương băngWang Bing,Lâm trăm triệuLin Yi,Tôn kỳSun Qi,Cao bảo hànhGao Boheng, 1965. Series: Sibu Beiyao. Zibu, volumes 409–410. Taibei Shi: Taiwan Zhonghua Shuju Mingguo (Taipei City: Taiwan China Press, Republic of China 54). OCLC control number: 24985568. (Note, this volume is in the zishu (zibu[what language is this?]) division of the series. The zibu is one of the four traditional divisions of a Chinese library concerning works related to areas of education, Chinese medicine, agriculture, military strategy, astrology, mathematics and so on.) ContainsSuwen,Wang Bing's annotations (in small characters) and annotations by 1053 CE Imperial Editorial Office, also in small characters. The Imperial Editorial Office annotations are proceeded byTân chỉnh lýxin jiao zheng (newly compared and corrected). All characters in traditional (complex) form.

References[edit]

  1. ^abTitle: The Su Wen of the Huangdi Neijing (Inner Classic of the Yellow Emperor)
  2. ^Sivin 1993, 197.
  3. ^see pages 8–14 in Unschuld (2003) for an exposition of this.
  4. ^abMemory of the World: The Treasures That Record our History from 1700 BC to the Present Day(1st ed.). Paris:UNESCO Publishing.2012. p. 35.ISBN978-92-3-104237-9.
  5. ^Clayre, Alasdair(1985).The Heart of the Dragon(First American ed.). Boston:Houghton Mifflin.p. 204.ISBN978-0-395-35336-3.
  6. ^Sivin (1988),p. 53, 68.
  7. ^Needham, Gwei-Djen Lu, Joseph (2002-09-27).Celestial Lancets: A History and Rationale of Acupuncture and Moxa.London: Routledge.doi:10.4324/9780203462256/celestial-lancets-vivienne-lo-gwei-djen-lu-joseph-needham.ISBN978-0-203-46225-6.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^Unschuld, pp.1–3.
  9. ^Sivin, p. 68.
  10. ^Unschuld (2003),p. 1.
  11. ^Unschuld (2003),pp. 24, 39 46.
  12. ^See Unschuld (2003), page 40. Also Veith, Appendix I for a translation of an abstract from theBốn kho toàn thư mục lục lược thuật trọng điểmSiku Quanshu Zongmu Tiyaoabout both theHuangdi Suwenand Wang Bing.
  13. ^Unschuld (2003),pp. 33–66.
  14. ^Unschuld (2003).
  15. ^UnschuldTessenow (2008).
  16. ^UnschuldTessenow (2011).

Bibliography[edit]

  • Lu, Gwei-djen and Joseph Needham (1980).Celestial Lancets: A History and Rationale of Acupuncture and Moxa.New York, NY: Routledge/Curzon.ISBN0-7007-1458-8.
  • Siku Quanshu Zongmu TiyaoBốn kho toàn thư mục lục lược thuật trọng điểm(Complete Library of the Four Treasuries: General Catalog with Abstracts), ed. by Ji YunKỷ vân(1724–1805), Yong RongVĩnh Dung(1744–1790), 1782. Shanghai: Shangwu YinshuguanThượng Hải: Thương vụ ấn thư quán,1933).OCLC23301089.
  • Sivin, Nathan (1993). "Huang ti nei chingHoàng đế nội kinh."InEarly Chinese Texts: A Bibliographical Guide,ed. by Michael Loewe. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press: 196–215.
  • Sivin, Nathan (1988). "Science and Medicine in Imperial China—The State of the Field".The Journal of Asian Studies.47(1): 41–90.doi:10.2307/2056359.JSTOR2056359.PMID11617269.S2CID26443679.ProQuest1290553712.
  • Sôma, Mitsuru; Kawabata, Kin-aki; Tanikawa, Kiyotaka (25 October 2004). "Units of Time in Ancient China and Japan".Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan.56(5): 887–904.doi:10.1093/pasj/56.5.887.
  • Unschuld, Paul U. (2003).Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen: Nature, Knowledge, Imagery in an Ancient Chinese Medical Text, with an Appendix, the Doctrine of the Five Periods and Six Qi in the Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen.Berkeley: University of California Press.ISBN0520233220.
  • ———; Tessenow, Hermann (2008).A Dictionary of the Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen.Berkekely, Calif.: University of California Press.ISBN978-0520253582.
  • ———; Tessenow, Hermann (2011).Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen: An Annotated Translation of Huang Di's Inner Classic - Basic Questions, Volume II, Chapters 53–71, and 74–81.University of California Press.ISBN9780520266988.
  • Veith, Ilza;translator (1972).The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine). Revised paperback edition. Berkeley, Los Angeles: University of California Press.ISBN0-520-02158-4.
  • Wiseman, Nigel and Andy Ellis (1995).Fundamentals of Chinese Medicine: Zhong Yi Xue Ji Chu.Revised edition. Brookline, Mass.: Paradigm Publications.ISBN0-912111-44-5.

External links[edit]

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