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Articles and translations of classical scholarly texts.

The Liver and Gallbladder: Selected Readings

CCM2022-09-07T12:38:25-07:00Tags: classical texts, gall bladder, German, Heiner Fruehauf, liver, translations|

BY VARIOUS AUTHORS
TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

The nature of wood is to spread. Once food qi enters the stomach, it relies entirely on the spreading and dredging function of liver wood, and it is only because of this influence that the food is transformed. If the liver's pure Yang does not rise, it cannot spread and dredge the grain and fluids, and distention and discomfort in the middle region will be the inevitable result. The liver is associated with wood.

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A Description of the Therapeutic Uses of Aconite by the Ming Dynasty Scholar-Physician Zhang Jingyue (1583-1640)

CCM2022-09-07T11:25:45-07:00Tags: Aconite Papers, Chinese herbs, Classical Pearls Herbal Formulas, classical texts, fuzi (aconite), German, Heiner Fruehauf, translations, Zhang Jingyue|

BY ZHANG JINGYUE (1583-1640)
TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF
GERMAN TRANSLATION BY MARKUS GOEKE

The flavor of Fuzi is pungent and sweet, and becomes extremely salty if immersed in brine. Its qi is very hot. This herb, therefore, carries within the energy of yang within yang. It is described as toxic. Its (toxic) effect is controlled by Renshen (ginseng), Huangqi (astragalus), Gancao (licorice), Heidou (black beans), Lüxijiao (green rhinozerus horn), Tongbian (human urine), Wujiu (Herba Stenolomae), and Fangfeng (siler).

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Zhang Zhicong (fl. 1619-1674): On Fuzi

CCM2022-09-07T12:04:34-07:00Tags: Aconite Papers, Chinese herbs, Classical Pearls Herbal Formulas, classical texts, fuzi (aconite), German, Heiner Fruehauf, translations, Zhang Zhicong|

BY ZHANG ZHICONG (1610-1674)
TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF
GERMAN TRANSLATION BY MARKUS GOEKE

The flavor of Fuzi is pungent, its qi is warm, and it is extremely toxic. It treats wind cold pathogens that induce coughing and other counterflow issues, wind damp arthritis causing wandering pain and constriction, and knee pain with inability to walk. It breaks up tumors and masses, and heals blood accumulations as well as wounds caused by metal objects. The best Fuzi is produced in Mianzhou in the region of Shu.

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Yang Tianhui: Notes from My Visit to the Fuzi Growing Area of Zhangming County

CCM2022-09-07T12:13:03-07:00Tags: Aconite Papers, aconite toxicity, Chinese herbs, Classical Pearls Herbal Formulas, classical texts, fuzi (aconite), German, Heiner Fruehauf, Sichuan Fire Spirit School, translations|

BY YANG TIANHUI (Song Dynasty, 1039 CE)
TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

The following text represents the most detailed pre-modern description of the traditional cultivation of medicinal aconite in China. It was written more than 900 years ago by a Sichuanese official in charge of Zhangming County. Zhangming is situated in the location of today’s Jiangyou County, epicenter of the recent Sichuan earthquake, which has been identified by all ancient materia medica experts as the only place where genuine Chinese aconite should be sourced from.

GERMAN TRANSLATION BY MARKUS GOEKE

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On Humanity’s Emotions and Higher Virtues: A Passage from the Chapter “Qingxing” in the ‘Baihu tongde lun’ (Discussions on the Power of Virtue in the White Tiger Hall; attributed to Ban Gu) fl. 1st Century CE

CCM2022-09-07T12:12:40-07:00Tags: Baihu tongde lun, Ban Gu, classical texts, Qingxing, translations|

BY BAN GU (fl. 1st Century CE)
TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

情性者，何謂也？性者，陽之施；情者，陰之化也。人稟陰陽氣而生，故內懷五性六情。情者，靜也，性者，生也，此人所稟六氣以生者也。故《鉤命決》曰：「情生於陰，欲以時念也；性生於陽，以就理也。陽氣者仁，陰氣者貪，故情有利欲，性有仁也。」

What is the nature of our emotional disposition (qingxing)? Our moral values (xing) represent an expression of yang, while our emotional urges (qing) are a transformation of yin...

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Fuxing Jue and Tangye Jing Translation Project: Preface

CCM2022-09-07T12:11:13-07:00Tags: Chinese herbs, classical texts, Fuxing Jue, Fuxing Jue and Tangye Jing Translation Project, translations|

TRANSLATED BY MICHAEL DELL'ORFANO
EDITED AND CRITICALLY ANNOTATED
BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

The Hermit says: Every student of the Dao and all seekers of longevity must first learn how to expel disease. Practitioners often suffer from chronic health problems or acute manifestations of seasonal illnesses. In this case, one needs to first employ the systematic methods of tonifying or reducing the five zang organs by imbibing several doses of herbal medicine.

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Introducing the Fuxing jue (Extraneous Secrets) and Tangye jing (Decoction Classic) Translation Project

CCM2022-09-07T12:39:42-07:00Tags: Chinese herbs, classical texts, Fuxing Jue, Fuxing Jue and Tangye Jing Translation Project, translations|

BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

Chinese herbal formulas are typically distinguished as jingfang (classical remedies) or shifang (contemporary remedies). During the last millennium, the origin of all classical formulas has generally been attributed to the Shanghan zabing lan (Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders and Miscellaneous Diseases), Chinese medicine’s seminal work on the systematic categorization of disease patterns and corresponding formulas by the Han dynasty scholar-physician Zhang Zhongjing (150-219 ACE). Historical sources reveal, however, that at least eleven classical herb primers (jingfang) existed before Zhang’s birth.

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Li Jie: The Life Story of a Forgotten 20th Century Master of Nourishing Life

CCM2022-09-07T12:18:12-07:00Tags: classical texts, Daoism, Daoist Medicine, Heiner Fruehauf, Li Jie, translations, Wang Qingyu|

BY HEINER FRUEHAUF
ADAPTED AND TRANSLATED FROM BIOGRAPHICAL TEXTS BY GUI SHOUZHEN, WANG QINGYU, AND WANG CHUNWU

The Hermit With the Ubiquitous Smile (Huanxi Daoren), Master Li Jie, also carried the epithets Taiqing (Supreme Purity) and Yonghong (Eternally Magnificent). He was born in Mingjing Village of Jiangyou County in Sichuan Province during the 2nd year of the Qing dynasty emperor Guangxu’s reign (1876). There, he is remembered as a child of extraordinary intelligence with an interest in martial arts, especially stick and sword forms. At age 7 he entered into private education, and eventually passed the test to become a mandarin of the first degree (Xiucai) at age 25. He was the first person ever in Mingjing Village who achieved this official rank, and with it came the love and adoration of his community. Afterwards, he worked as a teacher in local private schools around the counties of Jiangyou and Jiange.

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An Excerpt from Qianjin yifang (Supplemental Prescriptions Worth a Thousand in Gold) on the Importance of the Acupuncture Point Names

CCM2022-09-07T12:48:14-07:00Tags: acupuncture points, classical texts, Heiner Fruehauf, Sun Simiao, translations|

BY SUN SIMIAO (581-682)
TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

None of the acupuncture names were chosen randomly, all of them contain deep meaning. All point names containing the character for the wood element 木 are related to the Liver. All point names associated with Spirit (shen) 神 are related to the Heart. All point names associated with metal 金 or jade 玉 are related to the Lung. All point names associated with water 水 are related to the Kidney. Similarly, the Spirit’s state of movement is also potentially reflected in the point names. All points with the character Fu 府 (Storage) in their name affect the gathering of Spirit.

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Guizhi (Cinnamon) – From Bencao qiuzhen (Exploring the True Meaning of the Materia Medica, 1769)

CCM2022-09-07T12:23:20-07:00Tags: Bencao qiuzhen, Chinese herbs, classical texts, guizhi (cinnamon), Heiner Fruehauf, translations|

BY HUANG GONGXIU (18th Century)
TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

Cinnamon twig primarily enters the muscle layer at the surface of the body. At the same time, it enters the heart and liver channels. It is the branch of the cassia tree which also yields cinnamon bark. Cinnamon twig is light, its nourishing essence is pungent, and its color is red (therefore its affinity to the heart). The action of cinnamon twig is rising without descending.

FROM BENCAO QIUZHEN (EXPLORING THE TRUE MEANING OF THE MATERIA MEDICA, 1769)

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The Qualities of a Good Physician

CCM2022-09-07T12:22:24-07:00Tags: Chinese medicine, classical texts, Heiner Fruehauf, self-cultivation, translations|

BY ANONYMOUS (12 Century)
TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

Everyone who walks the path of healing has to first understand the fundamental principles that are behind all technical aspects of medicine. Only then should herbs and other modalities be prescribed. If healing is approached from the underlying source, all treatment efforts will be sublime and clinical results will naturally follow.

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Wuzhuyu – Evodia (Translation)

CCM2022-09-07T12:21:38-07:00Tags: Bencao qiuzhen, Chinese herbs, classical texts, translations, whuzhuyu (evodia)|

BY HUANG GONGXIU (18th Century)
TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

Wuzhuyu (Evodia ruticarpa) eliminates counterflow of cold liver qi. Its flavor is bitter, and its quality is hot and dry. It is slightly toxic. It has a primary affinity to the qi layer of the jueyin networks. It counteracts bloating. Li Dongyuan once said: “For a situation where turbid yin toxins do not descend and cause severe counterflow symptoms above, in severe cases accompanied by bloating and swelling, Wuzhuyu is the only substance that can effectively treat this condition.” Overuse of this herb, however, will cause harm to a person’s source qi.

FROM BENCAO QIUZHEN (EXPLORING THE TRUE MEANING OF THE MATERIA MEDICA, 1769)

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The Path of Acting in Accordance with Heaven (From Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals) – A Monograph on Longevity

CCM2022-09-07T12:40:28-07:00Tags: classical texts, heart, Heaven and Earth, longevity, translations|

BY DONG ZHONGSHU (179 - 104 BCE)
TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

Dong Zhongshu was a Han dynasty scholar with Confucian inclinations. His most important work, potentially a collaboration of different authors, is the Chunqiu fanlu (Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals). Written around the same time that the main classic of Chinese medicine (Huangdi neijing) was first edited into a coherent whole, it contains a variety of treatises on yin-yang cosmology and the five phase elements. In particular, it establishes the central importance of the earth element in Chinese philosophy, a concept that later took on pivotal importance in the development of Chinese medicine theory.

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Guizhi – Cinnamon Twig (Translations)

CCM2022-09-07T12:40:09-07:00Tags: Chinese herbs, classical texts, guizhi (cinnamon), Single Herb Series, translations|

BY HUANG GONGXIU, ZHANG XICHUN
(18th and 19th Centuries)
TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

Cinnamon twig primarily enters the muscle layer at the surface of the body. At the same time, it enters the heart and liver channels. It is the branch of the cassia tree which also yields cinnamon bark. Cinnamon twig is light, its nourishing essence is pungent, and its color is red (therefore its affinity to the heart). The action of cinnamon twig is rising without descending. Therefore, it can also enter the lung and facilitate uninhibited movement of qi, and enter the bladder channel and stimulate water metabolism.

INDIVIDUAL MONOGRAPHS

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Fuzi – Aconite (Translations)

CCM2022-09-07T12:39:58-07:00Tags: Chinese herbs, classical texts, fuzi (aconite), translations, Zhang Xichun|

BY HUANG GONGXIU, ZHANG XICHUN
(18th and 19th Centuries)
TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

Aconite primarily enters the vital gate of life (mingmen). Its nutritive essence is pungent and extremely hot. Aconite is purely yang in nature and thus toxic. Its function is to move being confined to one place, so it is known to move through all twelve channels, and there is no place in the body it can not reach.

INDIVIDUAL MONOGRAPHS

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Liu Yiming: Die Flusskarte

CCM2022-09-07T12:30:19-07:00Tags: cosmology, Daoism, Daoist Medicine, Five Phases (Elements) Theory, German, Liu Liming, yin/yang theory|

BY LIU YIMING (18th century)
GERMAN TRANSLATION BY BENJAMIN WITT

Liu is the most influential Daoist writer and commentator in the last 500 years. He is known for translating some of the esoteric and highly symbolic concepts of Daoism into clear language. His commentary on the River Map is a vital piece for the understanding of yin/yang and Five Phase Element theory.

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All Disease Comes From the Heart (translation)

CCM2022-09-07T12:31:11-07:00Tags: classical texts, translations, vitality and wellness|

BY HUR JUN (XU JUN) (16th Century)
TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

The sage healers of ancient times were able to heal the heart of humanity, and thus prevent disease from arising. Today’s doctors only know how to treat disease when it has already manifested in physical form, and don’t know anymore how to work with the heart.

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How a Great Physician Should Train for the Practice of Medicine

CCM2022-09-07T12:33:06-07:00Tags: classical texts, self-cultivation, translations|

BY SUN SIMIAO (581-682)
TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

Everyone who aspires to be a great physician must be intimately familiar with the following classics: the Simple Questions (Huangdi neijing suwen), the Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (Zhenjiu jiayi jing), the Yellow Emperor’s Needle Classic (Huangdi neijing lingshu), and the Laws of Energy Circulation from the Hall of Enlightenment (Mingtang liuzhu). Furthermore, one must master the twelve channel systems, the three locations and nine positions of pulse diagnosis, the system of the five zang and the six fu organs, the concept of surface and interior, the acumoxa points, as well as the materia medica in the form of single herbs, herb pairs, and the classic formulas presented in the writings of Zhang Zhongjing (fl.150-219, author of the Shanghan zabing lun)...

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Promoting Health and Relaxation During the Four Seasons

CCM2022-09-07T12:36:39-07:00Tags: classical texts, self-cultivation, translations, vitality and wellness|

BY GAO LIAN (16th Century)
TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

The following is a presentation of four famous seasonal tableaux by Gao Lian, a 16^th century poet and medical scholar who was an ardent proponent of the art of nourishing life. They originally appeared in Gao's book, Zunsheng bajian (Eight Pieces on Observing the Fundamental Principles of Life), which Chinese physicians used to regard as a comprehensive source of lifestyle related information. Recommencing one of the main themes of the Neijing, these seasonal portraits can be read as a typical attempt to translate the densely crafted teachings of the classic into more contemporary language.

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Five Phase Element Relationships

CCM2022-09-07T12:35:25-07:00Tags: classical texts, Five Phases (Elements) Theory, translations|

BY WAN MINYING (14th Century)
TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

Metal is generated by Earth; if there is too much earth, Metal will be buried. Earth is generated by Fire; if there is too much Fire, Earth will be charred. Fire is generated by Wood; if there is too much Wood, Fire will flare. Wood is generated by Water; if there is too much Water, Wood will be washed away. Water is generated by Metal; if there is too much Metal, Water will be grimy.

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Between Heaven and Earth: Selected Translations from the Classics

CCM2017-04-01T19:41:11-07:00Tags: classical texts, German, Heiner Fruehauf, Huainanzi, Huangdi Neijing, Li Ji (Book of Rites), Liji, translations|

BY VARIOUS AUTHORS

TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

The qi of earth ascends, the qi of heaven descends. In this fashion, yin and yang grind against each other, and heaven and earth merge in undulating embrace. If this setting is vibrated by thunder, excited by wind and rain, moved by the flow of the four seasons, and fondled by the germinating light of sun and moon, the world’s myriad processes of transformation become aroused.

FROM BOOK OF RITES (LI JI), FL. 2ND CENTURY B.C.E.

GERMAN TRANSLATION BY MARKUS GOEKE

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The Heart: Selected Readings

CCM2017-04-01T19:41:19-07:00Tags: classical texts, fire, German, Guanzi, heart, Heiner Fruehauf, Huainanzi, Tiupeng Wuyu, translations|

BY VARIOUS AUTHORS

TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

The heart is the ruler of the five organ networks. It commands the movements of the four extremities, it circulates the qi and the blood, it roams the realms of the material and the immaterial, and it is in tune with the gateways of every action. Therefore, coveting to govern the flow of energy on earth without possessing a heart would be like aspiring to tune gongs and drums without ears, or like trying to read a piece of fancy literature without eyes.

FROM THE DAOIST CLASSIC, CONTEMPLATIONS BY THE HUAINAN MASTERS (HUAINAN ZI) FL.110 B.C.

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Principles and Persuasions in Chinese Medicine Diagnosis – Selected Readings

CCM2017-04-01T19:51:14-07:00Tags: Classical Chinese Medicine, classical texts, diagnosis, Heiner Fruehauf, Huangdi Neijing, pulses, translations, Yin and Yang, yin/yang theory, Zhang Jingyue|

BY VARIOUS AUTHORS

TRANSLATED BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

Prior to the process of treating disease, the sage (superior doctor) must be able to distinguish the Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth. S/he must know the rhythmic flow of the four seasons and the intricate relationships between the five organ networks and the six bowel systems. S/he must be able to distinguish the Yin/Yang and exterior/interior quality of the meridians, and know what kind of diseases to treat with acupuncture, what kind with moxibustion, and what kind with herbs.

INDIVIDUAL MONOPGRAPHS

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Bagang: The Eight Diagnostic Parameters

CCM2017-04-01T20:01:48-07:00Tags: Cheng Goupeng, classical texts, translations, Zhang Jingyue|

BY VARIOUS AUTHORS

INTRODUCED AND TRANSLATED
BY HEINER FRUEHAUF

Traditional Chinese medicine incorporates several diagnostic systems of differentiation, such as the five organ approach, the six confirmation approach, and the triple warmer approach. These different diagnostic systems are frequently combined in clinical practice, but since they were conceived and favored by different schools of medical practitioners, they are often used completely independent from each other. The eight diagnostic parameters, also called the eight principal patterns in diagnosis or the eight rubrics, constitute the most fundamental set of diagnostic standards which all practitioners of Chinese medicine—independent of their preference for one system of diagnosis or another—use and must know.

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