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[Shinjiro’s Explanatory Notes]
1) I
broke the text into sections and numbered them following the Japanese
standard text, the Nippon Kanpo
Kyokai
Edition.
2) The words in [] are Shinjiro’s notes, not in the original text.
3) The words in () are added by Shinjiro to facilitate comprehension in
English.
4) The words in {} are notes in small characters in the original texts.
The Second
(Chapter)
The
Way
to
Review*
Pulses
Shinjiro's Notes
*: Review
(Ping): There is a term "ping mai" which means
"even or flat pulse." Even so, this chapter does not handle "even pulse."
In
Shuo-wen
Xi-jie, (Explanations and
Resolutions of Characters in the Sentences), the
oldest Chinese character dictionary, it says "Ping
is Shu (to state)."
According to
Mori Risshi, the letter "ping" used to express "to review,"
thus the later generation added a left-hand radical "言"
and created the letter "評" (ping: review).
The
first
clause,
translated
below,
is
quoted
in Chapter
4:
Pulses
Belonging
to
Five
Organs
of
the
Bei-ji
Qian-jin
Yao-fang
(Ready
for Emergency Thousand
Golden
Prescriptions)
by
Sun Si-miao,
published
in
650-652.
We
find
it
written
after
the
line,
“Mai
Fa
Zen
(paen
of
pulse
rules)
says.”
Please
refer
to
the page Qian-jin
Yao-fang
in
this
site.
This is
the
starting
point
for
the
first
clause
of
Chapter
One
in
Volume
Five
of
the
Mai
Jing
(pulse
classic)
entitled
“Zhang
Zhong-jing
Theorizing
Pulses.”
The style of the clause is
written as a poem or a song to memorize.
Clause 1
|
One
questions,
“The
pulse
has
three parts (bu).
Yin
and
Yang
override (xiang cheng)
each
other.
Prosperous
(Qi),
Guarding
(Qi),
Blood
and
Qi1
Exist2
in
the
human
body.
The
in
and
out
breaths
(move
them)
Up
and
down
internally
(zhong).
Due
to
the
breathing
distribution,
Humors
and
fluids
(jin ye)
are
transported
(liu-tong).
Following
the
season,
(the
pulse)
works,
(And)
shapes
its
functional
figure
(xing-rong).
The
Spring
(pulse
shapes)
String
(xian),
and
the
Fall
(pulse
shapes)
Floating
(fu).
The
Winter
(pulse
shapes)
Sinking
(chen),
and
the
Summer
(pulse
shapes)
Flooding
(hong).
When
(we)
observe
the
complexion
and
examine
the
pulses,
Each
pulse
differs
in
size
(bu-tong).
In
a
short
while,
It
changes
without
ever-lasting
(jing-chang).
Chi
(proximal)
and
Cun
(distal)
pulses
are
mingled,
some
short
and
some
long
(zhang).
The
upper
and
lower
pulses
are
misplaced,
(And)
some
exist
and
some
perish
(wang).
The
illness
easily
changes
in
an
instant,
(And)
it
progresses
low
and
high
(ang).
It
confuses
(our)
mind
and
deceives
(our)
decision,
our
confusion
deprives
(us
of)
discipline
(gang).
Please
teach
me
(about
pulses)
concretely3,
(and)
let
me
understand
clearly
(ming).”
The
master
says, "What
you
asked
is
the
root
and
origin
of
the
Dao
(way
= doctrine
of
medicine).
There
are
three
parts
in
the
pulse:
Chi
(proximal),
Cun
(distal)
and
Guan
(middle).
Prosperous
(rong)
and
Guarding
(wei)
(Qi)
flow
and
circulate
(liu-xing),
Without
losing
their
balance
(heng-quan).
The
Kidney
pulse
is
Sinking
(chen),
and
the
Heart
pulse
is
Flooding
(hong).
The
Lung
pulse
is
Floating
(fu),
and
the
Liver
pulse
is
String
(xian).
These
are
naturally
ever-lasting
(jing-chang)
Without
losing
their
inner
rules
(zhu-fen).
Exiting
and
entering,
ascending
and
descending
(jiang),
(As
if)
dripping
water
(from
a
water
clock)
going
around
(xuan).
Flowing
water
downward
in
hundred-hour
intervals
(ke)4.
(When)
one
cycle
(of
the
pulse)
rotates
(xun-huan)5.
It
comes
back
to
the
Cun
wrist
position
(cun-guo),
Showing
Void
(xu)
and
Repletion
(shi),
doesn’t
it?
(yan)
Changes
(of
the
body)
override
each
other
(xiang-cheng).
Yin
and
Yang
interfere
with
each
other
(xiang-gan).
Wind
(feng)
creates
a
Floating
(fu)
and
Void
(xu)
(pulse).
Cold
(han)
creates
a
Solid
(lao)6
and
Firm
(jian)7
(pulse).
Water
accumulation
(shui-chu)
creates
a
Sinking
(chen)
and
Latent
(qian)
(pulse).
Body
Fluid
retention8
(zhi-yin)
creates
a
Hurrying
(ji)
and
String
(xian)
(pulse).
Moving
(dong)
pulse,
that
is9,
means
pain
(tong).
Frequent
(shu)
pulse,
that
is,
means
fever
and
being
anguished
(fan).
If
the
pulse
does
not
reflect
this
way
(bu-ying),
We
should
find
the
reason
for
this
difference
(suo-yuan).
If
the
three parts
(san bu; of the pulses)
differ
from
each
other
(bu-tong),
Each
part
suffers
from
a
different
cause
(yi-duan).
When
the
pulse
is surplus
(tai-guo),
you
have
to
wonder
(guai),
When
the
pulse
is
unattainable (bu-ji),
you
have
to
wonder
also
(ran).
Without
a
reason
the
Evil
(ye)
never
shows
up
(jian).
In
the
end,
without
fail,
there
will
be
wickedness
(gan).
Examine
Surface
(biao)
and
Rear (li),
Differentiating
San-jiao
(three
scorchers),
isn’t
it?
(yan)10
Find
out
where
it11
stays
(she).
The
condition
must
be
observed
(kan).
Evaluate
Fu
Zang
(organs).
(Then
the
diagnosis)
will
come
up
by
itself,
as
if
a
revelation
from
God
(shen).
For
my
disciples (zi),
I
summarized
and
recorded
(pulse
diagnosis
here)
(ji).
Make
known
and
impart
these
things
to
wise
men
(xian-ren).
|
Shinjiro's Notes:
-
1: Blood
and
Qi:
This
phrase
is
written
in
the Qian-
jing
Yao-fang
and
Mai
Jing
as “Qi
and
Blood”
not, “Blood
and
Qi.”
2:
exist:
The
quotation
in
the
Qian-jing
Yao-fang
says “thus
it
circulates
the
body.”
3:
concretely:
The
quotations
in
the
Qian-jing
Yao-
fang
and
Mai
Jing, both,
are “precisely”
not,
“concretely.”
4:
hundred-hour
intervals:
The
quotations
in
the
Qian-jing
Yao-fang and
Mai
Jing,
both,
are “two-
hour
intervals”
not,
“hundred
hour
intervals.”
5:
circulates:
Quotations
in
the
Qian-jing
Yao-fang
and
Mai
Jing, both,
are “the
pulse
goes
around
the
body,”
not,
“circulation.”
6:
Solid (lao):
The
quotations
in
the
Qian-jing
Yao--fang
and
Mai
Jing,
both,
are “Tight (jing),” not
“Solid (lao.)”
7:
Firm (jian):
Quotations
in
the
Qian-jing
Yao- fang
and
Mai
Jing,
both,
are “String (xian),” not “Firm (jian).”
According to the prominent Chinese Shang-han Lunist, Jian Chao-chen, in his
Wen-xian
Tong-kao (A
Consecutive
Examination
on
Texts
of
the
Shang-han
Lun,
1993), “All
characters of 堅(jian)”
in
the
Shang-han
Lun
were
replaced
with
the
character,
“革更 (ying)”
when
people
in
the Duo
Dynasty
(581-618)
copied
the
Shang-han
Lun,
because
this
letter was
a
part
of
Emperor
Wen’s
name,
Yang-jian.” (p.
420)
During the Duo
Dynasty it became a custom to stop using
the character of a diseased
emperor’s name in written materials. Some translate this habit as the “posthumous name,” but in the Tang Dynasty (618-906),
they prohibited to use any part of the emperors names,
living or within a
couple of years after the emperors deaths, thus, it was not only posthumous. The violators of
this
custom were
sentenced to death. Even so, we
find the character “堅(jian)” 4 times in the Song Woodblock
Shang-han Lun. Because of this, some
scholars are skeptical about the idea that the
compilers of the Song Text avoided
“堅 (jian)” because it was a part of Emperor Wen’s name. Further more, the next
year (1066) of the compilation of the
Shang-han Lun, the same compilers, Lin Ye et
al, compiled
the
Jing-gui Yu-han (Golden Cabinet Gem Box, a
different
version of the Shang-han Lun) but they did not
replace the
character “堅 (jian)” this time including this
letter. We do not know why they replaced this character in the
Woodblock Shang-han Lun.
Japanese Shang-han Lunists
generally distinguish between the letter
堅 and the letter 革更. Some
understand
堅 expresses stronger, hardness than 革更. It
is highly doubtful to leave 4 characters in the text if the compilers could face the death penalty.
8:
Body
Fluid
retention:
name
of
syndrome.
One
of
four
retention
syndromes.
9:
that
is:
Quotations
in
the
Qian-jing
Yao-fang
and
Mai
Jing,
both,
are “Flooded (hong),” not
“that
is (ze).”
10: San Jiao: According to Mori
Risshi, Nan-jing started the method to diagnose the death of the patient with the
three
part pulses as the state of San Jiao, and Zhong-jing
follows
it.
11:
it:
Quotations
in
the
Qian-jing
Yao-fang
and
Mai
Jing, both,
are “Evil (ye),”
not “it (qi).”
Clause
2
|
Master
says,
“Breathing
is
the
head
of
pulses1.
When
you
examine
pulses
for
the
first
time,
(and
you
find
the
pulse)
comes nimble (ji)
and
leaves
slow
(chi), (then
this
means)
the
pulse
exits
nimble
and
enters
slowly2.
This
is
called
Inside
(nei)
Void
(xu),
and
Outside
(wei)
Repletion
(shi).
When
you
take
pulses
the
first
time,
(and
you
find
the
pulse)
comes
slowly
and
leaves
nimble, (then
this
means)
the
pulse
exits
slowly
and
enters
nimble.
This
is
called
Inside
(nei)
Repletion
(shi)
and
Outside
(wei)
Void
(xu).”
|
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1: In
Su-wen and Lin-shu,
breathing creates pulses, not heart beats.
2:
This
clause
is
quoted
in
the
fourth
clause
of Chapter
13
in
Volume
One
of
Mai
Jing with "then
this
means {wei}."
Clause 3
|
One
questions
by
saying, “(Some
say)
a
superior
doctor
finds (the
patient’s
illness)
just
looking,
a
mediocre
doctor
finds
it
by
asking,
and
a
clumsy
doctor
finds
it
by
palpating
pulses.
I
would
like
to
know
your
opinion.”
Master
says, “Suppose
a
family
called
a
doctor
to
visit,
saying
the
patient
is
suffering
from
fever,
body
pain,
and
resting
by
himself.
When
Master
arrives
there
and
examines
the
pulses,
if
the
pulse
is
Sinking (chen)
and
Slow (chi),
then
Master
knows (the
patient)
is
healed (already).
How
could
he
know
this?
If
the
illness
is
in
the
Surface (biao),
the
pulse
should
be
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