Chinese Medicine Series 02: 景岳全书 The Complete Compendium of [Zhang] Jingyue

Chinese Medicine Series 02:

景岳全书
The Complete Compendium of [Zhang] Jingyue
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The following is an excerpt of the translation of Vol.1-3 of The Complete Compendium of [Zhang] Jingyue, ‘Eight Principles, Ten Questions and Mingmen Theory’ by Allen Tsaur, published by Purple Cloud Press by 8th August 2020. It will be the first of a three-book series on Zhang Jingyue’s masterpiece, if it is well received. Allen is also the editor of Explanations of Channels and Points translated by Michael Brown:

Question 10: Revealing the Divine Insight by Qì and Flavor

十從氣味章神見
凡制方用藥，乃醫家開手作用苐一要着，而胸中神見必須發泄於此。使不知氣味之用，必其藥性未精不能取效，何神之有？此中最有玄妙，勿謂其淺顯易知而勿加之意也。余少年時，每將用藥必逐件細嘗，旣得其理所益無限。
Designing formulas and utilizing medicinals are the foremost important move for medical physicians to bring about effects. For the divine insight within their chest, it must be shown and applied here. Without being aware of the application of qi [1] and flavor, one must be unrefined in [the study of] medicinal properties with the inability to produce effects. What divine [insight] could this person have?
Within this [study], it has the utmost profundity and ingenuity. Do not say that since it is plain and easy to understand, there is nothing to gain from it. When I was in my youth, whenever I utilized medicinals, I would scrutinize and taste each one of [the ingredients]. Once I ascertained their principle, the benefits have been immeasurable.

一　氣味有隂陽。隂者降陽者升，隂者静陽者動，隂者柔陽者剛，隂者怯陽者勇，隂主精陽主氣，其於善惡喜惡皆有妙用，不可不察。
These are the yīn and yáng of qì and flavor: yīn descends, yáng ascends; yīn is still, yáng is active; yīn is soft, yáng is unyielding; yīn is timid, yáng is bold; yīn governs essence, yáng governs qì. As for their decent and mischievous [nature], compatibility and incompatibility, each has its own ingenuous use, one must not fail to examine them.

一　氣味之升降，升者浮而散，降者沉而利。宜升者勿降，宜降者勿升。
These are the ascending and descending of qì and flavor: For those that ascend, they float and disperse. For those that descend, they sink and disinhibit. For those who are suitable to ascend, do not descend. For those who are suitable to descend, do not ascend.

一　氣味之動靜：靜者守而動者走，走者可行，守者可安。
These are the active and still [nature] of qì and flavor: For those that are still, they safeguard. For those that are active, they hasten. Those that hasten can move. Those that safeguard can quiet.

一　氣味之剛柔：柔者純而緩，剛者躁而急。純者可和，躁者可刼。非剛不足以去暴，非柔不足以濟剛。
These are the unyielding and soft [nature] of qì and flavor: For those that are soft, they are pure and relaxing. For those that are unyielding, they are agitating and tense. Those that are pure can harmonize. Those that are agitating can plunder. Without an unyielding nature, it is insufficient to remove the tyranny.[2] Without a soft nature, it is insufficient to sustain the unyielding [nature].

一　氣味之勇怯：勇者直逹病所，可賴出竒。怯者用以周全，藉其平妥。
The boldness and timidity of qì and flavor: Those that are bold assault directly at the place of the disease. They can be relied on for surprise tactics.[3] Those that are timid can be utilized to preserve and assist, by making use of its balancing and prudent [nature].

一　氣味之主氣者有能為精之母，主精者有能為氣之根。或隂中之陽者能動血中之氣，或陽中之隂者能顧氣中之精。
Of the qì and flavor, those that governs the qì can also be the mother of essence. Those that governs the essence can also be the root of qì. Those that are yáng within yīn can move the qì within blood. Those that are yīn within yáng can attend to the essence within qì.

一　氣味有善惡：善者賦性馴良儘堪擇用，悪者氣味殘狠何必近之。
These are the decent and mischievous [nature] of qì and flavor: For those that are decent, they are endowed with a docile and gentle nature. They can be selected and utilized on every occasion. For those that are mischievous, their qì and flavor are ferocious and relentless, why should one approach them?

一　氣味有喜惡：有素性之喜惡，有一時之喜惡。喜者相宜取效尤易，惡者見忌不必强投。
These are the compatibility and incompatibility of qì and flavor: There are the compatibility and incompatibility that are based on the inherent nature. There are also the temporary compatibility and incompatibility. For those that are compatible, they are mutually suitable and are rather easy to produce effects. For those that are incompatible, they should not be seen together. One should not forcefully cast them together.

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[1] For this qì 氣 here, it specifically means the hot, cold, warm, or cool nature of a medicinal

[2] 暴 means sudden, violent, cruel, and tyrannical. In the medical context, it depicts a disease that is sudden, violent, and fulminant.

[3] This refers to the term qí zhèng 奇正 coined by 孫子兵法 Sun Tzu’s Art of War (5th century BCE), where it famously states, “三軍之眾，可使必受敵而無敗者，奇正是也… 凡戰者，以正合，以奇勝。For the multitude of the three armies, what allow to them encounter enemy and certainly without suffering defeat, it is the qí zhèng 奇正… In battles, meet with zhèng 正, and win with qí 奇.” There has been centuries-long debate of what these two terms mean. Cáo Cāo 曹操 (155-220 CE), the first commentator of the former work noted in his Brief Explanations of Sun Tzu’s Art of War 孫子略解, “正者當敵，奇兵擊不備。 For the zhèng 正, hold back and withstand the enemy. For the qí 奇, send troop to attack where [the enemy] is ill-prepared.” In the medical context, zhèng 正 could be seen as the supplementing method that stabilizes and strengthens the upright qì to hold back the evil qì, and qí 奇 could be seen as the attack method that disperses, expels, or precipitates the evil qì.