Preface to the Secret Essentials of the Mysterious Mechanism

Page One

Secret Essentials

Preface

By examining this work, the Way of Medicine original: "yī dào"; the fundamental principles and spiritual path of medical practice becomes as clear as the palm of one's hand. During the reign of Emperor Shizong the Jiajing Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who reigned from 1521 to 1567, the Minister of Rites recommended Master Yang to serve within the inner palace. His achievements there were illustrious and prominent. When those suffering from chronic ailments or consumption original: "zhài láo"; a term for wasting diseases, often corresponding to tuberculosis in a historical context sought his help, he achieved success the moment he applied his hand, and his reputation became widespread. Having served at court myself, I have long been a friend to Master Yang and have investigated the origins of this compilation. Various gentlemen praised the work and, to celebrate its completion, had it carved onto woodblocks for printing so that it might benefit future students. They then requested that I write this preface. I have long known that Master Yang—

—His Majesty ordered that medical knowledge be engraved and circulated throughout the realm. Furthermore, the court possessed a vast collection of handwritten manuscripts from ancient medical families. Master Yang took these and studied them, accumulating years of effort without ceasing through winter or summer. Eventually, he attained a profound insight. He grew concerned, however, that the writings of the various schools did not converge into a unified system. Therefore, he gathered their core principles, synthesized the commonalities, and scrutinized the differences. He compiled and edited the work with his own hands. Every method of acupuncture, herbal medicine, and regimen for health original: "tiáo shè"; the practice of regulating one's lifestyle, diet, and emotions to maintain health was divided into diagrams and analyzed by category. He organized them into the volumes of Heaven, Earth, and Man original: "Tiān, Dì, Rén"; the "Three Powers," a traditional Chinese classification system used here to organize the vast medical knowledge into a cosmic hierarchy, and titled the work The Secret Essentials of the Mysterious Mechanism. Truly—