Because I mention the classics of Chinese medicine often, I think it makes sense to list them. The list below is short, and rightly so. These are the works that have been recommended to me most often, and they are also available in English. There are doubtless other books that one could consider under the category “Chinese Medical Classics” (for instance, the Pi Wei Lun) but they have either not been recommended to me by my CCM teachers or are not available in suitable English translations.
Each name will lead you to a link where you can purchase a recommended translation of each book. Future posts will discuss the texts at length and provide reviews of different translations where available. The best of all worlds is achieved when you have at least two different translations of the text as well as the original Chinese and either a command of the language or an excellent Chinese-English dictionary and the ability to use it. This way you can use prior translations as a guide and fallback while checking the translation for accuracy and gaining a broader understanding of the information.
Shang Han Lun
Huangdi Neijing – The Yellow Emperor’s Internal Classic. The Huangdi Neijing is composed of the Suwen
Shennong Ben Cao Jing
Mai Jing
Nan Jing
Huangdi Zhen Jui Jia Yi Jing, aka Jia Yi Jing
Zhong Zang Jing
There are several other texts that one might consider foundational in the field of Chinese medicine, but they are not medical books. They serve as a foundation insofar that CM grows out of the soil of Chinese culture and philosophy. Thus, if a person wants to have a deep relationship with the medicine they must feel comfortable operating within the context of ancient Chinese culture and philosophy.
Yi Jing (I Ching) - Th
Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching) - The Classic of the Way
The Analects
* I have provided some Wade-Giles spelling for texts that people recognize best that way.
Eric
Tags: Classical Texts, translations, books, Acupuncture, study-methods, Learning, students, lists
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