Talk:Lingshu Jing

Acupuncture after the Lingshu
Is there any further development in Acupuncture after the publication of Ling Shu?

Many people asked me this question since I started explaining and teaching Ling Shu beginning at the year 2003.

From the progress of human history, one can see that there were tremendous progress and improvements in all aspects of this world. So, it is logical to think that Acupuncture, being a very important part of TCM, should have been improving and progressing in all these years through clinical practices. Well, that was also my question when I first started studying Ling Shu.

However, as I progressed further into the study of Ling Shu and began to comprehend the enormous depth in the realm of Ling Shu, also looking back at the past 2000 years of Acupuncture, I have to admit now that since the publication of Ling Shu, there were no progress and improvement in the field of Acupuncture but digression and deterioration. By observing how the differentiation of Meridians to the usage of acupoints are done in the present day, and from how acupoints are punctured and the techniques of tonifying and sedating are done in the present day, in the point of view of Ling Shu, Acupuncture really only exists as a name or a term only.

For example, in Ling Shu, there is no record of the Five Shu points for the Meridian of Hand Shaoyin. However, people from the later generation thought that the 5 Shu points were left out by mistake in Ling Shu. So, in Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (《針 灸甲乙經》), the author added in the 5 Shu points for the Meridian of Hand Shaoyin. This was seen as an improvement or progress in the field of Acupuncture by many of the acupuncturists. However, in Chapter 71 of Ling Shu, there is a very specific explanation why the Meridian of Hand Shaoyin does not have the Five Shu points. “Huangdi asked, 'Why does the Hand-Shaoyin not have Five Shu points?'" "Qibo answered, 'Shaoyin is the Meridian that is related with the Heart. Heart is the King of the Five Zang and Six Fu organs, and Shen is stored in it. The organ is very strong, and it could not be attacked by the pathogenic-Qi. If the Heart is attacked by the pathogenic-Qi, and it lost the function in holding the Shen, one will then die soon. Therefore, the pathogenic-Qi always goes to the Pericardium when the Heart is under attack by the pathogenic-Qi. The Pericardium Meridian is related with Pericardium. That is why those Five Shu points of the Heart are located at the Pericardium Meridian and not at the Heart Meridian.'"

The addition of the 5 Shu points to the Meridian of Hand Shaoyin by Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion not only underminded and damaged the completeness of the theory of Meridians and acupoints in Ling Shu, this addition also contradicted the theory of the 5 Shu points reflecting the Zang/Fu organs in the study of TCM.

Furthermore, due to the misunderstanding of the author of Nanjing on the subject of “Jing-well point” is related to “wood” in five elements and "Ying-Spring point "is related to "metal" ("陰井木，陽井金" ) in Ling Shu Chapter 2, the author of Nanjing discussed the "Tonifying the Mother and Sedating the Son" usage of the 5 Shu points. This has completely contradicted the theory of the Meridians and acupoints of Ling Shu.

Examples of contradction and misunderstanding of Ling Shu as such are plenty in numbers. They are discussed in Ling Shu Acupuncture. It is truely sad that the deviation from the true Acupuncture had started since the publication of Nanjing. Many ridiculous theories soon came afterwards overshadowing the correct Acupuncture way. It is quite shameful that since Acupuncture originated in China, Acupunture is also being destroyed in China.