Introduction

With the growing popularity of acupuncture and moxibustion (“acumox ”) and the advancement of its theoretical research, the importance of ancient acumox literature for the development of this field has become increasingly recognized.In this context, courses on ancient acumox literature are being incorporated into English-taught TCM programs for international students in higher education.Compared with other acumox courses such as Meridians, Acupoints, Acumox Techniques, and Acumox Therapeutics, there are very few English textbooks available for ancient acumox literature courses; and in Chinese textbooks for such courses, acumox literature is typically categorized into two major groups: classics written before the Eastern Han Dynasty (i.e., The Inner Classic and The Classic of Questioning ), and various medical works written after the Wei and Jin dynasties.Common textbooks usually summarize the contributions of the original works, select or excerpt the original texts by chapter, and arrange them in the order of the original book.The main difference between the Chinese textbooks used at our university and other textbooks is the “categorization and selection”.Specifically, the excerpted medical texts in our textbooks are classified and arranged according to meridians, acupoints, acupuncture techniques, etc., rather than following the order of the original works.For later medical works, summaries classify and explain the contributions of the original work according to meridians, acupoints, acupuncture techniques, etc.However, in many cases, the original texts cannot be easily classified due to the limitations of the content.

The purpose of studying ancient acumox literature is to trace the development of acumox theory,clarify its origins, deepen our understanding of acupuncture theory, and strengthen the links between acumox literature, clinical practice and basic research.The original Chinese acumox literature course model can certainly achieve this goal.However, international students might face significant challenges due to limitations in language proficiency, cultural background, and cognitive styles, which may exceed their current capabilities.Taking into account the characteristics of the subject, the audience, the needs of students, and the specific features of our university’s acumox literature courses, Selected Reading in Acumox Classics utilizes a model based on our university’s Chinese textbook.It employs the principle of “classification and selection” to emphasize the theoretical framework and evolution of acumox theory.That is to say, we categorize and select original texts related to important theories on meridians and acupoints, acupuncture and moxibustion, acupuncture therapeutics and other important topics from historical literature, particularly those with significant differences in meaning between ancient and modern times.These documents are analyzed chronologically, from ancient times to the present,to compare their evolution.In addition, since the 1970s, the discovery of acumox documents and cultural relics in places such as Mawangdui, Zhangjiashan, Shuangbaoshan, Laoguanshan has revealed that the origins of acumox can be traced back to periods before The Inner Classic .Consequently, our understanding and development of acumox theories can no longer be solely based on The Inner Classic .Moreover, modern acumox works, especially those from the Republic of China period, played an important role in the modernization of acumox and are an essential component in the development of acumox theory.Therefore, the literature coverage of Selected Readings in Acumox Classics spans from the silk books predating The Inner Classic to the Republic of China era, thus ofering a more extensive coverage than typical Chinese acumox literature textbooks.

The specific arrangement instructions for Selected Readings in Acumox Classics are as follows:

1.The scope of acumox literature includes the key texts from the Qin and Han dynasties through to the Republic of China period.This encompasses unearthed documents such as silk books from the Mawangdui tombs, and bamboo-slip books from the Zhangjiashan and Laoguanshan tombs, as well as transmitted texts such as The Inner Classic , The Classic of Questioning , and The Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion , etc.

2.Select the key concepts of acumox theory, classify and compile significant acumox texts from the aforementioned works, and organize them chronologically from ancient times to the present based on their historical development to create a coherent theme.

3.According to the framework of modern acumox, the book is divided into three chapters: Meridians and Acupoints, Acumox Techniques, and Acumox Therapeutics.Each chapter is further divided into several sections, with each section including a general introduction, a discussion of development, notes,and reflections.The original text quoted in the development section is presented in a diferent style, and some of the small characters within the original text are additional annotations or notes inserted by the ancient scholars.Due to the varying connotations of conceptual terms, some chapters may not follow the aforementioned style, but the overall concept remains consistent.

4.The English translation of TCM terminology is not yet standardized.At the end of each section,a comparison table is provided, listing the Chinese terms, their pinyin transliterations, and common English translations for key terms that appear for the first time in that section.The title of the book,when first mentioned, follows the format “ English book title ( Pinyin , Chinese book title)”, for example,“ Huangdi’s Inner Classic ( Huáng Dì Nèi Jīng, 黄帝内经)”.In subsequent references, unless otherwise specified, only the English title will be used.When citing a specific chapter, the format used is “ Chapter name of English book title ( Pinyin , Chinese book title·chapter name)”, for example, “ Nine Needles and Twelve Yuan-Source Points of The Spiritual Pivot ( Líng Shū·Jiǔ Zhēn Shí Èr Yuán , 灵枢 · 九针十二原)”.

5.For certain background knowledge related to Chinese culture, history, works, and characters included in the textbook, a “Knowledge Database” has been established.Diferent text styles are used to introduce them.Terms that appear for the first time and those mentioned later are formatted similarly to the book titles.If a specific person is the author of a particular work, he will be mentioned in the introduction of the work; if the person does not have a related work, he will be introduced in the section dedicated to individuals.After each section, there is a list that summarizes the knowledge points introduced for the first time in that section.

6.The textbook includes an index and a bibliography at the end.

Selected Readings in Acumox Classics aims to help acumox learners from various countries gain a deeper understanding of the development and evolution of acumox theory, particularly those aspects that are inconsistent with and cannot be adequately explained by modern acumox theory.This textbook can be utilized for various forms of international acumox education and is also suitable for bilingual acumox teaching for Chinese students.At the same time, for acumox practitioners who use English, this textbook serves as a reference work to explore the development of acumox.

Due to the limitations of the editors’ expertise, shortcomings and errors in this book are inevitable.We hope that readers will provide valuable comments and suggestions to help advance and improve acumox literature.Contact information: wj2018@shutcm.edu.cn.

Wang Jing
January 2025