Elementary Aspects of Canonical Chinese Medicine

“The Shanghan Zabing Lun as the Clinical Application of Neijing Theory, Bencao Jing Herbs and Tangye Jing Formulas, and Its Application by the Tian Lineage® of Canonical Formulas.”

Canonical Chinese Medicine is the style of Chinese medicine practiced along the tenets codified in the Western and Eastern Han dynasty (approx. 200 BC- 200 CE) medical classics or canons. It is the foundation of both clinical and theoretical Chinese medicine as we know it. Canonical Chinese medicine is comprised of two main schools being the Yellow Emperor huangdi 黄帝school of Medical Canons yijing pai 醫經派and the Divine Farmer shennong 神农school of Canonical Formulas jingfang pai经方派.

As an exemplary work of canonical Chinese medicine, study of the Treatise on Cold Damage and Complex Diseases shanghan zabing lun (Shanghan Lun and Jingui Yaolue) reveals the original identity of our clinical medicine, and displays all aspects of Han and pre-Han medical science in high density. It is the forefather book of all herbal medicine works. And for the discerning eye, it reveals the origins of all styles of Chinese medicine later to develop throughout consequent history. Investigation of some of the characteristics of Zhang Zhongjing’s work hence allows the modern academic and clinician alike, to understand both the past and future of Chinese medicine and to illuminate both its theoretical foundations and clinical application.

The seminar introduces multiple foundational aspects of Canonical Chinese Medicine by investigating the Shanghan Lun and its relationship to the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon huangdi neijing, the Canon of Difficulties nanjing, the Divine Farmer’s Canon of Materia Medica shennong bencao jing, and the Yiyin Decoction Canon yiyin tangye jing.

Topics that will be discussed include:

  • Introduction to the original lineages of Chinese Medicine
  • Shanghan Zabing Lun as the fusion of theoretical and clinical medicine
  • History and background of Zhang Zhongjing and his writings
  • Evolution from shamanic medicine to pharmaceutical medicine
  • Confucian influences in herbal medicine
  • Huangdi Neijing views on the importance of herbal medicine
  • The Seven Formulas of the Neijing and their relationship to the Shanghan formulas
  • Shanghan Zabing Lun as a primer on acupuncture-herb integration
  • Origins and importance of pulse diagnosis in the Shanghan Lun
  • Relationship of the Shennong Bencao Jing and the Shanghan Lun
  • Relationship of the Yiyin Tangye Jing and the Shanghan Lun
  • Herb Classes and Formula Classes
  • Tangye Jing Five Phase Flavor Dynamics and Shanghan Lun formula analysis
  • Tangye Jing Constellational Formulas and Shanghan Lun formulas
  • Shanghan Lun Formula-Pulse Patterns and Clinical Work Flow Algorithm
  • Survey of Shanghan Lineages
  • Introduction to the Tian-Zeng Canonical Formula Lineage
  • Examples of Tian-style Pulse Diagnosis
  • Examples of Tian-style Formula Modifications
  • Examples of Tian-style Case Studies
  • Etc.

The training instructs in the crucial facets of canonical medicine and provides the participant a more accurate and deeper understanding of the application of Chinese clinical herbal medicine. The strength of the training is that it not only uses scholastic means of research and instruction, but also integrates a purely clinical and pragmatic tradition’s approach of the Tian-Zeng Shanghan Lun lineage of clinicians.

 

16 CREDITS (NCCAOM, CALIFORNIA, TEXAS)