Introductory Course

Lesson 1:
1. Publication, revisions, and basic contents of Nei Jing
    1-1 When Nei Jing was published and who are the author
    1-2 Revisions of Nei Jing
        1-2-1 How Nei Jing was handed down since its publication
        1-2-2 What the title of Nei Jing means
        1-2-3 Chinese Physicians Who Annotated Nei Jing and Their Annotated Works

Lesson 2:
    1-3 Basic contents of the theoretical system of Nei Jing
        1-3-1 Yin, yang, and the five elements
        1-3-2 Manifestions of internal organs.
        1-3-3 Meridians.
        1-3-4 Disease causes and mechanisms
        1-3-5 Classifications of diseases and symptoms
        1-3-6 Methods of diagnosis
        1-3-7 On treatment
        1-3-8 Nourishing life
        1-3-9 Circulation of five elements and six energies

Lesson 3:
2. How the theoretical system of Nei Jing was developed and established
    2-1 Observations and verification of medical practices
        2-1-1 Investigation into the shape and structure of the human body
        2-1-2 Observations of the external phenomena of the human body
        2-1-3 Continual verification of the medical practices in a clinical setting
    2-2 Science and technology of ancient times in perspective
        2-2-1 Astronomy and calendar of ancient times in perspective
        2-2-2 Geography and meteorology of ancient times in perspective
    2-3 Influence of the philosophical thought of ancient times
        2-3-1 Influence of the yin-yang school of thought
        2-3-2 Influence of Taoism
        2-3-3 Application of images and thought

Lesson 4:
3. Unique characteristics of the theoretical system in Nei Jing
    3-1 Circumstances under which the unique characteristics of the theoretical system was developed and established
    3-2 Unique characteristics of the theoretical system in Nei Jing
        3-2-1 Life patterns viewed from the wholistic perspective
        3-2-2 Life patterns viewed from the ever-changing perspective
        3-2-3 Life patterns viewed from the functioning perspective

Lesson 5:
Chapter 1: On the Heavenly True Energy of Ancient Times
Ancient times and medieval times are two stages in Chinese history. Ancient times refer to the very beginning or the most remote stage of Chinese history before written words were in use, and medieval times refers to the period of history immediately following ancient times. True energy (zhen qi) is also called original energy (yuan qi). Li Dong Yuan says, "True energy is also called original energy, it is innate pure energy." Original energy is innate energy, which is why it is also called "heavenly true energy". Original energy is closely related to the pure energy (jing qi) of heaven and earth. This is why Zhang Zhi Cong says, "Heavenly true energy means the true original energy from the beginning of the universe."

The ancient Chinese believe that people of the remote stage of human history were ab le to prevent disease and prolong their life span by nourishing life, particularly the protection and nourishment of their heavenly true energy. For that reason, this chapter is named, On the Heavenly True energy of Ancient Times. Wu Kun says, "By protecting and harmonizing the heavenly true energy, one is cable to live out one's natural life span, which is the principle of prevention as practiced by the highest class of physicians.

There were true men in ancient times, and ultimate men in medieval times, who were able to retain their innate true energy. This chapter discusses how true men and ultimate men retained the true energy in ancient and medieval times.

Chapter 2: Great Treatise on Regulation of Spirit in Harmony with the Four Seasons
In this chapter, the patterns of change in the four seasons are discussed, namely, warm spring, hot summer, cool autumn, and cold winter. In order to adjust to such change in favour of health, it is necessary and desirable to nourish yang in spring and summer and to nourish yi in autumn and winter. Spirit is internal, change in the four seasons is external. The internal spirit must be regulated in accord with change in the external environment, which is a necessary condition for health. Wu Kun says, "To regulate the internal spirit in accord with change in the four seasons means to prevent disease." Gao Shi Zong says, "To regulate the internal spirit in accord with the four seasons means to regulate the spirit of the liver, the heart, the spleen, the lungs, and the kidneys in accord with the spring, the summer, autumn, and winter accordingly."

Lesson 6:
Chapter 3: On the Correspondence between Birth Energy and Heaven
This chapter discusses the close relationships between human life and the natural environments; it points out that many atmospheric factors are damaging to a person's yang energy and decrease its resistance to disease. The balance of internal yin and external yang is an important factor of human health. Food energy will nourish yang and food flavors will nourish yin.

Birth energy refers to the yang energy of the human body. Yao Zhi An says, "What is birth energy? It is the energy that generates birth, which is yang energy." Heaven refers to Nature. The title of this chapter points to the correspondence between yang energy of the human body and yin, yang, and the five elements in Nature. Wu Kun says, "Human life is possible only through the endowment of heaven, inspiration and expiration correspond to yin and yang energies in Nature, which is why this chapter is entitled, the correspondence between birth energy and heaven."

Chapter 5: Great Treatise on Yin-Yang Classifications of Natural Phenomena
This chapter focuses on the correspondence between yin-yang in the human body and yin-yang in the four seasons. It covers three essential aspects: first, it applies yi and yang to classify all natural phenomena; second, it applies the principle of yin and yang to explain human physiology, pathology, and diagnosis; third, it points out the importance of the five elements in diagnosis and treatment.

Ma Shi says, "This chapter discusses the correspondence between the yin-yang of heaven and earth on the one hand, and the yin-yang of the human body on the other, which accounts for the title of this chapter."

Lesson 7:
Chapter 9 On the Six Cycles and Organ Manifestations
The main theme of this chapter is the correspondence between human beings on the one hand and heaven and earth on the other. The three hundred sixty five days to a year corresponds to three hundred sixty five joints in the human body. Abnormal change in the four seasons will necessarily affect the health of human beings who live in between heaven and earth.

This chapter discusses the six cycles first, and then it proceeds to discuss how the condition of internal organs may be manifest on the outside in terms of symptoms and phenomena. This accounts for the title of this chapter.

Chapter 11: Five Viscera from the Unorthodox Different Perspective
The difference between the odd and constant organs and the bowels are discussed in detail in this chapter. This chapter also explains why the mouth of energy should be used for taking the pulse, that the stomach is the sea of foods, and pure energy of the five viscera and six bowels are all derived from the stomach whose energy is reflected at the wrist which is also called the mouth of energy.

This chapter uses two criteria to distinguish between viscera and bowels: first, a viscus is to store up pure energy without draining it off, but a bowel is to transmit things without storing them up. The discussion of the five viscera in this perspective has departed from a common topic of the five viscera. This is why the chapter is entitled, "On Five Viscera from the Unorthodox Different Perspective."

Lesson 8:
Chapter 14: On Cereal Soups and Wine Delicacies
Cereal soups and wine delicacies are two forms of decoction and both of them are made from the five grains. There are three essential aspects in this chapter: first, how to make and apply cereal soups and wine delicacies in the proper manner; second, it is important to nourish the patient's spirit in preventing disease; third, it points out the cause and symptoms of edema and the principles of treating it through perspiration and promoting urination.

Chapter 17: On the Essentials of Subtle Pulse Diagnosis
Pulse diagnosis can be useful only when it is made along with the five sounds, the five colors, yin and yang, and the four seasons. The patient's condition and the outcome of disease may be known from an analysis of the patient's pulse and the five colors, etc. It is also pointed out that different diseases may be manifest through different pulses.

Gao Shi Zong says, "Pulse diagnosis is very subtle. For one thing, in taking the pulse, one should observe the patient's activity, his vision, the five colors, the excess and deficinecy of the five viscera, strength and weakness of the six bowels, the condition of the physical shape, all of them are relevant to the patient's life and death. Such are the essentiasl of subtle pulse diangosis. By detecting the movements of pulse in the four seasons, one is able to know the location of disease and its changing pattern, and one is also able to know when the disease will attack inside and outside of the body. Such are the essentials of subtle pulse diagnosis. Now we know why this chapter is entitled, On the Essentials of Subtle Pulse Diagnosis."

Lesson 9:
Chapter 21: Meridian Pulses from the Unorthodox Different Perspective
A meridian pulse should appear peaceful under normal circumstances, but it will undergo change just as soon as change in environments occurs that affects the human body. This chapter outlines the factors that cause change in the pulses of meridians, and it points out that grains and water are first digested in the stomach and then transformed in the spleen, and then distributed by the lungs in order to nourish he whole body. The discussion of meridian pulses from this perspective has departed from a common topic of meridians or pulses. This is why the chapter is entitled, "Meridian Pulses from the Unorthodox Different Perspective."

Chapter 29: On Greater Yin and Bright Yang
In this chapter, greater yin refers to the greater yin of foot, which is the spleen; bright yang refers to the bright yang of foot, which is the stomach. The main theme of this chapter is to detail the different symptoms of the spleen and the stomach and the reasons underlying them. Gao Shi Zong says, "The greater yin of foot or the spleen belongs to earth, the bright yang of foot or the stomach also belongs to earth. The stomach receives water and grains, which are to be transmitted to various organs through the spleen, so that the meridians are in harmony, the four limbs are in good shape. Earth gives birth to ten thousand things, it models on heaven and earth, which accounts for the title of this chapter, On Greater Yin and Bright Yang."

Lesson 10:
Chapter 31: On Hot Diseases
In this chapter, it is pointed out that most cases of hot diseases are febrile diseases (shang han or attack of pathogenic cold), it attacks the body step by step from superficial regions toward deep regions; the decisive factors of life and death in hot diseases have also been singled out for discussion. When the pathogenic cold attacks the body, it often causes a hot disease, which is why this chapter is titled, On Hot Diseases.

Chapter 33: Comments on Hot Diseases
This chapter discusses hot diseases in general, it also discusses such subjects as tangling of yin and yang, wind upsurging, fatigue wind, and kidney wind. It is also pointed out that a distinction should be drawn between a hot disease, which recovers after perspiration and a hot disease, which does not recover after perspiration

Intermediate Course

Lesson 1:
Chapter 34: On Lost Balance
To be in balance means the energy and blood are circulating smoothly in the human body. In a healthy person, yin and yang, water and fire, nutritive energy and defence energy, energy and blood, the superficial region and the deep region, the upper region and the lower region, remain in balance. When this balance is lost, such as victorious yin or victorious yang, deficient nutritive energy or deficient defence energy, disease will strike.

Chapter 38: On Cough
In this chapter, it is pointed out that although cough is directly linked to the lungs, the five viscera and the six bowels may cause it, and for that reason, cough should be treated according to its causes. This chapter also presents a description of the symptoms of cough according to its causes, and the treatment methods to be applied.

Lesson 2:
Chapter 39: On Pain of Various Kinds
In this chapter, it is pointed out that when pathogenic cold comes to reside in the meridians and internal organs, it will cause a blockage of energy flow, which may lead to the sensation of pain. As the pathogenic cold may come to reside in different regions, pain of various kinds will occur. The methods of diagnosis of pain are also discussed in this chapter. In addition, this chapter also discusses the symptoms caused by nine disordered energies, which include anger, joy, sadness, fear, cold, heat, shock, fatigue, thought.

Chapter 43: On Rheumatism
This chapter focuses on the causes of rheumatism, it points out three essential types of rheumatism, which are migratory rheumatism caused by wind, painful rheumatism caused by cold, and fixed rheumatism caused by dampness. In addition, it points out that rheumatism may affect different parts of the body, such as skin, tendons, bones, and muscles, etc. This chapter should be read in combination with Chapter 27 of Ling Shu entitled, Circular Rheumatic Pain.

Lesson 3:
Chapter 44: On Paralysis
Paralysis of the four limbs refers to weaken limbs of various types, such as weakened legs and paralysis of muscles, etc. In this chapter, the causes of paralysis as well as its treatment are discussed. It is pointed out that the paralysis of the five viscera begins with the lungs and that the bright yang may be treated in dealing with paralysis.

Lesson Six
4-S45 Chapter 45 On Upstream Diseases
S45-0
There are two different kinds of upstream diseases, namely, cold upstream diseases and hot upstream diseases. The twelve master meridians have their respective upstream diseases. The symptoms of each upstream disease is also described in this chapter, it is also pointed out that a loss of balance in the bright yang plays a key role in the formation of upstream diseases.

Lesson 4:
4-S62 Chapter 62: On Regulating the Meridians
S62-0
There are two types of diseases, excess and deficiency, which should be treated by regulating the meridians. To regulate the meridians, it is necessary to regulate energy and blood, excess and deficiency, yin and yang, in the meridians. Gao Shi Zong (???) says, "The twelve master meridians are connected with the five viscera and the six bowels internally, and externally, they are linked to the three-hundred-sixty-five joints. A mutual attack among them will cause excess; failure to assist each other will cause deficiency. It is necessary to restore the balance, when it is lost, between cold and hot, between yin and yang, between blood and energy, or between deficiency and excess, whichever may be responsible for the disease.

4-S65 Chapter 65: On the Primary and Secondary Conditions and Transmission of Diseases
S65-0
The first part of this chapter discusses the primary and secondary conditions of disease; the second part discusses transmission of iseases. However, the primary and secondary conditions refer to a wide variety of circumstances. Body energy is the primary condition, pathogen is the secondary condition; the disease that attacks first is the primary condition, the disease that attacks later is the secondary condition. However, a disease necessarily undergoes change in a very complicated manner, which should be treated with flexibility. A common principle is that "in an acute disease, its secondary condition should be treated first; in a chronic disease, its primary condition should be treated first.

Lesson 5:
4-S74 Chapter 74: Great Treatise on the Outline of Ultimate Truths
S74-0
This is one of the seven major chapters that discuss the metaphysical theory of circulation among the five elements and the six energies. However, this chapter also touches upon many other important aspects of Chinese medicine.

1. It discusses the pattern of energy transformation among the six energies, such as damp transformation of the greater in, fire transformation of the lesser yang.
2. It lists nineteen disease mechanisms to classify various diseases and symptoms according to their causes.
3. This chapter also discusses the indirect or counteracting methods of treatment as opposed to the direct or head-on method.
4. This chapter discusses the roles of a king ingredient, a minister ingredient, a subject ingredient, an odd prescription, and even prescriptions.

4-S77 Chapter 77: On Five Kinds of Careless Faulty Diagnosis
This chapter points out that there are five faulty kinds of diagnosis committed by physicians, which could lead to serious consequences. In addition it is also pointed out that in making diagnosis one should not be confined to the four established methods, namely, observations, questioning, taking pulses, and smelling. The reason is that there are other factors which should be taken into consideration and they may include change in climate the normal physical conditions of the patient and his living environments, etc.

Lesson 6:
2. Ling Shu
5-L8 Chapter 8: Spirit as the Basis of Acupuncture
S8-0
This chapter discusses the importance of mental states in acupuncture treatment, particularly the spirit, which should be observed closely in clinical diagnosis and treatment.

The relationships between the method of nourishing life and the mental states are also discussed in detail. The mental states include the pure essence, the spirit, the soul, the physical strength, sentiment, will, thought, wisdom, deliberation. In addition, it also stresses the relationship between change in seven emotions and the five viscera. As this chapter focuses on one sentence, "Acupuncture should be, first and foremost, based upon the spirit", it is entitled, The Spirit as the Basis of Acupuncture."

Lesson 7:
5-L18 Chapter 18 Production and Meetings of Nutritive and Defence Energies
L18-0
Nutritive energy is clear, defense energy is TURBID; nutritive1energy is to nourish the body internally, defense energy is to defend the external region of the body. The production, distribution, and functions of nutritive and defence energies have a great deal to do with the triple burning space.

Lesson Seven
5-L22 Chapter 22 On Insanity
L22-0
This chapter deals with the causes and symptoms of insanity, it is pointed out that different types of insanity may be treated differently. Wind upsurging and upsurging diseases are also discussed.

Lesson 8:
5-L44 Chapter 44: Acupuncture Treatment in Accord with Four Seasons within a Day
L44-0
In this chapter, it is pointed out that change in climate in the four seasons will have significant impact on the human body. The change takes place in terms of birth in spring, growth in summer, harvest in autumn, and storage in winter. Within a day, early morning is compared to spring, noon is compared to summer, late afternoon is compared to autumn, and midnight is compared to winter. Typically, a disease shows signs of relief early in the morning, it becomes quiet during the day, gets worse in the early evening, and it becomes severe at night.

5-L54 Chapter 54: Natural Longevity
L54-0
In this chapter, longevity is attributed to the condition of energy and blood, the condition of internal organs, as well as the external physical shape. And also, the methods of preventing sickness and achieving longevity are discussed.

Lesson 9:
5-L57 Chapter 57: Edematous swelling of the Abdomen
This chapter discusses the symptoms and causes of different types of swelling, including edematous swelling of the abdomen, skin swelling, drummy swelling, mushroom swelling of the intestine, stone water, and stone swelling, etc.

5-L66 Chapter 66: The Original Causes of One Hundred Diseases

Lesson 10:
L66-0 This chapter points out that the causes of one hundred diseases may be either external or internal and that the regions under attack may be either yin or yang, internal or external, upper or middle or lower, etc. The primary causes of diseases are wind, rains, cool, dampness, cold, summer heat, joy, and anger.

5-L71 Chapter 71: Pathogen as Guest
L71-0
This chapter discusses how pathogens may attack different regions of the body, which should be treated by different methods. It also discusses the cause and treatment of insomnia by pointing out that insomnia is due to yang excess and yin deficiency, which may be treated by sedating the yang and toning the yin. In addition, the correspondence between the human body, and the natural environments have also been mentioned, such as head corresponding to heaven, feet corresponding to earth, eyes corresponding to the moon and the sun, etc. The title of this chapter is derived from the text, which says, "The pathogen comes to reside in the human body as guest".

Advanced Course

Lesson 1:
The Metaphysical Theory of Five Elements and Six Energies Circulation
    6-1 Stem, Branch, Jia Zi
        6-1-1 Stems and branches corresponding to yin and yang
        6-1-2 Stems and branches corresponding to five elements
        6-1-3 Jia Zi

Lesson 2:
    6-2 Five elements in circulation
        6-2-1 Greater circulation

Lesson 3:
        6-2-2 Host circulation
        6-2-3 Guest circulation

Lesson 4:
    6-3 Six energies.
        6-3-1 Twelve branches corresponding to six energies

Lesson 5:
        6-3-2 Host energy
        6-3-3 Guest energy

Lesson 6:
        6-3-4 Influence of guest energy on host energy 6-4 Identical transformation of five elements and six energies
        6-4-1 Heavenly harmony
        6-4-2 Yearly meetings

Lesson 7:
        6-4-3 Identical heavenly harmony
        6-4-4 Identical yearly meetings
        6-4-5 Greater heavenly harmony

Lesson 8:
    6-5 Medical applications of the metaphysical theory of five elements and six energies circulation.
        6-5-1 Host circulation and diseases
        6-5-2 Host energy and diseases
        6-5-3 Excessive element in middle circulation and diseases
        6-5-4 Deficient element in middle circulation and diseases
        6-5-5 Calm and peaceful energy circulation and diseases
        6-5-6 Guest circulation and diseases
        6-5-7 Guest energy and diseases

Lesson 9:
3. Thirteen Formulas
     7-1 Cereal soups and make wine delicacies (tang ye
     7-2 PuIvis Ferri decoction
     7-3 Ashes of hair at the angle of the left hairline to drink with delicious wine
     7-4 rhizoma alismatis (ze xie) Drink
     7-5 wine of chicken feces (ji shi ??)
     7-6 os sepiellae seu sepiae and radix rubiae pills (wuzeigu and

Lesson 10:
     7-7 Herba Eupatorii (peilan) Decoction
     7-8 Lard Paste (zhu gao)
     7-9 Trapa bispinosa roxb (lingjiao) and fructus forsythiae (lianqiao) Drink
     7-10 Rizhoma pinelliae and sorghum soup (banxia shu mi tang)
     7-11 Ointment made of horse fats to be applied to the affected regions (ma gao gao fa)
     7-12 Ironging cold rheumatism (han bi yun fa)
     7-13 Lesser Golden Pills

_{MAIN INDEX | HOME STUDY INFO | 3 COURSES MEDICINAL HERBS | 3 COURSES HERBAL FORMULAS
INTRO TO TCM | MANIPULATIVE THERAPY | 3 COURSES NEI JING | 3 COURSES INTERNAL MEDICINE
CHINESE MED. PHILOSOPHY | FOOD CURES | HOME STUDY COSTS | HOME STUDY ENROLMENT FORM}

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