Abstract
[Objective]Although “If it is not thriving but it is surviving, maintain it with Sutra ”is considered the most important treatment principle in acupuncture, its interpretation is confusing and inconsistent. Thus, in order to clarify this principle, we examined its original meaning and report the results here.
[Method]After investigating the source of “If it is not thriving but it is surviving, maintain it with Sutra ”within the “Huang-di nei-jing”(traditional Chinese medical text) and revealing the state of past research regarding this principle and its associated problems, we identified its background and used the “Zhangjiashan Han bamboo text Maishu”and “Dashu ,”which are only quoted in the “Jin fu” chapter of the Huangdi Neijing-Lingshu (the Yellow Emperor’s Canon), to trace a path back to the roots of “If it is not thriving but it is surviving, maintain it with Sutra ”and to elucidate its original meaning.
[Results]We were able to confirm that although there have heretofore been a total of four theories and 13opinions, none have been rationally interpreted.
[Conclusion]The facts that 1. “If it is not thriving but it is surviving, maintain it with Sutra”is based on a method of diagnosing pulses across the entire body, 2. the interpretation of the “Jin fu”chapter of the Huangdi Neijing-Lingshu contradicts the “Dashu ,”which is quoted in this text, and 3. the statement in the “Zhangjiashan Han bamboo text Maishu”that “when it is calm, then maintain it ”is the original form of “If it is not thriving but it is surviving, maintain it with Sutra ,”suggest that the original meaning of “If it is not thriving but it is surviving, maintain it with Sutra ”was likely that in cases where the form and rhythm of a pulse were normal, it should not be treated but instead addressed as usual.
