Contrary to what most people know The Shang Han Lun focuses on all forms of disease and their external and internal causes, which are defined according to the six climatic influences, which are cold, heat, dampness, dryness, wind, and fire. These influences are believed to be the cause of all diseases, affecting the Six Divisions, and understanding them is critical to effective diagnosis and treatment.

The Six Divisions correspond to the six stages of disease (Tai yang, Yang ming, Shao yang, Tai yin, Shao yin, Jue yin), so using yin and yang to classify the disease and patterns of sickness is essential. In the Shang Han Lun, this all is worked out in a very systematic way, giving us clues on how to find the right qi. It also provides the necessary therapeutic approaches to treat them.

However, the author Zhang Ji assumed his readers had the necessary background information, contained in The Yellow Emperor’s Classic. Since very few Chinese Medicine educations spend much time learning about the classic’s these days, most therapists lack the essential background information. As a result, fully understanding the Shang Han Lun requires a lifetime of study.

Understanding the Shang Han Lun

Paul Freedman has spent several years studying the classics and has worked out a systematic approach to understanding the Shang Han Lun, using The Yellow Emperor’s Classic as a starting point.

This means: to fully understand the Shang Han Lun, you fully have to understand the yin yang theory, starting with the Dao. Dao is the nameless mystery and yin and yang are its named manifestations. Dao is the beginning of Heaven and Earth that gives birth to the five elemental movements and the six climatic qi. These manifestations are all connected to each other, and therefore also always to the Dao.

When you understand this, it is a small step to realize that by identifying the disease trigger and the resulting primary symptoms, you have the key in hand to remove the pathology from the body.

According to the Shang Han Lun, all diseases that could ever arise are Cold damage and miscellaneous diseases. In fact, this is what Shang Han Za Bing Lun literally means! This means the practitioner has to identify which symptoms are associated with an excess or deficiency of one of the six influences of cold, dryness, fire, dampness, heat, and wind. Based on these diagnostic criteria, the practitioner will then recommend what treatment will help to treat the condition.

Paul has this all worked out for you, using classical texts as stepping stones in a fascinating course that will help you understand the basic principles of Chinese medicine in a very systematic Chinese way. You will understand why the Shang Han Lun, in combination with the Yellow Emperor’s Classic, is an extremely useful method for any TCM practitioner to describe the disease and the treatment in the same terms.