Study On Metaphor In Classic Theorietical Construction Of Acupuncture And Moxibustion

Study PurposeThe thinking methods of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are unique, and the core of which is quxiangbilei method (analogism). As "xiang" is a unique cultural symbol of China, it has become an obstacle in learning TCM among oversea students as well as domestic students with modern knowledge. Meanwhile, because of people's limited knowledge concerning the origin of meridians and collaterals, about the origin of concepts of meridians, collaterals, etc, many researches based on misunderstanding of the classics have fallen into trouble. Through applying the modern metaphorology to organize arrange and analyze the classical theory of acupuncturology, this dissertation, therefore, restores the acupuncturology to its true features.Study MethodsThis dissertation analyzes with metaphor, the international research hotspot, as the tool as well as parts of the language and thought in the classics of acupuncturology (mainly Huang Di Nei Jing and Nan Jing) as the objects. This dissertation takes the metaphor of international research hotspots as research tool, and parts of language and thought in the classics of acupuncturology (mainly Huang Di Nei Jing and Nan Jing) as research objects. Based on a comprehensive literature review of metaphorical cognition both at home and abroad and the TCM, this dissertation makes a comparative study between quxiangbilei method and metaphor. Then, by through applying metaphorical theory, it deconstructs the basic theory concerning closely acupuncturology in TCM and the theoretical system of acupuncturology itself. Finally, it explores the causes and significance of applying metaphorical theory to constructing the classical theory of acupuncturology from a multidiscipline perspective.Study ResultsAfter the research, the author of this dissertation achieves the following discoveries:First, quxiangbilei method in TCM is actually a metaphorical cognitive thought. "quxiang" refers to collecting images, identifing their similarities, and elevating the perceptual knowledge to rational knowledge. However, "bilei" is a leaping cognitive process from one to the other and from point to surface. The basis of comparability is the similarity between chosen images and things to be analogized. The origin of "xiang" is the source domain, while the things to be analogized are from the target domain. "Xiang, " in fact, is a link between the two, or the similarity, or a symbol with high generality and extensive guidance extracted from the source domain. The guiding thing is the target domain. The reason for its guidance is that the similarity between the source domain and target domain.Second, several basic theories closely related with acupuncturology, such as Yin-Yang Theory, Five Phase Elements Theory, Visceral Manifestation Theory, Essential Qi Theory, are all constructed from metaphorical thought.Concepts and the law relations of unity of the opposites of between Yin and Yang in TCM derive from the metaphor that "Yang is facing towards the sun while Yin is backing on back against the sun. " Yin and Yang are "xiang". Things in the world can be classified into Yin or Yang, and they have the similarities with things facing towards or backing on back against the sun. It is a metaphorical process to divide things into Yin and Yang. And things metaphorized either as Yin or Yang project the whole meaning of them. This is the fundamental cause that all things can be divided into Yin and Yang and they guides extensively.Concepts and the law of counteracting each other relations of mutual generation and restriction of the five phases elements originate from the metaphor in the five basic substances-wood, fire, earth, metal, water. Things categorized into a certain phase have the largest similarities with one of the five substances. It is a metaphorized process to divide things into five phases. And the things metaphorized as the five phases project the whole meaning of them. This is the fundamental cause that all things are divided into five phases and they guides extensively. Yin-Yang and the five phases are the philosophical and methodological tools in TCM and acupuncturology.The basic concepts of visceral manifestation and its specific attributes come form the metaphor of characteristics of several organs. Visceral manifestation is the similarity between the internal viscera and bowels and things or phenomena in nature or society. All interpretations about viscera and bowels in Suwen are metaphors so that the functions and features of viscera and bowels are better understood. Therefore, theories on visceral manifestation in later generations all derive from here. However, according to metaphorical theory, there are still discoveries.Essence and Qi Theories are from "shuidi (water and earth) theory" and " yunqi (cloud and air) theory" respectively, based on the characteristics of water and air in nature, they metaphorize the essence of human body fluid and the extremely fine invisible but ceaseless substances.Third, the original meaning of meridians and collaterals-ancient meaning of "meridian and vessels, " "meridians" is a metaphor for blood vessels under the ideological guide of correspondence between man human being and nature.Two theories, "deqi theory" and "biaoben theory" concerning the origins of meridians and collaterals, are all metaphors. "Deqi theory" believes that the origins of meridians and collaterals are largely related to qi. Qi in TCM is a metaphor from "yunqi. " As it has the similarities in liquidity and shapelessness with air, it refers to the substance or power with liquidity and no shape to be visible. However, qi in "deqi" is a metaphor for the conductive feeling of soreness, numbness, swelling, heaviness, hot and cool or even an indescribable feeling after acupuncture or exercise. "Deqi" itself is a metaphor, referring to be sucked by an intangible substance. It is also named "qizhi. " Therefore, ways people lead and conduct qi are called "qigong. " The pathway which qi circulates is a metaphor as meridian. After years of clinical observations and practical summaries, including summary accumulation of the efficacy of acupoint, reasoning of body surface pathological phenomena and the illumination of anatomical physiology, doctors gradually make clear the complex but regular contact channels of human body. So there is the origin of meridians and collaterals.In "biaoben theory, " it believes that the beginnings and endings of twelve meridians were originally locations of pulse-taking. The lower vessels in the wrist and ankle which can diagnose the disease in faraway places of human body are called "ben". The corresponding upper vessels are called "biao" or "mo. " Later, people find that upper and lower biaos and pulses of ben can diagnose the same diseases. The applying of acupuncture to the two points can cure corresponding diseases. Therefore, it is believed that upper and lower biaos and pulses of ben are all from the same meridian. Ancient people connect the upper with lower biao and ben and draw a line between two points, forming the original simple meridian cycle. Later, people find more locations of pulse in the original meridian cycle. Connection between these pulse locations at the same line makes the description of meridian cycle more specific. The original lines of meridian cycle are connected between two points, gradually, it develop into lines between more than two points. The Meridian and Collateral Theory is constructed by Yin-Yang Theory. This is a structural metaphor.The flow mode of the twelve meridians and twenty-eight meridians are from an impractical and farfetched comparison of twenty-eight lunar mansions under the ideological thought of correspondence between man and nature.Fourth, the naming of meridian points are basically metaphors. The name of acupoint, by combing "zhou (boat)" and "tushi" (a dirt house), metaphorizes the channels, short circuits and ventages, apertures of human body. They all refer to qi in human's viscera and meridians and collaterals infused into specific parts of human body. In the light of the names of meridian points are all presented with specific language materials, this dissertation mainly sorts out the cognitive functions of the names of acupoint from the perspective of categorization of metaphors, and discoveries that the naming of acupoint contains various metaphorical types, suggesting the locations as well as the effects, etc.Fifth, according to the reasoning of analogical metaphor, it is believed that the origin of acupuncture therapy should be thorn therapy and the stone needling therapy is the precursor of blood-letting therapy. Stimulating of the round stones to the sole of the feet is probably the origin of massotherapy. The origin of moxibustion should date back to the natural sunlight therapy at the earliest. If we analyze analyzed the causes from metaphorical perspective, it is because that in ancient time, people get to know things according to the similarities between them. The more similar things are, the easier for people to understand them.Sixth, in this dissertation, it is found the four tonification-purgation techniques reinforcing and reducing manipulation of acupuncture in Huang Di Nei Jing, including suiyingbuxie (i. e. reinforcing and reducing by puncturing along and against the direction of meridians respectively), xujibuxie (i.e. strengthening and reducing by slow-quick needling), huxibuxie (i.e. reinforcing or reducing by needling in cooperation with patient respiration), kaihebuxie (i.e. reinforcing by pressing the punctures hole after withdrawing the needle and attenuating by enlarging the punctured hole while withdrawing the needle), all adopt metaphorical thinking. "Suiying" explains "xie" by "ying, " based on the incompatibility between subject and guest, and explains "bu" by "sui" according to the compatibility between subject and guest. In Huang Di Nei Jing, there has two contradictory explanations to xujibuxie. In the metaphorical perspective, Acupuncture Theory has been compared human body to a barometric pressure with pipes or flow system. The meridians are pipes, with qi and blood. By using life experience, it explains the related process metaphorically. It believes that reinforcing method refers to push the needle slowly and press the pinhole quickly in case that qi and blood are outpoured. However, the reducing method refers to that push the needle quickly and delay pressing the pinhole, aiming to widen the hole and let the qi and blood outpour. The research has discovered that ancient people believe that reducing is pushing the needle while exhaling, while strengthening is pushing the needle while breathing. This belief is based on the metaphor that human body is a barometric pressure with pipes or flow system. And it is also believed that there have been some relationships between respiratory gases and qi in meridians and vessels, and in some cases, they are nearly the same. This is actually a metaphorical thinking under the overall metaphorical view of the unity of man and nature. However, kaihebuxie indicates the opening and closing of pinholes, which has been included in xujibuxie.Seventh, the principles of acupuncture treatment "sheng (sufficiency), " "xu (deficiency), " "xianxia (extreme deficiency sinking syndrome), " all refer to the extent of filling in blood vessels, that is, the early pulse tracings. When Huang Di Nei Jing prevails, although sphgmology take varied pulse locations, it describes the pulse tracings as high or low of the river levels. And the sufficiency and deficiency in blood vessels are metaphorized as sheng and xu respectively. The five shu points are from the ancients' metaphorical thinking that comparing the circulation of meridian-Qi to the circulation of water flow in nature. This metaphor, in some extent, decides the entire distribution.ConclusionStudies have shown that metaphors exist everywhere from the classical theories of constructive acupuncture including Yin-Yang Theory, Five Phase Theory, Visceral Manifestation Theory and Essence Qi Theory to subsystems like meridians and collaterals, acupoint, acupuncture manipulation and moxibustion, therapeutics in the classical theoretical system of acupuncturology. It can be said that it is metaphor that fundamentally constructs the classical theoretical system of acupuncturology. Metaphor is not only an essential carrier for the cultural change between East and West but also an intersection of natural and social science. The underlying reason is that metaphor is a basic way of thinking for human beings to understand the world. Studying the classical theories of acupuncturology from the perspective of metaphor greatly benefits the succession and communication of acupuncture culture. Moreover, as metaphor can create similarities, this dissertation can also add the initiative understanding to the classical theories of acupuncturology and promote the study of modern acupuncturology.