夫清浊形分。阴阳位设。四时序矣。万物生矣。滋味既兴。疾恙斯作。神农尝之百草。
黄帝立以九针。岐伯雷公。备论诊脉。华佗扁鹊。广着群书。分弦钩毛石之功。定君臣佐使
之用。立神圣功巧。判虚实浮沉。迩后伎士分镳。名医接踵。皆穷玄奥。尽播声光。自古迄
今。更相祖述。道符济国。志在救人也。夫为医者。先须谙甲乙素问。明堂针经。俞穴流注。
本草药对。三部九候。五脏六腑。表里虚实。阴阳盛衰。诸家方论。并须精熟。然后涉猎诗
书。该博释老。全之四教。备以五常。明希夷恬淡之门。达喜舍慈悲之旨。傥尽穷其大体。
即
无
炫耀声称。泛滥名节。心中未了。指下难明。欲别死生。深为造次。故曰医者意也。非常之
意尔。是以上医医国。中医医人。下医医病。又曰上医听声。中医察色。下医诊脉。又曰上
医疗未病。中医疗欲病。下医疗已病。夫如是则须洞明物理。晓达人情。悟造化之变通。定
吉凶之机要。视表知里。诊候处方。常怀拯物之心。并救含灵之苦。苟用药有准。则厥疾必
瘳。若能留心于斯。具而学之。则为医之道。尽善尽美。触事皆通矣。
夫脉者。医之大业也。既不深究其道。何以为医者哉。是以古之哲医。寤寐俯仰。不与
常人同域。造次必在于医。颠沛必在于医。故医者必能感于鬼神。通于天地。可以济众。可
以依凭。若与常人混其波澜。则庶事隳坏。使夫物类。将何仰焉。由是言之。学人必当摒弃
俗情
经曰∶诊脉之法。常以平旦阴气未动。阳气未散。饮食未进。经脉未盛。络脉调匀。气
血未乱。乃可诊脉。视其五色。察其精明。观五脏有余不足。六腑强弱。形之盛衰。可以决
生死
凡人禀形气。有中适。有躁静。各各不同。气脉潮动。亦各随其性韵。故呼而脉再至。
吸而脉再至。呼吸之间复一至。合为五至。此为中适者也。春秋中。日夜正等。其呼而脉至
多。吸而脉至少。或吸而脉至多。呼而脉至少。此则不同。为冬夏日夜长短之异也。凡气脉
呼吸。昼夜变通。效于四时。然于呼吸定息。应五至之限。无有亏僻。犹晷刻与四时长短。
而岁功日数无遗也。若人状貌有羸有壮。其呼吸虽相接续。而昼夜息度。随其漏刻。是谓呼
吸象昼夜。变通效于四时也。
清与浊、形与体各有区分。阴与阳各居其位。四季有序运行，万物由此生长。饮食滋味兴起之后，疾病便随之产生。神农氏尝遍百草以辨药性，黄帝创立九针以治疾病，岐伯与雷公详尽论述诊脉之法，华佗与扁鹊广泛著述群书，分别阐明弦、钩、毛、石等脉象的功效，确定君、臣、佐、使的配伍作用，建立神圣巧妙的医术，辨别虚、实、浮、沉等脉象特征。此后，医技之士分道扬镳，名医接踵而至，皆能穷尽医学玄妙奥理，广泛传播声名光辉。自古至今，历代相承，其道符合救济国家（百姓）之旨，志向在于拯救世人。
凡是成为医生的人，首先必须精通《甲乙经》、《素问》、《明堂针灸经》、《俞穴流注》及《本草药对》，熟悉三部九候诊法、五脏六腑生理、表里虚实变化、阴阳盛衰规律以及各家方论，都必须精熟掌握。然后才能涉猎诗书，广博了解佛家与道家思想，全面具备儒家的“四教”（礼、乐、射、御或仁、义、礼、智），完备五常（仁、义、礼、智、信）。明白希夷（指道的虚无寂静）恬淡的门径，通达喜舍慈悲的宗旨。如果未能穷尽医学大体，就会炫耀名声，泛滥追求名节；心中概念不清，手下诊断就难以明确。想要分辨生死，就非常草率危险了。所以说：医者，意也。这是一种非常规的思维境界。所以上等的医生治理国家（调理社会风气），中等的医生治疗个人疾病，下等的医生仅治疗病症本身。又说：上等的医生听声音（望闻问切中的听声），中等的医生观察面色，下等的医生才只诊察脉搏。又说：上医治未病（预防疾病），中医治欲病（疾病萌芽阶段），下医治已病（疾病已成）。像这样就必须透彻明了物理规律，通晓人情世故，领悟造化变化的通则，确定吉凶的关键。通过视外表可知内里，诊察后开具处方，常怀救助万物的爱心，并解救众生的痛苦。如果用药准确，那么重病必定痊愈。如果能留心于此，详细学习它，那么为医之道就尽善尽美，遇事都能通达了。
脉学，是医学的大业。如果不深入探究它的道理，怎么能成为医生呢？因此古代的明智医生，无论醒着还是睡着，俯身还是仰面，都不与普通人在同一领域。匆忙时刻必关注医学，颠沛流离时必关注医学。所以医生必须能与鬼神感应，与天地相通，可以救济大众，可以作为依靠。如果与普通人的波澜混同，那么各种事务就会毁坏，使得物类将仰仗什么呢？由此而言，求学之人必须摒弃世俗之情。
经典记载：诊脉的方法，通常在平旦（清晨）时分进行，此时阴气未动，阳气未散，饮食未进，经脉未盛，络脉调匀，气血未乱，才可以诊脉。观察病人的五色，察看他眼神的精明与否，观察五脏的有余和不足，六腑的强弱，形体的盛衰，就可以决断生死。
凡人禀受形体气质，有的适中，有的躁动或安静，各不相同。气脉潮动，也各自随其性情韵律。所以呼气时脉搏跳动两次，吸气时脉搏跳动两次，呼吸之间再跳动一次，合起来为五次，这属于气脉适中的情况。春秋季节昼夜长短相等，呼气时脉搏次数多，吸气时脉搏次数少；或者吸气时脉搏次数多，呼气时脉搏次数少，这是不同的，因为冬夏日夜长短有差异。大凡气脉呼吸，昼夜变通，效法于四季。然而在呼吸定息之间，应达到五次脉搏的限制，没有亏损偏颇，就像日晷刻度与四季长短相应，而一年的岁功日数没有遗漏一样。如果人的状貌有瘦弱有强壮，他们的呼吸虽然相接续，但昼夜的息度，随着漏刻（时间）的变化，这叫作呼吸象昼夜，变通效法于四季。
Clear and turbid, form and substance are distinct. Yin and Yang occupy their respective positions. The four seasons follow their order, and all things are born. Once flavors arise, illnesses manifest. Shennong tasted a hundred herbs; the Yellow Emperor established the Nine Needles; Qibo and Leigong thoroughly discussed pulse diagnosis; Hua Tuo and Bian Que extensively wrote various books, distinguishing the merits of string-like (Xian), hook-like (Gou), hair-like (Mao), and stone-like (Shi) pulses, and determining the roles of Sovereign (Jun), Minister (Chen), Assistant (Zuo), and Envoy (Shi). They established divine and skillful medical arts, discerning deficiency (Xu), excess (Shi), floating (Fu), and sinking (Chen) pulses. Later, practitioners diverged in their approaches, and famous doctors followed one after another, all exhausting profound mysteries and spreading their reputations. From ancient times to the present, they have succeeded each other in inheritance, their Way conforming to the salvation of the state, with aspirations to save people.
To be a physician, one must first master the *Jia Yi Jing* (Classic of Jia Yi), *Su Wen* (Basic Questions), *Ming Tang Zhen Jing* (Bright Hall Acupuncture Classic), *Yue Xue Liu Zhu* (Flowing and Pouring of Acupoints), and *Ben Cao Yao Dui* (Herbal Pairs); understand the Three Regions and Nine Observations (San Bu Jiu Hou), the Five Zang and Six Fu organs, exterior and interior, deficiency and excess, and the flourishing and declining states of Yin and Yang; and be thoroughly familiar with formulas and theories from various schools. Only then can one browse poetry and books, broadly comprehend Buddhist and Daoist teachings, fully possess the Four Teachings, and prepare with the Five Constants (Ren, Yi, Li, Zhi, Xin). One must understand the gate of Xi Yi (profound silence and emptiness) and tranquil indifference, and reach the essence of joy, giving, and compassion. If one does not thoroughly grasp the general principles, one will merely show off reputation and indulge in fame. With an unclear mind, the pulse under the fingers becomes difficult to interpret. To distinguish life from death would be highly rash. Thus it is said: "The physician is intent." It is an extraordinary state of mind. Therefore, the superior physician treats the state (society), the average physician treats the person, and the inferior physician treats the disease. It is also said: The superior physician listens to sounds, the average physician observes complexion, and the inferior physician diagnoses the pulse. Furthermore: The superior physician treats disease before it arises, the average physician treats disease as it is about to arise, and the inferior physician treats disease that has already arisen. In this way, one must penetrate the principles of things, understand human nature, comprehend the transformations of creation, and determine the key points of fortune and misfortune. By observing the exterior, one knows the interior; after diagnosis, one prescribes. One should always harbor the heart to save all beings and alleviate the suffering of sentient creatures. If medication is accurate, serious illnesses will surely be cured. If one pays attention to this and studies it in detail, the Way of medicine will be perfect, and one will be proficient in all matters.
Pulseology is the great enterprise of medicine. If one does not deeply investigate its principles, how can one become a physician? Therefore, wise physicians of old, whether awake or asleep, bowing or looking up, did not belong to the same realm as ordinary people. In haste, they were concerned with medicine; in adversity, they were concerned with medicine. Thus, a physician must be able to resonate with spirits and heaven and earth, capable of saving the multitude and worthy of reliance. If one mixes one's waves with those of ordinary people, then various affairs will be ruined, and upon what will living beings rely? From this perspective, students must discard worldly emotions.
The Classics state: The method of pulse diagnosis is usually performed at dawn (Ping Dan), when Yin Qi has not yet stirred, Yang Qi has not yet dispersed, food and drink have not been taken, the meridians are not yet full, the collaterals are harmonious, and Qi and Blood are not yet disturbed. Only then can the pulse be diagnosed. Observe the five colors, examine the clarity of the spirit, observe the excess and deficiency of the Five Zang organs, the strength and weakness of the Six Fu organs, and the flourishing and declining state of the body, and one can decide life and death.
Humans inherit forms and Qi; some are balanced, some are restless or quiet, each differing. The tide of Qi and pulse moves according to one's nature and rhythm. Thus, during exhalation, the pulse beats twice; during inhalation, the pulse beats twice; and once more between breaths, totaling five beats. This represents a balanced state. In spring and autumn, day and night are equal. Exhalation may have more beats, inhalation fewer; or inhalation more, exhalation fewer. This difference is due to the varying lengths of day and night in winter and summer. Generally, Qi and pulse respiration vary by day and night, imitating the four seasons. However, within a fixed respiratory cycle, the limit of five beats should be met without deficit or deviation, just as sundial marks correspond to the lengths of the four seasons, while the days of the year's work remain complete. If a person's appearance varies from emaciated to robust, although their respiration continues, the rate of breaths per day and night changes with the water clock (time). This is called "respiration mirroring day and night," varying and imitating the four seasons.