夫医道者。以济世为良。以愈疾为善。盖济世者凭乎术。愈疾者仗乎法。故法之与术。悉出内经之玄机。
此经固不可力而求智而得也。况轩岐问答理非造次。奥藏金丹宝典。深隐生化玄文。为修行之径路。作达道
之天梯。得其理者。用如神圣。失其理者。似隔水山。其法玄妙。其功深固。非小智所能窥测也。若不访求
师范。而自生穿凿者。徒劳皓首耳。余二十有五。志在内经。日夜不辍。殆至六旬。得遇天人授饮美酒。若
橡斗许。面赤若醉。一醒之后。目至心灵。大有开悟。衍其功疗。左右逢原。百发百中。今见世医多赖祖名。
倚约旧方。耻问不学。特无更新之法。纵闻善说。反怒为非。呜呼。患者遇此之徒。十误八九。岂念人命死
而不复者哉。仁者鉴之。可不痛欤。以此观之。是未知阴阳变化之道。况木极似金。金极似火。火极似土。
土极似木。故经曰亢则害。承乃制。谓己亢极反似胜己之化。俗流未知。故认似作是。以阳为阴。失其本意。
经所谓诛罚无过。命曰大惑。医徒执迷反肆旁识。纵用获效。终无了然之语。其道难与语哉。仆见如斯。首述
玄机。刊行于世者。已有宣明等三书。革庸医之鄙陋。正俗论之舛讹。宣扬古圣之法则。普救后人之生命。
今将余三十年间。信如心手。亲用若神。远取诸物。近取诸身。比物立象。直明真理。治法方论。裁成三卷。
三十二论。目之曰素问病机气宜保命集。此集非崖略之说。盖得轩岐要妙之旨。故用之可以济人命。舍之无以
活人生。得乎心髓。秘之箧笥。不敢轻以示人。非绝仁人之心。盖圣人之法。不遇当人未易授尔。后之明者当
自传焉。
时大定丙午闰七月中元日河间刘完素守真述
医学之道，以救济世间为高尚，以治愈疾病为善举。大概救济世人凭借的是医术，治愈疾病依靠的是医法。所以医法和医术，都出自《内经》的深奥玄机。
这部经典固然不能靠蛮力去求得智慧，也不能仅凭智力去获得。况且黄帝与岐伯的问答，其道理并非仓促之间所能领会，其中隐藏着金丹宝典和深奥隐秘的生命生化玄妙文字，这是修行的路径，是通达大道的天梯。领悟了其中的道理，运用起来如同神人一般；失去了其中的道理，就像隔着水看山一样模糊不清。它的法度玄妙，功效深厚稳固，不是小聪明的人所能窥探测度的。如果不访求老师指导，而自行生硬穿凿附会，只是白白地劳累到满头白发罢了。我二十五岁时，立志钻研《内经》，日夜不停歇，直到六十岁，才遇到天人传授饮用美酒，像斗勺那样一点点地喝下，面色红得像醉酒一样。醒来之后，耳目心灵豁然开朗，大有开悟。推演其治疗功效，左右逢源，百发百中。如今看到世间的医生多依赖祖先的名声，倚仗旧的方子，耻于提问和学习，特别缺乏更新的方法。即使听到好的学说，反而愤怒地认为是不对的。唉！患者如果遇到这类人，十个中有八九个被误治，哪里还顾念人的生命死亡后不能复生的道理呢？仁爱的人请明鉴，能不痛心吗？由此看来，这是不了解阴阳变化的道理。何况木气极盛时看似金，金气极盛时看似火，火气极盛时看似土，土气极盛时看似木。所以《内经》说：“亢则害，承乃制。”意思是某一行亢盛到了极点，反而表现出克制它的那一行的变化特征。世俗之流不懂这个道理，所以把相似的当作正确的，把阳看作阴，失去了原本的意义。经书所说的“诛罚无过”，叫做极大的迷惑。医生如果执着于迷误，反而肆意发表旁门左道的见解，即使使用某种方法获得了疗效，最终也没有明白透彻的道理。这种道行很难与之交谈啊。我见到这种情况，首先阐述这些玄机，刊印流行于世的书，已经有《宣明论方》等三本书，旨在革除庸医的鄙陋，纠正世俗言论的错误，宣扬古代圣人的法则，普遍拯救后人的性命。现在将我三十年来，心手相应，亲自使用如神一般的经验，远取万物之理，近取人体之象，通过比较事物建立形象，直接阐明真理，整理治法方论，裁制成三卷，共三十二篇，命名为《素问病机气宜保命集》。这部文集不是粗略浅薄的说法，而是得到了黄帝、岐伯精妙旨意的精髓，所以运用它可以救济人的生命，舍弃它就无法养活人生。得于心髓深处，秘密收藏在箱柜里，不敢轻易展示给人看。这并不是断绝仁爱之心，而是因为圣人的法则，如果没有遇到合适的人，是不容易传授的。后来的明智之士应当自行传承吧。
时间是大定丙午年闰七月十五日，河间刘完素守真记述。
The Way of Medicine regards saving the world as noble and curing diseases as good. Generally, saving the world relies on medical skills (Shu), while curing diseases depends on medical methods (Fa). Therefore, both methods and skills originate from the profound mysteries of the *Neijing* (Inner Canon).
This classic cannot be sought through brute force nor obtained merely by intellect. Moreover, the dialogues between Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) and Qibo are not to be grasped hastily; they conceal the golden elixir treasures and profound texts on the mysterious principles of life generation and transformation, serving as paths for cultivation and ladders to reach the Great Dao. Those who grasp its principles apply it like divine beings; those who lose its principles are like viewing a mountain across water. Its methods are profound, its efficacy deep and solid, beyond the reach of petty wisdom. If one does not seek a teacher but engages in arbitrary speculation, one will only toil in vain until white-haired. At twenty-five, I resolved to study the *Neijing*, day and night without ceasing, until sixty years old, when I encountered a heavenly being who taught me to drink fine wine, sip by sip, like a ladleful, my face turning red as if drunk. Upon waking, my eyes, ears, and mind became clear, experiencing great enlightenment. I deduced its therapeutic effects, finding resources everywhere, with hundred percent accuracy. Now I see that many contemporary physicians rely on ancestral fame, depend on old prescriptions, feel ashamed to ask or learn, and lack innovative methods. Even when hearing good teachings, they react with anger, deeming them wrong. Alas! Patients encountering such individuals suffer misdiagnosis and mistreatment eight or nine times out of ten. Do they not consider that human life, once lost, cannot be restored? Benevolent people should reflect on this; is it not painful? From this perspective, it is evident that they do not understand the way of Yin-Yang transformation. Furthermore, when Wood reaches its extreme, it resembles Metal; when Metal reaches its extreme, it resembles Fire; when Fire reaches its extreme, it resembles Earth; when Earth reaches its extreme, it resembles Wood. Thus, the Classic states: "Excess leads to harm, and control follows." This means that when a phase becomes excessive to the extreme, it manifests characteristics resembling the phase that controls it. Vulgar practitioners do not understand this, mistaking similarity for correctness, confusing Yang with Yin, and losing the original meaning. The Classic says, "Punishing the innocent is called great confusion." Physicians who cling to delusion and promulgate heterodox views, even if they achieve some effect, ultimately lack clear understanding. Such a Way is difficult to discuss. Witnessing this, I first expounded these mysteries and published books such as the *Xuanming Lunfang* (Discussion Formulas of Mysterious Manifestations) and two others, aiming to reform the vulgarity of quacks, correct erroneous popular theories, propagate the laws of ancient sages, and universally save the lives of future generations. Now, compiling thirty years of experience where heart and hand were in harmony, personally applied with divine efficacy, drawing parallels from distant objects and proximate human body, establishing images through comparison, and directly clarifying truth, I have organized treatment methods and formulas into three volumes, comprising thirty-two treatises, titled *Suwen Bingji Qi Yi Baoming Ji* (Collection for Preserving Life Regarding Pathogenesis and Qi Suitability of the Suwen). This collection is not superficial; it captures the essence of the profound insights of Huangdi and Qibo. Thus, using it can save lives, while abandoning it leaves no way to sustain life. Having grasped its marrow, I kept it secret in my chest, daring not show it lightly to others. This is not to cut off benevolence, but because the laws of Sages are not easily transmitted unless meeting the worthy person. Future wise ones should inherit it themselves.
Recorded by Liu Wansu Shouzhen of Hejian on the Fifteenth Day of the Intercalary Seventh Month of the Bingwu Year of Dading.