• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.61-73
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• 2016

Objectives : Suwenliuqixuanzhumiyu is a book that strongly influenced the following generations' theory of five Circuits and six Qi. It is understood that Wangbing authored the book during the Tang dynasty, but another theory suggests that a nameless author devised the book falsely in Wangbing's name. A comprehensive research is greatly significant in the development of the theory of five Circuits and six Qi. Methods : The study will focus on the analysis on the truth about Suwenliuqixuanzhumiyu, its impact on the following generations' theory of five Circuits and six Qi, the contents and comparison of Suwen's xuanzhumiyu, and the 17 books and 27 chapters of xuanzhumiyu. Results & Conclusions : First, xuanzhu was authored by Wangbing sometime around 762 AD, and Suwenliuqixuanzhumiyu was written in 690 during the rule of Empress Wu Zetian, meaning that Wangbing is not the author of Suwenliuqixuanzhumiyu. Second, Wangbing's style of writing is regular yet elegant, and keeps itself within the range of medical style of writing, but Suwenliuqixuanzhumiyu is written in a very rough style, and finds itself within the range of Tao literatures and books on trickery. Third, Wangbing's xuanzhu is a commentary on Suwen, whereas Suwenliuqixuanzhumiyu is consisting of the theory of five Circuits and six Qi, and trickeries predictive picture. As such, the two books have entirely different characters. Theories that received relatively significant impacts to the following generations' the theory of five Circuits and six Qi include Gandeokbu, Jeongwhadaewha, and the Calculation method of normal Qi. Suwen's chapter on the theory of five Circuits and six Qi and Suwenliuqixuanzhumiyu have many inconsistent and differing theories, leading the scholars to believe that they are dealing with different theory of five Circuits and six Qi which derived from separate schools of beliefs.