明堂與陰陽──以《五十二病方》「灸其泰陰泰陽」為例

Mingtang and Yinyang: The Case of Wushier bingfang from Mawangdui

這篇文章旨在討論中國方技學的腧穴與陰陽兩個觀念。腧穴在醫書曾有「明堂」之稱。筆者藉「明堂」一詞來說明產生中國醫學的數術性風土。「數術」之學是傳統中國關於天道或宇宙的知識體系。或者說，它是中國人的傳統宇宙觀以及以此宇宙視為基礎的預測學。「明堂」與「陰陽」是數術之學所派生的兩個概念。全文分為兩大部分：第一、白馬王堆脈書出土以來，這批新資料清楚的描述十一條脈的循行路線，卻沒有記載一個腧穴名。因而有「先經後穴」的新說出現。筆者以解讀《五十二病方》「灸其泰陰、泰陽」為例，指出太陰、太陽是人體的腧穴名，不是脈名。它們位於人的手足腕踝附近，與經脈一樣，亦以三陰三陽命名。根據現存的醫學文獻，一共有十二個以陰陽命名的腧穴。其次，以陰陽命名的腧穴意義為何？按方術家所言「陰陽」，其意殆側重二方面：（1）陰陽為天文星曆之學的專稱；（2）陰陽是古代方術家切割「時位」（時間與方位）的一套思維方式，藉以表達不同時間氣的變化與盛衰。要言之，十二陰陽穴是按「時令－三陰三陽－腧穴」的數術圖式構思而成的。筆者將這樣的身體觀稱之為「數術的身體觀」。換言之，人的身體具有宇宙性格。古代經脈腧穴之學稱為「明堂」。「明堂」是王者佈政之所、是人的軀體、也是腧穴。凡此，皆是大宇宙的複製與縮影。方技學往往著墨於局部與整體、周期與循環等理論，無疑是在「明堂」這種特殊風土所產生的。

This paper discusses the concepts of shuxue 腧穴 (also termed ''mingtang'' 明堂) and yinyang 陰陽 in Chinese medical recipes and techniques. The paper is divided into two parts. First, although the medical manuscripts (maishu 脈書) discovered at Mawangdui offer clear descriptions of eleven circulatory tracts (mai), they make no mention of the term shuxue. This has given rise to the theory that the shuxue were preceded by the jingmai 經脈. Through a case study of the phrase ''Jiu qi taiyin, taiyang'' 灸其泰陰、泰陽 in the Wushier bingfang, the author points out that taiyin and taiyang are names of xue, or ''locus'' on the human body, and not names of jingmai (circulatory tracts). These xue are located in the vicinity of the wrist and ankle, and are named the three yin and three yang, as are the jingmai. There are in total twelve shuxue named with the terms yin and yang. Second, the author conducts an inquiry into the meaning of the shuxue that are named with the terms yin and yang. The term ''yinyang'' as used by ''adepts of esoteric arts'' (fangshi 方士), was mainly used in the following two ways: (1) as a term for astrological and astronomical learning, and (2) as a mode of thinking by which adepts of the esoteric arts in ancient China divided space and time, and expressed seasonal, aspectual, and dynamic changes. The twelve yinyang xue are constructed according to the schema of ''seasons with three yin and three yang shuxue.'' The field of learning relating to jingmai and shuxue in ancient China was called ''mingtang.'' The term mingtang refers variously to the place of political activity of the king, the human body, and the shuxue. Ranging in scope from large to small, it is at once a replica and an essentialization of the macro-cosmos. Medical theories pertaining to topics such as ''part and whole,'' and ''period and cycle,'' which played a major role in the discourse over recipes and techniques, originated within the specific Chinese cultural milieu of this mingtang learning.