The Path of Qihuang
Legendary Physician of High Antiquity — Lei Gong
Lei Gong was a legendary medical minister to the Yellow Emperor in high antiquity, particularly skilled in acupuncture, moxibustion, and complexion diagnosis. In the Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon), the Yellow Emperor and Lei Gong discuss medicine in a question-and-answer format, emphasizing the tradition of "reciting and understanding, understanding and distinguishing, distinguishing and clarifying." The Lei Gong Yao Dui (Lei Gong's Drug Pairings) is attributed to him. His discussions with the Yellow Emperor in the Suwen and Lingshu on meridians and needling laid an important theoretical foundation for Chinese medicine.
Lei Gong is a legendary medical master of high antiquity in Chinese tradition. According to legend, he was one of the many ministers of the Yellow Emperor who were well versed in medicine. He excelled in teaching the way of medicine, complexion inspection for diagnosis, and the arts of acupuncture and moxibustion.
“The Yellow Emperor sat in the Bright Hall and summoned Lei Gong, asking him: ‘Do you know the way of medicine?’ Lei Gong replied: ‘I can recite it and quite understand it, yet having understood I am not yet able to distinguish; having distinguished, I am not yet able to clarify; having clarified, I am not yet able to manifest it fully. It is sufficient to treat the various officials.’”
Lei Gong was especially proficient in acupuncture and moxibustion, and thoroughly versed in the “Nine Needles” in its sixty sections. Many chapters in the Huangdi Neijing — such as the “Zhu Zhi Jiao Lun” (Treatise on Conveying the Ultimate Teaching), “Shi Cong Rong Lun” (Treatise on Demonstrating Composure), “Shu Wu Guo Lun” (Treatise on Expounding the Five Faults), and “Zheng Si Shi Lun” (Treatise on Rectifying the Four Errors) — are all written in the form of the Yellow Emperor and Lei Gong discussing medical questions. Among medical works historically attributed to Lei Gong is the Lei Gong Yao Dui (Lei Gong's Drug Pairings).
In discussions on acupuncture and moxibustion, he deliberated with the Yellow Emperor on “the principles governing all needling,” as well as the theory of diagnosing disease through observing the facial complexion. From the content of the Suwen (Basic Questions) and the Lingshu (Spiritual Pivot), the relationship of Lei Gong receiving instruction from the Yellow Emperor can be clearly discerned.