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Huangdi Neijing · The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon
Lingshu 17 · Vessel Measures
Read in English. Switch to Original for word notes, or select text to ask a question.
The Yellow Emperor said: “I wish to hear the vessel measures.”
Qi Bo replied: “The hand’s six yang run hand to head, five chi each: five times six gives three zhang.
“The hand’s six yin run hand to chest, three chi and five cun each: three times six gives one zhang and eight chi, five cun times six gives three chi, totaling two zhang and one chi.
“The foot’s six yang run foot to head, eight chi each: six times eight gives four zhang and eight chi.
“The foot’s six yin run foot to chest, six chi and five cun each: six times six gives three zhang and six chi, five cun times six gives three chi, totaling three zhang and nine chi.
“The Qiao vessels run foot to eye, seven chi and five cun: two times seven gives one zhang and four chi, two times five cun one chi, totaling one zhang and five chi.
“Du and Ren are each four chi and five cun: two times four gives eight chi, two times five cun one chi, totaling nine chi.
“The grand total is sixteen zhang and two chi. These are qi’s great passages. Channels are within; branches crossing sideways are networks; their further branches are small networks. Where abundant with blood, promptly remove it. Drain abundance; supplement emptiness with medicinal drinks.”
The source’s units and intermediate products are retained, without metric substitution.
“The five zang constantly reveal themselves within through the seven upper openings. Lung qi opens to the nose: harmony lets it distinguish odors. Heart qi opens to the tongue: harmony lets it know five flavors. Liver qi opens to the eyes: harmony lets them distinguish five colors. Spleen qi opens to the mouth: harmony lets it know five grains. Kidney qi opens to the ears: harmony lets them hear five tones.
“Disharmony of the five zang closes the seven openings; disharmony of the six fu leaves accumulations forming abscess. Harmful influence in the fu disorders yang vessels; qi remains and yang becomes abundant. Excessive yang impairs yin vessels; blood remains and yin becomes abundant. Excessive yin prevents yang from nourishing: this is closure. Excessive yang prevents yin from nourishing: blockage. Both abundant and unable to nourish each other is closure and blockage, causing death before the full term.”
The Yellow Emperor said: “Where does the Qiao vessel begin and stop, and what qi nourishes water?”
The displayed final word is water; it is retained rather than silently changed to a different object.
Qi Bo replied: “Qiao is a branch of Shaoyin. It begins behind the ran bone, rises above the inner ankle, follows the inner thigh, enters the genitals and ascends within the chest. It enters the collarbone hollow, rises before Renying, enters the cheekbone region and belongs to the inner eye corner. It joins Taiyang and Yang Qiao in ascending. Qi comes together and returns, moistening the eyes. Without qi’s nourishment, the eyes do not close.”
The supplied Taiyang/Yang Qiao wording remains without replacing it with a reconstructed route.
The Yellow Emperor said: “Why would qi travel only through the five zang and not nourish the six fu?”
Qi Bo replied: “Qi cannot fail to circulate. Like flowing water and the unceasing courses of sun and moon, yin vessels nourish their zang and yang vessels their fu, a ring without an end whose starting point cannot be known. It ends and begins again. Its overflowing qi irrigates zang and fu within and moistens the interstices outside.”
The Yellow Emperor said: “Qiao has yin and yang. Which is included in the count?”
Qi Bo replied: “For males count yang; for females count yin. What is counted is a channel; what is not counted is a network.”
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