Huangdi Neijing · The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon

Suwen 1 · Ancient True Nature

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In ancient times the Yellow Emperor was spiritually perceptive from birth. As an infant he could speak; as a child he was quick to understand; as he grew he was sincere and discerning; at maturity he ascended to sovereignty. He asked the Heavenly Teacher: “I have heard that people of high antiquity all lived beyond a hundred years without decline in their movements. People today decline in movement at fifty. Have the times changed, or have people lost something?” Qi Bo replied: “Those of antiquity who understood the Way modeled themselves upon yin and yang and harmonized with the arts of reckoning. They ate and drank with restraint, kept regular daily habits, and did not exhaust themselves recklessly. Thus body and spirit remained together, and they completed their natural span, departing only after a hundred years. People today are otherwise. They drink wine as if it were ordinary drink and make recklessness their habit. Drunk, they enter the bedchamber; desire exhausts their essence and dissipation scatters their true vitality. They do not know how to preserve fullness or govern the spirit at proper times. Seeking immediate gratification, they oppose the joy of living, keep no measure in daily habits, and therefore decline at fifty. The ancient sages taught everyone: avoid deficient evils and injurious winds at their proper times. Be tranquil, unburdened and free of grasping, and true qi will follow. Keep essence and spirit guarded within—where could illness come from? Their intentions were at leisure and their desires few. Their hearts were peaceful and without fear; their bodies worked without exhaustion; qi followed its proper course. Each followed what suited them and obtained what they wished. They found their food pleasing, accepted their clothing and enjoyed their customs. High and low did not envy one another; their people were therefore called simple. Desires could not overwork their eyes, and excessive or wayward influences could not confuse their hearts. Foolish or wise, worthy or unworthy, they were not intimidated by external things. Thus they accorded with the Way. They could all live beyond a hundred years without declining in movement because their virtue was whole and not endangered.” The Emperor asked: “When people grow old and have no children, is their bodily strength exhausted, or is it the natural numerical order?” Qi Bo said: “At seven, a girl’s Kidney qi becomes abundant; the teeth change and the hair grows. At twice seven, tian gui arrives, the Ren vessel opens and the great Chong vessel flourishes. Menstruation descends at its proper times, so she can bear children. At three times seven, Kidney qi is balanced; the true teeth emerge and growth reaches its limit. At four times seven, sinews and bones are firm, hair reaches its fullest growth, and the body is robust. At five times seven, the Yangming vessel declines; the face begins to wither and hair begins to fall. At six times seven, the three yang vessels decline above; the whole face withers and hair begins to whiten. At seven times seven, the Ren vessel is deficient and the great Chong vessel weakened and diminished. Tian gui is exhausted and the earthly passage no longer opens, so the bodily form deteriorates and she no longer bears children. Reading note: Tian gui is the text’s term associated with reproductive maturation and its decline. Ren and Chong are named vessels; the great Chong vessel is not the acupuncture point Taichong. At eight, a boy’s Kidney qi becomes full; hair grows and the teeth change. At twice eight, Kidney qi flourishes and tian gui arrives. Essential qi overflows and is discharged; yin and yang join harmoniously, so he can father children. At three times eight, Kidney qi is balanced and sinews and bones are strong; the true teeth emerge and growth reaches its limit. At four times eight, sinews and bones reach abundance, and the flesh is full and robust. At five times eight, Kidney qi declines; hair falls and teeth wither. At six times eight, yang qi declines above; the face withers and the hair at the temples becomes streaked with white. At seven times eight, Liver qi declines and the sinews cannot move effectively. Tian gui is exhausted, essence is scant, the Kidney organ declines, and the whole bodily form reaches exhaustion. At eight times eight, teeth and hair are lost. The Kidney governs Water and receives and stores essence from the five zang organs and six fu organs. Only when the five zang organs flourish can essence be discharged. Now all five decline, sinews and bones are slack, and tian gui is exhausted. Thus the temples whiten, the body becomes heavy, the gait unsteady, and he no longer fathers children.” The Emperor asked: “Why do some people have children when they are already old?” Qi Bo said: “Their allotted natural lifespan exceeds the usual measure, their qi and vessels remain open, and Kidney qi has a surplus. Even when there are children, the male does not exceed the completion of eight times eight, nor the female seven times seven, before the essential qi of heaven and earth is exhausted.” The Emperor asked: “Those who follow the Way number their years by the hundreds. Can they have children?” Qi Bo said: “Followers of the Way can hold back aging and preserve the bodily form. Though advanced in years, they can beget children.” The Yellow Emperor said: “I have heard that in high antiquity there were True Persons. They upheld heaven and earth, grasped yin and yang, breathed essential qi, stood independently guarding the spirit, and kept their flesh as one. Thus their lives endured with heaven and earth without an ending: this was life through the Way. In middle antiquity there were Utmost Persons. Their virtue was pure and their Way whole. They harmonized with yin and yang and regulated themselves with the four seasons. Leaving worldly affairs and customs, they accumulated essence and preserved spirit, roaming between heaven and earth, seeing and hearing beyond the eight reaches. In this way they lengthened and strengthened their lives, and likewise approached the True Persons. Next were sages. They dwelt in the harmony of heaven and earth, followed the principles of the eight winds, and accommodated their desires among ordinary customs. Their hearts held no anger or resentment. They did not seek to separate their conduct from the world; they wore patterned robes but did not seek to make a spectacle of their actions. Outside, affairs did not overwork the body; inside, thoughts did not trouble them. They made tranquil contentment their occupation and self-possession their achievement. Their bodily form was not worn out and their essence and spirit not scattered: they too could count their years by the hundreds. Next were worthy people. They modeled themselves on heaven and earth, took the sun and moon as images, distinguished the arrayed stars, followed the changing courses of yin and yang, and differentiated the four seasons. Seeking to accord with the Way as in high antiquity could lengthen their lives, though an ultimate limit remained.”

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