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Huangdi Neijing · The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon
Suwen 4 · True Words from the Golden Chest
Read in English. Switch to Original for word notes, or select text to ask a question.
The Yellow Emperor asked: “Heaven has eight winds and the channels five winds. What does this mean?”
Qi Bo replied: “The eight winds release harmful influences as channel winds, touching the five zang organs and producing illness.
The prevailing relations of the seasons are: spring overcomes late summer; late summer overcomes winter; winter overcomes summer; summer overcomes autumn; autumn overcomes spring. These are the seasonal relations of prevailing.
The east wind arises in spring: illness lies in the Liver and its transport region in the neck and nape. The south wind arises in summer: illness lies in the Heart and its transport region in the chest and flanks. The west wind arises in autumn: illness lies in the Lung and its transport region in the shoulders and back. The north wind arises in winter: illness lies in the Kidney and its transport region in the waist and thighs. The center is Earth: illness lies in the Spleen and its transport region in the spine.
Spring qi brings illness in the head; summer qi in the zang organs; autumn qi in the shoulders and back; winter qi in the four limbs. Spring readily brings nasal blockage and nosebleeding; midsummer, chest and flank illness; late summer, profuse diarrhea and cold within; autumn, wind-associated intermittent fever; winter, painful obstruction and counterflow.
Without pressing and stretching in winter, spring brings no nasal blockage or nosebleeding. There is no neck and nape illness in spring, nor chest and flank illness in midsummer; no profuse diarrhea and cold within in late summer, nor wind-associated intermittent fever in autumn; no painful obstruction or counterflow in winter, nor diarrhea with undigested food and sweating.
Essence is the root of the body. Storing essence prevents warm disease in spring. Failure to sweat in summer heat brings wind-associated intermittent fever in autumn. This is the method concerning the vessels of an ordinary healthy person.”
Thus it is said: there is yin within yin and yang within yang. Dawn to midday is heaven’s yang, yang within yang. Midday to dusk is heaven’s yang, yin within yang. Nightfall to cockcrow is heaven’s yin, yin within yin. Cockcrow to dawn is heaven’s yin, yang within yin. Human beings correspond to this as well.
For human yin and yang, outside is yang and inside yin. For the bodily form, the back is yang and abdomen yin. For yin and yang among the zang and fu organs, zang is yin and fu yang. Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lung and Kidney are the five zang organs, all yin. Gallbladder, Stomach, Large Intestine, Small Intestine, Bladder and Triple Burner are the six fu organs, all yang.
Why distinguish yin within yin and yang within yang? Winter illness lies in yin and summer illness in yang; spring illness lies in yin and autumn illness in yang. Observe where it lies to apply needles and stones.
The back is yang: Heart is yang within yang, and Lung yin within yang. The abdomen is yin: Kidney is yin within yin, Liver yang within yin, and Spleen utmost yin within yin. These are mutual correspondences and transmissions of yin and yang, exterior and interior, inside and outside, female and male. They correspond to heaven’s yin and yang.
The Emperor asked: “Do the five zang organs each have what they gather and receive in correspondence with the seasons?”
Qi Bo said: “They do. The east’s blue-green color enters and communicates with the Liver, opens at the eyes and stores essence in the Liver. Its illness produces fright and alarm. Its flavor is sour, its kind grasses and trees, its domestic animal the chicken, and its grain wheat. Its seasonal correspondence above is Jupiter, the Year Star; thus spring qi lies in the head. Its tone is jue and number eight; this reveals illness in the sinews. Its odor is rank.
The south’s red color enters and communicates with the Heart, opens at the ears and stores essence in the Heart; thus illness lies in the five zang organs. Its flavor is bitter, its kind Fire, its animal the sheep and grain broomcorn millet. Its seasonal correspondence above is Mars, the Glittering Deluder; thus illness is known to lie in the vessels. Its tone is zhi, number seven and odor scorched.
The center’s yellow color enters and communicates with the Spleen, opens at the mouth and stores essence in the Spleen; thus illness lies at the root of the tongue. Its flavor is sweet, kind Earth, animal the ox and grain ji millet. Its seasonal correspondence above is Saturn, the Quelling Star; thus illness is known to lie in flesh. Its tone is gong, number five and odor fragrant.
The west’s white color enters and communicates with the Lung, opens at the nose and stores essence in the Lung; thus illness lies in the back. Its flavor is acrid, kind Metal, animal the horse and grain rice. Its seasonal correspondence above is Venus, the Great White Star; thus illness is known to lie in skin and hair. Its tone is shang, number nine and odor fishy.
The north’s black color enters and communicates with the Kidney, opens at the two lower yin openings and stores essence in the Kidney; thus illness lies in the valleys between structures. Its flavor is salty, kind Water, animal the pig and grain beans. Its seasonal correspondence above is Mercury, the Chen Star; thus illness is known to lie in bones. Its tone is yu, number six and odor putrid.
One skilled in the vessels carefully examines the five zang and six fu organs, each contrary and following relation, yin and yang, exterior and interior, and the pattern of female and male. Keep these within the heart and intention; unite the heart with refinement. Do not teach an unsuitable person or transmit it to one lacking sincerity. This is attaining the Way.”
Reading note: The supplied Heart opening at the ears and the seasonal organ assignments are retained. Ji remains the source’s millet term rather than being assigned an uncertain modern species.
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