《黃帝內經靈樞略》

The opening dialogue of The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic: Spiritual Pivot Summary records the profound discussion between the Yellow Emperor and Qibo on the essence of human life.

The Yellow Emperor asked: At the moment of birth, what is the foundation of life? What is the driving force of growth? What loss leads to death, and what preservation ensures survival? Qibo replied: The body given by the mother is the foundation, while the vitality bestowed by the father is the driving force. Losing the "Shen" (spirit) leads to death; preserving the "Shen" ensures life.

Here, "Shen" refers to the state in which the body's blood and Qi are harmonized, the Ying (nutritive) and Wei (defensive) Qi (the two vital energies circulating inside and outside the meridians to sustain life) flow smoothly, the five organs are fully developed, the spirit resides in the heart, and both the Hun (ethereal soul, governing consciousness) and Po (corporeal soul, governing the physical form)—which Daoism considers the constituents of human existence—are complete. Only then is one truly formed as a human being. As long as the Ying and Wei Qi circulate properly, the six bowels digest food, and bodily fluids distribute nutrients throughout the body, health and longevity are assured. This principle governs all things between heaven and earth.

The Yellow Emperor further inquired: What are De (Virtue/Power), Qi (vital energy), Jing (essence), Shen (spirit), Hun (ethereal soul), Po (corporeal soul), heart, intention, will, thought, wisdom, and deliberation? Qibo explained:

• The life force bestowed by heaven is called "De"
• The nourishing substance provided by earth is called "Qi"
• The fusion of De and Qi gives rise to life
• The origin of life is called "Jing"
• The union of Yin and Yang essences produces "Shen"
• What moves with the Shen is the "Hun"
• What follows the Qi in and out is the "Po"
• What perceives external things is the "heart"
• What the heart conceives is called "intention"
• The retention of intention is called "will"
• The transformation of will gives rise to "thought"
• Deep contemplation is called "deliberation"
• Skillfully handling affairs is "wisdom"

Thus, the wise who nurture life must: adapt to the changes of the four seasons, regulate emotions and daily habits, and balance Yin and Yang, hardness and softness. In this way, they remain free from illness and enjoy health and longevity.

Qibo concluded:

1. Blood, Qi, Jing, and Shen are the keys to sustaining life

2. The meridians are responsible for circulating blood and Qi, nourishing the entire body

3. The Wei Qi (defensive Qi) warms the muscles and fills the skin

4. The will regulates the spirit and adapts to environmental changes

When blood and Qi are harmonized, the meridians flow smoothly, and the sinews and bones grow strong. When the Wei Qi is balanced, the nails are lustrous, and the skin remains supple. When the will is tranquil, the spirit remains focused, and the five organs stay healthy. This is the fundamental principle of life cultivation.

This passage from the Lingshu section of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic explains the principles of Qi and blood circulation in the human body. Here's a modern interpretation:

On Temperature Regulation:

When environmental temperatures are moderate, our digestive system (the six fu-organs) functions properly without causing wind-dampness symptoms like numbness. The meridians flow smoothly, allowing flexible joint movement—this represents a healthy physiological state.

The five zang-organs store Jing (essence), blood, Qi (vital energy), and the ethereal and corporeal souls (hun and po). The six fu-organs process food and transport bodily fluids—these are our innate physiological functions.

Qibo's Explanation:

When both Yin and Yang energies become excessive, pathogenic factors easily invade. These external pathogens, having no fixed location when entering the body, circulate among the zang-organs along with the nutritive and defensive Qi (ying-wei), disturbing the hun and po souls. This leads to insomnia and excessive dreaming.

Dialogue on the Six Qi (between the Yellow Emperor and Qibo):

The Emperor asked: "I've heard of six bodily substances—Jing, Qi, fluids, humors, blood, and vessels. Considering them as manifestations of one Qi, why are they distinguished by six names?"

Qibo replied:

1. Jing: The foundational life force formed through the union of male and female essences, existing as prenatal energy before physical formation.

2. Qi: Energy originating from the chest that distributes nutritional essence throughout the body, nourishing skin and hair like dew nourishes plants.

3. Thin fluids (jin): Perspiration excreted through pores.

4. Thick fluids (ye): Nutrient liquids derived from food that lubricate joints, nourish marrow, and moisturize skin.

5. Blood: The red vital substance transformed from food essence by the middle burner (spleen and stomach).

6. Vessels: The pathways that contain and guide the flow of nutritive Qi.

Breathing Patterns:

Exhalation releases Qi outward while inhalation draws it inward. Approximately three parts Qi are exhaled for every one part inhaled. Thus, missing half a day's meals causes Qi deficiency, while skipping a full day weakens it further.

Triple Burner Metaphors:

• Upper burner (heart/lungs) resembles mist dispersion
• Middle burner (spleen/stomach) operates like a digestive channel
• Lower burner (kidneys/intestines) functions as drainage ditches

Nutritive and Defensive Qi Circulation:

Nutritive Qi (ying) originates from the middle burner, while defensive Qi (wei) arises from the upper burner. The pure becomes nutritive Qi; the turbid becomes defensive Qi. Nutritive Qi flows within vessels, defensive Qi outside them—both circulating continuously day and night.

Supplementary Notes:

Humans derive energy from food. After entering the stomach, essence is transmitted to the lungs for distribution to all organs. The pure portions form nutritive Qi (responsible for nourishment), while the turbid portions create defensive Qi (responsible for protection).

The Huangdi Neijing·Lingshu section discusses the patterns of Qi-blood circulation and the functions of the zang-fu organs:

The movement of Qi and blood in the human body forms an endless circular flow. Defensive Qi (Wei Qi, the protective Yang energy) circulates through the Yin channels for 25 cycles and the Yang channels for another 25 cycles, mirroring the alternation of day and night. When Qi flows through Yang channels, the body is active; when it enters Yin channels, the body rests.

Body fluids nourish Jing (essence) and moisten the orifices. If tears flow incessantly, these fluids become depleted; depleted fluids cannot nourish Jing; and when Jing is insufficient, vision fails.

The five zang organs (heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys) store the Shen (spirit), Hun (ethereal soul), and Po (corporeal soul), while the six fu organs (gallbladder, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, bladder, and triple burner) process food and regulate Qi movement. The channels transport blood. Health depends on their coordinated functioning.

In a healthy person, when the stomach is full of food, the intestines are empty, and vice versa. This alternating fullness and emptiness allows Qi to circulate freely between upper and lower, keeping the five zang organs stable, blood harmonious, and the spirit calm. Thus, human vitality depends on the refined Qi derived from food and water.

Pathogenic factors invade different regions: wind evils typically attack the upper body; turbid Qi from dietary irregularities lodges in the middle burner (spleen-stomach); while cold-dampness often enters through the feet. When Yin-Yang becomes imbalanced, creating heat-cold conflicts, Qi-blood stagnates, forming abscesses.

Qibo explains: Human Jing-Qi originates from food, which gathers in the stomach. The stomach acts as a sea of Qi-blood, its essence dispersing like mist throughout the body. The channels serve as the main pathways connecting the zang-fu organs.

Zang-fu pairings include: lungs with large intestine (waste elimination), heart with small intestine (nutrient absorption), liver with gallbladder (storing pure bile), spleen with stomach (grain digestion), and kidneys with bladder (fluid storage). The Shaoyin channel belongs to the kidneys, whose Qi connects upward to the lungs, thus governing both organs. The triple burner regulates water passageways.

The essence of the five zang organs communicates with the external world through the seven orifices (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, etc.): lung Qi connects to the nose—when nasal function is normal...

This passage from the Lingshu section of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic explains the relationships between the five viscera and sensory organs, along with the pathological principles of Yin-Yang imbalance:

The heart's Qi connects with the tongue—when the tongue is balanced, one can distinguish the five flavors. Liver Qi connects with the eyes—balanced eyes discern the five colors. Spleen Qi links to the mouth—a harmonized mouth perceives the tastes of grains. Kidney Qi connects with the ears—balanced ears hear the five tones. When the five viscera are imbalanced, the seven orifices become obstructed; when the six bowels are disordered, stagnant Qi and blood form abscesses.

When pathogenic Qi invades the bowels and viscera, obstructed Yang Qi movement causes stagnation, which in turn leads to excessive Yang. Overabundant Yang then disrupts Yin channel circulation, causing Yin stagnation that results in excessive Yin. When both Yin and Yang become hyperactive yet fail to nourish each other, this condition is called "blockage and rejection" (关格), which cuts short one's natural lifespan.

The Yellow Emperor asked: "Why does Qi circulate only through the five viscera without nourishing the six bowels?" Qibo explained: "Qi's movement resembles ceaseless water flow and the perpetual motion of sun and moon. Yin channels nourish the viscera, Yang channels sustain the bowels—an endless cycle. This refined Qi (Jingqi) irrigates the organs internally and moistens the skin externally. The spirit (Shen) resides in the heart, which governs all viscera and bowels as the spirit's dwelling. A strong heart repels pathogens; if pathogens invade, they damage the heart-spirit, causing death."

In cultivation practice, one should retreat to solitude, closing doors and windows to concentrate the spirit (Shen), preventing the ethereal and corporeal souls (Hun and Po) from scattering. By shutting out external sounds, one gathers the vital essence (Jingqi). The Emperor further inquired why a single channel could manifest over a dozen disorders. Qibo answered that all stem from pathogenic Qi. True Qi combines innate prenatal Qi with postnatal Qi from food and drink. Righteous Qi follows normal wind patterns, while pathogenic Qi arises from abnormal winds.

(Note: "Blockage and rejection" refers to a critical condition where Yin and Yang Qi become completely obstructed; "interstitial spaces" denote the textural gaps between skin and muscles.)

This passage from the Lingshu section of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon discusses how external pathogenic factors invade the body and the vital importance of Qi (vital energy) and blood circulation. Here's the modern interpretation:

On wind pathogens attacking humans:

• Ordinary wind pathogens affect only superficial layers. When encountering the body's righteous Qi (defensive energy), they naturally dissipate because their weak force cannot overcome the body's genuine Qi (Zhenqi, life energy).
• Pernicious pathogens (more severe disease factors) cause chills and raised body hair upon invasion, entering through the pores. Deep penetration into bones leads to bone-bi syndrome (blockage disorder); entering blood vessels causes blood stasis and suppuration; when contending with defensive Weiqi, excess Yang leads to fever while excess Yin causes chills. Cold energy dissipates genuine Qi, resulting in skin numbness.
• When pernicious pathogens deeply invade one side of the body, affecting the nutritive Yingqi and defensive Weiqi systems, they can cause hemiplegia.

The dialogue between the Yellow Emperor and Qibo:

The Yellow Emperor asked: "I've learned that after the intestines and stomach digest food, the Qi from the upper burner (heart-lung region) warms muscles and joints, while the middle burner's (spleen-stomach region) fluids moisten muscle interstices like dew nourishing valleys, eventually forming blood. When blood fills the meridians and Yin-Yang circulate harmoniously without cease, health is maintained. But how do abscesses and ulcers form? How do we determine severity and predict outcomes?"

Qibo replied:

• "Meridian Qi and blood circulation follows cosmic patterns. Just as celestial irregularities cause eclipses and terrestrial disharmony brings floods..."
• "When cold invades meridians, blood congeals, obstructing Qi-blood flow. Defensive Weiqi gathers to combat this, creating localized heat and swelling. Extreme heat leads to putrefaction and pus formation—mild cases can be cured, but severe ones prove fatal."

(Note: The text uses cosmic phenomena as metaphors for bodily Qi-blood dynamics, emphasizing the holistic correspondence between macrocosm and microcosm. Abscess formation is portrayed as a battle between cold and heat, resulting in Qi-blood stagnation.)

Plain Interpretation of the Lingshu (Spiritual Pivot) from the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic

On the Progression of Abscess (Yongzhong) Pathologies:

When cold qi transforms into pathogenic heat, excessive heat corrodes the flesh. Once the flesh rots, it forms pus. If the pus is not drained, it further erodes the sinews. When the sinews are damaged, the bones are affected. Bone injury leads to the depletion of marrow, and when the marrow is exhausted, the bones become hollow. If these pathological products are not expelled in time, the sinews wither and the bones weaken, disrupting the mutual nourishment between sinews, bones, and flesh. The meridians deteriorate, allowing pathogenic qi to invade the internal organs. Once the five organs are harmed, death ensues.

On the Relationship Between the Eyes and the Spirit (Chapter on Confusion):

Qibo said: The essence qi of the five organs and six bowels all ascends and gathers in the eyes to form vision. The eyes are where the essence qi of the organs, the defensive (ying) and protective (wei) qi, and the ethereal (hun) and corporeal (po) souls manifest—they are also the seat of the spirit (shen). Therefore, overexerting the spirit leads to the scattering of the hun and po souls and the disruption of will. The pupil and the dark part of the eye belong to yin, while the white of the eye and its blood vessels belong to yang. Only when yin and yang are harmonized can the eyes see clearly. The eyes are the windows of the heart, and the heart is the abode of the spirit. When the spirit scatters, vision becomes disordered. If one suddenly sees strange phenomena, the hun and po souls fail to coordinate, resulting in confusion.

The Yellow Emperor asked: Why do people become forgetful?

Qibo replied: This is due to insufficient qi in the upper body while qi in the lower body is excessive—when the intestines and stomach are full, but the heart and lungs are weak. Weakness causes the defensive and protective qi to stagnate in the lower body, unable to ascend on time to nourish the upper body, hence forgetfulness.

On Loss of Voice (Chapter on Aphonia):

The Yellow Emperor asked: When a person suddenly loses their voice due to grief or anger, which passage is blocked? Which qi mechanism is impaired, preventing speech?

Shaoshi replied: The throat is the passage for food and drink, while the larynx is the path for qi’s ascent and descent. The epiglottis is the gate of sound, the lips are its doors, the tongue is its mechanism, the uvula is its barrier, and the nasopharynx (hang sang) is where qi divides and exits. The hyoid bone is governed by the spirit-qi and controls the tongue’s articulation. Thus, when a person has incessant nasal discharge, it is because the nasopharynx fails to close, disrupting the proper division of qi. Those with thin, small epiglottises speak quickly—their opening and closing are agile, and qi flows easily. Those with thick, large epiglottises struggle with opening and closing, causing sluggish speech and repetition. What we call stuttering is precisely this repetition of words. Sudden loss of voice occurs when cold qi invades the epiglottis, preventing it from activating the sound mechanism, resulting in impaired movement and aphonia.

The Lingshu portion of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon constitutes a vital component of this ancient medical classic, primarily elucidating the principles of human meridians, Qi-blood circulation, and therapeutic methods. Presented as dialogues between the Yellow Emperor (legendary progenitor of Chinese civilization) and Qibo (an eminent ancient physician), it systematically expounds the foundational theories of traditional Chinese medicine.

This scripture meticulously documents the pathways of the twelve primary meridians and eight extraordinary vessels, along with the principles and techniques of acupuncture therapy. It emphasizes the concept of "correspondence between heaven and humanity," proposing that the human meridian system resonates with the natural fluctuations of Yin-Yang, and that disease arises from imbalances in Qi and blood circulation.

The text contains numerous practical diagnostic and treatment methods, with particularly detailed records of acupuncture techniques—including needling depth, manipulation methods, contraindications, and other operational standards. These contents established the theoretical foundation for later generations of Chinese medical acupuncture studies, remaining essential guidance for clinical practice in traditional Chinese medicine to this day.