四气调神大论篇第二

Chapter2

Si Qi Tiao Shen Da Lun

(On Preserving Health in Accordance with the Four Seasons)

春三月，此谓发陈，天地俱生，万物以荣，夜卧早起，广步于庭，被发缓形，以使[《病沅》卷十五《肝病候》‘使’下有“春”字]志生，生而勿杀，予而勿夺，赏而勿罚，此春气之应，养生[《类说》卷三十七“养生”作“生养”]之道也。逆之则伤肝，夏为寒变，奉长者少。

In the period of the three months in spring is the time of birth and spread. Grasses and trees are becoming vivid and all living things in the world become flourishing with a new dynamic atmosphere. Since a man is one of the living things in the universe, he can by no means be excluded.  In order to keep in accordance with the law of the variation of the seasonal sequence, one should go to bed when night comes and gets up early in the morning. In the morning, he should breathe the fresh air while walking in the yard to exercise his tendons and bones and loosen his hair to make the whole body comfortable along with the generating of spring energy. Since spring is the season of generation, one must not wrest the faculty of growth. What one should do is to help surviving and not killing, to donate but not to wrest, to award and not to punish so as to correspond the property of spring energy and fit in the way of preserving ones health. If this principle is violated by a man, his liver will be hurt, as liver associates with the wood, and woods are prosperous in spring. If one fails to

adapt to the property of spring energy which is “generation” and thus hurts his liver, he will contract cold syndrome in summer. This is because his adaptability to summer has been weaken due to his inability of following the property of spring energy which is “generation”to preserve health. In this case, it is called "inadequate of offering to growth”.

夏三月，此谓蕃秀，天地气交，万物华实，夜卧早起，无厌于日，使志无怒，使华英成秀，使气得泄，若所爱在外，此夏气之应，养长之道也。逆之则伤心，秋为痃疟，奉收者少，冬至重病[柯逢时曰:“依例‘冬至’四字衍”]。

The period of three months of summer is called the season of flourishing as all the living things in the world are prosperous and beautiful. On Summer Solstice, Yang energy reaches its submit and Yin energy begins to emerge, thus, the intercourse Yin and Yang energies occurs the at this time. As Yang energy forms the vital energy of things and Yin energy shapes

up things, the combination of vital energy and the shaping energy cause all living things on earth come into blossoming and yielding fruits. In the course of intercrossing heaven-energy and earth-energy, one should, like in spring time, sleep when night comes and gets up early in the morning. He should not detest the sun shine nor to get angry often, so as to correspond to the property of summer energy of 'growth' that promotes the growing of the flowers and fruits. Ones sweat should be perspired for letting off the Yang energy to avoid the heat being stagnated, in other words “be keen on the exterior'. These are the ways of preserving health in summer. If these principles are violated by a man, his heart will be hurt, as heart associates with fire and fire is vigorous in summer. If one fails to adapt to the property of summer energy which is ‘growth’, his heart will be hurt, and he will contract malaria in autumn. This is because his adaptability to autumn energy has been weaken due to his inability of following the property of summer energy which is ‘growth’ to preserve health. In this

case, it is called “inadequate of offering to harvesting".

秋三月，此谓容平，天气以急，地气以明，早卧早起，与鸡俱兴，使志安宁，以缓秋刑[熊本“刑”作“形”，收钦神气，使秋气平，无外其志，使肺气清，此秋气之应，养收之道也，逆之则伤肺，冬为餮泄，奉藏者少，

In the three months of autumn, the shapes of all living things on earth become mature naturally and are ready to be harvested. In autumn, the wind is vigourous and rapid, the environment on earth is clear and bright, so during this period, one should go to bed early to stay away from the chillness, get up early to appreciate the crisp air of autumn, keep the

spirit tranquil and stable to separate oneself from the sough of autumn by means of restraining the spirit and energy internally and guard the mind against anxiety and impetuosity.  In this way, ones tranquillity can still be manitained even in the sough of autumn atmosphere, and the breath of lung can be kept even as well. If these principles are violated by a man, his lung will be hurt, as lung associates with metal and the metal prospers in autumn. If one fails to adapt to the property of autumn energy which is ‘harvesting’, one will apt to contract lienteric diarrhea with watery stool containing undigested food in winter. This is be-

cause his adaptability to winter energy has been weakened due to his inability of following the property of autumn energy which is ‘harvesting’ to preserve health. In this case, it is called “inadequate of offering to storing”.