冬三月，此谓闭藏，水冰地拆，无扰乎阳，早卧晚起，必待日光，使志若伏若匿[《病沅》“伏”下无“若”字]，若有私意，若已有得，去寒就温，无泄皮肤、使气亟夺，此冬气之应，养藏之道也。逆之则伤肾，春为痿厥，奉生者少。

In the three months of winter, all grasses and most of the trees are withered, the insects are in hibernation, the water ices up and the ground is frozen with gaps. Things mostly are shut up or go into hiding to guard against the cold. It is called the season of 'shutting and storing'. In this period, one should be kept warm in the room. dress warmly and take strict

prevention against the cold, so that the Yang energy may not be disturbed; he should go to bed early in night and get up late to wait for contacting the sunlight; keep the spirit hiding and subsiding, like having a private consideration in heart but not revealing or seem to have a definite idea in mind already for meeting the situation. Since the weather is cold in winter,

one should avoid the cold and move toward warmness, prevent the skin from much perspiring to guard against the consumption or exhaustion of Yang energy. These are the ways of preserving health in winter. If these principles are violated by a man, his kidney will be hurt, as the kidney associates with water and water is prosperous in winter. If one fails to

adapt to the property of winter energy which is 'storing', he will be apt to contract muscular flaccidity and coldness of the extremities in spring. This is because his adaptability to spring energy has been weaken due to his inability of following the property of winter energy which is “shutting and storing” to preserve health. In this case, it is called 'inadequate of offering

to birth'.

天气，清净光明者也，藏德不止，故不下也。天明[《易・蒙》郑注:“天明即天蒙]则日月不明，邪害空窍，阳气者闭塞，地气者冒明，云雾不精，则上应白[《太素》“白”作‘甘’]露不下。交通不表，万物命故不施，不施则名木多死。恶气不发，风雨不节，白露不下，则苑藁不荣。贼风数至，暴雨数起，天地四时不相保，与道相失，则未央绝灭。唯圣人从之，故身无奇病，万物不失，生气不竭。

The energy of heaven is clear and bright. It continuously promotes the birth, growth, getting sick and getting old of all things and human beings. The vitality of its clearness and brightness will never cease, therefore, it will not decline either.

If the sky is not brignt, the sun, moon and the whole darth must be dark and the functional activities of vital energy will be obstructed like the hollow orifices of human body being obstructed when being encroached by the evil factors. The intercrossing between the energies of heaven and earth depends on the motions and illuminations of the sun and moon, if

the sun and moon cease to illuminate, the heaven energy will be obstructed and fails to descend. As a result, the sky will be overcast with clouds and mists, the energy of earth will fail to ascend to respond the energy of heaven and the due will not be able to fall.

The growth and developement of all things on earth depend on the intercrossing of the energies of Yin and Yang. If the two energies fail to communicate, all things on earth will lose their source of nourishment. Under such circumstance, most of the big trees will die. Besides, some abnormal change will happen in the world and the weather sequence of the four seasons will be confusing: the weather will not be severe in autumn and not be bitterly cold in winter, the wind and rain won't be regular in spring, and no dew will occur in summer. Since the Yin and Yang energies being maladjusted, the four seasons will lose their regular patterns, they can no more help the birth and growing of all things, and all things on earth will die young.

The sages know the hows and whys of the viarition of Yin and Yang, so they can avoid queer diseases even under the condition of sudden change of the environment. As they can adapt to the mechanism of existence like other things on earth, so their vital energy will never be exhausted.