阴阳应象大论篇 上 The Corresponding Relation Between the Yin and Yang of Man and All Things and That of the Four Seasons

Yin Yang Ying Xiang Da Lun

(The Corresponding Relation Between the Yin and Yang of Man and All Things and That of the Four Seasons)

黄帝曰:阴阳者，天地之道也，万物之纲纪，变化之父母，生杀之本始，神明之府也，治病必求于本。故积阳为天，积阴为地。阴静阳躁，阳生阴长，阳杀(《类说》卷三十七引“杀”作“发”阴藏。阳化气，阴成形。寒极生热，热极生寒。寒气生浊，热气生清。清气在下，则生飧泄，浊气在上，则生滇胀。此阴阳反作，病之逆从也。

Yellow Emperor said: “Yin corresponds to motionless and its energy symbolizes the earth, Yang corresponds to motion and its energy symbolizes the heaven, so, Yin and Yang are the ways of heaven and earth. As the birth, growth, developement, harvesting and storing of all things are all carried out according to the rule of growth and decline of Yin and Yang, so, Yin and Yang are the guiding principles of all things. In the mutual victory or defeat of Yin and Yang, the situation will be of numerous varieties, so, Yin and Yang are the parrents of variations. Yin grows while Yang is in vigour and Yin becomes deficient while Yang is weakened. From birth to death of all things are following the principle of Yin and Yang, so Yin and Yang are the foundation of to born and to kill. When the Yin and Yang are harmonized, the spirit will emerge, so Yin and Yang are the mansions of spirit.

“Thus, when treating a disease, one must base on Yin and Yang, that is to seek the orientation and developement of the disease from the variation of Yin and Yang to determine the guiding principle of treating.

“Heaven situates on up above, it is the accumulation of lucid Yang aboves earth situates in down below, it is the accumulation of turbid Yin below. Yin associates with calmness, and Yang associates with impetuous movement. Yang associates with birth (like in spring) and Yin associates with growth (like in summer), Yang associates with developement (like in autumn), and Yin assooiates with hiding (like in winter). Yang has the function of activating the vital energy, and Yin has the function of shaping up the bodies of all things.

“As things which have reached their extremes turn into their opposites, extreme cold will bring on heat and extreme heat will bring on cold. Cold has the function of condensing which causes descending, and thereby turbidity is produced; heat has the function of dispersing which causes ascending, and thereby lucidity is produced. In pathology, when the lucid energy in the body is staying below, the heat-evil will be forced to descend to disturb the functional activities of spleen and stomach and the watery diarrhea with indigested food will occur, if the tubid energy is staying above, the Yin-evil will rush up reversely to cause the obstruction of functional activities of vital energy and the flatulence will occur. These are the agreeable or adverse pathological changes caused by the abnormal conditions of Yin and Yang.

故清阳为天，浊阴为地;地气上为云，天气下为雨;雨出地气，云出天气。故清阳出上窍，浊阴出下窍;清阳发腠理，浊阴走五藏;清阳实四支，浊阴归六府。

“The energy of lucid Yang accumulates above to form heaven, and the energy of turbid Yin deposits below to form the earth. The earth energy ascends to become cloud by the evapouration of heaven energy. The heaven energy becomes rain when it descends. Thus, although the rain falls from heaven, yet it is transformed by the carth energy; although the cloud is formed from the earth energy, yet it depends on the evaporation by the heaven energy, and these are the relations of mutual functions of Yin and Yang.

Yang determines the energy which is ascending, so the lucid Yang gets out from the upper orifices of a man; Yin determines the shape and is descending, so the turbid Yin gets out from the lower orifices of a man. Yang has the function of guarding the exterior, so the lucid Yang is being sent off from the striae of skin; Yin has the function of watching the interior, so the turbid Yin moves about in the five viscera inside. As all Yangs stem from the four limbs, so the lucid Yang reinforces the four limbs; the six hollow organs transport and digest food to nourish the body, so the turbid Yin stabilizes in the six hollow organs. This is the physiological function of Yin and Yang

水为阴，火为阳。阳为气，阴为味。味归形，形归气，气归精，精归化;精食气，形食味，化生精，气生形。味伤形，气伤精;精化为气，气伤于味。

“The property of water is cold and motionless, so it corresponds to Yin; the property of fire is hot and up-flaming, so it corresponds to Yang. The lucid Yang is ascending, so it is energy, the turbid Yin is substantial, so it is taste (food).

Man takes in food of five tastes and absorb its essence to nourish the body, so the food finally goes to the physique (including the bodily viscera, muscle, vessel, tendon and bone), when the physique is well nourished, the healthy energy will become substantial. The healthy energy can further produce the essence of life which can promote the living and transformation of all living things. The emergence of the essence of life depends on the healthy erengy, and the shaping up of the physique depends on the food (taste). The food, when being digested and transformed, it turns into the essence of life which can finally substantialize the physique.

“Although tastes can nourish the physique, but if the five tastes are taken excessively, it will hurt the physique: although the energy can promote the emergence of the essence, but if the energy becomes over-abundant, it will hurt the essence. When the essence of blood is abundant, it can be activated to become energy, but when the five tastes are excessively taken so as to hurt the physique. the energy will also be hurt indirectly, so, the energy can also be hurt by the tastes.

阴味出下窍，阳气出上窍。味厚者为阴，薄为阴之阳。气厚者为阳，薄为阳之阴。味厚则泄，薄则通。气薄则发[李呆说:““发’作‘渗’”]泄，厚则发热。壮火之气衰，少火之气壮，壮火食气，气食少火，壮火散气，少火生气。气味，辛甘发散为阳，酸苦涌泄为阴。

"Yin determines the taste which is substantial, so it is excreted from the lower orifices; Yang being the energy which is invisible, so it is breathed out through the upper orifices. 

"Taste associates with Yin, when the taste is heavy, it belongs to Yin, when the taste is light, it belongs to Yang in Yin. The energy associates with Yang, when the energy is thick, it belongs to the pure Yang, when the energy is thin, it belongs to Yin in Yang.

"The property of Yin is cold and Yin moistens things below. The heavy taste is pure Yin, so it causes diarrhea; the light taste is Yang in Yin, so it causes the unimpediment of the stomach and intestine. The property of Yang is hot and Yang is flaming upwards, the thick energy is of pure Yang, so it produces heat the thin energy is Yin in Yang which can ooze out the evil energy.

“As sthenic-fire which is the fire in hyperactivity consumes the vital energy and causes the wane of it, the medium-fire which is the normal fire nourishes the vital energy, so it makes the energy healthy and strong. Since sthenic-fire consumes the vital energy, so it can check one's vital energy and disperse it. The medium-fire nourishes the vital energy, so one will be nourished by it and the medium fire can cause the emergence of vital energy.

"In the tastes of Yin and Yang : the tastes of acrid and sweet have the functions of dispersing (sweet for moderating and acrid with sweet for dispersing), they associates with Yang. The tastes of bitter and sour have the function of causing vomit and diarrhea (bitter for diarrhea, sour for astringency, and sour with bitter for vomitting and discharging), they associate with Yin.