宝命全形论篇

Bao Ming Quan Xing Lun

(Following the principle of Nature in Treating)

黄帝问日;天覆地载，万物悉备，莫贵于人，人以天地之气生，四时之法成，君王众庶，尽欲全形，形之疾病[《太素》卷十九《知针石》作“所疾”]，莫知其情，留淫日深，薯于骨髓，心私虑(《太素》“虑”作“患”之，余欲针除其疾病，为之奈何?

Yellow Emperor asked:Among all things between the heaven and earth, nothing is more precious than man.  Man depends on the energies of heaven and earth to exist and grow along with the Law of the four seasons. All people, including Kings and common people, wish to have a healthy body, but occasionally, they feel a bit of unwell and neglect it, and the disease gradually accumulates and finally goes into hiding in the bone marrow which can hardly be removed. This is what I am worrying about, and I wish to alleviate their pains with acupuncture, but how can I do it?”.

岐伯对日:夫盐之味[袁刻《太素》无“味”字]威者，其气令器津泄;弦绝者，其音嘶败[“败”字衍];木敷[《太素》“敷”作“陈”]者，其叶发[“发”是“落”之坏字];病深者，其声哕。人有此三[“三”字疑衔]者，是谓坏府，毒药无治，短针无取，此皆绝皮伤肉，血气争黑[《太素》“黑”作“异”]。

Qibo answered: "In diagnosis, one should pay attention to examine the syndromes that appear : such as, when salt is stored in an utensil, the water can ooze out from it; when the string of an instrument is about to break, it produces a hissing sound; when a tree is ruined and wornout, its leaves become falling; when the disease of a man is in a critical stage, his voice will be like that of vomitting ; under such conditin, it shows that his viscera have been damaged seriously, and both applying medicine and acupuncture will be futile; since the skin, muscle, blood and energy of the patient are disconnecting, his disease can hardly be cured."

帝日:余念其痛，心为之乱惑，反甚其病，不可更代，百姓闻之，以为残贼，为之奈何。

Yellow said: "I am quite concerned about the diseases of the people,but I have some misgivings: I wish to treat the patient, but if I failed, the disease will turn to the worse, and I could not suffer for them, people may think that I am a cruel man. What shall I do?"

岐伯日:夫人生于地，悬命于天，天地合气，命之日人。人能应四时者，天地为之父母。知万物者，谓之天子。天有阴阳，人有十二节;天有寒暑，人有虚实。能经天地阴阳之化者，不失四时;知十二节之理者，圣智不能欺也。能存八动「“动”疑当作“风”之变，五胜更立，能达虚实之数者，独出独入，陆吟至微，秋毫在目。

Qibo said: "Although man lives on earth, but his life can by no means divorce from heaven, when the energies of heaven and earth are combining, it produces man. If a man can adapt to the change of the four seasons, then, all things in nature will become the source of his life. If one can understand every thing, he is fit to be an emperor. Man corresponds with nature: in heaven, there are Yin and Yang, in man, there are twelve large joints of the limbs; in heaven, there are coldness and hotness, in man, there are asthenia and sthenia; so when one can follow the Yin and Yang variations of heaven and earth, he will never violate the law of the four seasons. When one understands the principles of the twelve joints, even a sage can not surpass him. When one is able to examin the Eight Winds, the decline and prosperity of the five elements, and can understand further the law of the asthenic and sthenic change, he will be able to know full well the conditions of the disease and the pain of the patient, even as tiny as a piece of fine hair will not escape his notice.”

帝曰:人生有形，不离阴阳，天地合气，别为九野，分为四时，月有小大，日有短长，万物并至，不可胜量，虚实呋吟，敢问其方。

Yellow Emperor said: "Man exists in the form of physical body but he can not divorce from Yin and Yang; all things come to the existing in the world after the combination of energies of heaven and earth. In geography, the carth is divided into nine prefectures; in weather, it is divided into four seasons ; in months, there are the odds months of 30 days and the lunar months of 29 days: in the day time of a day, some of the length are longer and some are shorter; all things come into the world simultaneously and they can hardly be measured. What I intend is to alleviate the pain of the patients only, can you tell me what method of acupuncture should be applied?"

岐伯曰:木得金而伐，火得水而灭，土得木而达[《素问绍识》谓“达”当作“夺”声误]，金得火而缺，水得土而绝，万物尽然，不可胜竭。故针有悬布[明抄本“布”下有“于”字]天下者五，黔首共余食，莫知之也。一曰治神，二曰知养身[杨所据本无“知”字，又“身”应作“形叮，三曰知毒为真，四曰制砭石小大，五曰知府藏血气之诊。五法俱立，各有所先。今末世之刺[《太平圣惠方》卷九十九《金十经序》引“刺”作“制”]也，虚者实之，满者泄之，此皆众工所共知也。若夫法天则地，随应而(四库本“而”作“即”动，和之者若响，随之者若影，道无鬼神，独来独往。