解精微论篇/Jie Jing Wei Lun

(Interpretation of the Subtle Reason of the Falling of Tears)

黄帝在明堂。雷公请日:臣受业，传之行教以经论，从容形法，阴阳刺灸，汤药所滋，行治有贤不肖，未必能十全。若先言悲哀喜怒，燥湿寒暑，阴阳妇女，请问其所以然者，卑贱富贵，人之形体所从，群下通使，临事以适道术，谨闻命矣。请问有毚愚仆漏之问，不在经者，欲闻其状。帝日:大矣。

When Yellow Emperor was sitting in the Bright Hall, Lei Gong said to him: "The medical principles you imparted me which I imparted to others were all based on the medical treatises, such as the principle of leisureliness, the theories of Yin and Yang, acupuncture and moxibusion, the way of applying decoctions and tonics, etc., but some of the treatings are effective and some are not, and the curative effects are not entirely perfect. You have told me to treat differently when the patients are in different situations of sorrow, melancholy,joy and anger, when the weathers are different in dryness, wetness, coldness and hotness, and when the patients of different sexes in different states of prosperity and debility in Yin and Yang. When I inquire the reasons of them, you told me the treatings should be discriminative according to the noble or humble, rich or poor and strong or weak conditions of the patient to suit the medical principle in the clinic practice.  You have told me these contents already. Now I have some foolish and simple questions which are not found in the medical classics, and I hope you can tell me about them." Yellow Emperor said:"The question you put forward is quite important."

公请问:哭泣而泪不出者，若出而少涕，其故何也?帝日:在经有也。复问:不知水所从生，涕所从出也。帝曰:若问此者，无益于治也，工之所知，道之所生也。夫心者，五脏之专精也，目者其窍也，华色者其荣也，是以人有德也，则气和于目，有亡，忧知于色。是以悲哀则泣下，泣下水所由生。水宗者积水也，积水者至阴也，至阴者肾之精也，宗精之水所以不出者，是精持之也，辅了裹之，故水不行也。

Lei Gong asked:"When one crys, both the tear and the nasal mucus come out, and what is the reason?! Yellow Emperor said: "It is written in the medical classics." Lei Gong said: "I do not understand how the tear produces and where does the nasal mucus come from." Yellow Emperor said: "This question you put forward will not benefit the treating, but it should be known by physicians as it is a part of the medical theory. The heart is the chief of the viscera and the body, the eyes are the apertures and the face complexion is the manifestation outside. So, when a man has something complacent the energy is concentrated in the two eyes with a radiant look; if he has something disappointing, the melancholy will be manisfested in the eyes. The tears of crying are produced from water. The source of water is the body fluid. It is the utmost Yin that accumultes the body fluid, and the utmost Yin is the essence of the kidney. The water which stems from the essence of kidney does not flow out usually as it is protected, encircled and controlled by the essence of kidney. Therefore, normally, the tears can not go so far as to come out automatically.

夫水之精为志，火之精为神，水火相感，神志俱悲[《太素》无“水火”八字]，是以目之水生也。故谚言日:心悲名曰志悲，志与心精，共凑于目也。是以俱悲则神气传于心精，上不传于志而志独悲，故泣出也。泣涕者脑也，脑者阴[《太素》、《甲乙》“阴”并作“阳”]也。髓者骨之充也，故脑渗为涕。志者骨之主也，是以水流而涕从之者，其行类也。夫涕之与泣者，譬如人之兄弟，急则俱死，生则俱生，其志以早悲，是以涕泣俱出而横行也，夫人涕泣俱出而相从者，所属之类也。

"The retained energy of water is the will, and the refined energy of fire is the spirit, as the saying goes: 'The melancholy of heart is actually the melancholy of will'! When one is in melancholy, the will of kidney and the essence of heart will assemble in the eyes at the same time.

"Thus, when the heart and the kidney are both in melancholy, the spirit and the energy will be transferred to the essence of heart but not to the will of kidney below, causing the sole melancholy of the will of kidney. When the will of kidney fails to be supported by the essence of life which can control the water, the tears will flow out.

"The nasal mucus belongs to the brain, the brain belongs to the Yin, and the marrow is that which fills the cavity of the bone. When the marrow seeps out, it becomes the mucus. The will of kidney dominates the bone, so when the tears come out, the mucus comes out in the wake of it. The mucus and the tear are like brothers, they die together when in danger and live together when in joy. If there is melancholy in the will of kidney, the mucus and tear will spring up together. The reason of the coming out of the tear and mucus in accompany is because they all belong to water."