营卫生会/Ying Wei Sheng Hui

(The Issue of Distribution and Operation of Ying-energy and Wei-energy)

黄帝问于岐伯曰:人焉受气?阴阳焉会?何气为营?何气为卫?营安从生?卫于焉会?老壮不同气，阴阳异位，愿闻其会。岐伯答曰:人受气于谷，谷入于胃，以传与肺[肺:《难经●三十难》作“五脏六腑”]，五脏六腑，皆以受气，其清者为营，浊者为卫，营在脉中，卫在脉外，营周不休，五十[五十:《灵枢略.六气论篇》“五十”下有“周”字]而复大会。阴阳相贯，如环无端。卫气行于阴二十五度，行于阳二十五度，分为昼夜，故气至阳而起，至阴而止。故日:日中而阳陇[陇:日刻本作“隆”]为重阳，夜半而阴陇为重阴。故太阴主内, 太阳主外，各行二十五度，分为昼夜。夜半为阴陇，夜半后而为阴衰，平旦阴尽而阳受气矣。日中为阳陇，日西而阳衰，日入阳尽而阴受气矣。夜半而大会，万民皆卧，命日合阴，平旦阴尽而阳受气，如是无已，与天地同纪。

Yellow Emperor asked Qibo and said: "Where does a man receive the refined energy? Where do the Yin and Yang energies converge? What kind of energy is called Ying and what kind of energy is called Wei? From where does the Ying-energy issue? Where do the Ying-energy and the Wei-energy meet? The deficient or overabundant condition of energy in an old man and a man in his prime of life are different, and the locations where the energy travels are also different in day and night , I hope to hear about the condition when the energies meet." Qibo answered: "The refined energy of a man stems from the refined substance transformed by the cereals received, when the cereals enter into the stomach, the refined substance produced will be transferred to the five solid organs and the six hollow organs, and they can all obtain the nutrition, in the refined substance, the lucid part is called the Ying-energy, and the turbid part is called the Wei-energy, the Ying-energy flows within the channel, and the Wei-energy flows outside of the channel, and they operate in the whole body unceasingly, the Ying-energy and the Wei-energy circulates fifty cycles each and then they meet. The Yin and Yang are communicating with each other, they go round and begin again like a ring without end. The Wei-energy runs twenty five cycles in the Yin portion and runs twenty five cycles in the Yang portion, half of its circulation is in the day and half of it is in the night, its circulation starts from the head which belongs to Yang and terminates by the Yin channels of hand and foot. The Wei-energy travels by the Yin channels of hand and foot. The Wei-energy travels outside of the six Yang channels of band and foot in day time, as the Yang energy is most prosperous at noon, it is called 'Yang in prosperity'. The Wei-energy travels outside of the six Yin channels of hand and foot in night time, and the Yin energy is most prosperous at midnight, after midnight, the Yin energy falls into a decline gradually, and at dawn, the Yin energy is exhausted and the Yang energy comes in the wake of it: in day time, the Yang energy is most prosperous at noon, the Yang energy falls into a decline when the sun sets, in the evening , the Yang energy becomes exhausted and the Ying-energy comes in the wake of it: at midnight, the Ying-energy and the Wei-energy converge, as both the Ying-energy and the Wei-energy are in the position of Yin at midnight, and people are sleeping then, it is called the ‘combinatinon of Yin’; at dawn, the Yin-energy is exhausted and the Yang energy comes in the wake of it. In this way, it circulates unceasingly, and it agrees with the condition of the transferring of the sun and moon in the universe."

黄帝日:老人之不夜瞑者，何气使然?少壮之人不昼瞑[不昼瞑:《甲乙》卷一第十一作“不夜寤”]者，何气使然?岐伯答曰:壮者之气血盛，其肌肉滑，气道通，荣卫之行，不失其常，故昼精而夜瞑。老者之气血衰，其肌肉枯，气道涩，五脏之气相搏，其营气衰少而卫气内伐，故昼不精，夜不瞑。

Yellow Emperor asked:"An old man can hardly fall into sleep in night time and what energy causes it? A healthy young man can hardly be awaken when he falls into sleep in night time and what energy causes it?" Qibo answered: "For a healthy young man, his energy and blood are abundant, his muscles are smooth and his energy passage is unobstructed, and the operations of his Ying-energy and Wei-energy are normal, so, his spirit is easy in day time and sleeps soundly in night time. For an old man, his energy and blood are falling into a decline, his muscles are emaciated, his energy passage is unsmooth, the energies of the five-viscera are combating and can hardly be kept harmonious, so his Ying-energy is deficient, and his Wei-energy is corrupted inside, and as a result, his spirit is not easy in daytime and can not sleep soundly in night-time."