禁服/Jin Fu

(Understand the Channels Thoroughly before Pricking)

雷公问于黄帝日:细子得受业，通于九针六十篇，旦幕勤服之，近者编绝[近者编绝:《太素》卷十四《人迎脉口诊》作“远”。按“近”与“久”，上下误倒，应作“久者编绝，近者简垢”]，久者简垢，然尚讽诵弗置，未尽解于意矣。外揣[外揣:周本“揣”下有“其”字]言浑束为一，未知所谓也。夫大则无外，小则无内，大小无极，高下无度，束之奈何?士之オ力，或有厚薄，智虑褊浅，不能博大深奥，自强于学[于学:《太素》卷十四《人迎脉口诊》“于学”下有“未”字]若细子，细子恐其散于后世，绝于子孙，敢问约之奈何?黄帝日:善乎哉问也!此先师之所禁，坐私传之也，割臂酞血之盟也，子若欲得之，何不斋乎。

Leigong asked Yellow Emperor: "I have learned from you and I have understood the nine kinds of needle expounded in the 《Sixty Chapters》. I study the related books very hard every morning and evening, in the books of old ages, some of their strings binding the bamboo slips are broken due to the long-term flipping through, in the books of recent years, some of the bamboo slips are stained due to the constant turning over, and I have insisted to keep on the reading without giving it up. However, I still can not understand their meanings thoroughly, especially the 'summing up the details like the fine hairs into a general programme' in the chapter of Wai Chuai (Determining from Outside), 1 don’t know what it indicates. Since the principle of the nine kinds of needle can not be larger as it embraces all things outside, and it can not be smaller as it is incapable to contain anything, it reaches the extreme extent of large and small, and the realm of unfathomable height and depth. When one wants to sum it up into a general programme, how to do it? Moreover, in the talents of people, it may be profound or shallow, but in intelligence, most people are radical and superficial, they can not attain to the state of extensiveness and profoundness, besides, they do not study hard as I do. I am afraid the learning of the nine kinds of needle will be lost in the later generations, and it will be by no means to be learned by the descendants. Now, what should one do when one wants to simplify the principle of the nine kinds of needle?" Yellow Emperor said: "You have asked a very good question. The late masters had exhorted that it would be a crime when one imparts the principle privately. Before the impartation, the disciple must cut his arm and smear his mouth with the blood and swear an oath. Now, if you want to have the genuine impartmant. why don't you fast to show your sincerity?"

雷公再拜而起口:请闻命于是也[请闻命于是也:《太素》卷十四《人迎脉口诊》作“也于是”。“于是”二字属下读]。乃斋宿三日而请曰:敢问今日正阳，细子愿以受盟。黄帝乃与俱入斋室，割臂歃血。黄帝亲[亲:《太素》卷十四《人迎脉口诊》无此字]祝曰:今日正阳，歃血传方，有[有:《太素》卷十四《人迎脉口诊》无此字]敢背此言者，反[反:《太素》卷十四《人迎脉口诊》作“必”]受其殃。雷公再拜曰:细子受之。黄帝乃左握其手，右授之书，日:慎之慎之，吾为子言之。

Leigong bowed and again stood up and said:"I hope to hear your instructions." So, Leigong fasted for three days, came again to Yellow Emperor and said: "I hope to take the oath and receive your impartation today at noon." So, Yellow Emperor took Leigong to the fast hall, cut his arm and smear the blood on his mouth, then, Yellow Emperor said:"Today, at noon, I impart the acupuncture principles to you under the ceremony of smearing blood, if the oath is violated, you will have great disaster.”Leigong bowed and again and said: "I accept what you said respectively and attentively". Then, Yellow Emperor took Leigong's hand with his left hand and presented the book with his right hand and said: "You must be very prudent in dealing with it. Now, let me tell you something more."

凡刺之理，经脉为始,营其所行,知其度量,内刺五藏,外刺六府,审察卫气，为百病母,调其虚实,虚实乃止,泻其血络,血尽不殆矣。雷公日:此皆细子之所以通,未知其所约也。

"In the principle of pricking, one should study carefully the channels, measure the routes of circulation and know well their lengths and the sizes, their relations with the five solid organs inside and differentiate the relations with the six hollow organs outside; examine the Wei-energy which can defend outside when the Yang energy is stable, and when the Yang is deficient, the Wei-energy will not be guarding outside and diseases will occur. Besides, adjust the asthenia and sthenia, if the disease is of sthenic, purge the superficial venulus to cause bleeding, and when the stagnated blood in the superficial venulus is exhausted, the disease will be of no danger." Leigong said: "I knew all these principles before, but I don't know how to sum them up."

黄帝日:夫约方者，犹约囊也，囊满而弗约，则输泄，方成弗约，则神与弗[与弗:《太素》卷十四《人迎脉口诊》作“弗与”]俱。雷公日:愿为下材者，勿满而约之。黄帝日:未满而知约之以为工，不可以为[以为:《太素》卷十四《人迎脉口诊》“以”下无“为”字]天下师。

Yellow Emperor said: "The so called 'the fixed way of pricking' is like the tying of the mouth of a bag. when the bag is full and it is not tied , the things in the bag will be let out, as many things are excluded, the ingenious curative effect will not appear along with the pricking treatment." Leigong said: "For the physicians who rest content with remaining in a lower level, they tie the mouth of the bag to sum up a general programme when the bag is not full." Yellow Emperor said: "When one can tie the mouth of the bag which is not full to sum up a general programme, he can be a superior physician, but he is not supposed to be a person of great learning and exemplary virtue."

雷公曰:愿闻为工。黄帝日:寸口主中，人迎主外，两者相应，俱往俱来，若引绳大小齐等。春夏人迎微大，秋冬寸口微大，如是者名曰平人。

Leigong said: "I hope to know how can one to be a superior physician?" Yellow Emperor said: "When a superior physician palpates, he emphasizes on examining the pulse conditions of the Cunkou and Renying pulses, the pulse condition of Cunkou reflects the conditions of Yin of the five solid organs, and that of Renying reflects the conditions of Yang of the six hollow organs, the two pulses are corresponding to each other, come and go unanimously and unceasingly, the come and go of the Cunkou and Renying pulses which are affected by the respiration manifest unanimously like in tug of war, the string and man are moving unanimously. The pulsation of the Renying pulse is comparatively larger in spring and summer, as spring and summer belong to Yang; the pulsation of the Cunkou pulse is comparatively larger in autumn and winter, as autumn and winter belong to Yin.  People with this kind of pulse condition are the normal people without disease.