调经论篇/Tiao Jing Lun

(On Adjusting the Channels by Pricking)

黄帝问日:余闻刺法言，有余写之，不足补之，何谓有余?何谓不足?岐伯对日:有余有五，不足亦有五，帝欲何间?帝日:愿尽闻之。岐伯日:神有[《甲乙》“神有”下叠“有”字，下气，血，形，志同]余有不足，气有余有不足，血有余有不足，形有余有不足，志有余有不足，凡此十者，其气不等也。

Yellow Emperor asked: "I am told that when the disease is in the state of having a surphus, the purge therapy should be applied, when the disease is in the state of being insufficient, the therapy of invigoration should be applied, but what is the condition of having a surplus or being insufficient?" Qibo answered: "There are five conditions of having a surplus and five conditions of being insufficient. Which one do you want to know?" Yellow Emperor said: “I like to hear all about them." Qibo said: "In spirit, in energy, in blood, in shape and in will, they all have the conditions of having a surplus or being insufficient. These ten conditions develope along with different situations and they are changeful."

帝日:人有精气津液，四支、九窍、五藏、十六部，三百六十五节，乃生百病，百病之生，皆有虚实。今夫子乃言有余有五，不足亦有五，何以生之乎?岐伯日:皆生于五藏[林校云:按《甲乙经》无“五藏”二字]也。夫心藏神，肺藏气，肝藏血，脾藏肉，肾藏志，而此成形。志意通，[《甲乙》“通”下有“达”字]内连骨髓，而成身形五藏。五藏之道，皆出于经隧，以行血气，血气不和，百病乃变化而生，是故守经隧焉。

Yellow Emperor said: "In the refined energy, fluid, the four extremities, five viscera, nine orifices, sixteen channels and three hundred and sixty five bone joints of a man, all of them can contract diseasev and all the diseases contracted are of asthenic or sthenic. Now you only mention five conditions of having a surplus and five conditions of being insufficient, and how do they come about?" Qibo said: "They are all stemmed from the five viscera. The heart controls the spirit, the lung controls the energy、 the liver controls the blood, the spleen controls the muscle, and the kidney controls the will. with these functions, the five viscera are formed. when the spirit and will are unimpeded. the bone marrows inside are mutual connecting and the whole body is formed. The communication between the five viscera depends on the channel tunnel which enables the circulation of the energy and blood. If the energy and blood are not in harmony, various diseases will occur. Thus, the channel tunnel must be unimpeded."