逆顺肥瘦/Ni Shun Fei Shou
(Different Acupuncture Therapies to People of Different Fat and Lean Physiques and the Adverse and Agreeable Conditions
of the Twelve Channels)
黄帝问于岐伯日:余闻针道于夫子，众多毕悉矣，夫子之道应若失[失:按“失”应作“矢”]，而据未有坚然者也，夫子之问学熟[熟:“熟”当作“孰””，下脱“得”字]乎，将审察于物而心[心:《太素》卷二十二《刺法》无“心”字]生之乎?岐伯日:圣人之为道者,上合于天，下合于地，中合于人事，必有明法，以起度数、法式检押，乃后可传焉。故匠人不能释尺寸而意短长，废绳墨而起平木[平木:《太素》卷二十二《刺法》“平木”作“水平”]也，工人不能置规而为圆，去矩而为方。知用此者，固自然之物，易用之教，逆顺之常也。
Yellow Emperor asked Qibo saying: "I have heard the acupuncture therapy from you and I have known a lot about it. Although the curative effect by applying the method you said is so sure like an arrow hitting the target, yet I don't see your argument has a definite ground. Is your learning inherited from others or it is invented by yourself after observing things?" Qibo said:"The acupuncture theory is created by the saints, it agrees with heaven above, with earth below, and in accordance with human affairs in the middle, it has an explicit rule in establishing the criterion of length and size, so that, it can be passed to the later generations. Therefore, a craftsman can not cast away the stipulated length and set a length at will, nor can he give away the usual practice and set a causal standard, likewise, one can not draw a circle without a pair of compasses, or draw a square without a ruler. When one treats according to the rule, he is agreeable with the natural law of things and his teaching is applicable. This is also the routine of measuring the adverse or agreeable condition of a thing."
黄帝曰:愿闻自然奈何?岐伯口:临深决水，不用功力，而水可竭也，循掘决冲，而经可通也。此言气之滑涩，血之清浊，行之逆顺也。
Yellow Emperor said: "I hope to hear about the natural law." Qibo said:"When one drains away the water into a deep valley, the water can be exhausted without much effort, when one digs a tunnel from a hole disregarding the firmness, he will finally open up a passage. This is to say that the energy of human body has the different conditions of slippery or choppy, the blood has the different conditions of lucid or turbid, and the circulation of the energy and blood has the different conditions of adverse and agreeable, and one must abide to its natural condition."
黄帝日:愿闻人之白黑肥瘦小长，各有数乎?岐伯日:年质壮大，血气充盈，肤革坚固，因加以邪，刺此者，深而留之，此肥人也[此肥人也:《太素》卷二十二《刺法》无此四字]。广肩腋项，肉薄厚皮而黑色，唇临临然，其血黑以浊，其气涩以迟，其为人也，贪于取与[与:《甲乙》卷五第六作“予”]，刺此者，深而留之，多益其数也。
Yellow Emperor asked: "I hope to know whether there should be any difference in pricking the people of different types, such as to black and white ones, to fat and thin ones and to young and old ones?" Qibo said:"When a tall and strong man in his prime of life contracts evil and asks for treating, since his blood is abundant, his energy is prosperous and his skin is firm and dense, it should prick deeply and retain the needle. When treating another type of man whose shoulder, armpit and neck are open and wide, has a thin muscle, thick and black skin, plump and thick lips, turbid and black blood, as this kind of people are keen on gaining but also like to present things to others, it should prick deeply, retain the needle and increase the times of pricking."
黄帝日:刺瘦人奈何?岐伯日:瘦人者，皮薄色少，肉廉廉然，薄唇轻言，其血清气滑，易脱于气，易损于血，刺此者，浅而疾之。
Yellow Emperor asked: "How to prick a thin man?" Qibo said: "For a thin man, his skin is thin and he is pale, his muscle is emaciated, he has thin lips, low voice, his blood is lucid and his energy is slippery. Thus, he is easy to collapse and his blood is easy to suffer loss. When pricking people of this kind, it should prick shallowly and pull out the needle rapidly."
黄帝日:刺常人奈何?岐伯曰:视其白黑，各为调之，其端正敦厚者，其血气和调，刺此者，无失常数也。
Yellow Emperor asked: "How to prick a normal man?" Qibo said: "Examine the black or white of the patient and coordinate with the deep-puncture or shallow-puncture. If the patient is upright and kind, his energy must be harmonious. When pricking people of this kind, one can by no means exclude the normal acupuncture therapy."
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