黄帝问于伯高曰。余闻气有逆顺。脉有盛衰。刺有大约。可得闻乎。伯高曰。气之逆顺者。所以应天地阴阳四时五
行也。脉之盛衰者。所以候血气之虚实有余不足。刺之大约者。必明知病之可刺。与其未可刺。与其已不可刺也。黄帝
曰。候之奈何。伯高曰。兵法曰。无迎逢逢之气。无击堂堂之阵。刺法曰。无刺 之热。无刺漉漉之汗。无刺浑浑之
脉。无刺病与脉相逆者。黄帝曰。候其可刺奈何。伯高曰。上工刺其未生者也。其次刺其未盛者也。其次刺其已衰者也。
下工刺其方袭者也。与其形之盛者也。与其病之与脉相逆者也。故曰方其盛也。勿敢毁伤。刺其已衰。事必大昌。故曰
上工治未病。不治已病。此之谓也。
如此短幅通体俱用排比而不嫌板滞者。气盛故也。
黄帝曰。愿闻谷气有五味。其入五脏。分别奈何。伯高曰。胃者。五脏六腑之海也。水谷皆入于胃。五脏六腑。皆
禀气于胃。五味各走其所喜。谷味酸。先走肝。谷味苦。先走心。谷味甘。先走脾。谷味辛。先走肺。谷味咸。先走肾。
谷气津液已行营卫。大通乃化糟粕。又次传下。黄帝曰。营卫之行奈何。伯高曰。谷始入于胃。其精微者。先出于胃之
两焦以溉。五脏别出两行。营卫之道。其大气之抟而不行者。积于胸中。命曰气海。出于肺循喉咽。故呼则出。吸则入。
天地之精气其大数常出。三入一故谷不入半日则气衰。一日则气少矣。黄帝曰。谷之五味。可得闻乎。伯高曰。请尽言
之。五谷。 米甘。麻酸。大豆咸。麦苦。黄黍辛。五果。枣甘。李酸。栗咸。杏苦。桃辛。五畜。牛甘。犬酸。猪咸。
羊苦。鸡辛。五菜。葵甘。韭酸。藿咸。薤苦。葱辛。五色。黄色宜甘。青色宜酸。黑色宜咸。赤色宜苦。白色宜辛。
凡此五者各有所宜。五宜所言五色者。脾病者。宜食 米饭牛肉枣葵。心病者。宜食麦羊肉杏薤。肾病者。宜食大豆黄
卷猪肉栗藿。肝病者。宜食麻犬肉李韭。肺病者。宜食黄黍鸡肉桃葱。五禁。肝病禁辛。心病禁咸。脾病禁酸。肾病禁
甘。肺病禁苦。肝色青。宜食甘。 米饭牛肉枣葵皆甘。心色赤。宜食酸。犬肉麻李韭皆酸。脾色黄。宜食咸。大豆豕
肉栗藿皆咸。肺色白。宜食苦麦羊肉杏薤皆苦。肾食品店黑。宜色辛。黄黍鸡肉桃葱皆辛。
用笔与天年篇同。而布阵尤奇。前从五味说到营卫。随即接叙营卫是本题里面一层却提于题前发之。及入五味。正
面先叙五物与五色之人所宜。是言平人所宜也。次叙五病宜禁。正义毕矣。又复叙五脏色所宜。自是谆复申明之意。独
怪叙五物。不厌繁复。反略于五禁。不与前五宜作对待。而详于后五宜与前五宜似对不对。使人目眩。极寓奇于正之妙。
精悍之色不可逼视。
Huangdi asked Bo Gao, saying: I have heard that Qi has directions of reversal and compliance (Ni Shun), pulses have states of fullness and deficiency, and acupuncture has general principles. May I hear about them? Bo Gao replied: The reversal and compliance of Qi correspond to the Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth, as well as the Four Seasons and Five Elements. The fullness and deficiency of pulses are used to observe the excess or deficiency, surplus or insufficiency of Blood and Qi. The general principles of acupuncture require clearly knowing which diseases can be treated with acupuncture, which cannot, and which have already reached a stage where acupuncture is contraindicated. Huangdi asked: How should one observe and judge this? Bo Gao said: As military strategy states, do not engage an enemy when their momentum is at its peak; do not attack an army when its formation is solid and imposing. As acupuncture methods state, do not treat patients with intense heat, do not treat those with profuse dripping sweat, do not treat those with turbid and chaotic pulses, and do not treat cases where the disease pattern contradicts the pulse. Huangdi asked: How does one determine when it is appropriate to puncture? Bo Gao said: A superior practitioner treats before the disease arises; a secondary practitioner treats before the pathogen becomes excessive; a tertiary practitioner treats after the pathogen has declined. An inferior practitioner treats when the pathogen is just invading, when the patient's form is in a state of excess, or when the disease contradicts the pulse. Therefore, it is said: When the pathogen is at its peak, do not dare to damage the healthy Qi; treat after it has declined, and success is guaranteed. Thus it is said: A superior practitioner treats disease before it occurs, not after it has occurred. This is what is meant.
Although this passage is short and uses parallel structures throughout without appearing rigid, it is due to the vigorous flow of Qi in the text.
Huangdi said: I wish to hear about how the five flavors of Grain Qi enter the Zang organs and how they are distinguished. Bo Gao said: The Stomach is the sea of the Zang and Fu organs. Water and grain all enter the Stomach, and the Zang and Fu organs all receive Qi from the Stomach. Each of the five flavors travels to its preferred organ. Sour grain flavor first enters the Liver; bitter grain flavor first enters the Heart; sweet grain flavor first enters the Spleen; pungent grain flavor first enters the Lung; salty grain flavor first enters the Kidney. After the Grain Qi and body fluids circulate, and Ying and Wei Qi connect thoroughly, waste residues are formed and transmitted downward. Huangdi asked: How do Ying and Wei Qi circulate? Bo Gao said: When grain first enters the Stomach, its essence and subtle parts first emerge from the upper and lower Jiao of the Stomach to irrigate the Zang organs. Two separate pathways branch out, which are the ways of Ying and Wei Qi. The substantial Qi that gathers but does not circulate accumulates in the chest, called the Sea of Qi (Qihai). It emerges from the Lung, follows the throat and pharynx, so it exits during exhalation and enters during inhalation. The essence and Qi of Heaven and Earth generally follow a ratio of three parts exiting for every one part entering. Therefore, if no grain enters, Qi declines after half a day and diminishes after one day. Huangdi asked: May I hear about the five flavors of the five grains? Bo Gao said: Let me explain fully. The five grains: Rice is sweet, Hemp seed is sour, Soybean is salty, Wheat is bitter, Yellow millet is pungent. The five fruits: Jujube is sweet, Plum is sour, Chestnut is salty, Apricot is bitter, Peach is pungent. The five animals: Beef is sweet, Dog meat is sour, Pork is salty, Mutton is bitter, Chicken is pungent. The five vegetables: Malva is sweet, Leek is sour, Broad bean leaves are salty, Scallion bulb is bitter, Scallion is pungent. The five colors: Yellow corresponds to sweet, Green corresponds to sour, Black corresponds to salty, Red corresponds to bitter, White corresponds to pungent. All these five categories have specific suitability. The "Five Suitabilities" refer to the dietary appropriateness corresponding to the five colors. For Spleen disease, suitable foods include rice, beef, jujube, and malva. For Heart disease, suitable foods include wheat, mutton, apricot, and scallion bulb. For Kidney disease, suitable foods include soybean sprouts, pork, chestnut, and broad bean leaves. For Liver disease, suitable foods include hemp seed, dog meat, plum, and leek. For Lung disease, suitable foods include yellow millet, chicken, peach, and scallion. The "Five Prohibitions": Liver disease prohibits pungent taste; Heart disease prohibits salty taste; Spleen disease prohibits sour taste; Kidney disease prohibits sweet taste; Lung disease prohibits bitter taste. The Liver color is green, suitable for sweet taste; rice, beef, jujube, and malva are all sweet. The Heart color is red, suitable for sour taste; dog meat, hemp seed, plum, and leek are all sour. The Spleen color is yellow, suitable for salty taste; soybean, pork, chestnut, and broad bean leaves are all salty. The Lung color is white, suitable for bitter taste; wheat, mutton, apricot, and scallion bulb are all bitter. The Kidney color is black, suitable for pungent taste; yellow millet, chicken, peach, and scallion are all pungent.
The writing style is similar to that of the *Tian Nian* chapter, but the arrangement is particularly ingenious. Previously, it discussed the five flavors leading to Ying and Wei Qi, then immediately narrated the circulation of Ying and Wei Qi, which is a layer within the main topic but raised beforehand to initiate the discussion. Upon entering the topic of five flavors, it first positively narrates the suitability of the five substances and five colors for people, discussing what is suitable for healthy individuals. Then it narrates the prohibitions for five diseases, completing the main meaning. It then reiterates the suitability of the five Zang colors, expressing a tone of earnest repetition. What is peculiar is that the narration of the five substances is不厌其烦 (tirelessly repetitive), while the five prohibitions are handled briefly, not forming a direct contrast with the previous five suitabilities, yet the latter five suitabilities are detailed, seemingly opposing the former five, causing visual confusion. This embodies the subtlety of hiding ingenuity within orthodoxy, with a vigorous spirit that cannot be stared down directly.