黄帝问于少师曰余尝闻人有阴阳。何谓阴人。何谓阳人。少师曰。天地之间。六合之内。不离于五。人亦应之。非
徒一阴一阳而已也。而略言耳。口弗能遍明也。黄帝曰。愿略闻其意。有贤人圣人心。能备而行之乎。（谓今但愿闻其略
将来有贤圣之人当能备而行之句拙而晦疑心字误）少师曰。盖有太阴之人。少阴之人。太阳之人。少阳之人。阴阳和平
之人。凡五人者。其态不同。其筋骨气血各不等。黄帝曰。其不等者。可得闻乎。少师曰。太阴之人。贪而不仁。下齐
湛湛。（自下以齐于众）好内而恶出。心和而不发。不务于时。动而后之。此太阴之人也。少阴之人。小贪而贼心见人有
亡。常若有得。好伤好害。见人有荣。乃反愠怒。心疾而无恩。此少阴之人也。太阳之人。居处于于。好言大事。无能
而虚说。志发于四野。举措罔顾是非。为事如常自用。事虽败而常无悔。此太阳之人也。少阳之人。 谛。好自贵。有
小小官。则高自宜。好为外交。而不内附。此少阳之人也。阴阳和平之人。居处安静。无为惧惧。无为欣欣。婉然从物。
或与不争。与时变化。尊则谦谦。谭而不治。是谓至治。古之善用针艾者。视人五态乃治之。盛者泻之。虚者补之。黄
帝曰。治人之五态奈何。少师曰。太阴之人。多阴而无阳。其阴血浊。其卫气涩。阴阳不和。缓筋而浓皮。不之疾泻。
不能移之。少阴之人。多阴少阳。小胃而大肠。六腑不调。其阳明脉小。而太阳脉大。必审调之。其血易脱。其气易败
也。太阳之人。多阳而少阴。必谨调之。无脱其阴。而泻其阳。阳重脱者易狂。阴阳皆脱者暴死。不知人也。少阳之人。
多阳少阴。经小而络大。血在中。而气外实阴而虚阳。独泻其络脉。则强气脱而疾。中气不足。病不起也。（强气即卫气
也）阴阳和平之人。其阴阳之气和。血脉调。谨诊其阴阳。视其邪正。安容仪。审有余不足。盛则泻之。虚则补之。不
盛不虚。以经取之。此所以调阴阳。别五态之人者也。黄帝曰。夫五态之人者。相与无故。卒然新会。未知其行也。何
以别之。少师答曰。众人之属。不如五态之人者。故五五二十五人。而五态之人不与焉。五态之人。尤不合于众者也。
黄帝曰。别五态之人奈何。少师曰。太阴之人。其状 然黑色。念然下意。临临然长大。 然未偻。此太阴之人也。
少阴之人。其状清然窃然。固以阴贼。立而躁 。行而似伏。此少阴之人也。太阳之人。其状轩轩储储。反身折 。此
太阳之人也。少阳之人。其状立则好仰。行则好摇。其两臂两肘。则常出于背。此少阳之人也。阴阳和平之人。其状委
委然。随随然。 然。愉愉然。HT HT 然。豆豆然。众人皆曰君子。此阴阳和平之人也。（读阴阳二十五人篇行针
篇及此篇知人之性情皆分于血气即圣贤所谓血气之性也）
布局与二十五人篇同。而篇幅较短。搏 尤觉有力。足供揣摩。先叙性情。后叙形态。有倒入之势。文阵与本脏亦
相似。
Huangdi asked Shaoshi, saying, "I have heard that people are divided into Yin and Yang. What is a Yin person? What is a Yang person?"
Shaoshi replied, "Within the heaven and earth, inside the six directions (the four cardinal points plus up and down), nothing exists apart from the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Humans also correspond to this. It is not merely a matter of simple Yin and Yang. I can only speak briefly; it is impossible to explain everything verbally."
Huangdi said, "I wish to hear the gist of it. If there were virtuous or sage individuals, could they fully comprehend and practice these principles?" (The intended meaning here is: For now, I only wish to hear the summary; in the future, wise and sage persons should be able to fully implement them. The character 'xin' [heart/mind] in the original text is suspected to be an error, making the sentence obscure.)
Shaoshi said, "There are generally five types: Taiyin persons, Shaoyin persons, Taiyang persons, Shaoyang persons, and Yin-Yang Peaceful persons. These five types differ in their demeanor, and their sinews, bones, Qi, and blood are each distinct."
Huangdi said, "May I hear about their differences?"
Shaoshi said, "A Taiyin person is greedy and lacks benevolence. Outwardly humble and orderly, yet inwardly deep and reserved. They like to take but dislike giving. Their mind is calm but does not easily express emotions. They do not adapt to the times and act only after others have moved. This is a Taiyin person.
A Shaoyin person has small greed and a malicious heart. When they see others suffer losses, they feel as if they have gained something themselves. They enjoy harming others and become angry when they see others honored. They are jealous and lack kindness. This is a Shaoyin person.
A Taiyang person is arrogant in their conduct and loves to discuss major affairs. Though lacking ability, they make empty claims. Their ambitions spread widely, and their actions disregard right and wrong. They act with self-will as usual, and even if their endeavors fail, they rarely regret. This is a Taiyang person.
A Shaoyang person is cautious and detail-oriented, loving self-aggrandizement. Even with a minor official position, they elevate themselves arrogantly. They prefer external social connections and do not attach closely to internal family relations. This is a Shaoyang person.
A Yin-Yang Peaceful person lives quietly, neither fearful nor overly joyful. They gently accommodate things, do not contend with others, and change with the times. Though respected, they remain humble. They discuss principles without imposing rule by force; this is called 'Zhi Zhi' (governance at its highest level).
In ancient times, those skilled in acupuncture and moxibustion treated patients based on these five constitutional types. For excess conditions, they used draining methods; for deficiency conditions, they used tonifying methods.
Huangdi asked, "How does one treat these five constitutional types?"
Shaoshi said, "A Taiyin person has excessive Yin and deficient Yang. Their Yin blood is turbid, and their Wei Qi (Defensive Qi) is stagnant. Yin and Yang are disharmonious, resulting in relaxed sinews and thick skin. Without rapid draining of pathogenic factors, this state cannot be altered.
A Shaoyin person has excessive Yin and deficient Yang. They have a small stomach and large intestines, leading to dysfunction of the Six Fu organs. Their Yangming pulse is fine, while their Taiyang pulse is large. Careful regulation is necessary. Their blood is prone to depletion, and their Qi is prone to collapse.
A Taiyang person has excessive Yang and deficient Yin. Regulation must be cautious. One must not deplete their Yin while draining their Yang. If Yang is excessively depleted, madness may ensue. If both Yin and Yang are depleted, sudden death and loss of consciousness may occur.
A Shaoyang person has excessive Yang and deficient Yin. Their Jing Mai (Regular Meridians) are fine, while their Luo Mai (Collaterals) are large. Blood resides internally, while Qi is abundant externally. To solidify Yin and drain Yang, one should only drain the collaterals. However, doing so causes the Wei Qi (Strong Qi) to deplete rapidly, leading to illness. Insufficiency of Middle Qi results in a condition that is difficult to cure. (Strong Qi refers to Wei Qi.)
A Yin-Yang Peaceful person has harmonious Yin and Yang Qi and smooth blood vessels. One must carefully diagnose Yin and Yang, observe the balance of pathogens and healthy Qi, stabilize demeanor, and assess excess and deficiency. Use draining methods for excess, tonifying methods for deficiency. For conditions that are neither excess nor deficiency, treat by selecting points from the affected meridian. This is how Yin and Yang are regulated and the five constitutional types are distinguished.
Huangdi said, "Regarding these five constitutional types, if one meets someone new without prior acquaintance, how can one distinguish them based on behavior?"
Shaoshi answered, "The general populace belongs to a different category and does not fit the five constitutional types. Thus, among the twenty-five types derived from the Five Phases combinations, these five constitutional types are excluded. These five types are particularly distinct from the common crowd.
Huangdi asked, "How does one distinguish these five constitutional types?"
Shaoshi said, "A Taiyin person appears dark-skinned, with a submissive demeanor, seemingly tall but slightly stooped. This is a Taiyin person.
A Shaoyin person appears aloof and secretive, harboring insidious thoughts. They stand restlessly and walk with a hunched posture. This is a Shaoyin person.
A Taiyang person appears dignified and self-assured, often leaning backward with a curved spine. This is a Taiyang person.
A Shaoyang person likes to lean backward when standing and sway when walking, often holding their arms and elbows behind their back. This is a Shaoyang person.
A Yin-Yang Peaceful person appears composed and steady, gentle and compliant, mild and happy, upright and honest. Everyone calls them a Junzi (gentleman). This is a Yin-Yang Peaceful person. (Reading the chapters 'Yin-Yang Twenty-Five Persons', 'Needling Techniques', and this chapter reveals that human temperament is rooted in Qi and Blood, which is what sages refer to as the 'nature of Qi and Blood'.)
The structure of this chapter parallels that of the 'Yin-Yang Twenty-Five Persons' chapter but is shorter. The writing is particularly powerful and worthy of study. It first discusses temperament, then physical form, creating a sense of introductory flow. The rhetorical arrangement is similar to that of the 'Ben Zang' (Root Viscera) chapter."