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Human Yuan Qi (Original Qi) is the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). When Taiji moves, Yang (Active/Expansive energy) is generated; when it is still, Yin (Static/Contractive energy) is generated. Movement of Yang manifests as Fire (Huo), and stillness of Yin manifests as Water (Shui). Water is Jing (Essence). Jing is the substance of Yuan Qi, upon which life is established; Fire is Shen (Spirit). Shen is the function of Yuan Qi, through which life activities are conducted. Through Yang movement and Yin stillness, Jing and Shen are initially generated, followed by Hun (Ethereal Soul), Po (Corporeal Soul), and Yi (Intellect), corresponding to the Five Elements (Wu Xing). Once the Five Elements are established, the Five Natures (Wu Xing) are complete; once the Five Natures are complete, the Seven Emotions (Qi Qing) arise. Water belongs to Yin; Fire belongs to Yang. One resides in the Kidney (Shen), and the other in the Mingmen (Gate of Life). The Mingmen is also called the Gate of Spirit. In men, it stores Jing; in women, it connects to the Bao (Uterus). It is the root of Yuan Qi and the abode of Jing and Shen. Therefore, the Kidney and Mingmen are the source of Yuan Qi, residing in the lowest part of extreme Yin, corresponding to the True Yin of Kidney Water at the Left Chi pulse position. From this arises Liver Wood at the Left Guan position; Liver Wood generates Heart Fire at the Left Cun position. The Original Yang of Mingmen Fire at the Right Chi position generates Spleen Earth at the Right Guan position; Spleen Earth generates Lung Metal at the Right Cun position. Generating from below upwards constitutes Pre-heaven Yuan Qi. As for Fire generating Earth, and Earth governing the generation of Water, circulating from above downwards, this constitutes Post-heaven Yuan Qi. Pre-heaven Yuan Qi initiates the generation of the Five Elements from formless Qi; Post-heaven Yuan Qi, starting from the formed Five Elements, circulates to nourish the Pre-heaven. Formless Yin and Yang Qi, through the virtue of Yin-Yang union, generate the spirit of Hun, Po, Shen, Zhi, and Yi, thereby producing emotions such as Joy, Anger, Worry, Thought, Grief, Fear, and Fright. These are the true Seven Emotions of nature. If they reach extremes, they will conversely damage the Pre-heaven Yin and Yang Qi.

How can we distinguish the Post-heaven Yin and Yang Qi of form? At the beginning of conception, one receives the Grain Qi (Gu Qi) from the mother's Spleen and Stomach to nourish the physical form. Thus, the Grain Qi of the Spleen and Stomach actually originates from the Pre-heaven formless Yin and Yang, further transforming into the Post-heaven formed Qi and Blood. If injured by improper diet or overexertion, the Post-heaven Yin and Yang Qi are damaged, leading to insufficiency of True Yin and Original Yang in the Kidney and Mingmen. This naturally fails to establish the Heavenly Origin for the Qi and Blood of the Twelve Meridians. If the Grain Spirit of the Spleen and Stomach is not充盈 (full), it cannot further sustain the True Yin and Original Yang of the Kidney and Mingmen to continue the life pulse. This explains the difference in the density and thinness of Pre- and Post-heaven Qi. If Pre-heaven Yuan Yin is injured, the spirit becomes mostly confused; at night, there is much restlessness. Just before sleep, there is fright and insomnia; after falling asleep, one fears people and feels uneasy, with palpitations and jumping, and the Hun and Shen are agitated. This is due to the movement of formless Fire within the thoughts and spirit. Treatment should involve greatly tonifying True Yin and simultaneously calming the Spirit, so that Fire descends naturally and the Spirit clears. However, if the Pre-heaven formless Yuan Yin Qi is insufficient, one must absolutely avoid using Ginseng Radix (Renshen), Atractylodis Rhizoma (Baizhu), and Astragali Radix (Huangqi). Only formulas like Dihuang Wan (Rehmannia Pill) that tonify True Yin and True Yang can fill this deficiency. Generally, Sweet-Warm herbs only tonify the Yang Qi of the Five Zang organs, whereas Sweet-Cold herbs tonify the True Yin of the Five Zang organs. However, if taking Yin-tonifying herbs does not lead to recovery, it is because the efficacy has not yet reached its peak and the deficiency has not yet returned. Without a large number of doses and long-term treatment spanning months or years, the condition cannot be reversed. Nevertheless, this is verified only when the patient feels Fire moving and unrest without taking medicine.

The Yin of the Pre-heaven formless Yuan Qi is the Mother Qi of my Kidney Water, inheriting the Ancestral Qi of Yuan Jing. Its substantive body of True Yin is deeply hidden within the Left Kidney; its miraculous function of True Yin operates silently within the Jing and Shen. Hence, it is said to be formless. If its True Yin is injured, it causes mental confusion, restless sleep at night, dry and uncomfortable eyes, aversion to light and sun, or dislike of people and fire, preference for stillness and fear of movement, and all things liked or seen are Yin-natured. This results from parents' excessive sexual desire, which inherently damages Kidney Qi, or occasional damage to True Yin during intercourse due to the Seven Emotions. Later in life, if one fails to moderate sexual desire and emotional fluctuations, causing combined damage since birth, how can one avoid vanity and disease? The treatment method should be gentle internal nourishment, preserving the remaining damaged Yin, tonifying Yin and Yang, and assisting their growth power. However, Yang Fire is easy to rescue, while Yin Water is hard to obtain. Therefore, insufficiency of Pre-heaven Yuan Yin True Water cannot be turned around unless calculated by time and effort. A single spark can respond to fires in mountains covering ten thousand qing; a cup of water is difficult to extinguish the fire of a cartload of firewood.