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The *Ping Ren Qi Xiang Lun* (Treatise on the Normal Person and Pulse Phenomena) states: When a person exhales, the pulse beats twice; when they inhale, the pulse also beats twice. At the pause between breaths (Ding Xi), the pulse beats once more. Including occasional deep sighs (Tai Xi), averaging five beats per respiration cycle is termed a "Ping Ren" (Normal/Healthy Person).

A Ping Ren is one who is free from disease. (The meridians circulate throughout the body with a total length of 16 zhang 2 chi. With two beats per inhalation and two per exhalation, plus one beat at the pause, there are five beats in total. Calculating 270 pauses constitutes one full circulation of Qi. However, to complete fifty cycles requires 13,500 pauses, during which Qi travels 810 zhang. This corresponds to the constant measure of Heaven. The pulse Qi is neither deficient nor excessive, and the phenomenon is harmonious, thus called a Ping Ren.) Generally, one uses the healthy state as a standard to adjust for the patient. Since the physician is healthy, they regulate their own breathing to diagnose the patient as a method. (This refers to the pulse of five beats per respiration, indicating no disease. Exhaling air from the nose is called "Hu"; inhaling air is called "Xi". Together with the pause, it forms one respiration. It means that when the patient exhales, the physician's pulse beats twice; when the patient inhales, the physician's pulse beats twice; at the pause, it beats five times, similar to having a leap month in a year. This is the pulse of "leaping via deep sigh," known as five beats per respiration. Such a person is called a Ping Ren. A Ping Ren is one without disease. Essentially, within one respiration of the physician, a healthy person's pulse also completes one cycle, allowing one to know that five beats per respiration indicates health. One should use the pulse of a healthy person to calibrate that of a sick person. Because the physician is not ill, they utilize the patient's condition to calm their own breath and observe the pulse. This is the method of diagnosis. The total length of pulses in the human body is 16 zhang 2 chi. With each exhalation, pulse Qi moves three cun; with each inhalation, it moves three cun. In 135 respirations, pulse Qi moves 8 zhang 1 chi; in 270 respirations, it moves 16 zhang 2 chi, completing one cycle. In a day and night, totaling 13,500 respirations, pulse Qi moves 810 zhang, constituting fifty cycles, accumulated from the 16 zhang 2 chi of meridians.) If a person's pulse beats once per exhalation and once per inhalation, it is called "Shao Qi" (Deficient Qi). (With one beat per breath, it is half the rate of a normal person. In 270 pauses, Qi moves only 8 zhang 1 chi; in 13,500 pauses, it moves only 405 zhang. The principle of Shao Qi can be understood from this. This refers to a pulse of two beats per respiration being Shao Qi, discussed from the perspective of deficiency relative to the normal pulse.) If a person's pulse beats three times per exhalation and three times per inhalation, and is rapid/agitated, with heat at the Chi position (wrist), it is a Wen Bing (Warm Disease); if the Chi position is not hot, and the pulse is slippery, it is a Feng Bing (Wind Disease); if the pulse is choppy, it is a Bi Syndrome (Obstruction). (With three beats per breath, it exceeds the normal by half. In 270 respirations, Qi moves 34 zhang 3 chi, signaling the onset of disease. The Chi position is the Yin sector; the Cun position is the Yang sector. If both Yin and Yang are hot, it indicates independent agitation of Yin and Yang, where excess leads to Wind attacking Yang. The *Mai Yao Jing Wei Lun* states: Those struck by evil wind have affected Yang Qi. Slippery pulse indicates Yang excess, hence Wind disease; Choppy pulse indicates blood deficiency, hence Bi syndrome. This refers to a pulse of six beats per respiration leading to various diseases, discussed from the perspective of excess relative to the normal pulse.) The normal Qi of a healthy person is derived from the Stomach; the Stomach is the root of normal Qi. (Normal, peaceful Qi is provided by the Sea of Grain, the Stomach. Thus it is said: When food enters the Stomach, the pulse pathways begin to flow.) If a person lacks Stomach Qi, it is called "Ni" (Rebellion/Opposition), and Ni leads to death. (The pulse is rooted in Stomach Qi; lacking Stomach Qi is called Ni, and Ni leads to death.) In Spring, a pulse with a slight string-like quality (Xian) accompanied by Stomach Qi is normal; in Summer, a pulse with a slight hook-like quality (Gou/Hong) accompanied by Stomach Qi is normal; in Late Summer, a pulse with a slight soft/weak quality accompanied by Stomach Qi is normal; in Autumn, a pulse with a slight hair-like (floating) quality accompanied by Stomach Qi is normal; in Winter, a pulse with a slight stone-like (deep) quality accompanied by Stomach Qi is normal. (This continues the previous statement that all five Zang organs take Stomach Qi as their foundation.) If the pulse follows Yin and Yang, the illness is easy to cure; if the pulse opposes Yin and Yang, the illness is difficult to cure. (Pulse corresponding to the disease is called "Cong" (Following). Pulse opposing the disease is called "Ni" (Opposing). This states that the pulse should accord with the disease.) If the pulse conforms to the four seasons, the illness has no other complications; if the pulse contradicts the four seasons or involves non-interleaved Zang transmission, it is difficult to cure. (Spring showing Autumn pulse, Summer showing Winter pulse, Autumn showing Summer pulse, Winter showing End-of-Season pulse, are all called contradicting the four seasons and not corresponding. "Interleaved Zang" transmission means, for example, Liver disease affecting Earth should transmit to the Spleen. If it does not transmit to the Spleen but transmits to the Heart, it skips the conquered organ and transmits to the generated organ. The *Nan Jing* refers to interleaved Zang as generation-based transmission. Both interleaved and non-interleaved pulses are considered difficult to cure. This states that the pulse should accord with the season.) Humans rely on water and grain as their foundation; thus, humans die when cut off from water and grain, and also die without Stomach Qi. What is meant by lacking Stomach Qi is obtaining only the True Zang Pulse without any Stomach Qi. What is meant by a pulse lacking Stomach Qi is that the Liver pulse does not show the string-like quality, and the Kidney pulse does not show the stone-like quality. (Not string-like and not stone-like refer to the absence of the subtle, gentle qualities.) In women, if the Hand Shaoyin pulse (Heart Meridian) beats prominently, it indicates pregnancy. (The Hand Shaoyin pulse refers to the depression behind the palm, where the artery moves and responds under the finger near the little finger side. Qibo said: When the exterior meridian is diseased but the interior organ is not, one selects only the meridian, at the end of the sharp bone behind the palm. This is what is meant. "Move" refers to the Dong Mai (Moving Pulse). The Moving Pulse is like a bean, quivering and shaking. The *Zheng Li Lun* states: When Yin and Yang pulses beat against each other, it is called "Dong".)