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[Scriptural Interpretation]
Yin and Yang are the fundamental laws of Heaven and Earth. They are the general principles of all things, the parents of change, the origin of life and death, and the repository of divine mysteries. ○ From dawn to noon is the Yang Qi of Heaven, which belongs to Yang within Yang; from noon to dusk is the Yang Qi of Heaven, which belongs to Yin within Yang; from nightfall to cockcrow is the Yin Qi of Heaven, which belongs to Yin within Yin; from cockcrow to dawn is the Yin Qi of Heaven, which belongs to Yang within Yin. ○ When discussing human Yin and Yang, the exterior is Yang and the interior is Yin. When discussing the Yin and Yang of the body, the back is Yang and the abdomen is Yin. When discussing Yin and Yang within the Zang-Fu organs, the Zang organs are Yin and the Fu organs are Yang. The Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lungs, and Kidneys, the five Zang organs, all belong to Yin; the Gallbladder, Stomach, Large Intestine, Small Intestine, Bladder, and Sanjiao (Triple Burner), the six Fu organs, all belong to Yang. Yang within Yang is the Heart; Yin within Yang is the Lung; Yin within Yin is the Kidney; Yang within Yin is the Liver; Ultimate Yin within Yin is the Spleen. ○ The sweat of Yang Qi can be named after the rain of Heaven and Earth; the movement of Yang Qi can be named after the swift wind of Heaven and Earth. ○ Yin and Yang are like the male and female relationship between Blood and Qi: Left and Right are the pathways of Yin and Yang. ○ Yin resides inside as the guardian of Yang; Yang resides outside as the servant of Yin. ○ Extreme Yin transforms into Yang; extreme Yang transforms into Yin. ○ Yin Qi, when still, stores the Spirit; when agitated, it dissipates. ○ Yang Qi, when refined, nourishes the Spirit; when soft, it nourishes the sinews. ○ Yin is still, Yang is active; Yang generates, Yin grows; Yang kills, Yin stores. Yang transforms into Qi, Yin forms shape. ○ In Yang diseases, the pathogen ascends to the extreme and then descends; in Yin diseases, the pathogen descends to the extreme and then ascends. ○ The key to Yin and Yang is that Yang must be dense to secure Yin. If Yang is excessive and cannot be dense, Yin Qi will perish. When Yin is peaceful and Yang is secreted, the Spirit and vitality are regulated; if Yin and Yang separate and break apart, essence and vitality will cease. ○ Examine Yin and Yang to distinguish between soft and hard; treat Yin for Yang diseases, and treat Yang for Yin diseases. ○ Therefore, those skilled in acupuncture draw Yang from Yin and draw Yin from Yang. (From *Suwen*)

[Philosophical Sayings]
Tai Chu is the beginning of Principle (Li). Tai Xu is the beginning of Qi. Tai Su is the beginning of Form/Image (Xiang). Tai Yi is the beginning of Number (Shu). Tai Ji is the beginning of Principle, Qi, Form, and Number. (From *Meng Quan Zi*)

Solitary Yang cannot generate life; isolated Yin cannot grow. (From *Dan Jing*)

If Yin is not exhausted, one does not become an immortal; if Yang is not exhausted, one does not die. (From *Dao Jing*)

When dampness arrives, its form is invisible, yet charcoal becomes heavy. When wind arrives, its image is unseen, yet trees begin to move. The sun moves without visible displacement; even if a swift horse gallops double speed, grass and trees will bow before it, and before the gnomon (Yang Sui) turns, the sun is already ahead. Thus, when wind is about to blow, grass has not moved, but birds are already flying; when rain is about to fall, dark clouds have not gathered, but fish are already diving. This is due to the mutual stimulation of Yin and Yang Qi. Therefore, Cold, Heat, Dryness, and Dampness follow their categories; sound and speed correspond by tone. (From *Huainanzi*)

*Zhong Lü Ji* states: True Qi is Yang, True Water is Yin. Yang hides in Water, Yin hides in Qi. Qi governs ascent, containing True Water within it; Water governs descent, containing True Qi within it. True Water is True Yin, and True Qi is True Yang. This understanding deeply grasps the profound meaning of Yin and Yang. (From *Lei Jing*)

It is said that when Yang is pressured by Yin, it either flees or flies; when Yin encounters Yang's dissipation, it either withers or dries up. Thus, the nature of thunder in hibernation rises vigorously when stimulated by torrential rain; the disaster of drought demons recedes when abundant sweet rains arrive. (From *Wu Yi Hui Jiang*)

Sufficient Qi generates Hun (Ethereal Soul), which is Yang Shen (Spirit); sufficient Jing (Essence) generates Po (Corporeal Soul), which is Yin Shen. Together, when Jing and Qi intersect, Hun and Po gather, harboring a True Shen within. Like a lamp: oil and wick are Po; fire is Hun; radiating light is Shen. When oil dries and fire dims, light vanishes, and the Yang Shen of Hun, Yin Shen of Po, and True Shen within all scatter, leaving only the wick, which is dead Po. Like furnace ash: charcoal is Po; fire is Hun; flame is Shen. When charcoal is gone, fire extinguishes, and flame dies, the Yang Shen of Hun, Yin Shen of Po, and True Shen within all scatter, leaving only ash, which is dead Po. After death, the physical shell remains, but it is merely dead Po. (Wang Yungu)

Hun is Yang; the Liver governs Blood and stores Hun, representing Yang entering Yin. Po is Yin; the Lungs govern Qi and store Po, representing Yin attaching to Yang. During the day, Hun exits to function, while Po stays hidden in the Lungs; at night, Po exits to function, while Hun stays hidden in the Liver. The exit and entry of Hun and Po are like the stars Shen and Shang, never meeting. Question: Through what channels do Hun and Po enter and exit? Answer: Hun enters through the eyes; when eyes close, Hun is stored. Frequent dreaming indicates the Liver fails to store Hun. Po exits through the nose; when breathing stabilizes, Po is stored. (From *Yi Tang San Ji*)

Heaven is the patriarch of Yang; Earth is the domain of Yin. Those who obtain Yang live; those who obtain Yin die. Those prone to heat are masters of Yang; those prone to cold are roots of Yin. Yang moves quickly; Yin moves slowly. Yang is light in nature; Yin is heavy in nature. When Yin and Yang are balanced, Heaven and Earth harmonize, and human Qi is peaceful; when Yin and Yang are inverted, Heaven and Earth stagnate, and human Qi becomes厥 (Jue/collapse). Thus, Heaven obtains Yang to become hot and blazing, and obtains Yin to become cold and biting. Yang begins before Zi hour and ends after Wu hour; Yin begins after Wu hour and ends before Zi hour. The rise and fall of Yin and Yang occur at specific times. *Jingui Yaolue* says: Nourish Yang at the start of Autumn, nourish Yin at the start of Spring. Fire emerges from Wood; Water is born from Metal. Water and Fire assist each other, seeking each other above and below. There are five types of pulse indicating death, and five types of Qi indicating life. Yin-type pulses are heavy; Yang-type pulses are light. Yang disease with Yin pulse implies short life; Yin disease with Yang pulse implies failure to develop. Yang syndromes involve much speech; Yin syndromes involve no voice. Much speech is easier to treat; no voice is harder to recover. Yang disease brings calmness in the morning; Yin disease brings peace at night. Yang deficiency causes confusion in the evening; Yin deficiency causes contention in the morning. Yin Qi sinking without rising is called "Broken Collaterals"; Yang Qi ascending without descending is called "Severed Meridians." Evil in Yin is called Turbid; evil in Yang is called Clear. Fire arrives at Kan door; Water reaches Li gate. When Yin and Yang correspond, peace is achieved. If Yin is insufficient, aid it with Water Mother; if Yang is insufficient, assist it with Fire Essence. Yin should often be reduced; Yang should often be filled. Following Yin leads to destruction; following Yang leads to longevity. ○ What is the disease of alternating chills and fever in humans? It is the victory and defeat of Yin and Yang. Yang deficiency causes chills first, then fever; Yin deficiency causes fever first, then chills. Upper excess causes fever; lower excess causes chills. Cold and dry skin indicates Yang deficiency; hot and dry skin indicates Yin deficiency. Cold skin with aversion to cold indicates Yin excess; hot skin with heat sensation indicates Yang excess. Heat originating from below is Yang evil within Yin; heat originating from above is Yang evil within Yang. Cold originating from above is Yin evil within Yang; cold originating from below is Yin evil within Yin. Cold with red cheeks and much speech is Yin evil within Yang; heat with blue face and much speech is Yang evil within Yin; cold with blue face and much speech is Yin evil within Yin. Yin within Yin results in one survivor out of nine; Yang within Yang results in nine survivors out of ten. Yin diseases are difficult to treat; Yang diseases are easy to cure. Examining the pulse: Rapid pulse in the upper position is Yang within Yang; rapid pulse in the lower position is Yang within Yin. Slow pulse in the upper position is Yin within Yang; slow pulse in the lower position is Yin within Yin. Rapid pulse in the middle indicates Middle Heat; slow pulse in the middle indicates Middle Cold. Treat cold with heat methods; treat heat with cold attacks. Methods of reversal and compliance follow Heaven and Earth, rooted in Yin and Yang. (From *Zhong Zang Jing*)

People know only that Qi and Blood are Yin and Yang, but do not know that Water and Fire are the root of Yin and Yang. Even knowing Water and Fire are Yin and Yang, mistaking Heart and Kidney as the true embodiment of Water and Fire is why the Dao remains unclear. Observe the five planets (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth) in the sky, and the Sun and Moon illuminating Heaven and Earth—are they not True Yin and True Yang? In the human body, the Five Elements (Liver, Spleen, Lungs, Kidneys, plus Heart implied) exist, operating among the Zang-Fu organs. There is formless Minister Fire moving Yang twenty-five degrees, and formless Kidney Water moving Yin twenty-five degrees, with roots in prenatal True Yuan. One is tangible, both are postnatal, and thus not True. ○ Question: At Winter Solstice, one Yang is born, suggesting gradual warmth, yet why is the twelfth lunar month extremely cold with ice and snow? At Summer Solstice, one Yin is born, suggesting gradual coolness, yet why are the three dog days extremely hot? Is there an explanation? Answer: This is because what is coming advances, and what has succeeded retreats; in subtle stages, it is hard to understand. Generally, Yang hiding below pressures Yin upward, causing well water to evaporate while solid ice arrives; Yin flourishing below pressures Yang upward, causing well water to freeze while thunder and lightning combine. Today, patients with red faces, thirst, irritability, wheezing, and coughing are all said to have extreme Fire excess. Yet who knows this is forced by Cold Yin in the Kidneys? Many have died from using cold-cooling medicines. (From *Zhao Shi Yi Guan*)

Humans are born receiving Qi from Heaven and Earth: Heaven's Yang becomes Qi, Earth's Yin becomes Blood. Thus, Qi is often in surplus, while Blood is often deficient. Heaven's Yang is the Sun, constantly bright and unceasing, showing Yang surplus; the moon waxes and wanes, showing Yin deficiency. Human Yin blood corresponds to the moon. Thus, males reach seminal emission at sixteen, and females menstruate at fourteen. After form is established, one still relies on milk and grain for nourishment until Yin Qi matures, allowing it to pair with Yang. Hence, marriage was traditionally delayed until thirty or twenty, showing ancients' skill in preservation. Males lose essence at sixty-four (8x8); females stop menstruating at forty-nine (7x7). Human Yin serves only for thirty years. With such hard-to-form and easy-to-lose Yin facing boundless desires, how can it suffice? Its deficiency is obvious. Must we not prioritize discussing the nourishment of Yin? (Zhu Danxi)

Prenatal formless Yin and Yang: Yang is called Yuan Yang (Primal Yang), Yin is called Yuan Yin (Primal Yin). Yuan Yang is formless Fire, used for generation and transformation, known as Shen Ji (Spirit Mechanism). Life and destiny depend on it, so it is also called Yuan Qi (Primal Qi). Yuan Yin is formless Water, used for growth and establishment, known as Tian Gui (Heavenly Water/Menstruation). Strength depends on it, so it is also called Yuan Jing (Primal Essence). Yuan Jing and Yuan Qi are the Primal Spirit that generates Essence and Qi. ○ Essence is Yin, the Water of man; Qi is Yang, the Fire of man. When Water and Fire are correct, they become Essence and Qi; when imbalanced, they become Heat and Cold. Thus, Water must contain Fire; without Fire, Yin prevails and Cold disease arises. Fire must contain Water; without Water, Yang prevails and Heat disease arises. Water deficiency is Yin deficiency; only Great Tonification of True Yin is suitable, never attacking Yang Qi. Fire deficiency is Yang deficiency; only Great Tonification of Primal Yang is suitable, never injuring Yin Qi. If Yang is already deficient and Yin is attacked, Yin is also damaged; if Yin is already deficient and Yang is injured, Yang perishes too. Treating Deficiency and Excess differs fundamentally. Excess means both Yin and Yang are in surplus; removing the surplus restores balance. Deficiency means both Yin and Yang are lacking; removing what remains leads to mutual collapse. How can life survive? Thus, the key to treating deficiency: For Yin deficiency with much heat, avoid pungent-dry herbs fearing they aid Yang evil. Especially avoid bitter-cold herbs fearing they destroy vital Qi. Prefer purely sweet herbs that strengthen Water, tonifying Yin to match Yang, so Hard is controlled by Soft, defying Fire lowers naturally, and Yang returns to Yin. For Yang deficiency with much cold, avoid cooling-moistening herbs fearing they aid Yin evil. Especially avoid pungent-dispersing herbs fearing they injure Yin Qi. Prefer sweet-warm herbs that benefit Fire, tonifying Yang to match Yin, so Soft finds its Master, deep Cold收敛 (converges), and Yin follows Yang. ○ When Yang evil arrives, harm inevitably returns to Yin; injury to the five Zang organs ultimately affects the Kidneys. ○ If Yang is in excess and Yang treatment is applied, Yang blazes brighter and Yin diminishes more; if Yang is deficient and Yin formulas are used, Yin flourishes and Yang extinguishes. ○ Yang meeting Yang leads to scorching and withering; Yin meeting Yin leads to silence and extinction. ○ Seeking sweat from Blood, generating Qi from Essence, is drawing Yin from Yang; guiding Fire back to its source, gathering Qi into the Kidneys, is drawing Yang from Yin. (Zhang Jingyue)

The Yin and Yang of the human body embrace and do not detach, allowing a normal lifespan of a century. If Yang attempts to escape upward, Yin draws it down from below, preventing detachment; if Yin attempts to escape downward, Yang draws it up from above, preventing detachment. Treatment depends on new vs. chronic cases, and herbs rely on guidance. For new diseases, where Yin and Yang are discordant, correcting bias requires using biased herbs; for chronic diseases, where Yin and Yang gradually merge, supporting Yuan and nurturing Righteousness requires using balanced herbs. Guidance method: For upward escape, use 70% Yang herbs and 30% Yin herbs taken at night, drawing Yang from Yin; for downward escape, use 70% Yin herbs and 30% Yang herbs taken during the day, drawing Yin from Yang. (From *Yu Yi Cao*)