《经脉别论》曰∶人之居处动静勇怯,脉亦为之变乎?凡人之惊、恐、恚、劳、动、静,皆为变也。
(变,谓变易常候。)是以夜行则喘出于肾,(肾主于交,气合幽冥,故夜行则喘息内从肾出也。)淫气
病肺。(夜行肾劳,因而喘息,气淫不次,则病肺也。)有所堕恐,喘出于肝,(恐生于肝,堕损筋血,
因而奔喘,故出于肝也。)淫气害脾。(肝木妄
淫,害脾土也。)有所惊恐,喘出于肺,(惊则心无所根据,神无所归,气乱胸中,故喘出于肺也。)淫气伤
心。(惊则神越,故气淫反伤心也。)度水跌仆,喘出于肾与骨,(湿气通肾,骨,肾主之,故度水跌仆,喘
出肾骨矣。跌,谓足跌。仆,谓身倒也。)当是之时,勇者气行则已,怯者则着而为病。(气有强弱,
神有壮懦,故殊状也。)故曰∶诊病之道,观人勇怯骨肉皮肤,能知其情,以为诊法也。(通达
性怀,得其情状,乃为深识,诊契物宜也。)饮食饱甚,汗出于胃。(饱甚胃满,故汗出于胃。)惊而夺精,汗
出于心。(惊夺心精,神气浮越,阳内薄之,故其汗出于心也。)持重远行,汗出于肾。(骨劳气越,肾复
过疲,故持重远行,汗出于肾。)疾走恐惧,汗出于肝。(暴役于筋,肝气罢极,故疾走恐惧,汗出于肝。)摇
体劳苦,汗出于脾。(摇体劳苦,谓动作施力,非疾走远行也。动作用力,则谷精四布,脾化水谷,故汗出
于脾。)食气入胃,散精于肝,淫气于筋。(肝养筋,故胃散谷精之气入于肝,则浸淫滋养于筋络矣。)
食气入胃,浊气归心,淫精于脉。(浊气,谷气也。心居胃上,故谷气归心,淫溢精微入于脉也。何者?
心主脉故。)脉气流经,经气归于肺,肺朝百脉,输精于皮毛。(脉气流运,乃为大经,经气归宗,上
朝于肺,肺为华盖,位复居高,治节由之,故受百脉朝会。乃布化精气,输于皮毛也。)毛脉合精,行气于
腑。(腑,谓气之所聚处也。是调气海,在两乳间,名曰膻中也。)腑精神明,留于四脏,气归于权衡。
(膻中之布气者分为三隧∶其下者走于气街,上者走于息道,宗气留于海,积于胸中,命曰气海也。如是分化,乃
四脏安定,三焦平均,中外上下各得其所。)权衡以平,气口成寸,以决死生。(三世脉法,皆以三寸为关
尺之分,故中外高下,气绪均平,则气口之脉而成寸也。气口者,脉之大要会也,百脉尽朝,故以其分决死生也。)
饮入于胃,游溢精气,上输于脾。(水饮流下,至于中焦,水化精微,上为云雾,云雾散变,乃注于脾
也。上焦如雾,中焦如沤是也。)脾气散精,上归于肺,通调水道,下输膀胱。(水土合化,上滋肺金,
金气通肾,故调水道,转注下焦,膀胱禀化,乃为溲矣。下焦如渎,此之谓也。)水精四布,五经并行,合
于四时五脏阴阳,揆度以为常也。(水精布,经气行,筋骨成,血气顺,配合四时寒暑,证符五脏阴阳,
揆度盈虚,用为常道。)
The *Treatise on the Distinct Aspects of the Meridians* states: Do a person's living environment, activity levels, and disposition (courage or timidity) also cause changes in the pulse? All conditions such as fright, fear, anger, fatigue, movement, and stillness lead to variations.
(Variation refers to the alteration from the normal state.) Therefore, walking at night causes panting originating from the Kidney. (The Kidney governs the time of intercourse, where Qi merges with the dark/nether regions; thus, walking at night causes panting to emerge from the Kidney.) The excessive pathogenic Qi harms the Lung. (Night walking fatigues the Kidney, leading to panting; when Qi becomes excessive and disordered, it diseases the Lung.) If there is falling accompanied by fear, panting originates from the Liver. (Fear arises from the Liver; falling damages sinews and blood, causing rushing panting, hence it originates from the Liver.) The excessive pathogenic Qi injures the Spleen. (Liver Wood Qi acts excessively and injures Spleen Earth.) If there is sudden fright, panting originates from the Lung. (Fright leaves the Heart Spirit without support and the Shen without refuge, causing Qi chaos in the chest, so panting originates from the Lung.) The excessive pathogenic Qi injures the Heart. (Fright causes the Shen to scatter, so the excessive Qi counter-injures the Heart.) Wading through water and stumbling/falling causes panting originating from the Kidney and bones. (Dampness communicates with the Kidney, and bones are governed by the Kidney; thus, wading and falling cause panting from the Kidney and bones. "Die" refers to ankle sprains; "Pu" refers to body collapse.) At this time, for the courageous, Qi flows freely and the condition resolves; for the timid, Qi stagnates and becomes disease. (Qi has strength and weakness, and Shen has robustness and frailty, hence the different manifestations.) Thus it is said: The way to diagnose disease is to observe a person's courage or timidity, bones, muscles, and skin, to understand their condition, and use this as a diagnostic method. (Understanding their nature and temperament, grasping their state, constitutes profound insight, ensuring diagnosis fits the circumstances.) When food intake is excessive, sweat comes from the Stomach. (When overly full, the Stomach is distended, so sweat comes from the Stomach.) Fright that deprives Essence causes sweat to come from the Heart. (Fright deprives the Heart Essence, causing Shen Qi to float and wander, with Yang pressing inward, so sweat comes from the Heart.) Carrying heavy loads and traveling far causes sweat to come from the Kidney. (Bone labor causes Qi to escape, and the Kidney becomes over-fatigued; thus, carrying heavy loads and traveling far causes sweat from the Kidney.) Running fast and being fearful causes sweat to come from the Liver. (Sinews are violently exerted, and Liver Qi reaches exhaustion; thus, running fast and fear causes sweat from the Liver.) Body twisting and arduous labor causes sweat to come from the Spleen. (Body twisting and arduous labor refers to physical exertion, not running fast or traveling far. Physical exertion distributes grain essence everywhere, and the Spleen transforms water and grain, so sweat comes from the Spleen.) Food Qi enters the Stomach, scatters essence to the Liver, and nourishes the sinews. (The Liver nourishes sinews, so the grain essence Qi scattered by the Stomach enters the Liver, then infiltrates and nourishes the sinew collaterals.) Food Qi enters the Stomach, turbid Qi returns to the Heart, and essence overflows into the vessels. (Turbid Qi is grain Qi. The Heart sits above the Stomach, so grain Qi returns to the Heart, overflowing essence into the vessels. Why? Because the Heart governs the vessels.) Vessel Qi flows through the meridians, meridian Qi returns to the Lung, the Lung receives all vessels, and transmits essence to the skin and hair. (Vessel Qi circulates, becoming the great meridians; meridian Qi gathers, ascending to the Lung. The Lung is the canopy, positioned high, governing regulation, thus receiving the assembly of all vessels. It then disseminates refined Qi, transmitting it to the skin and hair.) Hair and vessel Qi combine, circulating Qi in the Fu organs. (Fu organs refer to places where Qi gathers. This regulates the Sea of Qi, located between the two breasts, named Danzhong [Ren-17].) The spirit and brightness of the Fu organs remain in the four Zang organs, and Qi returns to balance. (The Qi distributed by Danzhong divides into three pathways: the lower goes to the Qi Street, the upper goes to the respiratory tract, and Zong Qi remains in the Sea, accumulating in the chest, called the Sea of Qi. Through such differentiation, the four Zang organs stabilize, the San Jiao balances, and the interior/exterior and upper/lower each find their proper place.) When balanced, the Qi Kou forms the Cun position, used to determine life and death. (In the Three Generations Pulse Method, three cun marks the boundary of Guan and Chi; thus, when interior/exterior and high/low Qi are even, the Qi Kou pulse forms the Cun position. The Qi Kou is the major convergence of pulses, where all vessels assemble, so its division determines life and death.) Drinks enter the Stomach, overflow with essence and Qi, and are transported upward to the Spleen. (Water drinks flow down to the Middle Jiao, transforming into essence; rising like clouds/mist, these misty transformations pour into the Spleen. The Upper Jiao is like mist, the Middle Jiao like fermentation, this is what is meant.) Spleen Qi disperses essence, returning upward to the Lung, regulating water passages, and transporting downward to the Bladder. (Water and Earth combine and transform, nourishing Lung Metal upward; Metal Qi communicates with the Kidney, thus regulating water passages, transferring to the Lower Jiao, where the Bladder receives transformation to become urine. The Lower Jiao is like a ditch, this is what is meant.) Water essence spreads in four directions, the five meridians run together, conforming to the four seasons and Yin-Yang of the five Zang organs, measured as the constant norm. (Water essence spreads, meridian Qi runs, sinews and bones form, blood and Qi flow smoothly, coordinating with the four seasons' cold and heat, matching the Yin-Yang of the five Zang organs, measuring fullness and emptiness, used as the constant way.)