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The *Yin Yang Ying Xiang Da Lun* (Great Treatise on the Correspondence of Yin and Yang) states: Yin and Yang are the way of heaven and earth, (referring to the principle of change and generation.) the general code of all things, (the function of nourishing and generating; Yang provides righteous Qi for growth, while Yin presides over establishment, thus serving as the general code for all things.) the parents of change, (the function of different kinds of things. Why? Eagles transform into turtledoves, field mice transform into quail, decaying grass transforms into fireflies, sparrows entering large waters transform into clams, pheasants entering large waters transform into giant clams; all these become different creatures through transformation.) the beginning of life and death, (the function of cold and heat. All things rely on the warmth of Yang Qi to live, and die due to the coldness of Yin Qi; thus, the origin of life and death is the operation of Yin and Yang.) the residence of divine spirit, (explaining that the various causes of life, death, and change lie in the governance of the divine spirit within.) treating diseases must seek the root. (Yin and Yang, along with the life, death, and changes of all categories, interact within the human body; therefore, the principle of treatment must first seek the root.) Thus, accumulated Yang forms Heaven, accumulated Yin forms Earth; Yin is quiet, Yang is restless; Yang generates, Yin grows; Yang kills (suppresses), Yin stores. (Clarifying the distinct functions of generation and suppression between Heaven and Earth mentioned earlier. Shen Nong said: Heaven uses Yang to generate and Yin to grow; Earth uses Yang to suppress and Yin to store. Kun represents Yin, located in the southwest corner, during the transition of June and July, when all things flourish and grow; how can one say Yin has no growing principle? Qian represents Yang, located in the Xu-Hai division, during the transition of September and October, when all things harvest and are suppressed; who says Yang has no suppressing principle? By this, the principle of Yin growing and Yang suppressing becomes visible.) Yang transforms into Qi, Yin forms into shape. Extreme cold generates heat; extreme heat generates cold. Cold Qi generates turbidity; hot Qi generates clarity. If clear Yang Qi stays below, it causes diarrhea with undigested food; if turbid Yin Qi stays above, it causes abdominal distension. This is the reversal of Yin and Yang, leading to disease. Therefore, clear Yang rises to form Heaven, turbid Yin descends to form Earth; Earth Qi rises to become clouds, Heaven Qi descends to become rain; rain originates from Earth Qi, clouds originate from Heaven Qi. (When Yin condenses and rises, it combines to form clouds; when Yang scatters and flows downward, it pours as rain. Rain applies transformation from clouds, hence "rain comes from Earth"; clouds rely on Qi interaction, hence "clouds come from Heaven." The principle of Heaven and Earth is thus; similarly, the clear and turbid Qi in the human body operate alike.) Therefore, clear Yang exits through the upper orifices, turbid Yin exits through the lower orifices; (Qi belonging to Heaven tends toward the upper; Qi belonging to Earth tends toward the lower, each following its kind. Upper orifices refer to ears, eyes, nose, and mouth. Lower orifices refer to the anterior and posterior yin.) Clear Yang disperses into the interstices (Cou Li), turbid Yin travels to the Five Zang Organs; (Interstices refer to the pores for excretion, so clear Yang can disperse; Five Zang Organs are repositories for storage, so turbid Yin can travel there.) Clear Yang fills the four limbs, turbid Yin returns to the Six Fu Organs. (Four limbs move externally, so clear Yang fills them. Six Fu Organs digest internally, so turbid Yin returns to them.) Water is Yin, Fire is Yang; (Water is cold and still, thus Yin. Fire is hot and restless, thus Yang.) Yang becomes Qi, Yin becomes Flavor. (Qi only scatters, thus formed by Yang; Flavor attaches to form, thus formed by Yin.) Flavor nourishes Form, Form relies on Qi, Qi transforms into Essence, Essence transforms into Transformation; (Form consumes Flavor, thus Flavor nourishes Form; Qi nourishes Form, thus Form relies on Qi; Essence consumes Qi, thus Qi nourishes Essence; Transformation generates Essence, thus Essence relies on Transformation.) Essence consumes Qi, Form consumes Flavor; (When Qi transforms, Essence is generated; when Flavor harmonizes, Form grows, hence "consumes.") Transformation generates Essence, Qi generates Form. (Essence fluid, only blood can transform into it; physical substance relies on Qi circulating Ying to establish itself, so both receive life support.) Excessive Flavor damages Form, excessive Qi damages Essence; (Exceeding moderation.) Essence transforms into Qi, Qi is damaged by Flavor. (If Essence receives nourishment from Transformation, it consumes Qi; if Essence transforms, it does not consume Qi. If Essence and Blood coagulate internally, stagnating into filth attacking the Stomach, then the five flavors suddenly cannot enter. In pregnant women, Essence transforms for a hundred days, easily damaged by Flavor.) Yin Flavor exits through the lower orifices, Yang Qi exits through the upper orifices. (Flavor has substance, thus flows down to excretory orifices; Qi is formless, thus exits upward through respiration.) Strong Flavor is pure Yin, weak Flavor is Yang within Yin. Strong Qi is pure Yang, weak Qi is Yin within Yang. (Yang manifests as Qi; strong Qi is pure Yang. Yin manifests as Flavor; strong Flavor is pure Yin. Thus, weak Flavor is Yang within Yin; weak Qi is Yin within Yang.) Strong Flavor causes purging, weak Flavor causes unblocking. Weak Qi causes sweating, strong Qi causes fever. (Yin Qi moistens downward, thus strong Flavor causes diarrhea; Yang Qi flares upward, thus strong Qi causes fever. Weak Flavor is less Yin, thus unblocking; weak Qi is less Yang, thus sweating. Sweating refers to "fa xie".) Vigorous Fire causes Qi to decline, Mild Fire causes Qi to strengthen. (Vigorous fire, after being vigorous, must decline. Mild fire, after being mild, then strengthens.) Vigorous Fire consumes Qi, Qi nourishes Mild Fire; Vigorous Fire scatters Qi, Mild Fire generates Qi. (Qi generates Vigorous Fire, hence "Vigorous Fire consumes Qi"; Mild Fire nourishes Qi, hence "Qi nourishes Mild Fire." Because Vigorous Fire consumes Qi, Qi encountering Vigorous Fire dissipates; because Mild Fire benefits Qi, Qi encountering Mild Fire grows.) Excess Yin leads to Yang disease, excess Yang leads to Yin disease. (Excess causes disease, non-excess does not.) Excess Yang leads to heat, excess Yin leads to cold. Extreme cold transforms into heat, extreme heat transforms into cold. (Things reach their limit and reverse, just as Vigorous Fire's Qi declines and Mild Fire's Qi strengthens.) Cold damages Form, Heat damages Qi. (Cold makes Wei Qi obstructed, thus damaging Form; Heat causes Ying Qi to consume internally, thus damaging Qi.) Qi injury causes pain, Form injury causes swelling. (Qi injury causes heat knotting in muscle layers, thus pain; Form injury causes cold pressing on skin and interstices, thus swelling.) Therefore, pain followed by swelling indicates Qi damaging Form; swelling followed by pain indicates Form damaging Qi. (First Qi symptoms affecting Form is called Qi damaging Form; first Form symptoms affecting Qi is called Form damaging Qi.) Wind excess causes movement; (Wind excess causes all things to shake, hence "movement".) Heat excess causes swelling; (Heat excess causes Yang Qi to knot internally, causing sudden edema; severely, Ying Qi reverses in muscles, gathering into abscess swelling.) Dryness excess causes dryness; (Dryness excess depletes body fluids, causing dry skin. Cold excess causes edema; (Cold excess knots Yin Qi at the sweat pores, closing them, causing internal attack of Yang Qi, resulting in edema.) Dampness excess causes loose stools. (Dampness excess attacks Spleen and Stomach internally; Spleen and Stomach affected by dampness fail to separate water and grain, causing large intestine transmission and diarrhea.) Therefore, excessive joy and anger damage Qi, excessive cold and heat damage Form; (Joy and anger arise from Qi, hence "joy and anger damage Qi"; cold and heat affect Form, hence "cold and heat damage Form." Specifically, heat damages Qi, cold damages Form.) Violent anger damages Yin, violent joy damages Yang; (Anger causes Qi to rise, joy causes Qi to sink; thus sudden Qi rising damages Yin, sudden Qi sinking damages Yang.) Rebellious Qi moves upward, filling the vessels and separating from Form; (Rebellion means Qi reversal. Rebellious Qi moves upward, filling meridians, causing Spirit Qi to float away, thus leaving the body.) Unregulated joy and anger, excessive cold and heat, make life unstable. (*Ling Shu Jing* states: The wise nurture life by following the four seasons and adapting to cold and heat, harmonizing joy and anger, and living peacefully. If joy and anger are irregular, and cold and heat excessive, how can the innate Qi last long?) Therefore, extreme Yin must transform into Yang, extreme Yang must transform into Yin. (This applies to contracting cold or summerheat.) Heaven and Earth are the upper and lower of all things; (Observing their covering and bearing, the upper and lower of all things can be known.) Yin and Yang are the male and female of Blood and Qi; (Yin governs Blood, Yang governs Qi. Yin generates females, Yang generates males.) Left and Right are the pathways of Yin and Yang; (Yin and Yang intermediate Qi circulate left and right, thus left and right are the pathways. Yin Qi moves right, Yang Qi moves left.) Water and Fire are the symbols of Yin and Yang; (Observing the nature of Water and Fire, the symbols of Yin and Yang can be known.) Yin and Yang are the initial source of all things. Therefore it is said: Yin inside is the guard of Yang; Yang outside is the servant of Yin. (Yin is quiet, thus guarding Yang; Yang is active, thus serving Yin.) At forty years old, Yin Qi naturally halves, and daily activities decline. (At forty, interstices begin to loosen, glory fades, hair turns white; this is the stage of declining activity.) At fifty, the body feels heavy, and ears and eyes lose acuity. (This is the gradual decline.) At sixty, impotence occurs, Qi greatly declines, nine orifices are obstructed, deficiency below and excess above, tears and mucus flow. (This is severe decline.) Therefore it is said: Knowing this brings strength, not knowing brings old age. ("Knowing" refers to understanding the seven losses and eight gains, the way to preserve vitality and protect life.) The foolish lack, the wise have surplus; having surplus makes ears and eyes acute and body light and strong; the old regain strength, the strong become better managed. Thus, the sage engages in non-action, delights in tranquility and indifference, seeks desire and happiness in emptiness, thus achieving infinite lifespan, ending with Heaven and Earth; this is the sage's method of self-cultivation. (The sage does not do useless things to harm useful ones, nor harms nature to follow nature, thus living long, ending with Heaven and Earth.)

Heaven's essence is insufficient in the northwest, so the northwest belongs to Yin, and humans' right ear and eye are less bright than the left. (Being above, it follows Heaven.) Earth's form is incomplete in the southeast, so the southeast belongs to Yang, and humans' left hand and foot are less strong than the right. (Being below, it follows Earth.) The East belongs to Yang; Yang's essence gathers above. Gathering above means the upper is bright and the lower is deficient, making ears and eyes acute but hands and feet inconvenient. The West belongs to Yin; Yin's essence gathers below. Gathering below means the lower is abundant and the upper is deficient, making ears and eyes less acute but hands and feet convenient. If both are affected by pathogenic factors, those above are worse on the right, those below are worse on the left; this is where Heaven and Earth's Yin and Yang are incomplete, so pathogens reside there. (Yin and Yang correspond to Heaven and Earth like water in a vessel; if the vessel is round, water is round; if curved, water is curved. Human Blood and Qi are the same; thus, where there is insufficiency, pathogenic Qi remains.) Therefore, Heaven has essence, Earth has form; Heaven has Eight Disciplines, Earth has Five Principles. (Yang is Heaven, descending essence to transform; Yin is Earth, distributing harmonious Qi to form. Five Forms are the wells of generation, Eight Winds are the codes of change. Eight Disciplines refer to eight-year cycles. Five Principles refer to the principles of Five Elements' generation.) Thus, they can be the parents of all things. (Heaven transforms Qi, Earth forms Shape; Five Principles operate, Eight Winds stir; storing, harvesting, growing, and transforming without missing timing, thus becoming the parents of all things' changes.) Clear Yang ascends to Heaven, turbid Yin returns to Earth; the movement and stillness of Heaven and Earth are governed by Divine Spirit. (Clear Yang ascends, turbid Yin descends, but their movement and stillness are governed by Divine Spirit.) Heaven Qi connects with the Lung; (To receive the purest Qi, symbolizing Heaven.) Earth Qi connects with the throat; (To receive the turbidity of water and grain, symbolizing Earth.) Wind Qi connects with the Liver; (Wind generates Wood.) Thunder Qi connects with the Heart; (Thunder resembles Fire with sound.) Grain Qi connects with the Spleen; (Grain is empty, Spleen receives it.) Rain Qi connects with the Kidney; (Kidney governs Water.) The Six Meridians are like rivers; (Flowing incessantly.) The Intestines and Stomach are like seas; (Because they receive all.) The Nine Orifices are the Qi of water influx. (Clarity symbolizes the brightness within water; influx symbolizes the flow of water.)

Using Heaven and Earth to represent Yin and Yang; (Matching human affairs to images, pointing near to Heaven and Earth as Yin and Yang.) Yang's sweat is named after Heaven and Earth's rain; (Human sweat excretes from interstices, which is the release of Yang Qi. However, analogizing to Heaven and Earth, cloud rising and rain falling are similar.) Yang's Qi is named after Heaven and Earth's fierce wind. (Yang Qi scatters like fierce wind flying, thus corresponding.) Fierce wind resembles Thunder, rebellious Qi resembles Yang; therefore, if treatment does not follow Heaven's disciplines or use Earth's principles, disasters will arrive. (Going against Heaven's disciplines and violating Earth's principles causes the Six Meridians to reverse and the Five Qi to injure each other; once True Qi is injured, the arrival of disaster is evident.)

Therefore, Heaven's pathogenic Qi, when contracted, harms the Five Zang Organs; (Eight Winds initiate pathogens, becoming meridian winds, touching the Five Zang Organs, causing disease via pathogenic Qi, thus Heaven's pathogenic Qi harms the Five Zang Organs when contracted.) Cold and heat from water and grain, when contracted, harm the Six Fu Organs; (Heat harms Stomach and Bladder; Cold harms Intestines and Gallbladder Qi.) Dampness from Earth, when contracted, harms skin, flesh, sinews, and vessels. (Dampness excess stops Ying and Wei vessels, thus harming skin, flesh, sinews, and vessels when contracted.) Therefore, treat light pathogens by dispersing them; (Light pathogens are removed by dispersal.) Treat heavy pathogens by reducing them; (Heavy pathogens are reduced.) Treat declining pathogens by manifesting [true Qi]; (When pathogenic Qi declines, attacking removes the pathogen, making True Qi firm and blood color manifest.) For Form deficiency, warm with Qi; for Essence deficiency, tonify with Flavor. (Wei Qi warms muscles, fills skin, plumps interstices, and controls opening/closing; thus, warm Wei Qi makes Form sufficient. Kidneys govern Water, receiving and storing Essence from all Zang and Fu Organs; thus, when Five Zang are abundant, they can drain; therefore, Essence deficiency is treated by tonifying the Flavors of the Five Zang Organs.) For high pathogens, induce vomiting; (Vomit refers to throwing up.) For low pathogens, guide to exhaust them; (Guide refers to draining and guiding.) For middle fullness, purge from within. (Within refers to the abdomen.) For those with pathogens, soak the form to induce sweat; (Pathogen refers to Wind Qi; Wind attacking the exterior requires sweating to release.) For pathogens in the skin, release via sweat; (External, so sweat releases.) For piercing and fierce pathogens, press and gather them; (Piercing means fast; fierce means sharp; if climate is fast and sharp, press to gather.) For excess conditions, scatter and purge. (Yang excess is scattered, Yin excess is purged.) Examine Yin and Yang to distinguish soft and hard; (Yin is soft, Yang is hard.) Treat Yin diseases by addressing Yang, treat Yang diseases by addressing Yin. (As stated: drawing Yang from Yin, drawing Yin from Yang, treating right with left, treating left with right.) Determine Blood and Qi, keeping each in its place; Blood excess should be drained; (Drain means breaking the blood clot.) Qi deficiency should be guided. (Che reads as Dao. Dao means guide; thus Qi flows smoothly.)