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*Ling Shu: Ying Qi Chapter* (Full Text)

The Yellow Emperor said: The pathway of Ying Qi (Nutritive Qi) is based on the transformation of ingested food into solid essence. When grain enters the Stomach, it is transmitted to the Lung, flows and overflows within, and spreads outward. The pure and concentrated portion travels through the meridians and collaterals, circulating ceaselessly, ending and beginning anew; this is called the norm of Heaven and Earth. (The movement of Ying Qi stems from the transformation of Gu Qi (Grain Qi); if no food is ingested, Ying Qi declines, hence it is said that "ingesting grain is precious." Grain enters the Stomach and is transmitted to the Lung. The clear aspect becomes Ying Qi, which moves within the vessels; thus its pure and concentrated part travels in the meridian tunnels, constantly nourishing without cessation, completing cycles to circulate through the Twelve Meridians. The meaning of "the norm of Heaven and Earth" is seen in previous chapters. "Nei" (Internal/Ingest) is synonymous with "Na" (To receive/admit).) Therefore, the Qi emerges from the Hand-Taiyin [Lung] Meridian and pours into the Hand-Yangming [Large Intestine] Meridian. (Hereinafter describes the sequence of Ying Qi circulation, which corresponds to the order of the Twelve Meridians mentioned earlier. Ying Qi originates in the Middle Jiao, ascends to the Lung, and thus begins at the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian during the Yin hour, emerging from Zhongfu (LU-1) and Yunmen (LU-2), descending to Shaoshang (LU-11) to connect with Shangyang (LI-1) of the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian.) It then ascends and pours into the Foot-Yangming [Stomach] Meridian, descends to the dorsum of the foot, pours into the space between the big toe, and merges with the Foot-Taiyin [Spleen] Meridian. (The Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian follows the arm upward to the Yingxiang (LI-18) point beside the nose, connects at the Chengqi (ST-1) point below the eye, and pours into the Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian. Descending to the foot dorsum, it emerges at Lidui (ST-45) of the second toe. Its branch diverges from the dorsum, enters the tip of the big toe, and connects with Yinbai (SP-1) of the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian.) Ascending further to the thigh, it passes from the Spleen to pour into the Heart. (The Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian ascends from the foot to the thigh, enters the abdomen to associate with the Spleen, crosses the diaphragm to pour into the Heart, thereby connecting with the Hand-Shaoyin [Heart] Meridian.) Following the Hand-Shaoyin [Heart] Meridian, it emerges from the axilla and arm, pours into the little finger, and merges with the Hand-Taiyang [Small Intestine] Meridian. (The Heart vessel originates in the Heart, follows the Hand-Shaoyin Meridian emerging from the Ququan (HT-1) point in the axilla, descends the arm to pour into Shaochong (HT-9) on the medial side of the little finger, emerges laterally to connect with Shaoze (SI-1) of the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian.) Ascending again past the axilla, emerging near the zygomatic bone, focusing on the inner canthus, reaching the vertex, descending the neck, and merging with the Foot-Taiyang [Bladder] Meridian. (The Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian ascends from the little finger, passes lateral to the axilla, emerges superior to the zygomatic region next to the inner canthus, and connects with Jingming (BL-1) of the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian. "[Character] sounds like 'zhuo'.") Following the spine downward to the sacrum, descending to pour into the tip of the little finger, following the sole of the foot to pour into the Foot-Shaoyin [Kidney] Meridian, and ascending to pour into the Kidney. (The Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian passes over the vertex and down the neck, follows the spine to the sacrum, pours into Zhiyin (BL-67) at the tip of the little finger, enters the sole via the little toe, connects with Yongquan (KI-1) of the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian, and ascends to pour into the Kidney.) From the Kidney, it pours into the Heart, scatters externally in the chest, follows the Pericardium vessel emerging from the axilla and arm, emerges between two tendons, enters the palm, and emerges at the tip of the middle finger. (The Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian ascends from the sole into the Kidney, pours into the Heart, scatters externally in the chest, and connects with the Hand-Jueyin Pericardium. Its vessel emerges from Tianchi (PC-1) in the axilla, descends the arm, emerges between two tendons, enters the palm, and emerges at Zhongchong (PC-9) at the tip of the middle finger.) Returning to pour into the tip of the ring finger, merging with the Hand-Sanjiao [Triple Energizer] Meridian, ascending to pour into the Shanzhong (Conception Vessel), and scattering in the Sanjiao. (A branch of the Hand-Jueyin Pericardium diverges from the palm, returns to pour into the tip of the ring finger, connecting with Guanchong (TE-1) of the Hand-Sanjiao Triple Energizer Meridian, follows the arm upward to pour into the Shanzhong area, crosses the diaphragm to scatter in the Sanjiao.) From the Sanjiao, it pours into the Gallbladder, emerges from the hypochondrium to pour into the Foot-Shaoyang [Gallbladder] Meridian, and descends to the dorsum of the foot. (The Hand-Sanjiao Triple Energizer Meridian pours from the Sanjiao into the Gallbladder, emerges from the intercostal spaces to connect with the Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian. The ascending branch travels along the head, originating at Tongziliao (GB-1) in the outer canthus; the descending branch reaches the foot dorsum, emerging at Qiaoyin (GB-44) between the fourth and fifth toes.) Again from the dorsum, it pours into the space between the big toes, merges with the Foot-Jueyin [Liver] Meridian, ascends to the Liver, and from the Liver ascends to pour into the Lung, following the throat upward to enter the orifice of the Hangsang (nasopharynx), penetrating deeply to the Xumen. A separate branch ascends to the forehead, follows the vertex down the nape, follows the spine into the coccyx; this is the Du Mai (Governor Vessel). (The branch of the Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian diverges from the dorsum, pours into the space between the big toes, connecting at Dazhun (LR-1) of the Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian, then ascends to the Liver and pours into the Lung, ascending along the throat above to enter the orifice of the Hangsang. "Jiu" means deep. "Xumen" refers to the opening above the larynx leading to the nasal cavity. As Qixuanzi stated in the commentary on *Ping Re Bing Lun*: "Qi rushes through the Xumen and exits through the nose." This refers to that mechanism. Its branch emerges from the nasopharynx to the forehead, follows the vertex to connect with the Du Mai, and descends along the spine into the tailbone. "Xu" is identical to "Chou", pronounced as 'xu jiu qie'.) It links the genitalia, passes above the pubic hair, enters the umbilicus, ascends along the interior of the abdomen to the Quepen area, descends to pour into the Lung, and re-emerges into the Hand-Taiyin [Lung] Meridian. This is the path traveled by Ying Qi, representing the normal pattern of reverse and forward flow. (The Du Mai links the genitalia anteriorly from the coccyx, becoming the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel), passing above the pubic hair, entering the upper abdomen, reaching the Quepen, descending into the Lung, and re-emerging into the Hand-Taiyin Meridian. The preceding Meridian Chapter did not cover the Ren and Du vessels, but here they are fully detailed; this constitutes the sequence of Ying Qi circulation in the Fourteen Meridians.)