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(Su Wen: Zhi Zhen Yao Da Lun)
The Yellow Emperor asked: How can the Qi of Heaven and Earth be observed through pulse diagnosis?

Qi Bo replied: The changes of victory and retribution (Sheng Fu) in the Qi of Heaven and Earth do not manifest directly on the pulse. The pulse methods state: "Abnormal changes of Heaven and Earth cannot be diagnosed solely by the pulse." This is what is meant. (The Qi of Heaven and Earth has both normal patterns and abnormalities. Those normal Qi manifestations on the pulse include, for example, the string-like pulse in Spring, the洪 (Hong/Full/Surging) pulse in Summer, the Mao (Hairy/Floaty) pulse in Autumn, and the Shi (Stone/Sinking) pulse in Winter. Also, when Jue Yin Qi arrives, the pulse is string-like; when Shao Yin Qi arrives, it is hook-like; when Tai Yin Qi arrives, it is sinking; when Shao Yang Qi arrives, it is large and floating; when Yang Ming Qi arrives, it is short and choppy; when Tai Yang Qi arrives, it is large and long. These are all normal. As for Sheng Fu Qi that arrives suddenly, how can the pulse immediately change and manifest on diagnosis? Therefore, there are abnormal changes of Heaven and Earth that cannot be diagnosed solely by the pulse, and one must first seek them through physical symptoms. As stated in Su Wen: Qi Jiao Bian Da Lun, "It should follow regular patterns, not sudden ones," which refers to this.)

The Yellow Emperor asked: What about the Intermittent Qi (Jian Qi)?

Qi Bo replied: Following the location of the Qi, the response will be seen on the corresponding left or right side. (If the Qi is on the left, the left responds; if on the right, the right responds. Left and right here refer to the Cun and Chi positions on the left and right wrists. See details below.)

The Yellow Emperor asked: How is this response predicted?

Qi Bo replied: If it follows the Qi, there is harmony; if it violates the Qi, there is disease. (When Qi arrives and the pulse also arrives, it follows the Qi, hence called harmony. When Qi arrives but the pulse does not, or when Qi has not arrived but the pulse does, it violates the Qi, hence causing disease. Su Wen: Zhi Zhen Yao Da Lun states: "Arrival with harmony is peace; arrival with excess is disease; arrival with reversal is disease; arrival without pulse response is disease; premature arrival is disease; exchange of Yin and Yang is critical.") If the position is inappropriate, there is disease (Left should respond but Right does, Right should respond but Left does, Upper should respond but Lower does, Lower should respond but Upper does). If the position shifts alternately, there is disease (Die means change. Where it should appear, it does not, but shifts to another position). If it loses its proper position, it is critical (Pulses of overcoming and attacking appear, while the original position loses its guard). If Cun and Chi are reversed, death ensues; if Yin and Yang intersect, death ensues. (The meaning of these two sentences is explained from the perspective of Cun/Chi and from the perspective of Left/Right, both dominated by Shao Yin. If Yin should be at Chi, then Yang should be at Cun; if Yin should be at Cun, then Yang should be at Chi. The same applies to Left and Right. If where Yin resides, the pulse should not respond but does respond; and where Yang resides, the pulse should respond but does not respond, this is called "Reversal" in terms of Cun/Chi, and "Intersection" in terms of Left/Right. Both indicate death. Reversal of Cun/Chi occurs only in Zi, Wu, Mao, You years. Intersection of Yin/Yang occurs only in Yin, Shen, Si, Hai, Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei years. If only Cun or Chi shows this, or only Left or Right shows this, it is called Qi non-response, neither Reversal nor Intersection.) First establish the year to know the Qi, observe the left/right responses, and then one can speak of the順 (Shun/Harmonious) or 逆 (Ni/Opposite) nature of life and death. (First establish whether it is a South or North Government year, and the expected Qi of Tian Yuan, Zai Quan, and intermittent Qi, then one knows the location of the Monarch Shao Yin, where the pulse should not respond, and thus the harmonious or opposite nature becomes visible. For detailed meanings of this chapter, see the Diagrams of South and North Government in Volume 2 of Tu Yi.)

The Yellow Emperor asked: The Master says to observe the location of Yin and Yang to regulate them. Medical texts say that the Ren Ying (carotid artery) and Cun Kou (radial artery) correspond, equal in size like a taut rope, which is called a Normal Pulse (from Su Wen: Zhi Zhen Yao Da Lun. "Medical texts say" refers to Ling Shu: Jin Fu Pian. This cites the observation of Yin and Yang from the main text, using Ren Ying and Cun Kou as examples. Ren Ying is at the head, Cun Kou is at the hand. If Yin and Yang correspond, their sizes are equal, which is Normal). So, regarding the location of Yin, how is the Cun Kou pulse? (Here, Yin refers to Shao Yin. At the location of Shao Yin, the pulse should not respond at Cun Kou, which requires careful observation.)

Qi Bo replied: By observing whether it is a South or North Government year, it can be known. (Jia and Ji years are South Government years. Yi, Geng, Bing, Xin, Ding, Ren, Wu, Gui years are North Government years. In South Government years, residing in the South determines Up/Down/Left/Right, so in human pulses, South corresponds to Cun, and North to Chi. In North Government years, residing in the North determines Up/Down/Left/Right, so North corresponds to Cun, and South to Chi. Another view holds: Among the Five Movements, Earth is honored, so only Jia and Ji Earth Movement years are South Government, others are North Government. See the diagram explaining South/North Government in Volume 2 of Tu Yi.)

The Yellow Emperor said: I wish to hear this fully.

Qi Bo replied: In North Government years, if Shao Yin is at Zai Quan (Earthly Branch), then Cun Kou does not respond. (Non-response means the pulse comes deep, fine, and hidden, not felt by the fingers. In North Government years, Qi resides in the North to determine Up/Down, so Chi governs Tian Yuan (Heavenly Branch) and Cun governs Zai Quan. Thus, when Shao Yin is at Zai Quan in the North center, both hands' Cun Kou do not respond. This occurs in Yi, Ding, Xin, Gui, Mao, You years.) If Jue Yin is at Zai Quan, then the Right Cun does not respond. (Right refers to Right Cun. In North Government years with Jue Yin at Zai Quan, Shao Yin is at Right Cun, so it does not respond. This occurs in Bing, Wu, Geng, Ren, Yin, Shen years.) If Tai Yin is at Zai Quan, then the Left Cun does not respond. (Left refers to Left Cun. In North Government years with Tai Yin at Zai Quan, Shao Yin is at Left Cun, so it does not respond. This occurs in Bing, Wu, Geng, Ren, Chen, Xu years.)

In South Government years, if Shao Yin is at Tian Yuan (Heavenly Branch), then Cun Kou does not respond. (In South Government years, Qi resides in the South to determine Up/Down, so Cun governs Tian Yuan and Chi governs Zai Quan. Thus, when Shao Yin is at Tian Yuan in the South center, both hands' Cun Kou do not respond. This occurs in Jia Zi, Jia Wu years.) If Jue Yin is at Tian Yuan, then the Right Cun does not respond. (Right refers to Right Cun. In South Government years with Jue Yin at Tian Yuan, Shao Yin is at Right Cun, so it does not respond. This occurs in Ji Si, Ji Hai years.) If Tai Yin is at Tian Yuan, then the Left Cun does not respond. (Left refers to Left Cun. In South Government years with Tai Yin at Tian Yuan, Shao Yin is at Left Cun, so it does not respond. This occurs in Ji Chou, Ji Wei years.)

For all such non-responses, reversing the diagnosis reveals them. (Where South Government expects non-response at Cun, North Government expects it at Chi; where North Government expects non-response at Cun, South Government expects it at Chi. By diagnosing oppositely between South and North, non-response at either Cun or Chi can be seen.)

The Yellow Emperor asked: How is the Chi position observed? (What was said above concerned non-response at both Cun positions, so now he asks about the observation of both Chi positions.)

Qi Bo replied: In North Government years, if the Three Yin are Below (Zai Quan), then Cun does not respond; if the Three Yin are Above (Tian Yuan), then Chi does not respond. (North Government is opposite to South Government, so Below governs Cun, and Above governs Chi. Above and Below refer to Tian Yuan and Zai Quan.) In South Government years, if the Three Yin are at Tian Yuan, then Cun does not respond; if the Three Yin are at Zai Quan, then Chi does not respond. (South Government is opposite to North Government, so Tian Yuan governs Cun, and Zai Quan governs Chi.) The situation is the same for Left and Right. (All non-responses at Left/Right Cun/Chi are as described above, except that the specific position depends on where Shao Yin resides. My commentary: Regarding the non-response of the pulse at the location of Yin, commentators generally claim that among the Six Qi, Shao Yin is the Monarch, and the Monarch's image is non-action, not governing seasonal Qi, hence no pulse response where Shao Yin resides. This view is incorrect. Since Shao Yin is one of the Six Qi, how can it not govern Qi? Only in the commentary of Wang Bing on "Jun Huo Yi Ming, Xiang Huo Yi Wei" in Tian Yuan Ji Da Lun does he say Jun Huo is to the right of Xiang Huo, taking only the name of the Monarch position without establishing annual Qi. This was an error by Wang Bing, and later commentators cited it to explain this passage, likely out of necessity for a forced interpretation. Is this really the principle? Three Yang and Three Yin are the Qi of Heaven and Earth. As Su Wen: Tai Yin Yang Ming Lun states: "Yang is Heavenly Qi, governing outside; Yin is Earthly Qi, governing inside. Thus, the path of Yang is solid/full, the path of Yin is empty/deficient." This is the natural way of Yin-Yang fullness and deficiency. Consider the sun and moon: The Sun is Yang, its Qi is always full; the Moon is Yin, its light is often deficient. Thus, the rise and fall of tides also wax and wane with the moon. This is the necessary meaning of Yin deficiency, which makes it clear. Human meridians are like the tides of Heaven and Earth. Therefore, where Three Yang reside, there is no pulse that does not respond, because Qi is full; where Three Yin reside, there are pulses that do not respond, because Yang Qi is insufficient, making Qi deficient. However, among the Three Yin, Shao Yin alone occupies the center, which is Yin within Yin. Hence, where Shao Yin resides, the pulse does not respond, adapting to the deficiency of Heaven and Earth, not because the Monarch does not manage affairs. Do the wise agree? See the commentary under "Jun Huo Yi Ming" in Chapter 3 of this classification for cross-reference.)

Therefore, it is said: He who knows the essence concludes in one word; he who does not know the essence wanders infinitely. This is what is meant. ("Essence" refers to the location of Yin and Yang. Knowing brings clarity; not knowing brings doubt, leading to infinite wandering and inability to grasp the essence. The manifestation of these pulses is most common in diseases related to seasonal Qi. Although they may not always fit perfectly, upon encountering a non-responding pulse, one should deduce the signs from this. These sentences are identical to those in Su Wen: Liu Yuan Zheng Ji Da Lun, but that text discusses the Six Yuan cycles, while this discusses the essence of Yin and Yang. See Part 17 below.)