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(Su Wen, Jin Gui Zhen Lun)

Therefore it is said: Within Yin there is Yin, and within Yang there is Yang. ("Therefore it is said" is a citation marker. Having discussed Yin, yet within Yin there is again Yin; having discussed Yang, yet within Yang there is again Yang. This is why the Dao of Yin and Yang is infinite, as stated in the following text.)

From dawn to noon, this is the Yang Qi of Heaven, belonging to Yang within Yang; from noon to dusk, this is the Yang Qi of Heaven, belonging to Yin within Yang; from nightfall to cockcrow, this is the Yin Qi of Heaven, belonging to Yin within Yin; from cockcrow to dawn, this is the Yin Qi of Heaven, belonging to Yang within Yin. (The Qi of one day: from Mao hour when the sun rises above ground, it is daytime, which is the Yang Qi of Heaven; from You hour when the sun sets below ground, it is nighttime, which is the Yin Qi of Heaven. However, within Yin and Yang, there is again Yin and Yang. For example, before noon is Yang within Yang, while after noon is Yin within Yang; before Zi hour is Yin within Yin, while after Zi hour is Yang within Yin. Thus, dividing one day into four seasons, Zi and Wu correspond to the midpoints of Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice, Mao and You correspond to the times of Spring Equinox and Autumn Equinox; sunrise corresponds to Spring, noon to Summer, sunset to Autumn, and midnight to Winter.)

Therefore, humans also respond to this pattern. (Human Yin and Yang also correspond to the Qi of the four seasons within a day. Thus, after Zi hour, Qi ascends; after Wu hour, Qi descends; after Zi hour, Yang is prosperous; after Wu hour, Yang declines.)

When speaking of human Yin and Yang, the exterior is Yang, and the interior is Yin. (This refers to the relationship between exterior and interior.)

When speaking of the Yin and Yang of the human body trunk, the back is Yang, and the abdomen is Yin. (This refers to the relationship between anterior and posterior.)

When speaking of Yin and Yang within the Zang-Fu organs of the human body, the Zang organs are Yin, and the Fu organs are Yang. The Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lung, and Kidney, these five Zang organs, all belong to Yin; the Gallbladder, Stomach, Large Intestine, Small Intestine, Bladder, and San Jiao (Triple Burner), these six Fu organs, all belong to Yang. (The five Zang organs belong to the interior, storing Essence and Qi without draining, thus they are Yin. The six Fu organs belong to the exterior, transmitting and transforming substances without storing, thus they are Yang.)

So, why inquire about what Yin within Yin and Yang within Yang refer to? It is because diseases in winter occur in the Yin aspect, diseases in summer occur in the Yang aspect, diseases in spring occur in the Yin aspect, and diseases in autumn occur in the Yang aspect. One must observe their respective locations to administer acupuncture or Bian stone therapy. (This cites the seasonal climate of a year to clarify the Yin-Yang principles of disease treatment. Winter Qi hides and stores, hence it is in Yin; Summer Qi expands and disperses, hence it is in Yang. Spring diseases occurring in Yin is because Spring Yang is still weak while residual Yin is still strong. Autumn diseases occurring in Yang is because Autumn Yin is still weak while residual Yang is still strong. One must carefully examine the appropriateness of the Qi to avoid erroneous treatment. Although this discusses needle and stone therapies for the four seasons, this applies equally to medicines and foods, and thus requires detailed examination.)

Therefore, the back is Yang; Yang within Yang is the Heart; the back is Yang; Yin within Yang is the Lung; the abdomen is Yin; Yin within Yin is the Kidney; the abdomen is Yin; Yang within Yin is the Liver; the abdomen is Yin; Yin within Yin is the Extreme Yin, which is the Spleen. (Discussions on the Yin-Yang of the human back and abdomen vary. Some say the front is Yang and the back is Yin, such as Laozi's statement "All things carry Yin and embrace Yang." Others say the front is Yin and the back is Yang, as stated in this section "Back is Yang, Abdomen is Yin." These seem contradictory. Shao Yong said: Heaven's Yang is in the South, Yin in the North; Earth's Yin is in the South, Yang in the North. Heaven's Yang is in the South, so the Sun resides there; Earth's firmness is in the North, so Mountains reside there. Hence, Earth is high in the northwest, and Heaven is high in the southeast. Therefore, what Laozi spoke of referred to the image of Heaven; thus human eyes, ears, mouth, and nose move forward, corresponding to Heaven's Yang facing South. What this classic speaks of refers to the image of Earth; thus human spine and shoulders stand at the rear, corresponding to Earth's firmness residing in the North. Moreover, speaking of physical form, it is originally an image of Earth; thus the back is Yang, the abdomen is Yin, and Yang meridians run along the back, while Yin meridians run along the abdomen. The Dao of Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang should be studied via Fuxi's Square and Round Diagrams of the Sixty-Four Hexagrams. The round diagram images Heaven, with Yang in the Southeast; the square diagram images Earth, with Yang in the Northwest. The meaning is most profound and clearly visible. Furthermore, why are the Heart and Lung located in the Yang position of the back, while the Liver, Spleen, and Kidney are in the Yin position of the abdomen? Generally, the Heart and Lung reside above the diaphragm, connected near the back, thus they are the two Yang Zang organs of the back; the Liver, Spleen, and Kidney reside below the diaphragm, stored and carried in the abdomen, thus they are the three Yin Zang organs of the abdomen. However, within Yang, Yin and Yang are further divided. The Heart resembles the Sun, thus called a Male organ (Mu Zang), being Yang within Yang. The Lung resembles the Sky; the sky's imagery is profound and does not shine brightly itself. Zhu Xi said: The starless parts of the sky are called Chen. Thus, although the celestial body is Yang, it actually contains Yin Virtue, differing somewhat from the pure Yang of the Sun. Thus the Lung is called a Female organ (Pin Zang), being Yin within Yang. If Yin is further divided within Yin, the Kidney belongs to Water in humans, thus called a Female organ (Pin Zang), being Yin within Yin. The Liver belongs to Wood in humans; Wood and Fire share the same Qi, thus called a Male organ (Mu Zang), being Yang within Yin. The Spleen belongs to Earth in humans; its form resembles the Earth, thus called a Female organ (Pin Zang), being the Extreme Yin within Yin.)

These are all the mutual transmission and correspondence of Yin-Yang, exterior-interior, and male-female relationships, thus responding to the Yin-Yang of Heaven. ("Male-female" refers to Pin-Mu. "Transmission and correspondence" means mutual transmission and response. This summarizes the meaning of humans responding to Heaven mentioned above. Earth is a thing within Heaven; speaking of Heaven implies Earth is included within it. The meaning of Pin-Mu is seen in Acupuncture Class, Chapter 17.)