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Yellow Emperor asked: What is called pathogenic factor (Xie Qi)?
Qi Bo replied: The generation of things follows transformation (Hua), and the extreme of things arises from change (Bian). The mutual approach of transformation and change is the origin of success and failure. [Note: Zhang Jingyue said: "The generation of things follows transformation, meaning it is generated by transformation; the extreme of things arises from change, meaning it changes due to extremity. Generation is completed by transformation, with advancing Qi; failure is caused by change, with retreating Qi. Therefore, it is said that the mutual approach of transformation and change is the origin of success and failure. 'Bo' means encroachment or pressure."] Referring to *Tianyuan Ji Da Lun*, the generation of things is called transformation (Hua), and the extremity of things is called change (Bian); this explains the meaning of transformation and change. Here, saying "follows transformation, arises from change" is deducing the root cause of generation and extremity. Although the text is the same, the meaning is actually different. Wang Bing’s commentary and various schools all interpret them as one type, which shows a lack of deep thought. Thus, Qi has retreat (Wang) and return (Fu), and its application has slowness (Chi) and speed (Su). The existence of these four leads to transformation and change, and wind comes thereby. [Note: Retreat refers to the passing of time; return refers to the arrival of new seasons. Slowness refers to what should arrive but does not; speed refers to what should not arrive but does. The shifting of the four seasons has fixed constants. Wind arriving when expected is normal wind; however, if Qi is abnormal, it may arrive early or late, leading to unpredictable changes, where wind pathogens arise, with only slowness and speed generating change. Later texts deduce prosperity and decline; Zhang Jingyue mistakenly equates slowness/speed with prosperity/decline.]

Yellow Emperor asked: Slowness, speed, retreat, and return are the origins of wind, leading to transformation and change, thus due to changes in prosperity and decline. Success and failure rely on and hide within each other in the midst; why is this? [Note: The Yellow Emperor states that the rise of wind pathogens is indeed due to the coming and going of Qi's slowness and speed, but the reason for this slowness or speed is that decline causes slowness and prosperity causes speed. In between, there may be success or failure; sometimes success precedes and failure immediately relies on it, or failure occurs and success immediately hides within it. All this is not outside the question of why there is retreat, return, slowness, and speed.]

Qi Bo replied: Success and failure relying on and hiding within each other arise from movement (Dong). If movement does not cease, then change (Bian) will occur. [Note: Zhang Jingyue said: "Stillness and movement are the functions of Yin and Yang. What is called movement is the mutual interaction of form and Qi, the mutual calling of above and below, the retreat and return, slowness and speed, and the descending and ascending, entering and exiting. Thus, the reliance and hiding of success and failure all arise from movement. But if movement is correct, it is auspicious; if incorrect, it is ominous. If movement does not cease, disasters and changes will arise from it." The reliance and hiding of success and failure are actually the natural course of change. Movement is inevitable; stillness and movement are the norm. If movement does not cease, there is movement without stillness, and Qi deviates from its norm, causing disasters and changes. Even heaven and earth are like this; how much more so for humans to move excessively?]

Yellow Emperor asked: Is there a fixed period?
Qi Bo replied: Non-generation and non-transformation constitute the period of stillness. [Note: Zhang Jingyue said: "Yang moves, Yin is still; they oppose each other, waxing and waning, each having its period. The previous text stated that success and failure arise from movement, which is the period of movement; movement reaches its extreme and changes until non-generation and non-transformation, which is the period of stillness. Thus, heaven and earth consider spring and summer as movement, and autumn and winter as stillness; humans consider life as movement and death as stillness."]

Yellow Emperor asked: Is there non-generation and non-transformation? [Note: The Yellow Emperor doubts whether the way of heaven and earth truly includes anything that neither generates nor transforms.]

Qi Bo replied: If entering and exiting cease, the Spirit Mechanism (Shen Ji) perishes; if ascending and descending stop, the Qi Establishment (Qi Li) becomes isolated and perilous. [Note: Zhang Jingyue said: "All moving things belong to blood and Qi. Their vital Qi is rooted within the body, with Shen (Spirit) as the master of vital Qi, hence called Shen Ji. However, the existence or demise of Shen depends on the entering and exiting of food intake and breathing. If entering and exiting cease, the Shen Ji perishes, and movement stops. Plant-like things belong to grass, trees, metals, and stones. Their vital Qi is rooted outside the form, with Qi as the master of flourishing or withering, hence called Qi Li. However, the prosperity or decline of Qi depends on the ascending and descending of Yin and Yang. If ascending and descending stop, the Qi Li becomes isolated and perilous, and plant-like things fail." Referencing *Wu Chang Zheng Da Lun*: "Rooted within is called Shen Ji; if Shen departs, the mechanism stops. Rooted without is called Qi Li; if Qi stops, transformation ceases."] Thus, Shen Ji and Qi Li are what all things rely upon for generation and transformation, and they are indispensable to the Way of Heaven and Earth. Without generation and transformation, there are no ten thousand things; without ten thousand things, there cannot even be heaven and earth. Hence the following statements. Therefore, without entering and exiting, there is no process of growth, flourishing, maturity, aging, and death; without ascending and descending, there is no process of growth, flourishing, transformation, gathering, and storage. [Note: Zhang Jingyue said: "Growth, flourishing, maturity, aging, and death are the beginning and end of animals, thus relying on the entering and exiting of respiration; growth, flourishing, transformation, gathering, and storage are the prosperity and decline of plants, thus relying on the ascending and descending of Yin and Yang."] Therefore, ascending, descending, entering, and exiting are present in every vessel (Qi). Thus, nothing lacks entering and exiting, and nothing lacks ascending and descending. [Note: Anything containing vital Qi is considered a vessel of generation and transformation, evident upon observation. Horizontal apertures have Qi entering and exiting; vertical apertures have Yin and Qi ascending and descending reciprocally within. How to prove this? Observe walls, doors, and windows; they receive incoming Qi impacting people, which is entering/exiting Qi. When Yang ascends, well water feels cold; when Yin ascends, water feels warm. Objects thrown into wells or leaves falling slowly in air are hindered by ascending Qi. A hollow tube filled with water, sealed at the top and suspended, does not leak because there is no ascending Qi to allow descending. An empty bottle with a small mouth cannot be filled because Qi cannot exit to allow entry. From this, we see: ascending implies descending everywhere, descending implies ascending everywhere; without exiting, there is no entering; without entering, there is no exiting. Among all species, all have entering, exiting, ascending, and descending, maintaining constancy. To claim something does not transform is impossible. Whether conscious or unconscious, emotional or not, without entering/exiting or having already ascended/descended, survival is impossible. Thus, it is said that entering, exiting, ascending, and descending are present in every vessel. Note: Qixuanzi’s metaphor is unprecedented. However, the phrase 'nothing lacks entering and exiting' appears in Wang Bing’s edition under the next section 'Vessels are the space of generation and transformation.' Careful reading suggests this is a misplaced slip (Cuo Jian), now moved here.] Therefore, vessels are the space of generation and transformation. If the vessel scatters, Qi divides, and generation/transformation ceases. [Note: *I Ching* says: "What is below form is called vessel; what is above form is called Dao." Vessels carry Dao, serving to store Shen and preserve Qi. Endless generation and transformation all originate from here, hence called the space of generation. 'Yu' refers to the directions of heaven and earth. If one fails to conserve the physical vessel, it must lead to dissolution, where ascending rises alone, descending falls alone, exiting goes out alone, entering comes in alone, separating from each other, and generation/transformation ceases. This is the reason for the treatise *Bao Ming Quan Xing Lun*.]

Transformation has small and large scales; periods have near and far extents. [Note: Zhang Jingyue said: "Things small as the tip of an autumn hair, large as heaven and earth, represent the small and large of transformation. Those dying young like mayflies (morning to evening), those living long like Peng Zu (hundreds/thousands of years), represent the near and far of periods. Small transformations have near periods; large transformations have far periods. The Qi and numbers of all things are inherently unequal, but when returning to transformation and period, they are the same."] The existence of these four [entering, exiting, ascending, descending] requires constant adherence; violating norms brings disasters. [Note: These four refer to entering, exiting, ascending, descending. Having life necessitates these four: ascending/descending, entering/exiting. This is the norm. Guarding it carefully ensures endless generation/transformation. If there is ascending without descending, descending without ascending, entering without exiting, or exiting without entering, it violates the normal way, and disasters will inevitably follow.] Thus it is said: "Formlessness means no trouble," which is what this refers to. [Note: Desiring compliance, delighting in beauty, fearing difficulty, dreading disaster, hating external wind/cold/heat/dampness internally, and being burdened by hunger/fullness and desires—all stem from the fact that the form is visible/unhidden, thus constantly suffering troubles in the human world. If one indulges in excessive desires, attaches to power externally, and fosters hypocrisy internally, one is trapped like in a prison, inviting destruction. Trying to escape bonds is impossible. Thus, the body is the ladder to trouble. Laozi said: "My great trouble is that I have a body; if I had no body, what trouble would I have?" This is what is meant.]

Yellow Emperor said: Excellent! Is there anything that neither generates nor transforms?
Qi Bo said: Your question is thorough! Only the True Person (Zhen Ren) aligns perfectly with the Dao.
Yellow Emperor said: Excellent! [Note: Does this mean humans can escape Yin/Yang, avoid generation/transformation, become non-generating/non-transforming, have no beginning/end, and merge with the Great Void/Nature? The True Person’s body is hidden and manifest unpredictably, entering/exiting heaven and earth, internal/external following the Dao, existing in utmost truth. Small enough to enter the interstitial, large enough to exceed the void. Who else but one united with the Dao could do this? Note: Ancients said: One who loves life can be killed; one who loves purity can be defiled; one who loves honor can be humiliated; one who loves wholeness can be broken. If originally non-existent, who kills it? If originally pure, who defiles it? If originally honored, who humiliates it? If originally whole, who breaks it? Those who understand this can navigate creation/destruction and play with life and death. Truly words of seeing the Dao.]