Library

"Liu Jie Zang Xiang" (Six Solar Terms and Visceral Manifestations) refers to the heaven forming a year through six solar term stages, while the human viscera correspond to it. However, upon careful reading of the entire passage, it can be roughly divided into seven sections: the first three sections all discuss solar terms.
The fourth section discusses the five Qi (Wu Qi, the energies of the Five Phases) taking turns in authority, each having what it overcomes; what is overcome becomes mild, what overcomes becomes severe. This is what is meant by etiology changing with time, which is the main purport of this chapter and the guideline for physicians.
The fifth section discusses how Heaven generates the Five Flavors (Wu Wei) to nourish humans, and humans rely on them to transform into Essence and Fluids (Jing Ye).
The sixth section discusses the manifestations of the Five Zang Organs (Wu Zang), and explains the subtle functions of the Six Fu Organs (Liu Fu), which correspond to the Five Zang Organs, ultimately depending on the Gallbladder (Dan).
The final section discusses that when the pulse is excessively vigorous, it leads to Guan Ge (Guan-Ge syndrome, a critical condition of Yin-Yang separation); Qixuanzi said, "Things cannot remain in extreme prosperity for long; when they reach the limit, they decline." This is correct.

The Yellow Emperor asked: I have heard that Heaven uses the cycle of six-six (36) as a rhythm to form a year, and humans use the cycle of nine-nine (81) to establish correspondence. It has been calculated that the human body also has 365 bone joints to correspond to Heaven and Earth. I have known this for a long time but do not understand its meaning. [Commentary: The meaning of six-six forming a year is easy to understand and needs no further elaboration. Regarding "nine-nine establishing correspondence," the annotation states "Nine cycles through the number of the Nine Fields to regulate the convergence of human form," which is incorrect. According to the latter part of this chapter, it says Earth uses nine-nine to establish correspondence, which refers to the Nine Provinces and Nine Fields. However, what humans mean by nine-nine establishing correspondence is from the perspective of numbers. The numbers of Heaven and Earth start from one and end at ten, representing the completion of numbers. If one clings to the completed number without change, the number reaches its limit. Therefore, by leaving one empty to make nine, the number changes; furthermore, multiplying nine by nine makes the number even more variable. Thus, although six-six is a fixed number of Heaven and Earth, there are six surplus days of Qi and six deficient days of the new moon. Within a year, humans follow these surplus and deficient numbers, understanding change to return to the origin, thus setting two leap months every five years. From this we see: what is fixed and unchanging is Heaven and Earth, while what changes infinitely is humanity. The *I Ching* says: "Relying on the numbers of Heaven and Earth." It also says: "Completing the transformations of Heaven and Earth without excess, shaping all things without omission." Without humanity, this would not be possible. 'Jie' refers to bone joints. Only when humans possess virtue in harmony with Heaven and Earth do their bone joints correspond to the numbers of Heaven and Earth. However, they only correspond to 360, leaving five remaining. This is change through surplus, just as the number nine can change due to its emptiness. Below this section, the annotation says "Nine-nine establishing correspondence is the number of Qi," indicating that Qixuanzi knew it was a number. Why is he so self-contradictory?]
Boqi replied: What an insightful question! Let me explain. The concepts of six-six as rhythm and nine-nine as correspondence are used to rectify the degrees of Heaven and the count of Qi. [Six-six as rhythm is the degree of Heaven. Nine-nine as correspondence is the count of Qi. What is meant by the count of Qi is the generating Qi. The division of the celestial sphere is 365 and 1/4 degrees. Divided equally by twelve solar terms, a year ends at 360 days. Adding the days of small months, it falls short of this number. Therefore, leap months are often set based on sixty-four Qi. Why? Because of accumulated differences. The generation and nurturing of Heaven and Earth are fundamentally based on Yin and Yang. The movement of human spirit begins and ends with the Nine Qi. Is not the function of Nine great! The *Book of Rhythms* says: "The pitch pipe of Huangzhong is nine cun long. On the day of Winter Solstice, the Qi responds with ash flying." From this, we see that the birth of all things depends on the Nine Qi. Ancient nine cun is equivalent to modern 7.2 cun; the difference in size arises from the ancient standard using millet grains.] The degree of Heaven is used to regulate the movement of the Sun and Moon; the count of Qi is used to record the function of transformation and generation. [Regulate means to measure accurately; Record means to govern. Measuring the movement of the Sun and Moon clarifies their speed; Recording the function of transformation and generation manifests the arrival of Qi and its response. If Qi response has no error, the principle of generation does not cease; measuring speed and slowness allows the waxing and waning of months to arise. Commentary: Although Heaven is extremely vast and immeasurable, the principles of waxing/waning and increasing/decreasing, the dates of quarters/full moons/new moons, the movements have specific paths, eclipses have specific degrees, all inseparable from numbers. Where numbers reach, Qi arrives, hence called the count of Qi. When the count of Qi is clear, even if the degree of Heaven is profound, it is as clear as looking at one's palm.] Heaven is Yang, Earth is Yin; Sun is Yang, Moon is Yin; movements have divisions and limits, rotations have principles. The Sun moves one degree per day, while the Moon moves thirteen degrees and a fraction. Thus, large and small months accumulate to 365 days to form a year, accumulating Qi surplus to create leap months. [The Sun moves slowly, traversing one degree of the sky daily, completing a circle in 365 days plus a fraction. The Moon moves fast, traversing over thirteen degrees daily, completing a circle in 29 days. "Fraction" means beyond thirteen degrees, it travels another 7/19ths of a degree. *Li Yi* and *Han Lü Li Zhi* state that the Twenty-Eight Mansions and stars move westward along the sky from east to west, while the Sun, Moon, and five planets move eastward along the sky from west to east. The current Grand Historian's theory states they all move eastward along the sky, turning from east to west. Various calendar experts say: From day 1 to 4, the Moon moves fastest, over 14 degrees daily; from day 5 to 8, next fastest, over 13 degrees daily; from day 9 to 19, slowest, over 12 degrees daily; from day 20 to 23, slightly faster, over 13 degrees daily; from day 24 to month-end, fastest again, over 14 degrees daily. The current Grand Historian's theory differs: the Moon's motion has acceleration 15 days before full moon and deceleration 15 days after; or deceleration 15 days before and acceleration 15 days after. Generally, the month is divided into four parts, all having varying speeds. The degrees of speed are not constant. Nevertheless, finally, in 27 days, the Moon completes a circle, traveling 361 degrees. In 29 days, the Sun travels 29 degrees, the Moon travels 387 degrees, falling short of the Sun by 7 degrees. By day 30, the Sun shifts again; calculating the rate to 8/13ths, the Moon catches up to the Sun, which is a "Great Full" month. Generally, calculating to half of 13/13 is also Great Full method. Calculating to 5/13 or 6/13 to catch the Sun is a "Small Full" month. Hence, large and small months of 365 days form a year. Strictly speaking, 365 and 1/4 days is the annual law. Since fractions do not make a full day, the larger number is cited. If calculated by six small months, the year is only 354 days, short by over 11 days. Taking the missing time of the Moon and adding the surplus days outside the year, leap months fill up after 32 days. The *Book of Documents* says: "A period of 366 days, determining the four seasons with leap months to complete the year," which is the meaning. Accumulating surplus to fill leaps is because the size of the Moon does not fully match the Heavenly degrees.] Establish the beginning at the start, show correctness in the middle, deduce surplus at the end, and the degrees of Heaven are complete. [Duan means head/start. Shi means beginning. Biao means manifest/show. Zheng means Dipper construction (position of Big Dipper). Zhong means mid-month. Tui means retreat/position. It means establishing the first Qi on the day of the initial solar term, showing the Dipper position at mid-month, retreating surplus leap months after the full moon. Thus, before the leap month, Qi does not reach the Moon; after the leap month, the Moon does not reach Qi. Therefore, the system of normal months establishes the beginning and middle; the record of leap months has no beginning or middle. Even if calendars mention them, they refer to other solar terms. Commentary: This is the language of astronomers, precisely what is meant by humans using nine-nine to establish correspondence.]
The Emperor said: I have heard of the degrees of Heaven. I wish to hear how the count of Qi combines with it.
Boqi said: Heaven uses six-six as rhythm, Earth uses nine-nine to establish correspondence. [Commentary: The first section said Heaven uses six-six to form a year, humans use nine-nine to establish correspondence, referring to the accumulation of surplus and leap months. It means although Heaven has six-six rhythm, it relies on humans using nine-nine numbers to deduce it, so the work of the year is completed. Here, Heaven and Earth are discussed together: Heaven has six-six rhythm for a year, Earth has Nine Provinces/Nine Fields corresponding to Heaven. Wang Bing's annotation fails to distinguish this.] Heaven has Ten Heavenly Stems. Six cycles complete a Jia (60-year cycle), and six repetitions complete a year, following the 360-day method. [Commentary: This refers to the constant number of each year. If discussing surplus and deficiency, it differs from the previous statement about 365 days and leap months. Surplus refers to Qi surplus, deficiency refers to New Moon deficiency.] Since antiquity, those who connect with Heaven regard life as fundamental, rooted in Yin and Yang. Their Qi connects through the Nine Provinces and Nine Orifices, all communicating with Heavenly Qi. [Commentary: This section has little deep meaning; annotations seem fragmented. It likely means Heaven forms above with six-six rhythm, Earth arranges below with Nine Provinces/Nine Fields, and humans, wearing Heaven and treading Earth, have Qi constantly communicating with it.] Thus, life generates from Five (Five Elements/Five Zang), and its Qi divides into Three. [Commentary: Five refers to Five Zang Organs, meaning humans are born with Five Zang. Three refers to Heavenly Qi, Earthly Qi, and Transporting Qi, as noted in *Sheng Qi Tong Tian Lun*, meaning humans within Heaven and Earth must base their Qi on these.] Three combine to form Heaven, three combine to form Earth, three combine to form Humanity. [Not only does humanity arise from three Qi, but the Way of Heaven and Earth is also like this; thus, the hexagrams Qian and Kun in the *I Ching* must involve three.] Three multiplied by three equals nine. Nine divides into Nine Fields, and Nine Fields correspond to Nine Zang. [Commentary: Nine refers to Nine Provinces, Nine Fields. *Erya* says: "Outside the city is Jiao, outside Jiao is Mu, outside Mu is Ye, outside Ye is Lin, outside Lin is ..." Wang Bing's citation mostly mentions "outside Jiao is Dian," but stops at seven fields, missing two. Nine Fields corresponding to Nine Zang means Nine Zang correspond to Nine Fields, an intertextual reference.] Thus, there are Four Form Zang and Five Spirit Zang, combining to form Nine Zang to correspond. [Commentary: Five Spirit Zang: 1 Liver, 2 Heart, 3 Spleen, 4 Lung, 5 Kidney. Five Zang store Spirit, as stated in *Xuan Ming Wu Qi Pian* and *Jiu Zhen Lun*. Four Form Zang: *San Bu Jiu Hou Lun* mentions "1 Head/Horns, 2 Eyes/Ears, 3 Mouth/Teeth, 4 Chest/Middle," which is correct.]
The Emperor said: I have heard of the meeting of six-six and nine-nine. You mentioned accumulating Qi to fill leaps. I wish to know what is meant by Qi? ...
Boqi said: Five days are called a Hou (Climate/Term), three Hou constitute a Qi (Solar Term), six Qi constitute a Shi (Season), and four Shi constitute a Year, each following its governing authority. [Commentary: Governing authority here likely means the Sovereign Qi (Si Tian) governs the year, and the Dominant Qi (Zhu Ling) governs the solar term, guiding treatment thereafter.] The Five Movements (Wu Yun) succeed each other and all govern, reaching the end of the period, cycling endlessly. Seasons are established, Qi is distributed, like a ring without end. Hou follows the same law. Therefore, it is said: One cannot be a physician without knowing the addition of the year, the flourishing and declining of Qi, and the origin of deficiency and excess. [Commentary: Spring Wood generates Summer Fire, Summer Fire generates Late Summer Earth, Earth generates Autumn Metal, Metal generates Winter Water, Water generates Spring Wood again; this is succession. "All govern" means each rules its season. "Seasons established, Qi distributed" means when it is Spring, Wood Qi is prosperous and the command of growth acts; when Summer, Fire Qi is prosperous and the command of nurturing acts. "Hou follows the same law" refers to healers: humans correspond to the Qi of four seasons and should treat according to time. Thus, below this, it correctly states that failing to wait for the appropriate time to treat disqualifies one as a physician. Annotations and corrections are unclear.]
The Emperor said: The beginning of the Five Movements is like a ring without end. How are excess and deficiency?
Boqi said: The Five Qi take turns standing, each having what it overcomes. The intersection of prosperity and deficiency is the norm. ...
The Emperor said: What is meant by "what it overcomes"?
Boqi said: Spring overcomes Late Summer, Late Summer overcomes Winter, Winter overcomes Summer, Summer overcomes Autumn, Autumn overcomes Spring. This is obtaining the victory of the Five Phases in time, naming each Zang according to Qi. [Late Summer is the sixth month. Earth is born from Fire, grows in mid-Summer, and becomes prosperous after growing, hence Late Summer. Naming Zang by Qi means Spring Wood internally corresponds to Liver, Late Summer Earth internally corresponds to Spleen, etc., hence "naming Zang by Qi." Ming means name.]
The Emperor said: How do we know the victory?
Boqi said: Seek its arrival; all return to Early Spring. [Early Spring refers to the day of Start of Spring. Spring is the leader of the four seasons, so awaiting Qi all returns to the days before Start of Spring.]
If it arrives before its time, this is called Excess (Tai Guo). It will encroach upon what it cannot overcome and ride upon what it overcomes, named Qi Yin (Qi Indulgence). ...
If it arrives late, this is called Deficiency (Bu Ji). Then what it overacts runs wild, what it generates suffers disease, and what overcomes it encroaches upon it, named Qi Po (Qi Oppression). [All arrivals of Qi refer to 15 days before Start of Spring, the beginning of Hou. "Arriving before time" means the direct Qi arrives early when it should not. Arriving early means Qi is surplus, hence Excess. "Arriving late" means the direct Qi arrives late when it should. Arriving late means Qi is insufficient, hence Deficiency. Of the Five Phases Qi: what I overcome is what I overcome (Suo Sheng); what overcomes me is what overcomes me (Suo Bu Sheng); what generates me is what generates me. Suppose Liver Wood is excessive, then Lung Metal is deficient. Metal does not control Wood, so Wood is excessive. Since Wood Qi is surplus, it encroaches upon Lung Metal and rides upon Spleen Earth. Hence, "Excess encroaches upon what it cannot overcome and rides upon what it overcomes." These are diseases caused by internal mutual indulgence of Five Zang Qi, hence named Qi Yin. Other cases of Excess are similar. Again, if Wood Qi is weak and cannot control Earth, Earth Qi, fearing nothing, runs wild. Water is oppressed by Earth, hence "what it overacts runs wild and what it generates suffers." Liver Wood Qi is uneven, Lung Metal Qi naturally encroaches, hence "what overcomes me encroaches." However, since Wood Qi is uneven, Earth and Metal mutually encroach, oppressing each other causing disease, hence Qi Po. Other cases of Deficiency are similar.]
What is meant by seeking its arrival is the time of Qi arrival. [Commentary: Qi changes with time. A year has a year's Qi, so one predicts a year's Qi at Early Spring. A season has a season's Qi, so one must verify Qi at any time. If Qi arrives or does not arrive, one knows Excess and Deficiency and can treat according to time. These two sentences explain "all return to Early Spring" but also state that each of the four seasons has its proper Qi, not just Early Spring.]
Closely await its time, and Qi can be expected. Losing time and reversing Hou, failing to distinguish the Five Treatments, evil deviations arise internally, and physicians cannot prevent them. [Commentary: Human Five Zang correspond to Five Phases and externally respond to four seasons. Diseases differ by time, treatments differ, hence "Five Treatments."]
The Emperor said: Is there non-succession? (Meaning: Is there Five Phase Qi that does not succeed each other?)
Boqi said: The Qi of Blue Heaven cannot be without constancy. Non-succession of Qi is called Abnormality. Abnormality leads to Change. [Commentary: Heavenly Qi is pure, high, distant, and hard to name, truly not seekable by traces. However, Spring Warmth, Summer Heat, Autumn Coolness, Winter Cold have not changed throughout history; calling it non-constant is impossible. If Spring should be warm but is cold, Summer should be hot but is cool, Winter should be cold but is warm, Autumn should be cool but is hot, the Qi of four seasons does not succeed each other, violating the constant Way of Heaven, disasters must arise from this, hence the following text says "Change arriving causes disease."]
The Emperor said: How does Abnormality and Change occur?
Boqi said: When Change arrives, disease occurs. What is overcome is mild, what overcomes is severe. If additionally heavily affected by Evil, death ensues. Hence, if not at its time, it is mild; if at its time, it is severe. [Commentary: Blue Heaven distributes Qi, not exceeding Five Phases; humans in Qi, should they not respond to Heavenly Way? Commentary: These four words are correct. Subsequent statements like "Suppose in a Mu Zhi year, Fire Qi arrives, disease occurs two years later" are likely inaccurate. "Change arriving causes disease" roots from above: Qi of four seasons reverses normalcy, Heavenly Qi changes and humans suffer disease. But although disease occurs, there is distinction between mild and severe. For example, in a Mu Zhi year, what can overcome Wood is Metal. If humans contract abnormal Qi, disease is in Lung (Metal). Metal can level Wood, originally harmless, though diseased, it is mild. What cannot overcome Wood and is overcome by Wood is Earth. If humans contract abnormal Qi, disease is in Spleen/Stomach (Earth). Earth fears Wood; Wood prosperous, Earth deficient, disease must be severe. If disease is severe, and external Evil is contracted again, Evil bases on Liver, Liver Wood becomes stronger, Spleen/Stomach weaker. Deficiency cannot bear Evil, hence not only severe disease, but certain death. However, this specifically argues from the constant of generation/overcoming. If in a Mu Zhi year, humans fall ill in Autumn/Winter, disease is mild; in Spring/Summer, disease is severe. Autumn is not Wood-prosperous time, hence mild; Spring is Wood-prosperous time, hence severe. "Change arriving causes disease" is the header; "What is overcome/mild, what overcomes/severe" three sentences explain severity based on Five Phase restriction; "Not at its time/mild, at its time/severe" two sentences explain severity based on Evil's waxing/waning originating from time. Meanings differ, annotations are confused, and claiming disease in 2nd-3rd year is mild, 4th-5th year severe, is absurd.]
The Emperor said: Excellent! I have heard Qi combines to form Form, and names are corrected due to Change. [Commentary: If Qi does not combine, Form does not form; thus Form is born from Qi. If Qi does not change, Disease does not arise; thus Disease starts from Change. Correcting names means disease names are thereby rectified. Min Ziqing wrote *Zheng Ming Lun*, discussing Shang Han and related syndromes. The name Shang Han should be rectified; names of all diseases should not be unrectified, which can be inferred.]
The movement of Heaven and Earth, the transformation of Yin and Yang, regarding all things, which is less and which is more, may I hear?
Boqi said: Your question is thorough! Heaven is extremely vast, immeasurable; Earth is extremely large, unmeasurable. Great Divine Spirit asks, please let me state the method. Grasses grow in five colors; changes of five colors cannot be fully seen. Grasses grow with five flavors; beauty of five flavors cannot be fully exhausted. [Commentary: Things born are numerous, endowed transformations differ. Eyes seeing and taste testing still cannot exhaust them, let alone the human mind encompassing them.] Desires and preferences differ, each having its connection. [Commentary: Human nature is mostly biased, so desires differ too.] Heaven feeds humans with Five Qi, Earth feeds humans with Five Flavors. Heaven feeding humans with Five Qi: Sour smell gathers in Liver, Scorched smell gathers in Heart, Fragrant smell gathers in Spleen, Fishy smell gathers in Lung, Putrid smell gathers in Kidney. Earth feeding humans with Five Flavors: Sour flavor enters Liver, Bitter flavor enters Heart, Sweet flavor enters Spleen, Pungent flavor enters Lung, Salty flavor enters Kidney. *Yin Yang Ying Xiang Lun* says: "Yang is Qi, Yin is Flavor." Five Qi enter the nose, store in Heart and Lung, above making five colors bright and voice distinct. Five Flavors enter the mouth, store in intestines and stomach, flavors stored to nourish Five Qi. [Heart nourishes facial color, Lung governs voice, so Qi storing in Heart/Lung above makes five colors bright/clear and voice distinct. Qi is mother of Water, so Flavor stores in intestines/stomach, internally nourishing Five Qi. Commentary: Five Qi entering nose go everywhere, why only store in Heart/Lung? Heart is Blood organ. Qi enters nose, first goes to its own organ, then meets Heart to generate Blood. Only by generating Blood can it make five colors bright. Lung is Qi bellows, Nose is Lung orifice. Qi enters nose, meets Lung then distributes to all organs, Clear and Turbid are separated here. Only by separating Clear/Turbid can it make voice distinct. Calling it storing in Heart/Lung is appropriate. As for Five Flavors entering mouth, storing in intestines/stomach, and Five Zang Qi borrowing it to nourish themselves: Humans must have Five Zang to live, and Five Zang must have Five Qi to operate. However, without drinking and eating, Five Zang Qi would wither and close. This is...]