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[Upper Jiao] is located below the heart, above the diaphragm, and at the upper opening of the stomach. Its treatment site is at Tanzhong (Chest Center), which is in the center of the depression between the two breasts. [Middle Jiao] is located at Zhongwan (Middle Stomach) in the stomach, four cun above the umbilicus, positioned midway between up and down. Its treatment site is beside the umbilicus. [Lower Jiao] is located at the upper opening of the bladder, and its treatment site is one cun below the umbilicus. (The three jiaos are all pathways for water and grain, and are where qi begins and ends.)

*Ling Shu* states: The Hand-Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian originates at the tip of the fourth finger (Guanchong, SI 16), ascends out between the fourth and fifth fingers (i.e., between the ring and little fingers, where Yemen, TE 2, and Zhongzhu, TE 3 are located), follows the dorsal aspect of the hand to the wrist (Yangchi, TE 4), emerges between the two bones of the forearm (Waiguan, TE 5, Zhigou, TE 6, etc.), ascends through the elbow (Tianjing, TE 10), follows the lateral aspect of the arm, ascends to the shoulder, and crosses behind the Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian (here it runs anterior to the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian and posterior to the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian, passing Qinglengyuan, Xiaoluo, Naohui, ascends to the shoulder, passes Jianjing, GB 21 of the Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian, exits from Tianliao, and crosses behind the Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian), enters the supraclavicular fossa (Quepen), distributes in Tanzhong, scatters and connects with the Pericardium, descends through the diaphragm, and successively belongs to the Upper, Middle, and Lower Jiao (Its internal branch enters the supraclavicular fossa, then goes down along the lateral side of the Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian, distributes in Tanzhong, scatters and connects with the Pericardium, forming a interior-exterior relationship; thus descending from the Upper Jiao through the diaphragm, following the Middle Jiao downward, joining the main channel of the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian to connect with the bladder, thereby regulating the Lower Jiao. Therefore, Weiyang, BL 39 of the Foot-Taiyang Meridian is the lower auxiliary shu point of the Sanjiao); its branch arises from Tanzhong, ascends out of the supraclavicular fossa, goes up to the neck, connects behind the ear, goes straight up to emerge above the ear apex, then curves down to the cheek and zygomatic area (its external branch ascends from Tanzhong out of the supraclavicular fossa, follows Tianliao up to the neck, meets Dazhui, GV 14 of the Du Meridian, follows Tianyou, connects Yifeng, TE 17, Hui, TE 18, and Luxi, TE 19 behind the ear, emerges at Jiaosun, TE 14 above the ear apex, passes Xuanli, GB 7 and Hanyan, GB 6 of the Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian, descends past the ear and cheek to the zygomatic area, meeting the distribution of Yinggu, SI 9 of the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian); another branch enters the ear from behind the ear, exits in front of the ear, crosses anterior to the cheek at the point before Keyuzhuren, and reaches the outer canthus (this branch enters the ear from Yifeng, TE 17 behind the ear, passes Tinggong, SI 19 of the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian, exits in front of the ear at Ermen, TE 21, passes Keyuzhuren of the Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian. Crossing the cheek, it follows Heliao, TE 18, ascends to Sizhukong, TE 23, and reaches the outer canthus, meeting Tongziliao, GB 1. The Hand-Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian ends here and connects to the Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian).

Its collateral is named Waiguan, two cun from the wrist, winds around the arm externally, injects into the chest, and merges with the Heart Master (Pericardium). Pathological conditions manifest as stiffness of the elbow in excess patterns; flaccidity of the elbow in deficiency patterns. Treatment should target the point where this collateral branches off (The collateral of the Hand-Shaoyang Sanjiao is named Waiguan, located two cun behind the wrist between two tendons, branching to the Hand-Jueyin Pericardium Meridian. Since this meridian winds around the arm, it causes diseases of elbow stiffness and inability to flex. To treat these, one should select Waiguan, the point where it branches). Its regular pathway points upward toward heaven, diverges at the vertex, enters the supraclavicular fossa, descends to the Sanjiao, and scatters in the chest (The Sanjiao and the Pericardium form an interior-exterior pair. "Pointing to heaven" refers to the fact that heaven belongs to Yang and operates outside the earth. The regular pathway of the Hand-Shaoyang Sanjiao ascends and diverges at the vertex, enters the supraclavicular fossa, descends to the Sanjiao, and scatters in the chest, encompassing the exterior of the zang-fu organs; hence it is described as "pointing to heaven").

Its sinews originate at the tip of the fourth finger, knot at the wrist, follow the arm to knot at the elbow, wind around the lateral aspect of the elbow, ascend to the shoulder, and travel to the neck, merging with the Hand-Taiyang Meridian (The tip of the fourth finger is Guanchong, TE 1, ascending to knot at Yangchi, TE 4 of the wrist, following the path of Waiguan, TE 5, and Zhigou, TE 6 on the arm, emerging between the two bones of the forearm, knotting at the elbow, winding around the lateral edge of the elbow from Naohui, running inside the Hand-Taiyang and outside the Hand-Yangming, ascending to the shoulder, traveling to Tianyou in the neck, and merging with the sinews of the Hand-Taiyang Meridian; these are all firm sinews); its branch enters at the angle of the jaw and connects to the root of the tongue (its branch descends from the neck at the angle of the jaw, enters to connect to the root of the tongue, merging with the sinews of the Foot-Taiyang Meridian); another branch ascends to Quya, follows the front of the ear, attaches to the outer canthus, rides over the mandible/maxilla, and knots at the corner of the forehead (another branch travels from the cheek to Quya, meets the sinews of the Foot-Yangming Meridian, follows the front of the ear upward, intersects and intertwines with the sinews of the Hand-Taiyang and Foot-Shaoyang Meridians, and meets at Jiaosun, TE 14 above the ear, then attaches to the outer canthus and meets again near Tongziliao, GB 1. Here, "han" should be read as "e" (forehead). For this tendon travels from the ear forward to the outer canthus, intersects with the three yang meridians, ascends to emerge at the left and right foreheads, and knots at the upper corner of the forehead).

When the meridian is disturbed, it causes deafness with muffled hearing, swelling of the throat, and throat obstruction. It governs diseases arising from qi, such as pain at the outer canthus, cheek pain, pain in the ear, shoulder, elbow, and lateral aspect of the arm, and dysfunction of the fourth and fifth fingers. In excess conditions, the Renying pulse is one times larger than the Cunkou pulse; in deficiency conditions, the Renying pulse is smaller than the Cunkou pulse.

It is also said: The three jiaos each have their origin. The Upper Jiao originates from the stomach opening, ascends along the pharynx, penetrates the diaphragm, distributes in the chest, travels to the axilla, follows the Taiyin division, returns to the Yangming, and ascends to below the tongue. The Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian often travels with Ying Qi (Nutritive Qi) twenty-five degrees in the Yang levels and twenty-five degrees in the Yin levels, completing one cycle; thus, after fifty degrees, it reunites with the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian. The Middle Jiao is also within the stomach, emerging after the Upper Jiao. The qi received here separates dregs, steams fluids, transforms them into essence, which flows upward into the lung vessels, transforming into blood to nourish the body. Nothing is more precious than this, so only it travels through the meridians, hence named Ying Qi (Nutritive Qi). The Lower Jiao separates the ileum, pours into the bladder, and seeps in. Thus, water and grain commonly reside in the stomach, become dregs, and descend together to the large intestine, forming the function of the Lower Jiao, filtering and separating juices, which descend with the Lower Jiao into the bladder.

*Nan Jing* states: The Upper Jiao governs intake without excretion; the Middle Jiao governs the rotting and ripening of food and drink; the Lower Jiao governs the separation of clear and turbid, excreting without intake, serving as conduction. *Su Wen* states: The Upper Jiao is like mist (referring to Qi); the Middle Jiao is like fermentation/bubbles (referring to Blood/transformation); the Lower Jiao is like a ditch (referring to conduction/drainage). Zhang Jiegu stated: If the mist is not unobstructed, it leads to wheezing and fullness; if the fermentation is not unobstructed, it leads to retained fluid; if the ditch is not unobstructed, it leads to swelling. Wang Haizang stated: From the head to the heart is the Upper Jiao; from the heart to the umbilicus is the Middle Jiao; from the umbilicus to the feet is the Lower Jiao. The Sanjiao has Zang aspects but no Fu organ; its Fu aspect is located in the Chong Mai (Penetrating Vessel) at the Qijie (Street of Qi).

It is also said: There is Hand Sanjiao (location unspecified), which governs the upper part; there is Foot Sanjiao (governed by the bladder below the umbilicus for the lower limbs), which governs the lower part. The Chi pulse of the right hand corresponds to Mingmen (Gate of Life), diagnosed together with the Pericardium Collateral Meridian, also bearing the name Sanjiao, acting as the Fire of Mingmen, roaming among the five Zang organs, governing internal functions; the Sanjiao integrates into a single Qi, guards the whole body, acting as external protection, governing external functions.