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The principles of pulse diagnosis are subtle and have been recorded since ancient times. In the past, Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) was born with spiritual intelligence. Yet he remarked, "It is like peering into a deep abyss while trying to catch floating clouds." Xu Shuwei said, "The principles of the pulse are profound and difficult to clarify. What I understand in my mind, I cannot declare with my mouth. Whatever can be recorded by pen and ink or spoken by tongue are merely external signs (phenomena). As for the divine principles (Shenli), unless one grasps them through mental communion and spiritual understanding, how can one exhaust their mysterious subtleties? For instance, when the ancients described a pulse possessing Stomach Qi (Wei Qi, indicating healthy digestive function reflected in the pulse), they said it is 'neither floating nor sinking.' This is an external sign, which can be sought at the middle depth (Zhong Hou). They also said it is 'neither rapid nor slow.' This is also an external sign, which can be sought by counting the beats (Zhi Shu). However, what is uniquely described as 'meaningful and joyful, leisurely and uplifting,' difficult to name or describe, is not that the ancients kept it secret, but rather that even if they wished to describe it, they could not. They simply hinted at it without fully revealing it, letting it leap beyond words, waiting for those capable of understanding to follow naturally." Li Dongyuan, reaching this point, also ran out of words, stating only that the pulse must possess Shen (Spirit/Vitality). Because it is Shen, it cannot be sought through external signs, nor can it be conveyed through language. Similarly, when describing the Slippery Pulse (Hua Mai), they said it is "alternating and round like rolling pearls"; when describing the Choppy Pulse (Se Mai), they said it is "like rain soaking into sand"; when describing the Tight Pulse (Jin Mai), they said it is "like cutting rope and twisting cords"; when describing the Scattered Pulse (San Mai), they said it is "like scattered willow catkins"; when describing the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel - *Note: Context suggests a specific pulse shape description, possibly a textual error for another term, but translated literally*), they said the Cun Kou (Cun position at the wrist) is "round and rolling." These are all beyond external signs, possessing other divine principles. Looking at their descriptions, it is precisely because they exhausted language that they borrowed similar forms to speculate upon it.

I once resided at Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou. On a moonlit night, I discussed pulse diagnosis with Lin Dan'an. For each type of pulse, we set up a most accurate analogous object to embody its image. Regarding the Deficient Pulse (Xu Mai), describing it as "deficient," and combining the four forms of Floating (Fu), Large (Da), Slow (Chi), and Soft (Ruan) for extremely detailed simulation, it still did not resemble the actual pulse. Finally, Lin said, "I have it. It is like a fermented steamed bun." Yet this lost the meaning of the character "Slow" (Chi). A Daoist priest named Qian Cunsan, wearing feathered robes, who was standing by, said, "Why not compare it to a sea cucumber (Hai Shen) floating on water?" Lin laughed heartily and clapped his hands in approval. This is because the sea cucumber is soft in texture and large in size, rising and falling with the waves; if a person presses it with their hand, it startles and sinks. This matches every word—Floating, Large, Slow, Soft—with great accuracy. However, if these were merely the pedantic exegesis of scholars, and if one does not not first strive to investigate within the concept of the Deficient Pulse, but instead merely holds the image of a "sea cucumber floating on water" in one's mind, would this not be mere frivolous talk! Therefore, using limited external signs to correspond to infinite diseases means that the signs will eventually fall short. Using endless spiritual clarity to operate with limited external signs means that diseases will be verified accurately in all instances. Thus, what is "unable to be declared by mouth" ultimately becomes a lost art!