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The *Neijing* states: The Five Movements (Wuyun) and Yin-Yang are the Way of Heaven and Earth, the general principles of all things, the parents of change, the root and beginning of life and death, and the repository of divine transformation. How can one fail to master them? It further states: If treatment does not follow the laws of Heaven and the principles of Earth, then disasters will occur. It also states: One who does not know the influence of the annual Qi, the waxing and waning of Qi, and the origin of deficiency and excess cannot be a competent physician. From this, we see that those who practice medicine without understanding the Theory of Five Movements and Six Qi (Yunqi) rarely avoid errors. Herein, the essential passages on Yunqi from the *Neijing* have been compiled into rhymed verses, with diagrams placed at the beginning, so that students may immediately grasp the main outline and purport, and subsequently seek the profound meanings throughout the entire classic, thereby hopefully gaining insight.

In the Wuji (Limitless) Great Void, Qi contains Principle (Li); in the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) Great Void, Principle contains Qi. Through the movement and stillness of Qi, Yin and Yang are generated; Yin and Yang divide into Heaven and Earth. Before Heaven and Earth existed, Qi gave rise to Form; after Heaven and Earth existed, Form resides within Qi. Investigating Qi through Form is called Yin-Yang; observing Principle through Qi is called Taiji.
[Note] "Tai" means extremely great or ultimate; "Xu" means empty and void of substance. Within the extremely great and extremely void, silent and odorless state, there exists the ultimate Principle and Qi. When Principle and Qi are undifferentiated and chaotic, it is called the Great Void. Calling the Great Void "Wuji" refers to the governing Principle within the flowing Qi of the Great Void. Calling the Great Void "Taiji" refers to the flowing Qi within the governing Principle of the Great Void. Thus, Zhou Dunyi said: "Wuji leads to Taiji," which implies deducing the existent from the non-existent. In Wuji, if there were no such thing, it would not be Principle; in Taiji, if there were no such thing, it would not be Qi. Without using the Principle of Wuji to deduce the Qi of Taiji, how could one know the existence of such Qi? Without using the Qi of Taiji to deduce the Principle of Wuji, how could one know the existence of such Principle? Thus, it can be known that Principle and Qi are two when discussed separately, but one when considered as a whole. Where there is Principle, there is Qi; where there is Qi, there is Principle. Although named two, they are essentially one, with no distinction of existence/non-existence, two/one, or priority/posteriority. "Through the movement and stillness of Qi, Yin and Yang are generated" means that Taiji, riding the movement of Qi mechanism, generates Yang, and riding the stillness of Qi mechanism, generates Yin. This corresponds to Zhou Dunyi's statement: "Taiji moves and generates Yang; still and generates Yin." However, it does not say "Wuji moves..." because Wuji specifically governs Principle, and Principle has no movement or stillness; Taiji governs both Principle and Qi, and Qi has movement and stillness. "Yin and Yang divide into Heaven and Earth" means that as Yin and Yang flow and generate each other endlessly, the clear accumulation of Yang becomes Heaven, and the turbid accumulation of Yin becomes Earth. Thus, Zhou Dunyi said: "Clearly separating Yin and Yang, the Two Modes (Liangyi) are established." "Before Heaven and Earth, Qi gives rise to Form" means that before Heaven and Earth existed, only the Qi of the Great Void generated the forms of Heaven and Earth. "After Heaven and Earth, Form resides in Qi" means that once Heaven and Earth exist, the Qi of the Great Void resides within their forms. Therefore, Heaven uses it to initiate all things, and Earth uses it to sustain all things. "Investigating Qi through Form is called Yin-Yang" means Yin-Yang is the Qi flowing within Principle. "Observing Principle through Qi is called Taiji" means Taiji is the governing Principle within Qi. Thus, Zhou Dunyi said: "Yin-Yang is one Taiji," referring to the extreme of Qi; "Taiji is originally Wuji," referring to the extreme of Principle.
[Commentary] Wu Cheng stated: Taiji has no movement or stillness; movement and stillness belong to the Qi mechanism. Therefore, Taiji is discussed primarily in terms of Principle. Zhu Xi stated: The movement and stillness of Taiji is the continuous operation of the Mandate of Heaven (Tianming). Therefore, Taiji is discussed in terms of both Principle and Qi. He further stated: The Great Void is the subtlety of original nature; movement and stillness are the mechanisms upon which it rides. The subtlety of original nature is Taiji, pointing to its original governance and the subtle Principle of being moving or still. The mechanism upon which it rides is movement and stillness, pointing to the continuous operation of the Mandate of Heaven and the Qi that rides movement and stillness. Zhu Xi's view should be adopted as correct.