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The *Nan Jing* (Classic of Difficult Issues) mentions the Pericardium (Hand Jueyin) and Sanjiao (Triple Energizer) a total of eight times, appearing in Difficulties 8, 31, 36, 38, 39, 62, 66, and this chapter. All these passages should be consulted cross-referentially.

Difficulty 26 states: There are twelve meridians (Jing Mai) and fifteen collaterals (Luo Mai). What are the three extra collaterals? (*Ling Shu · Nine Needles and Twelve Origins Chapter* states: "There are twelve meridians and fifteen collaterals, totaling twenty-seven Qi pathways moving up and down.")

The answer is: There are the collateral of Yang Qiao, the collateral of Yin Qiao, and the great collateral of the Spleen. (*Ling Shu · Meridians Chapter*: "The great collateral of the Spleen is named Da Bao, originating three cun below Yuan Ye, spreading across the chest.") The so-called Yang collateral refers to the collateral of the Yang Qiao vessel. The so-called Yin collateral refers to the collateral of the Yin Qiao vessel. (For details on the Qiao vessels, see Difficulty 23.) Thus, there are fifteen collaterals in total.

Difficulty 27 states: Among the pulses, there are the Eight Extraordinary Vessels (Qi Jing Ba Mai), which are not constrained by the Twelve Regular Meridians. What does this mean? ("Qi" is pronounced like "odd" in "odd-even," meaning they lack the paired hand-foot relationship found in the Twelve Regular Meridians. See the lower section for details.)

The answer is: There are the Yang Wei, Yin Wei, Yang Qiao, Yin Qiao, Chong, Du, Ren, and Dai vessels. These eight vessels are all unconstrained by the regular meridians; hence they are called the Eight Extraordinary Vessels. (See the lower section for details.) There are twelve meridians and fifteen collaterals, totaling twenty-seven Qi pathways moving up and down together (as mentioned in previous chapters). Why are these specifically unconstrained by the regular meridians?

The answer is: Sages planned and dug channels to facilitate water flow, preparing for unforeseen circumstances. ("Bu Ran" means unexpected events.) When rain falls from heaven and channels overflow, during such times when heavy rains pour down, even a sage cannot redesign them. (This uses water channels as a metaphor for the pathways of blood and vessels in the human body.) When the collaterals become full and overflow, the regular meridians can no longer constrain them. (This means that when blood and Qi are abundant, the twelve regular meridians cannot contain them, so they overflow into the extraordinary vessels; thus, the extraordinary vessels are the branch vessels of the twelve regular meridians.)

Difficulty 28 states: Since the Eight Extraordinary Vessels are not constrained by the Twelve Regular Meridians, where do they originate and where do they connect? ("Ji" means to continue or succeed. *Mai Jing* writes it as "Xi".)

The answer is: The Du vessel originates at Xia Ji Shu (Shu refers to an acupoint. Xia Ji refers to the Chang Qiang point, belonging to the Du vessel, located at the end of the spine), runs parallel within the spinal column (Spinal interior, i.e., the center of the back), ascends to Feng Fu (Feng Fu belongs to the Du vessel, located one cun above the hairline in the depression within the large tendons at the nape), and enters to connect with the brain. (*Ling Shu · Meridians Chapter*: "The divergent branch of the Du vessel is named Chang Qiang, flanking the spine ascending to the neck, scattering over the head, descending below the shoulder blades on both sides, departing to join the Taiyang vessel, entering and piercing the spine. Excess manifests as stiff spine; deficiency manifests as heavy head." *Su Wen · Bone Empty Theory*: "The Du vessel originates in the lower abdomen, exiting below the central bone. In women, it connects to the Ting Kong, which is the opening of the urethra. Its collateral circulates around the genitalia, meeting at the perineum, encircling the anus posteriorly, diverting around the buttocks to reach the Shaoyin vessel, combining with the middle collateral of the Juyang vessel. The Shaoyin vessel ascends along the posterior medial aspect of the thigh, pierces the spine, and connects to the Kidney. Joining the Taiyang vessel which starts at the inner canthus, it crosses the vertex, enters the brain, emerges again to descend separately along the neck. It follows the interior of the shoulder blades, flanks the spine, reaches the loins, enters to follow the spine and connect to the Kidney; in men, it follows the penis down to the perineum, same as in women. The branch rising straight from the lower abdomen pierces the center of the umbilicus, ascends through the heart, enters the throat, rises to the chin, circles the lips, and connects to the center below both eyes. Diseases of this vessel include pain rushing up from the lower abdomen to the heart, inability to pass stool or urine, known as Chong Hernia. In women, it causes infertility, strangury, hemorrhoids, urinary incontinence, and dryness of the throat.") The Ren vessel originates below Zhong Ji (Zhong Ji belongs to the Ren vessel, four cun below the umbilicus. Below Zhong Ji likely refers to the Hui Yin point), ascends to the pubic region (above the external genitalia), follows the interior of the abdomen (the location of Zhong Ji), ascends through Guan Yuan (Guan Yuan is three cun below the umbilicus), and reaches the throat. (*Su Wen · Bone Empty Theory* adds six characters after "reaches the throat": "ascends to the chin, follows the face, enters the eyes." *Ling Shu · Meridians Chapter*: "The divergent branch of the Ren vessel is named Wei Yi, descending from Jiu Wei, scattering in the abdomen. Excess manifests as pain in the abdominal skin; deficiency manifests as itching.") The Chong vessel originates at Qi Chong (an acupoint of the Foot Yangming Stomach channel, located on both sides of the pubic region), runs alongside the Foot Yangming channel (*Su Wen · Flaccidity Theory* states: "The Chong vessel is the sea of the meridians, primarily infiltrating and irrigating the muscle valleys. It combines with the Yangming at the Zong Jin. The Yin and Yang converge at the Zong Jin, meeting at Qi Chong, with Yangming as the leader, all subordinate to the Dai vessel and connected to the Du vessel."), ascends flanking the umbilicus, and disperses in the chest. (Another version includes the character "Ye".)

The Dai vessel originates at Ji Xie (Ji Xie falls under the distribution of Zhang Men, an acupoint of the Foot Jueyin Liver channel), circling the body once (meaning it encircles the entire body like a belt worn by a person, thereby binding the various vessels). (*Ling Shu · Divergent Channels Chapter*: "The proper pathway of the Foot Shaoyin vessel reaches the popliteal fossa, departs to join the Taiyang and merges, ascending to the Kidney, at the level of the fourteenth vertebra, emerging to connect to the Dai vessel.")

Difficulty 29 states: How do diseases manifest in the Extraordinary Vessels?

The answer is: The Yang Wei vessel maintains the Yang vessels (Yang refers to Yang meridians, which are on the exterior of the body). The Yin Wei vessel maintains the Yin vessels (Yin refers to Yin meridians, which are on the interior of the body). If Yin and Yang cannot mutually maintain each other, one feels despondent and lost, with a floating sensation unable to control oneself. ("Rong Rong" describes a floating or wavering appearance.) Disease of the Yang Wei vessel involves suffering from aversion to cold and fever (Yang governs the exterior; disharmony of Yang Qi generates cold and fever). Disease of the Yin Wei vessel involves suffering from heart pain (Yin governs the interior; the Heart belongs to Shaoyin; disharmony of Yin Qi generates heart pain).