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[Ping An] This chapter, from beginning to end, is found in *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot), Volume 12, Chapter 79 "Sui Lu" (Annual Dew), and also in *Jia Yi Jing* (Classified Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion), Volume 6, Part 1.

Huang Di asked Shao Shi: I have heard that the eight winds of the four seasons invade the human body, resulting in cold and heat. When it is cold, the skin becomes tight and the couli (skin texture and pores) close; when it is hot, the skin becomes loose and the couli open. Can evil winds and pathogenic factors therefore enter? Or must one wait for the empty pathogens of the Eight Solstices (the two equinoxes, two solstices, and four beginnings of seasons) to injure the person? (Huang Di believes that the empty pathogens and evil winds of the four seasons and eight festivals invade people by taking advantage of the time when the couli are open, entering opportunistically to cause injury, hence this question. Ping An: "Yin yi de ru hu" in *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing* is written as "Yin de yi ru hu". In *Jia Yi Jing*, "Ba Zheng Xu Xie" is written as "Ba Zheng Feng Xie".)

Shao Shi replied: Not so. The invasion of evil winds and pathogenic factors into the human body does not occur at fixed times. (The meaning of Shao Shi's answer is that when the couli are open, the evil wind invades deeply; when the couli are closed, the evil factor invades shallowly, because the harm of the evil factor is severe. "Bu de yi shi" means that when it is hot and the couli are open, invasion occurs immediately; when closed, it does not.) However, if one takes advantage of the opening of the couli, the invasion is deep, the damage to the interior is extremely rapid, and the disease manifests suddenly and violently; (When the pathogen invades the person, if it takes advantage of the open couli, there are three harms: first, the pathogen enters deeply; second, it rapidly endangers life; third, death or illness occurs suddenly and violently. Ping An: "Qi ru ye shen" in *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing* lacks the character "ye". "Qi nei ji ye ji", in *Jia Yi Jing* "ji" is written as "qi", with a note saying it also writes "ji"; *Ling Shu* writes "Qi nei ji bing". "Qi huan bing zu bao", in *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing*, there is a "ye" before "zu".) If one takes advantage of the closing of the couli, the invasion is shallow and lingering, and the disease manifests slowly and persists. (If the couli are closed, encountering the pathogen has two outcomes: first, the pathogen enters shallowly; second, death or illness is slow. "Chi" refers to long retention. Ping An: "Chi" in *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing* is written as "Chi", without the "ye" below.)

Huang Di said: When the climate is cold, warm, and suitable, and the couli do not open, yet there are people who fall ill suddenly, what is the reason?

Shao Shi said: Does Your Majesty not know? Even during ordinary residence, the opening, closing, slackening, and tightening of the couli naturally follow certain times. (Ping, suitable. Although people reside in a suitable environment, the opening and closing of the couli are not necessarily due to cold or heat, but due to the waxing and waning of the moon and the flourishing and declining of human qi, thus causing the couli to open and close, leading to illness or health; this is the normal state of humans. Ping An: "Gu chang you shi ye" in *Ling Shu* is written as "Qi gu chang you shi ye".)

Huang Di said: May I hear about it?

Shao Shi said: Humans correspond to Heaven and Earth, and resonate with the Sun and Moon. (The human body corresponds to the forms of Heaven and Earth. The flourishing and declining of the body resonate with the Sun and Moon.) Therefore, when the moon is full, the seawater swells towards the west. (The sun is Yang, the moon is Yin; the East Sea is Yang, the West Sea is Yin. The moon has waxing and waning, and the swelling of seawater follows the fullness and emptiness of the moon. The moon is the Yin essence governing water, so when the moon is full, the West Sea swells.) At this time, human blood and qi are pure, muscles are full, skin is dense, hair is firm, the couli (Jiao Li, here referring to where the Qi of the Triple Burner emerges from the couli) are closed and unobstructed, and smoke/dust adheres. (At this time, even if one encounters evil winds, the invasion is shallow and does not go deep. When the human body is in a flourishing state, it mimics the moon and the West Sea, both being fully substantial. There are simply no evil invaders, manifesting as six types of "Shi" (Excess/Solid): first, blood and qi are pure and not turbid; second, muscles are full and not loose; third, skin is dense and not open; fourth, hair is firm and not deficient; fifth, the couli are closed and unobstructed (The Qi of the Triple Burner emerges from the couli, hence called Jiao Li. , means curved/closed); sixth, smoke and dust grease block the couli. With these six types of Shi, although evil wind may enter, it cannot go deep. Ping An: In *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing*, "Xue Qi Jing" is written as "Xue Qi Ji", and "Jiao Li" as "Cou Li". *Ling Shu* lacks "yi" after "qian".)

When the moon is dark (new moon), the seawater swells towards the east, human blood and qi become deficient, Wei Qi (Defensive Qi) departs, the form remains alone, muscles waste, skin relaxes, couli open, hair becomes sparse, the couli become thin, and smoke/dust falls off. (When the human body is in a declining state, it mimics the moon and the West Sea, both being completely depleted. The swelling of the East Sea when the moon is dark indicates Yin decline and Yang excess. There are eight types of "Xu" (Deficiency/Empty): first, blood and qi are deficient and turbid, referring to deficiency in the vessels; second, Wei Qi decreases, referring to the departure and scarcity of Wei Qi outside the vessels; third, muscles are loose and wasted; fourth, skin is deficient and relaxed; fifth, couli are open and empty; sixth, hair is deficient and sparse; seventh, couli are sparse and thin; eighth, couli lack smoke/dust. With these eight types of Xu, therefore, evil factors penetrate deeply, causing sudden illness. Ping An: In *Ling Shu*, "Xue Qi" is written as "Qi Xue", "Pi Fu Huan" as "Pi Fu Zong", "Mao Fa Qian" as "Mao Fa Can", and "Jiao Li" as "Li". *Jia Yi Jing* lacks the three characters "Qian Jiao Li".) At this time, encountering evil wind results in deep invasion and sudden, violent manifestation of disease.

Huang Di said: What causes those who die suddenly or suffer from violent illness?

Shao Shi said: Those who obtain the Three Xu (Three Deficiencies) will die suddenly and suffer acute illness; those who obtain the Three Shi (Three Excesses) will not be injured by pathogens. (When a person possesses the Three Xu, death or illness occurs suddenly and acutely. Ping An: In *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing*, "Zu Si" is written as "Bao Si". *Jia Yi Jing* lacks the two characters "Bao Bing". "He Xie Shi Ran" in *Ling Shu* is written as "He Ye". Note on "Bao Ji": Yuan edition mistakenly wrote "Si" for "Ji".)

Huang Di said: I wish to hear about the Three Xu.

Shao Shi said: Cheng Nian Zhi Shuai (Riding upon the decline of the year). (A person aged seven plus nine years reaches sixteen, named "Nian Shuai". Adding nine years constantly up to 106 years constitutes the decline of the year. It is not the year of Sui Lu because the person is solid, and pathogens do not injure; thus, arriving at this age is named "Cheng".) Feng Yue Zhi Kong (Encountering the emptiness of the moon). (When the moon is dark, the person possesses the Eight Xu; encountering this deficiency is named "Feng". Ping An: The missing character above "Xu" in the note should be "Ba" based on the context above.) Shi Shi Zhi He (Losing the harmony of the season), thereby being injured by evil wind; this is called the Three Xu. Hence, the discussion states that physicians who do not understand the Three Xu appear crude. (Care violates the harmonious Qi of the four seasons, irrationally suffering from Wind, Cold, Summer-heat, and Dampness. With these Three Xu, humans are affected by evil winds such as those from collapsing houses, breaking trees, flying sand, and rolling stones; the sensation arises suddenly in the hairs and emerges in the couli, constituting injury by evil wind. Ping An: Below "He", *Jia Yi Jing* has four characters "Ren Qi Fa Shao"; below "Zeifeng" there are two characters "Xie Qi".)

Huang Di said: I wish to hear about the Three Shi.

Shao Shi said: Feng Nian Zhi Sheng (Meeting the prosperity of the year). ("Feng Nian" refers to not being in the period of annual decline.) Yu Yue Zhi Man (Encountering the fullness of the moon). (The fifteenth day of the lunar month.) De Shi Zhi He (Obtaining the harmony of the season); even if there are evil winds and pathogenic factors, they cannot endanger him. (Care conforms to the harmonious Qi of the four seasons. With these Three Shi, even if there are evil pathogens, they cannot cause injury. Ping An: "Bu neng wei zhi" in *Jia Yi Jing* is written as "Bu neng shang ye". Note: Yuan edition has the character "Ding" above "Bu neng".)

Huang Di said: Excellent! The discussion is brilliant! The Dao is clear! Please store it in the Golden Casket, naming it "Three Shi", though this is merely a discussion concerning one individual. (All your discussions are good because you are internally clear about the Dao, hence requesting storage and cherishing. This presents a discussion of one man to generalize to the multitude.)

[Ping An] "Ming Yue San Shi" in *Ling Shu* appears before "Huang Di Yue".