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The term "Yi Chen" (Easy to State) refers to the fact that theoretical exposition is easy; "Nan Ru" (Difficult to Enter) means it is difficult for ordinary people to truly comprehend and master. (Expositing principles is easy, but practicing them and achieving deep understanding is hard.)

A coarse practitioner (a physician with low skill) only adheres to physical forms, rigidly observing the rules of acupuncture; whereas a skilled practitioner (a physician with high skill) focuses on Shen (Spirit), grasping the excess or deficiency of the body's Blood and Qi, thereby deciding whether to apply tonification or sedation methods. (Because the coarse practitioner only follows fixed forms of needling, they are called coarse; the skilled practitioner perceives the divine changes within Blood and Qi, hence called skilled.)

The term "Shen Ke" (Spirit Guest) refers to the convergence of Zheng Qi (Upright Qi) and Xie Qi (Evil Qi). "Shen" denotes Zheng Qi, and "Ke" denotes Xie Qi. (Shen is generated from profound Dao, existing within the body as Zheng Qi; thus, Shen is primary, and Xie Qi is guest. When Xie Qi invades Zheng Qi, it is termed convergence.)

The term "Zai Men" (At the Gate) means that Xie Qi travels along the pathways where Zheng Qi enters and exits. (The "Gate" refers to the Cou Li (interstices); Xie Qi follows the movement of Zheng Qi within the Cou Li.)

Before observing the formation of disease, one must first know which meridian is affected by the interaction of Zheng Qi and Xie Qi. (Without seeing the fully formed disease, one can predict which meridian the Zheng and Xie Qi will attack.)

To know the origin of the disease, one must first know which meridian is diseased and the location for needle insertion. (Pre-knowing the specific meridian and the subtle treatment points; "E Zhi" implies ignorance, here referring to the lack of such knowledge.)

The subtlety of acupuncture lies in the speed, specifically the concepts of Xu (Slow) and Ji (Rapid). (The subtle mechanism of needling lies in the slowness or rapidity of insertion and withdrawal.)

A coarse practitioner only guards the limbs and joints, unaware of the fluctuation of Zheng and Xie Qi in the Blood and Qi. (The Qi of the Five Zang and Six Fu organs extends to the limbs; coarse practitioners only guard limb acupoints, failing to understand the fluctuations of Ying-Wei Zheng Qi and Xie Qi, hence called coarse.)

A skilled practitioner guards the "Ji" (Trigger/Mechanism), meaning they understand how to guard the Qi mechanism. ("Ji" is like the trigger of a crossbow; the shooter controls the trigger. One who masters tonification and sedation guards the Shen Qi.)

The movement of the "Ji" does not depart from the Kong Xue (Acupoint); this is to know the deficiency or excess of Qi and apply Xu/Ji techniques. (Since Qi originates from the void, the movement of the Ji depends on the acupoint. Knowing the deficiency or excess of Shen Qi allows for the application of Xu/Ji tonification and sedation.)

The Qi mechanism within the acupoint is clear, quiet, and subtle. After obtaining De Qi (arrival of Qi), one must maintain mental clarity and strictly guard the Qi without losing it. (When Shen Qi is in the acupoint and De Qi is obtained via the needle head, the mind should be clear and calm, strictly guarding the Qi mechanism during tonification/sedation without error, hence termed "Wei" (Subtle).)

When Xie Qi arrives, one must not welcome and tonify, because excess Qi cannot be tonified. (If tonification is mistakenly applied to excess Qi, it results in the error of "Solidifying the Excess.")

When Xie Qi departs, one must not pursue and sedate, because deficient Qi cannot be sedated. (If sedation is mistakenly applied to departing/deficient Qi, it results in the error of "Hollowing the Deficiency.")

"One cannot hang by a hair," stating that the Qi mechanism is easily lost. (Just as a sensitive trigger releases at the touch of a hair, Shen Qi is like the trigger and slight Xie Qi is like the hair. If the mind perceives the slight evil immediately, it is called "Zhi Ji" (Intelligent Mechanism); if not perceived, the Qi is lost, hence saying Qi is easily lost.)

"Striking but not firing," refers to not knowing the intent of tonification and sedation, leading to exhaustion of Blood and Qi without cure. (One who does not understand the mechanism is like a blunt trigger; striking it yields no result. This metaphorically describes an unwise person performing tonification/sedation: when Xie Qi arrives, they do not recognize it, causing harm, exhausting Blood and Qi, and worsening the condition.)

Knowing the coming and going of Qi means knowing its Reversal/Smoothness and Excess/Deficiency; making an appointment with Qi means knowing the appropriate time for treatment. (Knowing the timing for treating deficiency/excess is knowing the coming/going and setting the appointment.)

A coarse practitioner is obscure because they unknowingly fail to perceive the subtleties of Qi; the exquisite aspect is unique to superior practitioners, likely because they understand the intent of needles. (Departing Qi scatters, causing Qi deficiency, which is Reversal; Arriving Qi gathers, causing Qi excess, which is Smooth. Knowing the Reversal/Smoothness allows for tonification/sedation without further questioning, indicating skill in determining treatment sites.)

"Ying Er Duo Zhi" (Welcoming and Depriving) is Sedation; "Zhui Er Ji Zhi" (Pursuing and Aiding) is Tonification. (Welcoming the momentum to deprive it makes the pathogen weak; pursuing the momentum to aid it makes the Righteous Qi strong. Therefore, one should not tonify excess or sedate deficiency.)

"To make Empty Solid" means that when the Cun Kou pulse is empty, one should apply tonification. (Diagnosing emptiness in the Cun Kou pulse indicates the need to tonify the corresponding meridian.)

"To make Full Empty" means that when the Cun Kou pulse is full, one should apply sedation. (Diagnosing fullness in the Cun Kou pulse indicates the need to sedate the corresponding meridian.)

"To remove Stasis and Oldness" means removing blood stasis from the vessels. ("Wan Chen" refers to accumulated bad blood in meridians and collaterals.)

"To make Excess Empty" means that if various meridians have excessive pathogens, they should all be sedated. (If external pathogens exist in various meridians, they should all be drained.)

"Xu then Ji makes Solid" means slow insertion and rapid withdrawal. (This describes Tonification.)

"Ji then Xu makes Empty" means rapid insertion and slow withdrawal. (This describes Sedation.)

"Solid and Empty, seeming to be there or not," means that in solid conditions, there is a sensation of Qi; in empty conditions, there is no sensation of Qi. (Sensing Qi as present in excess, or absent in deficiency.)

"Observing Later and Earlier, seeming to perish or remain," refers to observing the sequence of tonification/sedation based on Qi deficiency/excess, checking if Qi has descended or remains. (If excess comes first, sedate it to make it later deficient; if deficiency comes first, tonify it to make it later solid.)

"For Empty and Solid, seeming to gain or lose," means that after tonification, the Spirit feels comfortable as if gaining something; after sedation, the Spirit feels恍惚 (trance-like) as if losing something. (Tonification gains Shen Qi, resulting in comfort; sedation loses Xie Qi, resulting in trance-like discomfort.)

"As for Qi in the vessels," Xie Qi being "Upper" means the pathogen attacked the upper part of the body. (Wind-heat pathogens often attack the head, hence "Upper".)

"Turbid Qi being Middle" means food and water enter the Stomach, their essence ascends to the Lung, while turbid Qi remains in the intestines and stomach. Illness due to improper temperature regulation or diet causes Turbid Qi to remain in the middle. (Grain enters the Stomach and transforms into two Qi; clear and refined parts ascend to the Lung for respiration and circulation through meridians; turbid parts remain in the intestines/stomach, causing illness due to dietary imbalance, hence "Middle".)

"Clear Qi being Lower" means clear-damp cold pathogens attack the body, usually starting from the feet, hence "Clear Qi is Lower". (Cold-damp pathogens often enter from the feet, hence "Lower".)

"Needling the sunken vessels expels Xie Qi" involves selecting upper points. ("Upper" refers to upper meridians, head, and skin.)

"Needling the middle vessels expels Turbid Qi" involves selecting the He-Sea points of the Yangming Meridian. ("Middle" refers to the Yangming Stomach Meridian. The He-Sea points include Zusanli, connecting to the Large Intestine at Shangjuxu and Small Intestine at Xiajuxu.)

"Needling too deeply causes Xie Qi to sink back" means shallow diseases should not be needled deeply; deep needling causes Xie Qi to follow the needle inward, hence "sinking back". (Needling beyond the proper depth allows Xie Qi to enter with the needle, deepening the illness.)

"Skin, flesh, sinews, and vessels each have their locations" means meridians have specific origins. (Meridians reside in sinews/muscles, collaterals in skin.)

"Taking the Five Vessels leads to death" means if Qi is insufficient in the interior, using heavy sedation on all Yin meridians leads to Yin exhaustion and death. (If the Five Zang are deficient internally, heavy sedation of their meridians causes Yin collapse, leading to death.)

"Taking the Three Vessels" means draining all San Yang Qi causes the patient to become comatose and unresponsive. (Draining all San Yang meridians causes Yang collapse, leading to coma.)

"Depriving Yin leads to death" refers to taking Wuli point near Chize, applying five sedation thrusts. (Wuli is above the elbow. "Chizi Wuli" refers to the Yin aspect of the radial artery at Wuli. "Five thrusts" means five sedation manipulations.)

"Depriving Yang causes mania" is a correct statement. (Depriving Yang leads to Yang deficiency and mania. This is a correct prohibition.)

"Observe their color, examine their eyes" allows one to know the dispersion or aggregation of disease. (Observing the colors of Ming Tang and the shape/color of the eyes reveals whether disease is aggregating or dispersing. "Fu" means aggregation.)

"Unify their form, listen to their movement" means skilled practitioners observe the five colors in the eyes to know how to adjust the Chi/Cun pulse variations (small/large, slow/fast, slippery/astringent) to diagnose disease. ("Unifying form" refers to observing eye colors to distinguish body types; "Listening to movement" refers to diagnosing pulse six changes through mental focus.")

"Knowing Evil and Righteous" means understanding the discussion of False Evil and True Evil winds. (True Evil refers to wind entering when pores open due to hunger, exertion, or sweating; False Evil refers to pathological influences from the eight seasonal directions.)

"Right hand pushes forward, left hand holds and guards" describes the manipulation of needle insertion and withdrawal. (Right hand pushes the needle; left hand stabilizes it.)

"When Qi arrives, remove the needle" means once Qi is balanced through tonification/sedation, the needle is removed. (If Qi has not arrived, wait; if it has, perform tonification/sedation according to the count, then remove the needle to address excess or deficiency.)

"Regulating Qi lies in maintaining a single focused mind throughout the process" means holding the heart/mind consistently. (Maintaining mental focus from start to finish constitutes unity.)

"The intersections of joints, 365 Hui (Assemblies)," are places where collaterals seep and irrigate the joints. (Human bone joints do not number 365; these "Joints" refer to places where Shen Qi travels and exits. Thus, collaterals irrigate 365 acupoints as assemblies.)

Regarding "The Qi of the Five Zang is exhausted internally": If the pulse at Cun Kou shows internal exhaustion, and one mistakenly treats exterior disease points or Yang He-Sea points, retaining the needle to attract Yang Qi, the arrival of Yang Qi will cause double exhaustion of Yin, leading to death. The deceased will be still due to lack of Qi movement. (According to Nan Jing 81: Exhaustion of internal Qi refers to Kidney/Liver (Yin) deficiency. If the physician incorrectly tonifies Heart/Lung (Yang), creating "Solidifying Excess and Hollowing Deficiency," death occurs.)

Regarding "The Qi of the Five Zang is exhausted externally": If the pulse at Cun Kou shows external exhaustion, and one mistakenly treats the Shu points of the four extremities, retaining the needle to attract Yin Qi, the arrival of Yin Qi will cause Yang Qi to retreat inversely, leading to death due to Yin excess. (Heart/Lung are external. If their Qi is exhausted, tonifying Kidney/Liver creates "Solidifying Excess and Hollowing Deficiency," leading to death.)

Therefore, examining the eyes is crucial because the Five Zang govern the five colors to appear bright. (The eyes are the messengers of the Five Zang. Brightness in the five colors of the eyes indicates health.)

"If bright, then the voice is distinct." Distinct voice means it differs from normal life; abnormally bright five colors and distinct five tones indicate pathology.