黄帝曰。余愿闻五十营奈何。岐伯答曰。天周二十八宿。宿三十六分。人气行一周。千八分。
日行二十八宿。人经脉上下左右前后。二十八脉。周身十六丈二尺。以应二十八宿。漏水下百刻。
以分昼夜。故人一呼脉再动。气行三寸。一吸脉亦再动。气行三寸。呼吸定息。气行六寸。十息气
行六尺。日行二分。二百七十息。气行十六丈二尺。气行交通于中。一周于身。水下二刻。日行二
十五分。五百四十息。气行再周于身。水下四刻。日行四十分。二千七百息。气行十周于身。水下
二十刻。日行五宿二十分。一万三千五百息。气行五十营于身。水下百刻。日行二十八宿。漏水皆
尽。脉终矣。所谓交通者。并行一数也。故五十营备。得尽天地之寿矣。凡行八百一十丈也。
此篇论宗气营气循行于脉中。循脉度之十六丈二尺。应呼吸漏下而为五十营也。周天二十八宿。
而一面七星。子午为经。卯酉为纬。房毕为纬。虚张为经。房至毕为阳。昴至心为阴。阳主昼。阴
主夜。每宿约二十六分。
共乘一千零八分。人气昼夜五十营。行二十八宿之一周。计一千八分。日丽天而绕地一周。亦行二
十八宿之度分。人之经脉上下左右前后。共计二十八脉。盖手之三阴三阳。足之三阴三阳。上下左
右。共计二十四脉。并左右之两跷脉。前之任脉。后之督脉。通共二十八脉。周身十六丈二尺。为五
十营。以应二十八宿。以终漏下百刻。以分昼夜。故人一呼脉再动。气行三寸。一吸脉亦再动。气
行三寸。呼吸定息。气行六寸。十息则气行六尺矣。二百七十息。气行十六丈二尺。交通于二十八
脉之中。为一周于身。乃水下二刻。而日行二十分有奇矣。五百四十息。气行再周于身。乃水下四
刻。日行四十分有奇矣。二千七百息。气行十周于身。乃水下二十刻。而日行五宿二十分。计二百
分有奇矣。一万三千五百息。气行五十营于身。乃水下百刻。而日行二十八宿。计一千零八分也。漏
水皆尽。而脉终于五十营矣。按、邪客篇曰。宗气积于胸中。出于喉咙。以贯心脉而行呼吸焉。营
气者。泌其津液。注之于脉。化而为血。以营四末。内注五脏六腑。以应刻数焉。此宗气上贯于
心主之脉偕营气营行于脉中。以应呼吸漏下者也。五味篇曰。谷始入于胃。其精微者。出于胃之两
焦。以溉五脏。别出两行营卫之道。其大气之抟而不行者。积于胸中。命曰气海。出于肺。循喉咙。
故呼则出。吸则入。夫肺主气而主皮毛。人一呼则八万四千毛窍皆阖。一吸则八万四千毛窍皆开。
此宗气之散于脉外之皮毛。而行呼吸者也。故所谓交通者。谓皮肤经脉之宗气。外内交通。而并行
一百刻之数也。夫天主气。地主血脉。故五十营而外内之气行周备。斯得尽天地之寿矣。凡经脉外
内之宗营。皆行八百一十丈也。
Huangdi said: I wish to hear about the concept of "Fifty Circulations" (Wu Shi Ying). Qibo replied: The celestial sphere comprises twenty-eight mansions (Er Shi Ba Xiu), with each mansion corresponding to thirty-six degrees. When human Qi completes one circulation around the body, it traverses a total of one thousand and eight degrees.
The sun travels through the twenty-eight mansions daily. The human meridians, distributed up, down, left, right, front, and back, consist of twenty-eight vessels, with a total length of sixteen zhang and two chi in the body, corresponding to the twenty-eight celestial mansions. The clepsydra (water clock) drips for one hundred ke (time units), dividing day and night. Therefore, upon each exhalation, the pulse beats twice, and Qi moves three cun; upon each inhalation, the pulse also beats twice, and Qi moves three cun. During the pause between breaths (Ding Xi), Qi moves six cun. In ten breaths, Qi moves six chi, and the sun moves two degrees. After two hundred and seventy breaths, Qi moves sixteen zhang and two chi, completing one circulation within the body as Qi circulates internally. At this point, the water clock has dropped two ke, and the sun has moved twenty-five degrees. After five hundred and forty breaths, Qi completes another circulation within the body. The water clock has dropped four ke, and the sun has moved forty degrees. After two thousand seven hundred breaths, Qi has circulated ten times within the body. The water clock has dropped twenty ke, and the sun has moved five mansions and twenty degrees. After thirteen thousand five hundred breaths, Qi completes fifty circulations (Wu Shi Ying) within the body. The water clock has dropped one hundred ke, and the sun has completed the twenty-eight mansions. When the water is exhausted, the pulse movement ends. What is meant by "traffic" or "intercommunication" (Jiao Tong) is that they proceed together according to a single numerical principle. Thus, when the fifty circulations are complete, one can attain the full lifespan granted by heaven and earth. The total distance traveled is eight hundred and ten zhang.
This chapter discusses how Zong Qi (Pectoral Qi, which accumulates in the chest and promotes respiration and blood flow) and Ying Qi (Nutritive Qi, which flows within the vessels to nourish the body) circulate within the vessels. Following the meridian length of sixteen zhang and two chi, and coordinating with respiration and the dripping of the clepsydra, they form fifty circulations. The celestial sphere has twenty-eight mansions, with seven stars on each of the four sides. The Zi-Wu line serves as the longitude, and the Mao-You line serves as the latitude. Fang and Bi mansions form the latitude, while Xu and Zhang mansions form the longitude. From Fang to Bi belongs to Yang, and from Mao to Xin belongs to Yin. Yang governs the day, and Yin governs the night. Each mansion corresponds approximately to twenty-six degrees, totaling one thousand and eight degrees. Human Qi circulates fifty times during day and night, completing one circuit of the twenty-eight mansions, totaling one thousand and eight degrees. The sun, attached to the heavens, circles the earth once, also traversing the degrees of the twenty-eight mansions. The human meridians, distributed up, down, left, right, front, and back, amount to twenty-eight vessels. Specifically, the three Yin and three Yang meridians of the hand, and the three Yin and three Yang meridians of the foot, total twenty-four vessels up, down, left, and right. Adding the two Qiao vessels (Left and Right), the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel) at the front, and the Du Mai (Governing Vessel) at the back, there are twenty-eight vessels in total. The body measures sixteen zhang and two chi, forming fifty circulations, corresponding to the twenty-eight mansions, concluding the one hundred ke of the clepsydra, and dividing day and night. Therefore, upon each exhalation, the pulse beats twice, and Qi moves three cun; upon each inhalation, the pulse also beats twice, and Qi moves three cun. During the pause between breaths, Qi moves six cun. In ten breaths, Qi moves six chi. After two hundred and seventy breaths, Qi moves sixteen zhang and two chi, intercommunicating within the twenty-eight vessels, completing one circulation in the body. This corresponds to the water clock dropping two ke, and the sun moving slightly more than twenty-five degrees. After five hundred and forty breaths, Qi completes another circulation in the body. The water clock drops four ke, and the sun moves slightly more than forty degrees. After two thousand seven hundred breaths, Qi circulates ten times in the body. The water clock drops twenty ke, and the sun moves five mansions and twenty degrees, totaling slightly more than two hundred degrees. After thirteen thousand five hundred breaths, Qi completes fifty circulations in the body. The water clock drops one hundred ke, and the sun moves through the twenty-eight mansions, totaling one thousand and eight degrees. When the water is exhausted, the pulse ends after fifty circulations. As stated in the *Xie Ke* chapter: Zong Qi accumulates in the chest, emerges from the throat, penetrates the heart vessels, and facilitates respiration. Ying Qi secretes fluids, injects them into the vessels, transforms them into blood, and nourishes the four extremities, internally infusing the five zang and six fu organs, responding to the ke counts of the clepsydra. This indicates that Zong Qi penetrates upward through the vessels of the Heart Master, accompanying Ying Qi in circulating within the vessels, responding to respiration and the clepsydra. As stated in the *Wu Wei* chapter: Food enters the stomach first. Its refined essence emerges from the two Jiao of the stomach to irrigate the five zang organs. It separately exits via two pathways, the routes of Ying Qi and Wei Qi (Defensive Qi). The part of the great Qi that gathers and does not move accumulates in the chest, named the Sea of Qi (Qi Hai). It emerges from the lungs, follows the throat, so it is expelled upon exhalation and inhaled upon inhalation. The Lung governs Qi and the skin and hair. Upon each exhalation, eighty-four thousand pore openings close; upon each inhalation, eighty-four thousand pore openings open. This is how Zong Qi disperses into the skin and hair outside the vessels, facilitating respiration. Therefore, what is meant by "intercommunication" is that the Zong Qi in the skin and vessels communicates internally and externally, proceeding together according to the count of one hundred ke. Heaven governs Qi, and Earth governs Blood and Vessels. Thus, after fifty circulations, the internal and external Qi are fully circulated, allowing one to attain the full lifespan granted by heaven and earth. All Zong Qi and Ying Qi inside and outside the vessels travel a total of eight hundred and ten zhang.