黄帝问曰。愿闻刺要。岐伯对曰。病有浮沉。刺有浅深。各至其理。无过其道。（刺要者。刺之要法也。理者。皮肤
肌肉之纹理。道者。血气循行之道路也。盖脉肉筋骨之间。各有浅深之理路。随病之浮沉而取之。无使其过与不及也。）
过之则内伤。不及则生外壅。壅则邪从之。（刺过其道。则内动五脏。不及其理。则妄伤其外而生壅。壅则血气不行。而
邪气从之矣。）浅深不得。反为大贼。内动五脏。后生大病。（不得其浅深之法。反为大害矣。皮伤则内动肺。肉伤则内
动脾。后生温疟腹胀。心痛之大病矣。）故曰。病有在毫毛腠理者。有在皮肤者。有在肌肉者。有在脉者。有在筋者。有
在骨者。有在髓者。（此论形层之有次第。而针刺之有浅深也。夫皮肉筋骨。内合五脏。肾主之骨。而有髓之深。肺主之
皮。而有毛之浅。是针刺之道。由极浅而至于深也。腠理者。皮肤肌肉之纹理。从大小分肉。而至于肌理皮毛之间。皆
三焦通会元真之处。毫毛腠理者。鬼门元府也。谓气之理路。内通于脏腑。外出于毫毛。虽极浅而可以致气者也。卢良
侯曰。刺毫毛腠理无伤皮者。即诊要篇之所谓以布 着之。乃从单布上刺是也。）是故刺毫毛腠理无伤皮。皮伤则内动
肺。肺动则秋病温疟。 然寒栗。（ 音素。刺毫毛腠理。刺之极浅者也。肺主秋收之令。秋时阳气下降。阴气外出。
妄动其肺。则收令化薄。阴阳之气。反相得于外。而为温疟矣。逆流而上曰 。 然者。气上逆而寒栗也。动谓动其
脏气也。）刺皮无伤肉。肉伤则内动脾。脾动则七十二日。四季之月。病腹胀。烦不嗜食。（肉为脾之合。脾土寄王于四
季月。各一十八日。共为七十二日。妄动其脾。则脾伤而不能运转水谷。是以所主之日。病胀烦而不嗜食也。）刺肉无伤
脉。脉伤则内动心。心动则夏病心痛。（脉在肉中。肉有分理。不知其道。则伤脉矣。脉乃心之合。心主夏令。故至夏病
心痛。）刺脉无伤筋。筋伤则内动肝。肝动则春病热而筋弛。（筋深于脉。刺过其道则伤筋。筋乃肝之合。肝主春令。故
动肝则肝气虚而春病热。筋伤则弛纵矣。）刺筋无伤骨。骨伤则内动肾。肾动则冬病胀。腰痛。（筋生于骨。骨深于筋矣。
骨为肾之合。而主冬令。动肾气则所藏者少。故当病虚胀而腰痛。腰乃肾之府也。夫五脏主藏者也。经云。有故无殒。
无故而动之。则虚其所藏之气。故至其所主之时则病矣。）刺骨无伤髓。髓伤则销铄 酸。体解 然不去矣。（髓者骨之
充。刺骨太过则伤髓。髓伤则销铄而 酸也。解 、懈惰也。灵枢经云。脑为髓之海。髓海不足。则脑转耳鸣。 酸眩
冒。目无所见。懈怠安卧。卢良侯曰。骨穴多在节之交。节交会处有髓道。故刺太过。则伤髓矣。按针刺之要。首忌
太过。故曰。各至其理。无过其道。而此篇先论其太过焉。）
Huangdi asked, saying: I wish to hear about the essential principles of acupuncture. Qibo replied: Diseases manifest at different depths, ranging from superficial to deep; accordingly, acupuncture needling should be performed at varying depths, from shallow to deep. One must reach the appropriate anatomical level according to the pathology, without exceeding the proper boundary. (The "essential principles of acupuncture" refer to the key methods of needling. "Li" refers to the texture of the skin and muscles; "Dao" refers to the pathways through which Qi and Blood circulate. Between the vessels, muscles, sinews, and bones, there are distinct levels of depth. One should select the appropriate depth based on whether the pathogenic factor is superficial or deep, ensuring that the needling is neither excessive nor insufficient.)
If the needling is too deep, it will cause internal injury; if it is too shallow, it will generate external stagnation. Once stagnation occurs, the pathogenic factors will invade. (Needling beyond the proper depth will disturb the Five Zang Organs internally; failing to reach the required depth will recklessly damage the exterior and cause stagnation. Stagnation impedes the flow of Qi and Blood, allowing pathogenic factors to enter.)
If the depth is not correctly determined, it may instead become a great disaster, disturbing the Five Zang Organs internally and subsequently giving rise to severe diseases. (Failing to master the principles of depth causes significant harm. For instance, damaging the skin layer disturbs the Lung internally, and damaging the muscle layer disturbs the Spleen internally, which may later lead to severe conditions such as warm malaria, abdominal distension, and heart pain.)
Therefore, it is said that diseases may reside in the hair follicles and interstices, in the skin, in the muscles, in the vessels, in the sinews, in the bones, or in the marrow. (This discusses the hierarchical structure of the body's tissues and the corresponding depths for needling. The skin, muscles, sinews, and bones correspond internally to the Five Zang Organs. The Kidneys govern the bones and contain the marrow, representing the deepest level; the Lungs govern the skin and hair, representing the most superficial level. Thus, the way of needling proceeds from the extreme superficiality to depth. The interstices are the textures between the skin and muscles. From the large fleshy spaces to the fine textures between the muscles and hair, these are all areas where the San Jiao converges and distributes Yuan Zhen Qi. The hair follicles and interstices are referred to as the "Ghost Gates" or "Yuan Fu," indicating that the pathways of Qi connect internally with the Zang Organs and emerge externally through the hair. Although extremely superficial, they can be used to regulate Qi. Lu Lianghou stated: When needling the hair follicles and interstices, one must not injure the skin. This corresponds to what is mentioned in the *Zhen Yao* chapter: covering the area with cloth and needling through the single layer of cloth.)
Therefore, when needling the hair follicles and interstices, do not injure the skin. If the skin is injured, it will disturb the Lung Qi. If Lung Qi is disturbed, warm malaria with chills will occur in autumn. ("Xiran" [shu] refers to the sensation of shivering. Needling the hair follicles and interstices is the shallowest form of needling. The Lung governs the descending and collecting function of autumn. In autumn, Yang Qi descends and Yin Qi moves outward. Recklessly disturbing the Lung weakens this collecting function, causing Yin and Yang Qi to remain on the exterior, resulting in warm malaria. Upward counterflow is called "Xi"; "Xiran hanli" refers to the aversion to cold and trembling caused by rebellious Qi. "Dong" means to disturb the Qi of the Zang.")
When needling the skin, do not injure the muscles. If the muscles are injured, it will disturb the Spleen Qi. If Spleen Qi is disturbed, during the seventy-two days (eighteen days at the end of each of the four seasons, totaling seventy-two days), symptoms such as abdominal distension, vexation, and loss of appetite will appear. (Muscles are the tissue associated with the Spleen. Earth of the Spleen reigns during the last eighteen days of each season, totaling seventy-two days. Recklessly disturbing the Spleen damages its ability to transform and transport food and fluids. Therefore, during the periods it governs, symptoms of distension, vexation, and anorexia occur.)
When needling the muscles, do not injure the vessels. If the vessels are injured, it will disturb the Heart Qi. If Heart Qi is disturbed, heart pain will occur in summer. (Vessels lie within the muscles, which have their own textures. Ignorance of the correct method leads to vessel injury. Vessels are the correspondence of the Heart, and the Heart governs the summer season; thus, heart pain manifests in summer.)
When needling the vessels, do not injure the sinews. If the sinews are injured, it will disturb the Liver Qi. If Liver Qi is disturbed, heat syndromes and flaccidity of the sinews will occur in spring. (Sinews are deeper than the vessels. Excessive needling depth injures the sinews. Sinews are the correspondence of the Liver, and the Liver governs the spring season. Disturbing the Liver depletes Liver Qi, leading to heat syndromes in spring. Injury to the sinews results in flaccidity.)
When needling the sinews, do not injure the bones. If the bones are injured, it will disturb the Kidney Qi. If Kidney Qi is disturbed, abdominal distension and lower back pain will occur in winter. (Sinews arise from the bones, and bones are deeper than sinews. Bones are the correspondence of the Kidneys and govern the winter season. Disturbing Kidney Qi reduces the stored essence. Consequently, deficiency-type abdominal distension and lower back pain occur. The lower back is the mansion of the Kidneys. The Five Zang Organs store essence. The classics state: If there is a pathological excess, treatment will not cause harm; but if there is no excess and one recklessly disturbs the Qi, the stored essence becomes deficient, leading to disease during the season governed by that organ.)
When needling the bones, do not injure the marrow. If the marrow is injured, the body will emaciate and feel sore and weak, with limbs feeling heavy and lethargic, unable to shake off the fatigue. (Marrow fills the bones. Excessive needling into the bones injures the marrow. Marrow injury leads to emaciation and soreness. "Jie Xie" refers to lethargy and lassitude. The *Ling Shu* states: The brain is the sea of marrow. If the sea of marrow is insufficient, dizziness, tinnitus, soreness, vertigo, blindness, and lethargy with a desire to lie down occur. Lu Lianghou stated: Acupoints for treating bone disorders are mostly located at joint intersections, where marrow channels exist. Therefore, excessive needling injures the marrow. Regarding the essentials of needling, the primary prohibition is against being too excessive. Hence, it is said, "Reach the appropriate level, do not exceed the proper boundary." This chapter first discusses the dangers of excessive needling.)