天不足西北,故西北方阴也,而人右耳目不如左明也。地不满东南,故东南方
阳也,而人左手足不如右强
也。东方,阳也。阳者,其精并于上,并于上则上明而下虚,故使耳目聪明而手足不
便也。西方,阴也。阴者,其精并于下,并于下则下盛而上虚,故其耳目不聪而手足便
也。故俱感于邪,其在上,则右甚;在下,则左甚。此天地阴阳所不能存也,故邪居
之。故天有精,地有形;天有八纪,地有五里,故能为万物之父母。清阳上天,浊阴归
地,是故天地之动静,神明之纲纪,故能以生长收藏,终而复始。惟贤人上配天以养头,
下象地以养足,中傍人事以养五脏。天气通于肺,地气通于嗌,风气通于肝,雷气通于
心,谷气通于脾,雨气通于肾。六经为川,肠胃为海,九窍为水注之器。以天地为之阴
阳,阳之汗,以天地之雨名之∶阳之气,以天地之疾风名之。暴风象雷,逆风象阳。故治
不法天之纪,不用地之理,则灾害至矣。故邪风之至,疾如风雨。故善治者,
治皮毛,其次治肌肤,其次治筋脉,其次治六腑,其次治五脏。治五脏者,半死半生也。故
天之邪气,感则害人五脏;水谷之寒热,感则害人六腑;地之湿气,感则害人皮肤筋脉。
故善用针者,从阴引阳,从阳引阴,以右治左,以左治右,以我知彼,以表知里,以观过与
不及之理,见微得过,用之不殆。
天的能量在西北方有所不足,所以西北方属于阴,因此人的右耳和右眼的视力不如左耳和左眼敏锐。地的形态在东南方有所亏缺,所以东南方属于阳,因此人的左手足不如右手足强壮有力。东方属阳,阳气汇聚于上部,汇聚于上部则上部清明而下部虚弱,所以使人耳目灵敏而手足不便。西方属阴,阴气汇聚于下部,汇聚于下部则下部充实而上部虚弱,所以使人耳目不灵敏而手足便利。因此,如果人体同时受到邪气侵袭,病邪在上部,则右侧症状严重;在下部,则左侧症状严重。这是天地阴阳之气无法完全均衡覆盖的地方,所以邪气容易停留于此。所以天有精气,地有形质;天有八节纪时,地有五方地域,因此能作为万物的父母。清阳之气上升归于天,浊阴之气下降归于地,因此天地的动静变化,构成了神明运行的纲纪,从而能够主宰万物的生长收藏,循环往复,终而复始。只有贤明之人,上法天以养护头部,下法地以养护足部,中参人事以养护五脏。天气与肺相通,地气与咽喉相通,风气与肝相通,雷气与心相通,谷气与脾相通,雨气与肾相通。六经如同河流,肠胃如同大海,九窍如同水流注入的器具。用天地的阴阳来比喻人体的阴阳,阳气的汗出,用天地的雨水来命名;阳气的运行,用天地的疾风来命名。暴风像雷,逆风像阳。所以治疗如果不效法天的规律,不使用地的道理,那么灾害就会降临。所以邪风的到来,快如风雨。所以善于治疗的人,在皮毛阶段就进行治疗,其次在肌肤阶段治疗,其次在筋脉阶段治疗,其次在六腑阶段治疗,其次在五脏阶段治疗。一旦病邪深入五脏,患者便是一半死亡一半存活(预后极差)。所以天之邪气,侵入后伤害五脏;水谷的寒热之邪,侵入后伤害六腑;地的湿气,侵入后伤害皮肤和筋脉。所以善于使用针法的人,从阴分引导阳分的气机,从阳分引导阴分的气机,通过治疗右侧来治愈左侧,通过治疗左侧来治愈右侧,由自身的情况推知病人的情况,由表证推知里证,观察太过与不及的道理,发现微小的异常就能得知病变所在,这样使用针法就不会有危险。
Heaven's energy is insufficient in the northwest, therefore the northwest belongs to Yin; consequently, a person's right ear and eye are not as acute as the left. Earth's form is incomplete in the southeast, therefore the southeast belongs to Yang; consequently, a person's left hand and foot are not as strong as the right. The East belongs to Yang. Yang energy gathers in the upper part; when it gathers in the upper part, the upper becomes clear and the lower becomes deficient, thus making the ears and eyes sharp but the hands and feet inconvenient. The West belongs to Yin. Yin energy gathers in the lower part; when it gathers in the lower part, the lower becomes abundant and the upper becomes deficient, thus making the ears and eyes less acute but the hands and feet convenient. Therefore, if simultaneously affected by pathogenic factors, if the pathogen is in the upper part, the right side is more severe; if in the lower part, the left side is more severe. This is where the Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth cannot fully exist, so pathogens reside there. Thus, Heaven has essence, Earth has form; Heaven has eight seasonal markers, Earth has five regions, thereby serving as the parents of all things. Clear Yang ascends to Heaven, Turbid Yin descends to Earth. Thus, the movement and stillness of Heaven and Earth constitute the principles of Divine Spirit, enabling the growth, flourishing, storage, and collection of all things, ending and beginning again. Only the wise person models themselves on Heaven above to nourish the head, on Earth below to nourish the feet, and aligns with human affairs in the middle to nourish the Zang organs. Heavenly Qi connects with the Lung, Earthly Qi connects with the throat, Wind Qi connects with the Liver, Thunder Qi connects with the Heart, Grain Qi connects with the Spleen, and Rain Qi connects with the Kidney. The Six Channels (Liu Jing) are like rivers, the intestines and stomach are like seas, and the nine orifices are vessels into which water flows. Using Heaven and Earth to represent Yin and Yang: the sweat of Yang Qi is named after the rain of Heaven and Earth; the Qi of Yang is named after the fierce wind of Heaven and Earth. Violent wind resembles Thunder, contrary wind resembles Yang. Therefore, if treatment does not follow the laws of Heaven or utilize the principles of Earth, disasters will arrive. Thus, the arrival of pathogenic winds is swift like wind and rain. Therefore, a skilled practitioner treats at the level of the skin and hair first, then the muscles and skin, then the sinews and vessels, then the Fu organs, and finally the Zang organs. Treating diseases that have reached the Zang organs results in a prognosis of half dead and half alive. Thus, pathogenic Qi from Heaven, once contracted, harms the Zang organs; cold and heat from food and drink, once contracted, harm the Fu organs; dampness from Earth, once contracted, harms the skin and sinews/vessels. Therefore, a skilled acupuncturist draws Yang from Yin, draws Yin from Yang, treats the right to cure the left, treats the left to cure the right, knows the other through oneself, knows the interior through the exterior, observes the principles of excess and deficiency, detects faults from subtle signs, and thus uses these methods without peril.