Huangdi Neijing
The Huangdi Neijing is divided into two parts: Ling Shu and Su Wen, and is one of the earliest medical texts in China, recognized as one of the four classic works of traditional medicine.The Huangdi Neijing is a comprehensive medical book that establishes the theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) such as the Yin-Yang and Five Elements theory, pulse diagnosis, organ theory, meridian theory, etiology, pathogenesis, symptoms, diagnostic methods, treatment principles, and health preservation and Qi regulation theories based on the Daoist philosophy of Huang-Lao.The fundamental materials are derived from the ancient Chinese people’s long-term observations of life phenomena, extensive clinical practices, and basic anatomical knowledge. The Huangdi Neijing lays the foundation for understanding human physiology, pathology, diagnosis, and treatment, and is regarded as a highly influential medical work in China, known as the ancestor of medicine.
Original Text and Translation of the Huangdi Neijing
Volume One: Su Wen
On the Discussion of Ancient Naturalness
[Key Points of this Chapter]
1. Explains the positive significance of health preservation.
It can not only prevent diseases but is also an effective measure for prolonging life.
2. Specifically points out the methods of health preservation: mental cultivation; regulation of diet and daily activities; adaptation to environmental climate; physical exercise.
3. The processes of life, growth, decline, and aging, as well as reproductive functions, are primarily determined by the rise and fall of Kidney Qi.
4. Lists four different health preservation methods and outcomes to enlighten people on the importance of health preservation for disease prevention and longevity.
[Original Text]
In ancient times, the Yellow Emperor was born with divine intelligence, spoke at a young age, understood things quickly in childhood, was diligent and earnest in adulthood, and ascended to the throne as an emperor.
He then asked the heavenly master: I have heard that people in ancient times lived over a hundred years, and their movements showed no signs of decline; while people today, at fifty years of age, show signs of weakness. Is this due to the difference in times, or is it because people today do not know how to preserve their health?
Qi Bo replied: The people of ancient times, those who understood the way of health preservation, followed the principles of Yin and Yang, harmonized with the laws of nature, regulated their diet and drink, maintained regular daily activities, did not engage in excessive labor, thus their body and spirit thrived together, and they lived to their natural lifespan, exceeding a hundred years before departing from this world.
People today are not like that; they treat wine as water, indulge excessively, make abnormal living habits, drunkenly engage in sexual activities, deplete their essence through indulgence, dissipate their true Qi, do not know how to maintain fullness, do not manage their spirit in a timely manner, seek only momentary pleasures, go against the joys of life, and have no regularity in their daily activities, hence they decline by the age of fifty.
Those ancient sages taught that one should avoid evil winds and harmful influences at the right time, maintain a tranquil and empty mind, let true Qi flow smoothly, and guard the spirit within, thus diseases have no source to arise from. Therefore, people can have a tranquil mind, few desires, a calm heart without fear, work without fatigue, and their Qi flows smoothly, allowing everyone to fulfill their wishes.
Thus, they find all food delicious, wear whatever they like, enjoy their customs, and live happily, regardless of social status, they do not envy each other, hence they are called simple and unadorned.
Therefore, no improper desires can disturb their eyes, lewdness cannot confuse their hearts,whether foolish or wise, virtuous or unworthy,they are not troubled by external things,thus they align with the Dao.
Thus, they can live over a hundred years without showing signs of decline, due to their complete virtue and lack of danger.
The Emperor said: When a person ages and has no children, is it due to exhaustion of resources? Is it the will of heaven?
Qi Bo said: A girl at seven years old has abundant Kidney Qi, her teeth change and her hair grows long.
At fourteen, the Heavenly Gui arrives, the Ren Meridian is open, the Tai Chong Meridian is strong, and menstruation occurs regularly, thus she can have children.
At twenty-one, the Kidney Qi is balanced, thus her permanent teeth grow and reach their full length.
At twenty-eight, her muscles and bones are strong, her hair grows to its fullest, and her body is at its strongest.
At thirty-five, the Yangming Meridian weakens, her face begins to wither, and her hair starts to fall out.
At forty-two, the three Yang Meridians weaken, her face becomes haggard, and her hair begins to turn white.
At forty-nine, the Ren Meridian is weak, the Tai Chong Meridian weakens, the Heavenly Gui is exhausted, and menstruation ceases, thus the body ages and loses the ability to bear children.
A boy at eight years old has abundant Kidney Qi, his hair grows long and his teeth change.
At sixteen, the Kidney Qi is strong, the Heavenly Gui arrives, and the essence overflows, thus he can have children.
At twenty-four, the Kidney Qi is full, his muscles and bones are strong, and his permanent teeth grow fully.
At thirty-two, his muscles and bones are robust, and his flesh is full and strong.
At forty, the Kidney Qi declines, his hair begins to fall out, and his teeth begin to decay.
At forty-eight, the upper Yang Qi gradually declines, his face becomes haggard, and his hair turns gray.
At fifty-six, the Liver Qi weakens, and the movement of muscles and bones becomes less agile.
At sixty-four, the Heavenly Gui is exhausted, essence is low, the kidneys weaken, and hair and teeth fall out, and the body becomes fatigued.
The Kidneys govern water, receiving and storing the essence of the five organs and six bowels, thus when the five organs are strong, they can overflow.
Now, as the five organs weaken, the muscles and bones become slack, the Heavenly Gui is exhausted, hence the hair turns white, the body becomes heavy, the steps unsteady, and one cannot have children.
The Emperor said: What is the reason for those who are old yet still have children?
Qi Bo said: This is due to their innate vitality exceeding that of others, their Qi and meridians remain open, and they have surplus Kidney Qi. Although they can have children, men generally do not exceed sixty-four years, and women do not exceed forty-nine years, after which their essence is exhausted.
The Emperor said: Can those who understand the way of health preservation live to be a hundred and still have children?
Qi Bo said: Those who understand the way of health preservation can resist aging and maintain their form; although they are old, they can still have children.
The Emperor said: I have heard that in ancient times there were those called true people, who grasped the changes of heaven and earth, could regulate their breath, stood alone guarding their spirit, their muscles and flesh were unified, thus they could live as long as heaven and earth, without an end; this is the result of their Daoist cultivation.
In the middle ages, there were those called sages, who possessed pure virtue and fully understood the way of health preservation, harmonized with the changes of Yin and Yang, distanced themselves from worldly life, accumulated essence and preserved spirit, roamed between heaven and earth, and their vision and hearing extended beyond the ordinary; this indeed enhanced their lifespan and strength, and they also belong to the category of true people.
Next, there are those called saints, who dwell in harmony with heaven and earth, follow the principles of the eight winds, adapt their desires to the customs of the world, harbor no anger or hatred, act without wanting to separate from the world, wear simple clothing, and do not seek to be noticed by society; externally, they do not overexert their bodies, and internally, they have no burdensome thoughts, aiming for tranquility and joy, achieving self-contentment, thus their bodies do not easily decay, and their spirits do not easily dissipate, allowing them to also reach a hundred years.
Next, there are those called wise people, who follow the laws of heaven and earth, resemble the sun and moon, discern the positions of the stars, follow the changes of Yin and Yang, and adapt to the changes of the four seasons, thus they can also enhance their lifespan, but they still have an end.
[Notes]
1. Heavenly Master: A title the Yellow Emperor used to address Qi Bo.
2. Harmonizing with the laws: Refers to using appropriate health preservation methods to harmonize the body.
3. Tranquility and emptiness: Tranquility refers to being calm and quiet; emptiness refers to having no distracting thoughts; tranquility and emptiness mean having a calm and quiet heart without any distractions.
4. Heavenly Gui: Refers to the innate essence stored in the kidneys, which promotes the development of reproductive functions.
5. Grasping heaven and earth: Refers to being able to master the laws of natural changes.
6. Anger and hatred: Anger refers to rage; hatred refers to resentment; generally refers to feelings of anger and hatred.
[Translation]
In ancient times, the Yellow Emperor was born very intelligent, spoke well at a young age, quickly understood things in childhood, was diligent and earnest in adulthood, and ascended to the throne as an emperor. He asked Qi Bo: I have heard that in ancient times, people lived over a hundred years, and their movements showed no signs of decline; while people today, at fifty years of age, show signs of weakness. Is this due to the difference in times, or is it because people today do not know how to preserve their health?
Qi Bo replied: The people of ancient times, those who understood the way of health preservation, could take the principles of Yin and Yang and harmonize with the laws of nature, regulate their diet and drink, maintain regular daily activities, did not engage in excessive labor, thus their body and spirit thrived together, and they lived to their natural lifespan, exceeding a hundred years before departing from this world; people today are not like that, they treat wine as water, indulge excessively, make abnormal living habits, drunkenly engage in sexual activities, deplete their essence through indulgence, dissipate their true Qi, do not know how to maintain fullness, do not manage their spirit in a timely manner, seek only momentary pleasures, go against the joys of life, and have no regularity in their daily activities, hence they decline by the age of fifty.
Those ancient sages taught that one should avoid evil winds and harmful influences at the right time, maintain a tranquil and empty mind, let true Qi flow smoothly, and guard the spirit within, thus diseases have no source to arise from. Therefore, people can have a tranquil mind, few desires, a calm heart without fear, work without fatigue, and their Qi flows smoothly, allowing everyone to fulfill their wishes.
Thus, they find all food delicious, wear whatever they like, enjoy their customs, and live happily, regardless of social status, they do not envy each other, hence they are called simple and unadorned.
Therefore, no improper desires can disturb their eyes, lewdness cannot confuse their hearts,whether foolish or wise, virtuous or unworthy,they are not troubled by external things,thus they align with the Dao.
Thus, they can live over a hundred years without showing signs of decline, due to their complete virtue and lack of danger.
The Emperor said: When a person ages and has no children, is it due to exhaustion of resources? Is it the will of heaven?
Qi Bo said: A girl at seven years old has abundant Kidney Qi, her teeth change and her hair grows long.
At fourteen, the Heavenly Gui arrives, the Ren Meridian is open, the Tai Chong Meridian is strong, and menstruation occurs regularly, thus she can have children.
At twenty-one, the Kidney Qi is balanced, thus her permanent teeth grow and reach their full length.
At twenty-eight, her muscles and bones are strong, her hair grows to its fullest, and her body is at its strongest.
At thirty-five, the Yangming Meridian weakens, her face begins to wither, and her hair starts to fall out.
At forty-two, the three Yang Meridians weaken, her face becomes haggard, and her hair begins to turn white.
At forty-nine, the Ren Meridian is weak, the Tai Chong Meridian weakens, the Heavenly Gui is exhausted, and menstruation ceases, thus the body ages and loses the ability to bear children.
A boy at eight years old has abundant Kidney Qi, his hair grows long and his teeth change.
At sixteen, the Kidney Qi is strong, the Heavenly Gui arrives, and the essence overflows, thus he can have children.
At twenty-four, the Kidney Qi is full, his muscles and bones are strong, and his permanent teeth grow fully.
At thirty-two, his muscles and bones are robust, and his flesh is full and strong.
At forty, the Kidney Qi declines, his hair begins to fall out, and his teeth begin to decay.
At forty-eight, the upper Yang Qi gradually declines, his face becomes haggard, and his hair turns gray.
At fifty-six, the Liver Qi weakens, and the movement of muscles and bones becomes less agile.
At sixty-four, the Heavenly Gui is exhausted, essence is low, the kidneys weaken, and hair and teeth fall out, and the body becomes fatigued.
The Kidneys govern water, receiving and storing the essence of the five organs and six bowels, thus when the five organs are strong, they can overflow.
Now, as the five organs weaken, the muscles and bones become slack, the Heavenly Gui is exhausted, hence the hair turns white, the body becomes heavy, the steps unsteady, and one cannot have children.
The Emperor said: What is the reason for those who are old yet still have children?
Qi Bo said: This is due to their innate vitality exceeding that of others, their Qi and meridians remain open, and they have surplus Kidney Qi. Although they can have children, men generally do not exceed sixty-four years, and women do not exceed forty-nine years, after which their essence is exhausted.
The Emperor said: Can those who understand the way of health preservation live to be a hundred and still have children?
Qi Bo said: Those who understand the way of health preservation can resist aging and maintain their form; although they are old, they can still have children.
The Emperor said: I have heard that in ancient times there were those called true people, who grasped the changes of heaven and earth, could regulate their breath, stood alone guarding their spirit, their muscles and flesh were unified, thus they could live as long as heaven and earth, without an end; this is the result of their Daoist cultivation.
In the middle ages, there were those called sages, who possessed pure virtue and fully understood the way of health preservation, harmonized with the changes of Yin and Yang, distanced themselves from worldly life, accumulated essence and preserved spirit, roamed between heaven and earth, and their vision and hearing extended beyond the ordinary; this indeed enhanced their lifespan and strength, and they also belong to the category of true people.
Next, there are those called saints, who dwell in harmony with heaven and earth, follow the principles of the eight winds, adapt their desires to the customs of the world, harbor no anger or hatred, act without wanting to separate from the world, wear simple clothing, and do not seek to be noticed by society; externally, they do not overexert their bodies, and internally, they have no burdensome thoughts, aiming for tranquility and joy, achieving self-contentment, thus their bodies do not easily decay, and their spirits do not easily dissipate, allowing them to also reach a hundred years.
Next, there are those called wise people, who follow the laws of heaven and earth, resemble the sun and moon, discern the positions of the stars, follow the changes of Yin and Yang, and adapt to the changes of the four seasons, thus they can also enhance their lifespan, but they still have an end.
[Notes]
1. Heavenly Master: A title the Yellow Emperor used to address Qi Bo.
2. Harmonizing with the laws: Refers to using appropriate health preservation methods to harmonize the body.
3. Tranquility and emptiness: Tranquility refers to being calm and quiet; emptiness refers to having no distracting thoughts; tranquility and emptiness mean having a calm and quiet heart without any distractions.
4. Heavenly Gui: Refers to the innate essence stored in the kidneys, which promotes the development of reproductive functions.
5. Grasping heaven and earth: Refers to being able to master the laws of natural changes.
6. Anger and hatred: Anger refers to rage; hatred refers to resentment; generally refers to feelings of anger and hatred.