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Huangdi Neijing · The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon
Lingshu 27 · Circulating Obstruction
Read in English. Switch to Original for word notes, or select text to ask a question.
The Yellow Emperor asked Qi Bo: “Circulating obstruction in the body moves upward and downward along the vessels, responding above and below, left and right, without an empty interval. I wish to hear whether this pain lies within blood vessels or between divisions of flesh, and what brings it about. Sometimes it moves before a needle can be placed. Before its gripping pain can be settled for treatment, it has already stopped. By what course does this happen? I wish to hear the reason.”
Qi Bo replied: “This is multiple obstruction, not circulating obstruction.”
The Yellow Emperor said: “I wish to hear about multiple obstruction.”
Qi Bo replied: “Each remains in its own place, taking turns in arising and stopping, settling and rising. The right responds to the left and the left to the right. It does not circulate: the sites take turns in flaring and resting.”
The Yellow Emperor said: “Good. How is it needled?”
Qi Bo replied: “In needling this, even if pain has stopped, one must needle its site so it does not arise again.”
The Yellow Emperor said: “Good. I wish to hear what circulating obstruction is like.”
Qi Bo replied: “Circulating obstruction is within blood vessels. It follows vessels upward and downward but cannot move left and right; each course corresponds to its own place.”
The Yellow Emperor said: “How is it needled?”
Qi Bo replied: “If pain descends from above, first needle below to allow its passage, then above to release it. If pain rises from below, first needle above to allow its passage, then below to release it.”
The Yellow Emperor said: “Good. Where does this pain arise, and from what does it receive its name?”
Qi Bo replied: “Wind, cold and damp qi lodge between the outer divisions of flesh. Pressure produces frothy fluid. When this fluid meets cold it gathers; gathered, it pushes apart and splits the divisions of flesh. Splitting causes pain; pain draws spirit to it. The arrival of spirit brings heat, and heat releases pain. When pain releases, reversal follows and obstruction arises elsewhere. Each attack proceeds in this way.”
The Emperor said: “Good. I have grasped its meaning. This lies neither internally in the zang nor outwardly at the skin, but stays between divisions of flesh. True qi cannot circulate, so it is called circulating obstruction. Thus, in needling obstruction, first palpate and follow the six channels below, observing emptiness and repletion, blood bound and blocked in the great networks, and empty places where vessels have sunk. Regulate them, warm them to open passage, and turn and draw the contracted, hard parts to make movement possible.”
The Yellow Emperor said: “Good. I have grasped its meaning and its practice: the nine, the principle of jing-xun, and the yin and yang illnesses of the twelve channel vessels.”
The closing phrase “九者，經巽之理” is compressed and textually uncertain. “The nine” and jing-xun are retained without inventing a missing list or a secure technical definition.
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