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Huangdi Neijing · The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon
Lingshu 41 · Yin and Yang Linked to Sun and Moon
Read in English. Switch to Original for word notes, or select text to ask a question.
The Yellow Emperor said: “I have heard that heaven is yang and earth yin, the sun yang and the moon yin. How are these joined to the person?”
Qi Bo said: “Above the waist corresponds to heaven and below the waist to earth; thus heaven is yang and earth yin. The twelve channel vessels of the feet correspond to the twelve months. The moon arises from Water, so what is below is yin. The ten fingers of the hands correspond to the ten days. The sun governs Fire, so what is above is yang.”
The Yellow Emperor said: “How are these joined to the vessels?”
Qi Bo said: “Yin is the first month, when yang is born, governing left Foot Shaoyang. Wei is the sixth month, governing right Foot Shaoyang. Mao is the second month, governing left Foot Taiyang. Wu is the fifth month, governing right Foot Taiyang. Chen is the third month, governing left Foot Yangming. Si is the fourth month, governing right Foot Yangming. These two yang join in front, hence the name Yangming.
“Shen is the seventh month, when yin is born, governing right Foot Shaoyin. Chou is the twelfth month, governing left Foot Shaoyin. You is the eighth month, governing right Foot Taiyin. Zi is the eleventh month, governing left Foot Taiyin. Xu is the ninth month, governing right Foot Jueyin. Hai is the tenth month, governing left Foot Jueyin. These two yin meet and reach their end, hence the name Jueyin.”
The branch Yin in the first row is a calendrical name, distinct from yin in the yin–yang pair. The months and branch assignments remain those of the source, without conversion to modern calendar dates.
Jia governs left Hand Shaoyang; Ji, right Hand Shaoyang. Yi governs left Hand Taiyang; Wu, right Hand Taiyang. Bing governs left Hand Yangming; Ding, right Hand Yangming. These two Fires join together, hence Yangming. Geng governs right Hand Shaoyin; Gui, left Hand Shaoyin. Xin governs right Hand Taiyin; Ren, left Hand Taiyin.
These are the ten stem assignments supplied by the text. No additional Jueyin pair is inserted.
Thus the yang of the feet is lesser yang within yin; the yin of the feet is greater yin within yin. The yang of the hands is greater yang within yang; the yin of the hands is lesser yin within yang. Above the waist is yang, below it yin.
Among the five zang, the Heart is greater yang within yang; the Lung lesser yin within yang; the Liver lesser yang within yin; the Spleen utmost yin within yin; and the Kidney greater yin within yin.
The Yellow Emperor said: “How are these used in treatment?”
Qi Bo said: “In the first, second and third months, human qi is on the left: do not needle the yang of the left foot. In the fourth, fifth and sixth months, qi is on the right: do not needle the yang of the right foot. In the seventh, eighth and ninth months, qi is on the right: do not needle the yin of the right foot. In the tenth, eleventh and twelfth months, qi is on the left: do not needle the yin of the left foot.”
The Yellow Emperor said: “In the five phases, the east, Jia and Yi, and Wood rule spring. Spring is blue-green and governs the Liver, which is Foot Jueyin. Yet you assign Jia to left Hand Shaoyang. Why does this not agree with the numerical ordering?”
Qi Bo said: “This is the yin and yang of heaven and earth, not the sequential movement of the four seasons and five phases. Yin and yang have names but no fixed form. They may be counted as ten, extended to a hundred, counted as a thousand and extended to ten thousand. This is what is meant.”
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