The Yellow Emperor’s Inquiry: The Four Seas of the Human Body

The Yellow Emperor asked Qi Bo: “When you talk about acupuncture techniques, you always mention the defensive qi, nourishing qi, and blood. The twelve meridians in the human body, which circulate the defensive and nourishing qi and blood, are internally connected to the five viscera and six fu organs, and externally linked to the limbs and joints. Can you relate them to the Four Seas?” Qi Bo replied: “The human body also has Four Seas and twelve meridian waters corresponding to the twelve meridians. The meridian waters all flow into the seas, and since there are four seas in nature – East, South, West, and North – these are referred to as the Four Seas.”

The Yellow Emperor said: “How does the human body correspond to the Four Seas?” Qi Bo said: “The human body has the Sea of Marrow, the Sea of Blood, the Sea of Qi, and the Sea of Water and Grains, which correspond to the Four Seas of nature.”

The Yellow Emperor said: “This is indeed a profound question. You relate the Four Seas of the human body to the Four Seas of nature. How do they correspond?” Qi Bo answered: “One must first clarify the distribution of yin and yang, exterior and interior, as well as the points of the meridians, to determine the Four Seas of the human body.”

The Yellow Emperor said: “How are the locations of the Four Seas and the important acupoints of the meridians determined?” Qi Bo said: “The stomach receives water and grains, hence it is the Sea of Water and Grains. The important acupoints where the qi and blood of the stomach are transported are Qi Chong point above and Zu San Li point below; the Chong pulse is closely related to the twelve meridians, so it is the Sea of the Twelve Meridians. The important acupoints where the qi and blood of the Chong pulse are transported are Da Shu point above and Shang Ju Xu and Xia Ju Xu points below; the Dantian is where the ancestral qi gathers, so it is called the Sea of Qi. The important acupoints where the qi and blood of the Dantian are transported are the Yan Men point and Da Zhui point above the Tianshu bone, and the Ren Ying point in front; the brain is filled with marrow, so the brain is the Sea of Marrow. The important acupoints where the qi and blood of the brain are transported are the Bai Hui point in the center of the skull above and the Feng Fu point below.”

The Yellow Emperor said: “How do these Four Seas nourish and harm the human body? And how do they promote and consume life activities?” Qi Bo said: “If the functions of the Four Seas are normal, the vitality is strong; if the functions of the Four Seas are abnormal, the life activities will be weakened. Nourishing the Four Seas is beneficial to health, and not being good at nourishing the Four Seas will cause harm to the body.”

The Yellow Emperor said: “What are the normal and abnormal conditions of the Four Seas?” Qi Bo said: “If there is an excess of evil qi in the Sea of Qi, symptoms such as chest fullness, rapid breathing, and red face will appear; if there is a deficiency of healthy qi in the Sea of Qi, symptoms such as low voice and weak speech will appear. If there is an excess of evil qi in the Sea of Blood, one will often feel bloated and uncomfortable, but does not know what the disease is. If there is an excess of evil qi in the Sea of Water and Grains, one will get abdominal distension; if there is a deficiency of healthy qi in the Sea of Water and Grains, one will have symptoms of hunger but not wanting to eat. If there is an excess of evil qi in the Sea of Marrow, one’s movements will be too light and strong, and one’s behavior will be out of control; if there is a deficiency of healthy qi in the Sea of Marrow, symptoms such as dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision, weak legs, blindness, general laziness, and a constant desire to lie down will appear.”

The Yellow Emperor said: “How are the diseases of the Four Seas treated?” Qi Bo said: “The important acupoints where the Four Seas are transported should be examined, and their deficiency and excess should be regulated, but the treatment principle of supplementing the deficient and draining the excessive should not be violated, so as not to cause serious consequences. Treating according to this principle can make the body recover, otherwise, there is a risk of death.” The Yellow Emperor said: “Well said!”