The Yellow Emperor’s Wisdom: Acupuncture and Vital Energy

The Yellow Emperor asked Qi Bo: “The general principles of acupuncture must be based on the fundamental activities of human life. This is because blood, vessels, nutrients, qi (vital energy), essence, and spirit are all substances and driving forces stored in the five viscera to maintain life activities. If the seven emotions are excessive, causing them to separate from the internal organs, then the vital energy will disperse, the soul and魄 (po, the life force) will become unstable and flutter, the will has no master and is confused, and the ability to think and make decisions is lost. What is the cause of this? Is it a natural disaster or a human error? What are virtue, qi, life, essence, spirit, soul, 魄 (po), heart, will, thought, wisdom, and consideration? Please teach me the principles behind these.”

Qi Bo replied: “What heaven bestows upon humans is ‘virtue’ (such as the climate, sunlight, and rain in the natural world), and what earth bestows upon humans is ‘qi’ (such as the products on the ground). Therefore, because the virtue of heaven descends and the qi of earth ascends, the combination of yin and yang enables the transformation and birth of all things, allowing humans to survive. The original material of human life is called essence; the vitality formed by the combination of the essence of men and women during intercourse is called spirit; the mental activities that follow the coming and going of spirit and qi are called soul; the innate instincts that follow essence are called 魄 (po); after脱离 (tuo li, detachment from) the mother’s body, what dominates life activities is called heart; what the heart remembers but has not yet decided is called will; when the will has been considered and decided, it is called intention; thinking repeatedly based on intention is called thought; the scope of thinking from near to far is called consideration; and handling things resolutely after consideration is called wisdom.”

Therefore, intelligent people who take care of their bodies must follow the changes of the four seasons and adapt to the cold and heat of the climate, not let joy and anger be excessive, pay attention to normal diet and daily routines, restrain the bias of yin and yang, and adjust the activities of rigidity and softness. In this way, the evil qi of the four seasons that is not correct is also difficult to invade, and thus can achieve longevity and not easy to age.

Excessive fear and worry can damage the heart spirit, and the spirit is injured, and the emotion of fear is revealed outside from time to time. Because of excessive sadness, the liver is injured internally, which can cause the healthy qi to be exhausted and even die. Excessive joy makes the spirit qi disperse and not stay. Excessive worry causes the qi mechanism to be blocked and not pass. After great anger, it can make the spirit unconscious. Excessive fear also makes the spirit qi disperse and not be collected.

The heart is injured by fear and excessive worry, and the spirit stored in it is injured. When the spirit is injured, it will be afraid from time to time, and cannot control itself. Over time, the large flesh will become thin, the skin and hair will be withered, the complexion will be withered, and death will occur in winter.

The spleen is injured by unresolved worry, and the will stored in it is injured. When the will is injured, it will cause chest and diaphragm discomfort, weak movement of hands and feet, withered skin and hair, withered complexion, and death in spring.

The liver is injured by excessive sadness, and the soul stored in it is injured. When the soul is injured, it will be reckless and not clear, abnormal behavior, and at the same time, it will cause the front yin to shrink, the sinews and veins to be cramped, the two ribs cannot be expanded, the skin and hair are withered, the complexion is withered, and death occurs in autumn.

The lung is injured by excessive joy, and the 魄 (po) stored in it is injured. When the 魄 (po) is injured, it will cause madness, incoherent speech, withered skin and flesh, withered complexion, and death in summer.

The kidney is injured by unceasing great anger, and the will stored in it is injured. When the will is injured, it will cause memory decline, the waist and spine cannot bend and turn, the skin and hair are withered, the complexion is withered, and death occurs in summer.

Also, unresolved fear injures the essence. When the essence is injured, the bones and joints become sour and weak, the limbs become cold, and the semen flows out from time to time. Therefore, the five viscera are all in charge of storing essence and cannot be damaged. If they are damaged, the stored essence will be out of control, resulting in yin deficiency. When yin is insufficient, the source of healthy qi transformation is cut off. Without healthy qi, people will die.

Therefore, when treating diseases with acupuncture, one should carefully observe the patient’s expression and symptoms to understand whether there are any gains or losses in their essence, spirit, soul, 魄 (po), will, and intention. If the essence of the five viscera has been damaged, acupuncture treatment should not be used indiscriminately.

The liver is in charge of storing blood, and the blood houses the soul. When the liver qi is deficient, it is easy to produce fear, and when the liver qi is excessive, it is easy to become angry.

The spleen is in charge of storing nutrients, and the nutrients house the will. When the spleen qi is deficient, the limbs cannot move, and the five viscera lack nutrients and cannot function normally. When the spleen qi is excessive, it causes abdominal distension and不利 (bu li,不利) urination and defecation.

The heart is in charge of storing blood vessels, and the blood vessels house the spirit. When the heart qi is deficient, it is easy to produce sadness, and when the heart qi is excessive, it causes incessant laughter.

The lung is in charge of storing qi, and the qi houses the 魄 (po). When the lung qi is deficient, it causes nasal congestion, difficult breathing, and shortness of breath. When the lung qi is excessive, it causes rapid breathing, chest fullness, and breathing with the face up.

The kidney is in charge of storing essence, and the essence houses the will. When the kidney qi is deficient, it causes cold limbs, and when the kidney qi is excessive, it causes lower abdominal distension. When the five viscera have diseases, their symptoms must be carefully examined, and then the symptoms are analyzed to determine whether they are virtual or real, and then they are treated cautiously.