HJ V03 Keeping the Fire Alight
HJ03
Health & Wellbeing · Understand Chinese Medicine
The Yellow Emperor's Classic for Modern Life
Ancient Wisdom for Health, Balance and Living Well
Huangdi Neijing · Suwen Volume 3
The Treatise on Vital Qi Communicating with Heaven
Fang Tianliang
Volume 3, final · October 2026
About This Series
The Yellow Emperor's Classic for Modern Life is Fang Tianliang's series of ebooks on the Suwen (Basic Questions) of the Huangdi Neijing, the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic.
The Suwen has eighty-one chapters. In this series each chapter is a book in its own right, with eighty-one books in Chinese and eighty-one in English. Each book can be read on its own, or together with others as a themed set or the complete collection.
Each book usually includes the classical text with a plain-language explanation, a reading of the chapter, what modern medicine says on related topics, practical suggestions for everyday life, and the warning signs that mean you should seek medical help promptly. The concepts of Chinese medicine in these books are the theoretical language of a traditional system; they are not modern medical diagnoses, and nothing here replaces diagnosis and treatment by a doctor.
This book: Huangdi Neijing · Suwen, Volume 3 of 81. It contains Chapter 3 of the Suwen, The Treatise on Vital Qi Communicating with Heaven.
Previous: Volume 2, Living by the Seasons; Next: Volume 4, The Golden Cabinet.
A bilingual list of all eighty-one volumes appears in the appendix at the end of this book.
How the eighty-one chapters of the Suwen fit together
The grouping below is this series' own reading guide, not a division found in the ancient text.
Chapters | Main themes |
1–4 | The way of nurturing life, and humanity in harmony with heaven and earth: from Shang Gu Tian Zhen Lun to Jin Kui Zhen Yan Lun |
5–12 | Yin and yang, the organs and their outward signs: from Yin Yang Ying Xiang Da Lun to Yi Fa Fang Yi Lun |
13–30 | Diagnosis, principles of treatment and the channels: from Yi Jing Bian Qi Lun to Yangming Mai Jie Pian |
31–48 | Common disorders: fever, malarial illness, cough, pain, abdominal disorders, back pain, wind, bi, wei, jue and unusual illnesses |
49–65 | Channels, points and needling: from Mai Jie Pian to Biao Ben Bing Chuan Lun |
66–74 | The doctrine of the five movements and six qi: from Tian Yuan Ji Da Lun to Zhi Zhen Yao Da Lun (Chapters 72 and 73 are "lost chapters") |
75–81 | The way of medicine and the physician's character: from Zhu Zhi Jiao Lun to Jie Jing Wei Lun |
Suwen · Volume 3 Keeping the Fire Alight
— Where does our vitality come from, and how do we lose it?
阴平阳秘，精神乃治；阴阳离决，精气乃绝。
"When yin is calm and yang is sealed, the spirit is in good order. When yin and yang separate, the essence and qi are exhausted."
— Suwen, Chapter 3
Opening: one o'clock in the morning at the takeaway
James Zhou is fifty-two. (James and his story are a composite, fictional example used throughout this volume.) For more than twenty years he has run a Chinese takeaway in Melbourne, Australia.
The shop opens at four in the afternoon and closes at half past eleven at night. By the time the kitchen is clean and the till is counted, it is usually one in the morning. His dinner is whatever is left after closing — a big plate of fried rice or roast pork, with a can of beer — followed by the news on his phone. He rarely gets to sleep before two. In the morning he drives to the wholesale market for supplies.
He thinks of himself as strong: "I never get ill." But in recent years his temper has grown shorter. A bad review on a delivery app, a member of staff calling in sick, a supplier putting up prices — any of these can set him shouting in the kitchen. At a check-up, the doctor told him his blood pressure was high and suggested less salt and more exercise. He laughed: "In my line of work? When would I have time?"
Then, one evening last winter, after an argument with a delivery driver at the back door, the room suddenly went dark at the edges. His right hand could not grip the wok spatula, and for a few minutes his speech was slurred. His wife called the emergency number at once. At the hospital he was diagnosed with a transient ischaemic attack, or TIA — sometimes called a "mini-stroke".
One point needs to be made clearly. In this story the argument came first and the attack followed, but that does not mean anger caused this TIA. And sudden weakness on one side of the body or difficulty speaking always needs emergency help, whether or not it goes away on its own.
On the day he came home, his elderly mother rang. She used an old Chinese saying: ren huo yi kou qi — "a person lives by one breath of qi". "You've been spending that breath far too hard," she said.
Chinese people use this saying all the time, usually to mean "keep your spirits up" or "stand up for yourself". It also offers a way into the text we read in this chapter, the third chapter of the Suwen, the Shengqi Tongtian Lun. The ancient authors used the word qi to describe the activity of life and its connection with heaven and earth. Qi here does not simply mean one breath, and it cannot be equated with oxygen, calories or immunity in modern medicine. This chapter looks at how the classic understands the way life is sustained, spent and brought into harmony.
1. What this chapter is about
Where it sits, and what the title means
This treatise is the third chapter of the Suwen. The first asked why people age before their time; the second asked how to settle body and mind through the four seasons. The third turns inward and asks a more basic question: what is the force that keeps us alive?
The title has two parts:
• Shengqi, "vital qi" or "living qi": the inner force by which a person lives and grows. In everyday modern Chinese, shengqi can also mean "to get angry", but that is not the meaning here. Here it is the shengqi of something "full of life".
• Tongtian, "communicating with heaven": connected with heaven. The ancient authors held that the vital qi of a person and the qi of heaven, earth and nature flow into one another. A human being is not a closed system.
Put together, the treatise argues that our vitality is rooted in the yin and yang of heaven and earth and stays connected with them. Live in accord with this, and life is preserved; go against it, and life is spent.
A word on terms. Qi, yang qi and yin qi belong to the theoretical language of Chinese medicine — a set of concepts the ancient authors used to describe the activity of life. They do not correspond to any single substance or form of energy in modern physiology, and should not be translated simply as "immunity" or "metabolism". As in Volume 2, this chapter tries to keep three things apart: the traditional view of life in the Huangdi Neijing, relevant findings from modern science, and the author's own modern interpretations.
How the text is organised
The treatise is a little longer than the first two and falls into four parts:
• the general principle: "the root of life is rooted in yin and yang", and human life communicates with the qi of heaven;
• yang qi, centred on the line "yang qi is like heaven and the sun": why it matters, how it changes through the day, and how overwork, rage, rich food and sweating in the wind damage it;
• the relationship between yin and yang, summed up as "when yin is calm and yang is sealed, the spirit is in good order";
• the effects of seasonal harms and of the five flavours of food, ending with "carefully harmonise the five flavours".
A note on sources: quotations follow the standard received text of the Suwen (annotated by Wang Bing in the Tang dynasty and revised by Lin Yi and colleagues in the Song). The English renderings are the author's own and aim at clarity rather than literal translation. Some characters differ between editions — for example, in the matching of certain flavours and organs in the "five flavours" passage — and these are noted where they matter.
A note for readers: "heaven" in this chapter carries the sense of natural rhythms and the outer environment, but it also belongs to an ancient, holistic view in which heaven and humanity correspond. It cannot be reduced to the weather, sunlight or the modern body clock. "Communicating with heaven" is not an energy channel that modern physiology has confirmed.
2. "Yang qi is like heaven and the sun": the fire of life
The principle: life is rooted in yin and yang, and open to heaven
黄帝曰：夫自古通天者，生之本，本于阴阳。天地之间，六合之内，其气九州、九窍、五藏、十二节，皆通乎天气。
"The Yellow Emperor said: From ancient times, communication with heaven has been the root of life, and that root lies in yin and yang. Between heaven and earth, within the six directions, the qi of the nine provinces of the land and of the body's nine openings, five organs and twelve great joints all communicate with the qi of heaven."
This passage places the body and the cosmos on a single map: the land has nine provinces, the body has nine openings; heaven has its seasons, the body has its organs. Today we can see these correspondences as a form of ancient analogical thinking, not as literal anatomy or geography. But the idea behind them is clear: a person is part of heaven and earth, and the state of our life is constantly exchanging with, and being shaped by, the world around us.
Yang qi is like the sun
阳气者，若天与日，失其所则折寿而不彰，故天运当以日光明。是故阳因而上，卫外者也。
"Yang qi is like heaven and the sun. If it loses its proper place, life is cut short and does not shine. So the movement of heaven depends on the brightness of the sun. Thus yang rises upward and guards the outside."
This is the most famous line in the treatise, and an important source of the later emphasis on yang in Chinese medicine. Three points stand out.
• "Like heaven and the sun." Yang qi is compared to the sun: the light and warmth, drive and vigour of life. When someone is bright-eyed, warm-handed and full of energy, traditional language says their yang qi is abundant.
• "Its proper place." The key is not quantity but position and rhythm. More sun is not always better; what matters is that it rises and sets, each thing in its time.
• "Guards the outside." Yang qi is pictured as a city wall, protecting the body from harmful influences. This is a traditional theoretical image and should not be equated directly with modern immunology.
The three times of day
故阳气者，一日而主外，平旦人气生，日中而阳气隆，日西而阳气已虚，气门乃闭。是故暮而收拒，无扰筋骨，无见雾露，反此三时，形乃困薄。
"Yang qi governs the outside during the day. At dawn, human qi is born; at midday, yang qi is at its height; as the sun goes west, yang qi is already waning and the 'gates of qi' — the pores — close. So at dusk, draw in and keep guard: do not strain the sinews and bones, and do not go out into mist and dew. Go against these three times, and the body grows weary and weak."
Volume 2 was about the year; this passage is about the day. The ancient authors saw each day as a small year: dawn like spring, midday like summer, sunset like autumn, night like winter.
"At dusk, draw in and keep guard; do not strain the sinews and bones" — these words deserve special attention today. Evening is meant to be a time of drawing in: slowing down, avoiding heavy exertion, letting the body turn from the outward activity of the day to the inward rest of the night.
Lessons for today: many of us do exactly the opposite. We save the most intense things for night — late work, late hard workouts, late-night news and videos that set the heart racing, and the biggest meal of the day. James Zhou's routine is a textbook case of "going against the three times". Not everyone can choose their hours: night-shift workers, people in catering and parents of babies all face real limits. But even if your working hours cannot change, you can still try to keep a short time for "drawing in" — even half an hour with the screens off and a cup of something warm, so the body knows the day is over.
3. How yang qi is spent
Much of the treatise lists the ways yang qi is damaged. Reading these passages is a little like reading a two-thousand-year-old list of lifestyle risks.
Harms from outside: cold, summer heat, damp and wind
因于寒，欲如运枢，起居如惊，神气乃浮。因于暑，汗，烦则喘喝，静则多言，体若燔炭，汗出而散。因于湿，首如裹……
"When affected by cold, one should move like a door turning on its pivot; if daily life is hurried and alarmed, the spirit and qi float away. When affected by summer heat, there is sweating; when agitated, there is panting; when still, there is too much talking; the body burns like charcoal, and only sweating disperses the heat. When affected by damp, the head feels as if wrapped …"
These descriptions are the ancient authors' observations of how the body responds to climate. In Chinese medicine, cold, summer heat, damp and wind are categories in a theoretical language of causes of illness; they are not the same kind of concept as the viruses and bacteria of modern medicine. Some observations do match common sense: heavy sweating, agitation and fever in hot weather are a reminder to take heatstroke and dehydration seriously.
Overwork: "with vexation and toil, yang stretches out"
阳气者，烦劳则张，精绝，辟积于夏，使人煎厥。目盲不可以视，耳闭不可以听，溃溃乎若坏都，汩汩乎不可止。
"With vexation and toil, yang qi stretches outward and the essence is exhausted. Built up over time into the summer, this causes 'boiling collapse': the eyes go dark and cannot see, the ears close and cannot hear; it is like a dam bursting, a flood that cannot be stopped."
Of all the lines in the treatise, "with vexation and toil, yang stretches out" speaks most directly to modern life. Two points stand out.
• "Vexation and toil" covers more than physical tiredness. It includes agitation, worry and overthinking. By pairing the two words, the ancient authors suggest that mental vexation, too, was seen as something that uses up vitality.
• "Built up over time." Damage does not happen overnight; it accumulates, little by little, until one day it breaks through.
"Boiling collapse" (jianjue) is a traditional name for a condition, and commentators have understood it in different ways. It should not be equated with any single modern disease. But the pattern — long-term overdrawing, then sudden collapse — is one many people today will recognise.
"Vexation and toil" involves work, and it can prompt us to think about worry and tension too. But these two words alone do not show that the ancient authors had discovered the modern physiology of stress. The lesson for today is more modest: a heavy load carried for a long time, without rest or support, may affect both body and mind.
"Built up over time" offers an image of accumulation; it is not a modern medical model for predicting when illness will strike.
Rage: "great anger cuts off the body's qi"
阳气者，大怒则形气绝，而血菀于上，使人薄厥。
"With great anger, yang qi cuts the link between body and qi; blood gathers in the upper body, causing 'sudden collapse'."
This line easily brings James Zhou's experience to mind: an argument, then darkness at the edges of vision and a hand that will not grip. But as the opening made clear, one thing following another does not mean the first caused the second. It is also important to be clear about the text itself. "Sudden collapse" (bojue) is an ancient name and a theoretical description. We cannot say that the Huangdi Neijing had identified stroke or heart attack in the modern sense, and we should not link every outburst of temper to these diseases.
Even so, modern research has looked at the link between intense emotion and acute heart and brain events. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in the European Heart Journal in 2014 pooled several observational studies and found that in the short period after an outburst of anger — about two hours — the relative risk of heart attack, stroke and similar events was raised. The researchers stressed that for a single episode of anger the absolute risk remains low; the concern is greater for people who already have cardiovascular risk factors and who get angry often. Most of these studies used a "case-crossover" design that relies on patients' recall, which has its limits.
The ancient observation and the modern research point in a similar direction: emotions are not only "in the mind"; they affect the body too. But they belong to different theoretical systems, and neither can "prove" the other.
Rich food: "the changes of fat meat and fine grain"
高梁之变，足生大丁，受如持虚。
"The changes brought by rich food readily give rise to large boils — as easily as holding out an empty vessel to be filled."
Gaoliang here means fatty meat and refined grain — the diet of the wealthy. The ancient authors noticed that the rich, who could eat such food every day, suffered from particular illnesses. Today rich food is no longer a privilege of the few: fried food, sugary drinks and highly processed snacks are everywhere. James Zhou's after-hours fried rice, roast pork and beer are a modern version of gaoliang.
Modern medicine has extensive evidence that diets consistently high in salt, sugar and saturated fat are associated with higher risks of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The ancient "large boils" are not the same thing as these modern conditions. But the idea that excess in eating throws the body off balance is shared across the centuries.
Sweating in the wind
汗出偏沮，使人偏枯。汗出见湿，乃生痤疿。……劳汗当风，寒薄为皶，郁乃痤。
"If sweat appears on only one side of the body, it can lead to one-sided withering. Sweating and then meeting damp gives rise to spots and prickly heat. … Sweating from work and then standing in the wind, cold presses on the skin and forms blackheads; when it lingers, acne appears."
Two points are worth noting. First, abnormal sweating on one side of the body was treated as a serious sign; today, too, clearly one-sided abnormal sweating is a reason to see a doctor. Second, the advice on spots and prickly heat matches common sense: after sweating, keep clean, dry off and change out of damp clothes. But modern understanding of acne involves hormones, oil production, bacteria and genetics, and cannot be reduced to "catching a chill".
"Refined, it nourishes the spirit; supple, it nourishes the sinews"
After listing so many harms, the text offers a positive picture:
阳气者，精则养神，柔则养筋。
"When yang qi is refined, it nourishes the spirit; when it is supple, it nourishes the sinews."
This line repays reflection. The ideal state of yang qi is not "the more the better", but refined and supple — pure rather than scattered, gentle rather than fierce. A person's vitality lies not in being constantly energetic and wound up, but in being focused, unhurried and resilient.
Lessons for today: "refined, it nourishes the spirit" reminds us that attention is also a form of vitality. A mind pulled in thirty directions by notifications and open tabs is not "refined"; doing one thing at a time is a way of nourishing the spirit. "Supple, it nourishes the sinews" reminds us that the body needs flexibility as well as strength. Gentle activity — walking, stretching, tai chi — matters as much as intense training.
4. "Yin calm, yang sealed": guarding and storing
A division of labour between yin and yang
岐伯曰：阴者，藏精而起亟也；阳者，卫外而为固也。
"Qibo said: Yin stores the essence within and constantly rises to supply it; yang guards the outside and makes it secure."
This line gives yin and yang a clear division of labour. Yin works inside, storing and supplying; yang works outside, guarding and securing. Each depends on the other. Without yin's storage and supply, yang cannot keep going; without yang's protection, yin leaks away.
An imperfect comparison: yin is like a city's granaries and wells; yang is like its walls and garrison. However strong the walls, the city cannot hold out once the granaries are empty; however full the granaries, without walls they will be plundered.
"Yang must be sealed for yin to hold"
凡阴阳之要，阳密乃固。两者不和，若春无秋，若冬无夏。因而和之，是谓圣度。故阳强不能密，阴气乃绝。阴平阳秘，精神乃治；阴阳离决，精气乃绝。
"The key to yin and yang is this: when yang is sealed, yin holds firm. When the two are not in harmony, it is like spring without autumn, or winter without summer. To bring them into harmony is the measure of the sage. So when yang is too strong to stay sealed, yin qi is exhausted. When yin is calm and yang is sealed, the spirit is in good order; when yin and yang separate, the essence and qi are exhausted."
This is the heart of the treatise. The phrase yin ping yang mi, "yin calm, yang sealed", later became one of Chinese medicine's classic descriptions of health. Three points stand out.
• "When yang is sealed, yin holds firm." The ideal state of yang is "sealed" — like a well-kept boundary that holds and does not leak. The point is not strength but closeness. "Yang too strong to stay sealed" actually drains yin.
• "Spring without autumn, winter without summer." This echoes Volume 2. When yin and yang are out of harmony, it is as if the seasons had lost their order. All growth and no storing, or all storing and no growth, are both imbalance.
• "The spirit is in good order." The word used here, jingshen, means more than emotional calm. In the ancient view of life it concerns the coordination of essence (jing) and spirit (shen), and the orderly working of life as a whole. Reading it as "healthy body, good mood" is convenient, but it narrows the meaning of the original.
Lessons for today: if we borrow modern language, "yang sealed" might be understood as a sense of healthy boundaries. Someone who says yes to every request, replies instantly to every message and takes in every stimulus has a yang that is "not sealed": energy keeps leaking out until even the inner reserves are gone. Learning to say no at the right time, and keeping some hours free from interruption, may be the modern form of "yang sealed, yin holding firm". (This is the author's modern extension of the text, not its original meaning.)
To go further: "sealed" does not mean shutting a person away, and "calm" does not mean no change at all. Through the way yin and yang restrain and support each other, the classic describes an order of life that opens and closes, moves and rests. Modern readers can use this to reflect on the boundary between work and rest, but such analogies cannot replace an understanding of the yin–yang theory in the original text.
5. "Carefully harmonise the five flavours": balance on the plate
The final part of the treatise looks at yin and yang through food:
阴之所生，本在五味；阴之五宫，伤在五味。
"Yin is born from the five flavours; yet the five organs that store yin are harmed by the five flavours."
The text then lists the effects of too much of each flavour. For example: "too much salt wearies the great bones, shrivels the muscles and depresses the heart qi". It concludes:
是故谨和五味，骨正筋柔，气血以流，腠理以密，如是则骨气以精。谨道如法，长有天命。
"So carefully harmonise the five flavours, and the bones will be straight and the sinews supple, qi and blood will flow, and the skin and its pores will be close; then the qi of the bones will be strong. Follow this way faithfully, and you will enjoy the full span of life that heaven gives."
The key word is "harmonise". The ancient authors did not call any flavour bad. Sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and salty each have their place; harm comes from excess.
The specific matching of the five flavours to the five organs belongs to the theory of Chinese medicine. Modern nutrition has not confirmed claims such as "salt harms the heart qi" or "sour harms the spleen qi". However, the warning about too much salt points in the same direction as modern evidence: a diet consistently high in salt raises blood pressure, and high blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease. In the UK, for example, the NHS advises adults to eat no more than 6g of salt a day (about a teaspoon) and no more than 30g of free sugars. Many processed foods, sauces and takeaway dishes contain far more hidden salt and sugar than we realise.
◆ Did you know? The word gaoliang, "fat meat and fine grain", later gave Chinese the phrase gaoliang zidi — "sons of fat meat and fine grain" — for pampered children of rich families. The treatise's warning that rich food breeds illness was aimed at the privileged few. Two thousand years later, in societies where rich food is cheap and everywhere, it fits better than ever. |
6. Three layers: the traditional view, modern science and the author's interpretation
By now, readers may be asking: is what the treatise says actually true?
To answer that, we need to separate three kinds of content.
First, the traditional view of life in the Huangdi Neijing. Through long observation, the ancient authors developed an understanding of life centred on qi and yin–yang: vital qi communicates with heaven and earth; yang qi, like the sun, guards the body; yin essence supports it from within; balance means health, imbalance means illness. This is a complete theoretical language with its own logic and value.
Second, relevant findings from modern science. In some areas, modern research has reached conclusions that point in a similar direction: the body has circadian rhythms, and light at night and irregular hours affect sleep and metabolism; long-term overwork and chronic stress are associated with many health problems; intense outbursts of anger are linked to a short-term rise in the risk of acute cardiovascular events; a high-salt diet raises blood pressure. But these findings come from a different theoretical language and different methods.
Third, the author's own modern interpretations — for example, reading "yang sealed" as a sense of boundaries, or "refined, it nourishes the spirit" as protecting our attention. These are reflections and analogies that may be helpful, but they are not evidence, and they are not the original meaning of the text.
The two theoretical languages deserve mutual respect, but claims about diagnosis, effectiveness and side effects should all be tested by research. To say that modern research points "in a similar direction" is not to say that modern science has confirmed everything in the treatise. Equally, the fact that the ancient authors did not use modern scientific methods does not make their observations worthless.
7. The yang qi of a life: hardship, illness and ageing
It is easy to read the treatise as a list of things not to do. But it has another message too: vitality is limited, and it can be protected.
When yang qi is injured
James Zhou's story is a fictional example. In real life, the exhaustion that comes with serious illness, redundancy, bereavement or long-term caring has complex physical, psychological and social causes. We can borrow the traditional image of "injured yang qi" to understand a situation that calls for rest and recovery. But we cannot use it to give anyone a Chinese-medicine diagnosis, still less to suggest that their hardship was caused by their own way of life.
What can the treatise offer in situations like these?
First, it reminds us that damage builds up, and so repair takes time. "Built up over time" — harm accumulates day by day, and recovery cannot be expected overnight either. Tiredness and low spirits after illness or a setback do not mean a person is "finished"; they are body and mind signalling a need for repair.
Second, it stresses sealing and storing. After an injury, the first priority is often not to "top up" straight away but to stop further leaking: protect sleep, cut unnecessary drains on energy, and spend limited strength on what matters most.
But it must also be said clearly: going with nature and resting cannot replace real action and support. After illness, people need proper treatment and rehabilitation. After losing a job, they need to keep looking for work and seek financial help. Long-term carers need help from community services and the health system. "Yin calm, yang sealed" is not a call to retreat. It is a reminder to act when action is needed, and to allow ourselves rest when rest is needed.
For people going through hard times, what matters most is keeping the ability to act: rest when you can, get treatment when you need it, and ask for help when you need it. Outside pressures — money worries, working conditions, family responsibilities — also need practical support and change. Going with nature does not mean letting difficulties simply happen.
Ageing: waning yang does not mean a life without light
"As the sun goes west, yang qi is already waning." This is the pattern of a day, but also, perhaps, of a life. Youth is the sun at noon; old age is the sun in the west.
Yet the evening sun is not without its light. "Refined, it nourishes the spirit; supple, it nourishes the sinews": in later life, vitality need not show itself as abundance, but as refinement and suppleness — focus, calm, flexibility, peace. An older person who practises tai chi in the morning, reads and writes in the afternoon and goes to bed early may be closer to "yin calm, yang sealed" than a middle-aged person rushing from dawn to midnight.
8. "Vexation and toil" in the age of AI
This section is the author's modern reflection, not the original meaning of the text.
Artificial intelligence and digital tools have made work far more efficient. Yet, curiously, the more efficient we become, the busier we seem to be. A machine needs no rest. It feels no "vexation and toil" and has no yang qi to protect. But once people align their own rhythm with the machine's, they easily slip into "with vexation and toil, yang stretches out": always online, always responding, never "drawing in at dusk".
In this sense, the treatise reminds us of something a machine never needs to know: human vitality is limited and needs guarding. AI can help us handle more information, but it cannot bear the cost of our overdrawing for us. It can run day and night, but people still need to draw in at dusk and rest at night.
Those who use technology wisely do not try to keep pace with the machine. They use the time and energy it saves to guard their own yang qi: a little more sleep, a longer walk, one more meal with the family.
9. James Zhou's turnaround
After leaving hospital, James began taking blood-pressure medication on his family doctor's advice and went for regular check-ups. The doctor also talked with him about changes to his lifestyle.
He did several things he once thought "impossible". He talked with his family about rearranging the shop's hours, to cut down the busy stretch after closing as far as possible. In the evenings he ate less salty food and fewer oversized portions, added more vegetables and kept to regular mealtimes. Following his doctor's advice, he monitored his blood pressure and kept his follow-up appointments. In the kitchen, the shop gradually cut back on unnecessary salt and salty seasonings. MSG did not need to be singled out as a cause of illness; what matters more is the total amount of sodium from all seasonings combined. He also began letting family members share some of the buying.
His temper was the hardest thing to change. He made himself a rule: when he felt the anger rising, he would step out of the kitchen and stand at the back door for two minutes before coming back. "At first I felt silly," he said. "Then I realised that after two minutes, most things weren't worth the row."
Now, he says, he finally understands his mother's words: "'A person lives by one breath of qi' doesn't mean you have to win every fight. It means you have to look after that breath."
Please note: this remains the fictional example that runs through this volume. It is not a real patient's experience and cannot be taken as evidence that anything works. Blood-pressure medication and other medicines must be used under a doctor's guidance. Everyone is different; if you feel unwell, seek professional advice promptly.
10. A toolkit for guarding yang qi
The suggestions below translate the spirit of the treatise into everyday habits. They are general lifestyle ideas, not treatments. If you have a long-term condition or take regular medication, check with your doctor before changing your diet or exercise.
The three times of day
Time | The text | Traditional meaning | What you might try today |
Dawn | "At dawn, human qi is born" | Yang qi begins to rise | Get daylight soon after waking; a few minutes of stretching or a short walk; a simple breakfast |
Midday | "At midday, yang qi is at its height" | Yang qi at its peak | Schedule work needing focus and energy in the daytime; a short walk after lunch |
Sunset | "Yang qi is already waning; the gates of qi close" | Yang wanes; time to draw in | Avoid hard exercise and intense work in the hour or two before bed; don't overeat in the evening |
Night | "Draw in and keep guard; do not strain the sinews and bones" | Inward rest | Less screen time in the hour before bed; half an hour of winding down; regular bedtimes |
Keeping yang "sealed"
• Emotions: when anger rises, step away for a few minutes. If you are often irritable or angry, it is worth talking to your doctor.
• Boundaries: set times when you are not to be disturbed — for example, no work messages after a certain hour.
• Attention: "refined, it nourishes the spirit" — do one thing at a time and close the tasks and windows you don't need.
• Movement: "supple, it nourishes the sinews" — alongside strength training, include walking, stretching, tai chi or yoga. After sweating, dry off, change and keep warm.
The kitchen shelf: harmonising the five flavours
• Less salt: in the UK, for example, the NHS advises adults to eat no more than 6g a day. Takeaways, sauces, pickles and processed meats are often salty; ask for "less salt", or season with spring onion, ginger, garlic, vinegar and herbs instead.
• Less sugar: no more than 30g of free sugars a day. Sugary drinks, desserts and many sauces are major sources of hidden sugar.
• Less "rich food": fried food, fatty meat and processed snacks in moderation; more vegetables, pulses and wholegrains.
• Evening meals: for people who work late, the key is regular, moderate, balanced meals that fit their actual hours, and avoiding habitual overeating after finishing work. Eating at night is not in itself wrong.
Seeing a TCM practitioner
If you would like to understand your constitution and care from the perspective of Chinese medicine, you can consult a qualified TCM practitioner. Using the UK as an example:
• There is currently no single statutory register for TCM practitioners in the UK. Check whether a practitioner belongs to a recognised professional body and ask about their training.
• Some traditional herbal products in the UK carry the Traditional Herbal Registration (THR) mark, but this registration route does not apply to all Chinese herbal medicines or preparations. A THR mark also does not mean there is strong clinical evidence for every use claimed. Before buying or using a product, check that it is legal, read the leaflet and understand the safety risks.
• A qualified practitioner may consider particular Chinese herbal products based on their assessment, but always follow the product leaflet for uses and cautions, and do not choose such products for yourself. If you take blood-pressure medication, blood thinners or any other prescribed medicines, tell your doctor and pharmacist to avoid interactions. Chinese medicine must not replace blood-pressure medication or other treatment prescribed by your doctor.
11. Warning signs: when to get help straight away
The ancient descriptions of "sudden collapse" and "one-sided withering" in this chapter are a reminder to take sudden, serious symptoms seriously. If any of the following apply, seek help according to how urgent it is (UK guidance).
For international readers: the emergency numbers below are for the UK; in other countries, call your local emergency number. Suspected stroke, severe chest pain or reduced consciousness need emergency help straight away — do not wait to see whether they pass.
Call 999 now
• Possible signs of a stroke — remember FAST: Face drooping on one side or unable to smile; Arms — weakness on one side, unable to lift both arms; Speech slurred or unable to speak; Time to call 999. If any one of these appears, call 999 immediately — even if the symptoms go away within minutes, as this may be a TIA.
• Sudden chest pain or tightness, or pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back, with sweating or breathlessness.
• Sudden loss of consciousness, or collapse without quickly coming round.
• In hot weather: high temperature, confusion and no longer sweating — possible signs of heatstroke.
• A sudden, extremely severe headache unlike any before, especially with neurological symptoms: get emergency help rather than waiting for a routine appointment.
• New numbness or weakness on one side, or new problems with speech or vision: treat as a possible stroke. (Abnormal sweating on its own should also be assessed promptly by a professional.)
Contact your GP or NHS 111 the same day
• Very low mood or agitation with thoughts of harming yourself but no immediate danger. (You can also call Samaritans at any time on 116 123.)
Book a GP appointment soon
• Home blood-pressure readings that are repeatedly high — or if you are over 40 and have never had your blood pressure checked.
• Long-term tiredness, irritability or poor sleep affecting work or daily life.
• Severe or recurring acne, or other persistent skin problems.
Summary of this volume
What the Treatise on Vital Qi Communicating with Heaven tells us:
• Our vital qi communicates with heaven and earth; the root of life lies in yin and yang.
• "Yang qi is like heaven and the sun": vitality is like the sun — the key is not quantity, but keeping its proper place and rhythm.
• Each day has its own birth, growth, gathering and storing: qi is born at dawn, peaks at midday and wanes at sunset; after dusk, draw in.
• The classic names vexation and toil, rage, rich food and outside influences such as wind, damp, cold and summer heat as factors that affect yang qi. This is a traditional theoretical summary; these are not each to be treated as causes of illness proven by modern medicine.
• "Refined, it nourishes the spirit; supple, it nourishes the sinews": ideal vitality is refined and supple, not wound up.
• "Yin calm, yang sealed, the spirit in good order": yin stores within, yang guards without; when they are in balance, body and mind are settled.
• "Carefully harmonise the five flavours": the key to eating is harmony, not excess.
"A person lives by one breath of qi." In an age that urges us to speed up and overdraw, this two-thousand-year-old text reminds us that keeping that breath matters more than winning every fight with it.
Questions for reflection
• Is there a time in your day when you truly "draw in"? If not, where could you begin?
• Think back to how your body felt after a moment of great anger. Next time you feel it rising, what could you do?
• Where in your life is your yang "not sealed" — where is energy leaking away without your noticing?
Key terms
Chinese | Pinyin | English used in this book |
生气通天论 | Shengqi Tongtian Lun | The Treatise on Vital Qi Communicating with Heaven |
生气 | shengqi | vital qi |
阳气 | yangqi | yang qi |
阳气者，若天与日 | yangqi zhe, ruo tian yu ri | yang qi is like heaven and the sun |
烦劳则张 | fanlao ze zhang | with vexation and toil, yang stretches out |
精则养神，柔则养筋 | jing ze yang shen, rou ze yang jin | refined, it nourishes the spirit; supple, it nourishes the sinews |
阴平阳秘 | yin ping yang mi | yin calm, yang sealed |
阳密乃固 | yang mi nai gu | when yang is sealed, yin holds firm |
谨和五味 | jin he wuwei | carefully harmonise the five flavours |
膏粱 | gaoliang | rich food (fat meat and fine grain) |
人活一口气 | ren huo yi kou qi | a person lives by one breath of qi |
References
• Huangdi Neijing Suwen, standard received text (annotated by Wang Bing, Tang dynasty; revised by Lin Yi et al., Song dynasty). Textual variants in the "five flavours" passage can be checked against an authoritative critical edition.
• Mostofsky E, Penner EA, Mittleman MA. Outbursts of anger as a trigger of acute cardiovascular events: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Heart Journal. 2014;35(21):1404–1410. PMID: 24591550.
• NHS. Stroke: symptoms (FAST). nhs.uk.
• NHS. Transient ischaemic attack (TIA). nhs.uk.
• NHS. Salt: the facts; Sugar: the facts. nhs.uk.
• NHS. High blood pressure (hypertension). nhs.uk.
• NHS. Heatstroke and heat exhaustion. nhs.uk.
Appendix: Explore All 81 Volumes of the Suwen
《黄帝内经·素问》八十一册中英文目录
Each volume in The Yellow Emperor's Classic for Modern Life explores one chapter of the Suwen through classical wisdom, modern medical knowledge and practical reflections on everyday life. All 81 volumes are available as individual books, so you can choose the subjects that interest you most; themed sets and the complete collection (available at a discount) can also be read in sequence for a broader understanding of this ancient Chinese classic.
Volume | Chinese title | English title |
Volume 1 HJ01 | 上古天真论（含总论） ——上古之人为什么百岁而不衰？ | Volume 1 The Years Granted by Heaven (with the General Introduction) — Why did the people of high antiquity live past a hundred without growing frail? |
Volume 2 HJ02 | 四气调神大论 ——春生、夏长、秋收、冬藏：怎样安顿我们的身与心？ | Volume 2 Living by the Seasons — Birth in spring, growth in summer, gathering in autumn, storing in winter: how do we settle body and mind? |
Volume 3 HJ03 (this book) | 生气通天论 ——人的生命力从哪里来，又是怎样被耗散的？ | Volume 3 Keeping the Fire Alight — Where does our vitality come from, and how do we lose it? |
Volume 4 HJ04 | 金匮真言论 ——古人怎样为生命"分类"，我们今天又该怎样阅读？ | Volume 4 The Golden Cabinet — How did the ancients classify life, and how should we read their system today? |
Volume 5 HJ05 | 阴阳应象大论 ——阴阳是什么？它怎样帮助我们看懂变化、情绪与衰老 | Volume 5 The Sun After Noon — What are yin and yang, and how can they help us understand change, emotion and ageing? |
Volume 6 HJ06 | 阴阳离合论 ——在开与合之间，人怎样找到自己的"枢"？ | Volume 6 The Hinge of the Door — Between opening and closing, how do we find our pivot? |
Volume 7 HJ07 | 阴阳别论 ——怎样分辨身体发出的信号？ | Volume 7 Reading the Signals — How do we tell what the body is trying to say? |
Volume 8 HJ08 | 灵兰秘典论 ——身体像一个国家：谁来当家，怎样协同？ | Volume 8 When the Ruler Is Clear — The body as a state: who is in charge, and how do the parts work together? |
Volume 9 HJ09 | 六节藏象论 ——藏于内，形于外：怎样读懂身体的"光华"？ | Volume 9 What Shows on the Outside — Stored within, seen without: how do we read the body's "radiance"? |
Volume 10 HJ10 | 五藏生成篇 ——五味、睡眠与"合参"：怎样照顾一个正在长大的身体？ | Volume 10 Rest, Flavour and the Whole Picture — Flavours, sleep and seeing the whole: how do we care for a growing body? |
Volume 11 HJ11 | 五藏别论 ——众说纷纭时，怎样做一个清醒的病人？ | Volume 11 When the Experts Disagree — How can we be clear-headed patients when everyone claims to be right? |
Volume 12 HJ12 | 异法方宜论 ——同一种病，为什么治法各不相同？ | Volume 12 Different Lands, Different Remedies — Why can the same illness call for different treatments? |
Volume 13 HJ13 | 移精变气论 ——好的医疗，既需要专业知识，也需要认真倾听 | Volume 13 Being Heard — Good care needs both expertise and a willingness to listen |
Volume 14 HJ14 | 汤液醪醴论 ——病为本，工为标：治病，需要病人和医生一起努力 | Volume 14 The Patient Is the Root — Healing takes patient and physician working together |
Volume 15 HJ15 | 玉版论要篇 ——看懂"颜色"的变化，分清"寻常"与"不寻常" | Volume 15 Shades of Change — Reading changes in colour, and telling the ordinary from the unusual |
Volume 16 HJ16 | 诊要经终论 ——认识生命的节律，也学会面对生命的终点 | Volume 16 Seasons and Endings — Understanding life's rhythms, and learning to face its end |
Volume 17 HJ17 | 脉要精微论 ——得强则生：看懂身体发出的"力量信号" | Volume 17 The Strength to Stand — "Those who keep their strength live": reading the body's signals of strength |
Volume 18 HJ18 | 平人气象论 ——先认识"正常"，才能发现"异常" | Volume 18 Knowing Your Normal — You have to know what is normal before you can spot what is not |
Volume 19 HJ19 | 玉机真藏论 ——浆粥入胃，虚者得活：小小一口水，也能救命 | Volume 19 A Sip That Saves — "When thin gruel enters the stomach, the depleted live" |
Volume 20 HJ20 | 三部九候论 ——上下相应：从头到脚，全面地看一个人 | Volume 20 From Head to Toe — "Above and below as one": looking at the whole person |
Volume 21 HJ21 | 经脉别论 ——生病起于过用：好东西，也要有分寸 | Volume 21 Too Much of a Good Thing — "Illness arises from overuse": even good things need a sense of measure |
Volume 22 HJ22 | 藏气法时论 ——毒药攻邪，五谷为养：顺时而养，药与食各有其位 | Volume 22 Medicine to Fight, Food to Nourish — Illness has its hours, and medicine and food each have their place |
Volume 23 HJ23 | 宣明五气篇 ——久坐伤肉，久视伤血：任何姿势，久了都是负担 | Volume 23 Too Long in One Position — "Long sitting harms the flesh; long looking harms the blood": any posture, held too long, becomes a burden |
Volume 24 HJ24 | 血气形志篇 ——形苦志苦：身体的累与心里的累 | Volume 24 Tired in Body, Weary in Mind — When the body toils and the mind suffers |
Volume 25 HJ25 | 宝命全形论 ——莫贵于人：如临深渊，手如握虎 | Volume 25 As If Holding a Tiger — "Nothing is more precious than a human being": care as if at the edge of an abyss |
Volume 26 HJ26 | 八正神明论 ——因天时而调血气：天气、月亮与那一声"不对劲" | Volume 26 When the Wind Blows — Weather, the moon and the feeling that "something's wrong" |
Volume 27 HJ27 | 离合真邪论 ——诛罚无过，夺人正气：治疗，也要分清敌我 | Volume 27 Friend or Foe — "Punishing the innocent robs people of their upright qi": treatment, too, must know friend from foe |
Volume 28 HJ28 | 通评虚实论 ——邪气盛则实，精气夺则虚：同一张餐桌上的"太多"与"太少" | Volume 28 Too Much, Too Little — "When the pathogen flourishes, there is excess; when essence is robbed, there is deficiency": two kinds of illness at one dinner table |
Volume 29 HJ29 | 太阴阳明论 ——脾病而四肢不用：吃进去的，未必都能"用上" | Volume 29 What the Body Can Use — "When the spleen is ill, the limbs fail": what we eat is not always what we can use |
Volume 30 HJ30 | 阳明脉解篇 ——弃衣而走，登高而歌：突然"变了一个人"，先找身体的原因 | Volume 30 Suddenly Not Herself — "Throwing off clothes and running, climbing high and singing": when someone suddenly changes, look first for a bodily cause |
Volume 31 HJ31 | 热论 ——病热少愈，食肉则复：好了一半，最要当心 | Volume 31 Not Quite Better — "When a febrile illness is a little better, eating meat brings it back": take most care when you are halfway well |
Volume 32 HJ32 | 刺热篇 ——饮之寒水，居止寒处：热浪中的老人与"病虽未发"的信号 | Volume 32 Keeping Cool — "Give cold water to drink, keep them in a cool place": older people in a heatwave, and the signs before illness strikes |
Volume 33 HJ33 | 评热病论 ——邪之所凑，其气必虚：生病不是因为你"不够强" | Volume 33 Not Your Fault — "Where pathogens gather, the qi must be deficient": falling ill does not mean you weren't "strong enough" |
Volume 34 HJ34 | 逆调论 ——胃不和则卧不安：睡不好，有时要从肚子里找原因 | Volume 34 Restless Stomach, Restless Sleep — "When the stomach is not in harmony, sleep is not peaceful": sometimes the cause of poor sleep lies in the belly |
Volume 35 HJ35 | 疟论 ——寒栗鼓颔，头痛如破：旅行归来后的发烧，不要只当感冒 | Volume 35 Fever After Travel — "Shivering with chattering jaws, a headache as if splitting": a fever after travel is not just a cold |
Volume 36 HJ36 | 刺疟篇 ——适肥瘦，出其血：针刺有讲究，反复发热更要查清原因 | Volume 36 Finding the Cause — "Adjust to whether the patient is fat or thin": needling has its rules, and recurring fever needs its cause found |
Volume 37 HJ37 | 气厥论 ——善食而瘦，谓之食亦：越吃越瘦，不一定是好事 | Volume 37 Eating More, Weighing Less — "Eating a great deal yet growing thin": when losing weight is not good news |
Volume 38 HJ38 | 咳论 ——五藏六府皆令人咳，非独肺也：咳嗽，不一定只是肺的事 | Volume 38 Not Only the Lungs — "All five zang and six fu organs can make a person cough, not the lungs alone": a cough is not always about the lungs |
Volume 39 HJ39 | 举痛论 ——百病生于气也：疼痛、情绪与身体 | Volume 39 Knots in the Stomach — "Many illnesses arise from qi": pain, emotion and the body |
Volume 40 HJ40 | 腹中论 ——旦食则不能暮食，名为鼓胀：肚子越来越大，不一定是"发福" | Volume 40 More Than Middle-Age Spread — "Eating in the morning, unable to eat by evening; this is called drum distension": a growing belly is not always weight gain |
Volume 41 HJ41 | 刺腰痛篇 ——得之举重伤腰：腰痛很常见，多数会好转，但要认得危险信号 | Volume 41 Lifting Too Much — "It comes from lifting something heavy and injuring the lower back": back pain is common and usually improves, but know the warning signs |
Volume 42 HJ42 | 风论 ——风者善行而数变：脸突然歪了，先排除中风 | Volume 42 Swift as the Wind — "Wind moves readily and changes often": when your face suddenly droops, rule out a stroke first |
Volume 43 HJ43 | 痹论 ——风寒湿三气杂至，合而为痹：关节痛，不一定只是"湿气重" | Volume 43 Not Just the Damp — "Wind, cold and damp arrive together and combine to form bi": joint pain is not always "too much damp" |
Volume 44 HJ44 | 痿论 ——治痿者独取阳明：腿软无力，不只是"老了" | Volume 44 Not Just Getting Old — "To treat wei, take yangming alone": weak legs are not only a matter of age |
Volume 45 HJ45 | 厥论 ——暴不知人：突然晕倒，多数是一过性的，但要查清原因 | Volume 45 When You Suddenly Faint — "Suddenly not knowing people": most faints pass quickly, but the cause needs finding |
Volume 46 HJ46 | 病能论 ——人之不得偃卧者何也：躺不平、夜里憋醒，要想到心脏 | Volume 46 One Pillow Too Many — "Why can some people not lie flat?": when you can't lie down without breathlessness, think of the heart |
Volume 47 HJ47 | 奇病论 ——此肥美之所发也：嘴里发甜、口渴尿多，要查一查血糖 | Volume 47 A Sweet Taste in the Mouth — "This arises from rich, sweet food": a sweet taste, thirst and passing a lot of urine are reasons to check your blood sugar |
Volume 48 HJ48 | 大奇论 ——不瘖舌转，可治：中风之后，康复的路有多长 | Volume 48 One Step at a Time — "If speech is not lost and the tongue still turns, it can be treated": how long is the road to recovery after a stroke? |
Volume 49 HJ49 | 脉解篇 ——欲独闭户牖而处：冬天一来，就只想关上门窗一个人待着 | Volume 49 Closing the Shutters — "Wishing to shut the doors and windows and stay alone": when winter comes, all you want is to close the curtains and be by yourself |
Volume 50 HJ50 | 刺要论 ——刺有浅深，各至其理：治疗要恰到好处，不可太过，也不可不及 | Volume 50 Just Deep Enough — "Needling has its shallow and deep; each must reach its proper layer": treatment should be just right — neither too much nor too little |
Volume 51 HJ51 | 刺齐论 ——针至筋而去，不及骨也：只治表面、半途而止，病根仍在 | Volume 51 Reaching the Root — "The needle reaches the sinew and is withdrawn, never reaching the bone": treating only the surface, or stopping halfway, leaves the underlying problem unaddressed |
Volume 52 HJ52 | 刺禁论 ——藏有要害，不可不察：知道哪里不能碰，比知道哪里能碰更重要 | Volume 52 Danger Zones — "The organs have vital points that must be examined": knowing where not to go matters more than knowing where to go |
Volume 53 HJ53 | 刺志论 ——谷入多而气少者，得之有所脱血：吃得不少却总没力气，可能是身体在悄悄失血 | Volume 53 Eating Well, Still Exhausted — "Taking in much food yet having little qi comes from loss of blood": when you eat well but are always tired, your body may be quietly losing blood |
Volume 54 HJ54 | 针解篇 ——必正其神者，欲瞻病人目制其神：怕针不是胆小，被看见、被理解，才能安下心来 | Volume 54 Afraid of the Needle — "To settle the spirit, look into the patient's eyes": a fear of needles is not cowardice; being seen and understood is what lets us calm down |
Volume 55 HJ55 | 长刺节论 ——刺家不诊，听病者言：说不出口的病，往往最需要说出来 | Volume 55 The Lump He Never Mentioned — "The needler does not take the pulse but listens to the patient's words": the problems hardest to talk about are often the ones that most need saying |
Volume 56 HJ56 | 皮部论 ——五色皆见，则寒热也：皮肤是身体的窗口，颜色的变化值得多看一眼 | Volume 56 Not Just a Lucky Mole — "When all five colours appear, there is cold and heat": the skin is a window on the body, and a change in colour deserves a second look |
Volume 57 HJ57 | 经络论 ——寒多则凝泣，凝泣则青黑：手指一遇冷就变色，是"体质差"，还是身体在提醒你？ | Volume 57 White, Blue, Then Red — "When cold prevails, the blood congeals; when it congeals, the colour is blue-black": when your fingers change colour in the cold, is it a "weak constitution", or your body sending a signal? |
Volume 58 HJ58 | 气穴论 ——背与心相控而痛：后背疼，不一定只是后背的问题 | Volume 58 When the Back Speaks for the Heart — "The back and the heart pull on each other in pain": back pain is not always just a problem of the back |
Volume 59 HJ59 | 气府论 ——至骶下凡二十一节，脊椎法也：人老了"缩一点"，不一定只是正常的衰老 | Volume 59 Shrinking Without Noticing — "Down to below the sacrum, twenty-one segments in all: this is the method of counting the spine": "shrinking a bit" with age is not always just normal ageing |
Volume 60 HJ60 | 骨空论 ——坐而膝痛，立而暑解：膝盖疼，越不敢动，可能越难好 | Volume 60 Knees That Need Moving — "Knee pain when sitting; slackness on standing": with painful knees, the more you avoid moving, the harder recovery may be |
Volume 61 HJ61 | 水热穴论 ——肾者，胃之关也：腿肿、尿里起泡沫，不一定只是"湿气重" | Volume 61 Bubbles in the Bowl — "The kidneys are the gate of the stomach": swollen legs and frothy urine are not always just "too much damp" |
Volume 62 HJ62 | 调经论 ——神有余则笑不休，神不足则悲：情绪的高峰与低谷，都值得被认真对待 | Volume 62 Highs and Lows — "When spirit is in excess, there is laughter without end; when spirit is deficient, there is sorrow": the peaks and troughs of mood both deserve to be taken seriously |
Volume 63 HJ63 | 缪刺论 ——左注右，右注左：摔了一跤以后，过几个星期才出现的变化 | Volume 63 A Fall He Almost Forgot — "From left it flows to right, from right to left": changes that appear weeks after a fall |
Volume 64 HJ64 | 四时刺逆从论 ——冬者盖藏，血气在中，内著骨髓：漫长冬天里，骨头的疼痛可能另有原因 | Volume 64 Winter in the Bones — "Winter is for storing away; blood and qi are within, lodged deep in the marrow": in a long winter, aching bones may have another cause |
Volume 65 HJ65 | 标本病传论 ——小大不利治其标：先解决眼前的急，再处理背后的根 | Volume 65 First Things First — "When urine and stool will not pass, treat the branch": deal with the emergency in front of you first, then the root behind it |
Volume 66 HJ66 | 天元纪大论 ——物极谓之变：天气走向极端时，身体也需要被保护 | Volume 66 When the Heat Turns Extreme — "When things reach their extreme, it is called change": when the weather turns extreme, the body needs protecting too |
Volume 67 HJ67 | 五运行大论 ——燥胜则地干，寒胜则地裂：冬天孩子的皮肤干裂发痒，需要的是滋润，而不是恐惧 | Volume 67 When Dryness Prevails — "When dryness prevails, the earth dries; when cold prevails, the earth cracks": a child's dry, itchy winter skin needs moisture, not fear |
Volume 68 HJ68 | 六微旨大论 ——出入废则神机化灭：夜里的鼾声和停顿，可能是身体在求救 | Volume 68 When Breathing Stops at Night — "When exit and entry cease, the spirit mechanism is extinguished": loud snoring and pauses at night may be the body calling for help |
Volume 69 HJ69 | 气交变大论 ——善言古者，必验于今：烟雾弥漫的夏天，哮喘需要的是今天被证实有效的保护 | Volume 69 Smoke in the Air — "Those who speak well of the past must verify it in the present": in a smoke-filled summer, asthma needs protection proven to work today |
Volume 70 HJ70 | 五常政大论 ——无毒治病，十去其九：标着"天然"的，不一定无害 | Volume 70 Natural Isn't Always Harmless — "Even with non-toxic medicines, stop when nine-tenths of the illness is gone": what is labelled "natural" is not necessarily harmless |
Volume 71 HJ71 | 六元正纪大论 ——有故无殒：怀孕时生病，该治的病要治 | Volume 71 When Illness Comes in Pregnancy — "Where there is cause, there is no harm": illness in pregnancy that needs treating should be treated |
Volume 72 HJ72 | 刺法论（遗篇） ——正气存内，邪不可干，避其毒气：传染病面前，增强体质还要加上避免接触和接种疫苗 | Volume 72 Passed from Person to Person — "When upright qi is kept within, pathogens cannot intrude — and avoid the toxic qi": against infectious disease, a strong constitution needs avoiding exposure and vaccination as well |
Volume 73 HJ73 | 本病论（遗篇） ——神明失守：老人突然"见鬼"、糊涂，先想到身体出了急病 | Volume 73 When the Mind Loses Its Hold — "The spirit loses its hold": when an older person suddenly "sees ghosts" or becomes confused, think first of an acute physical illness |
Volume 74 HJ74 | 至真要大论 ——诸风掉眩，皆属于肝；有者求之，无者求之：头晕天旋地转，要先分清是哪一种 | Volume 74 When the Room Starts Spinning — "All wind with shaking and dizziness belongs to the liver" — yet "seek out what is present, and seek out what is absent": when the world spins, first find out which kind of dizziness it is |
Volume 75 HJ75 | 著至教论 ——诵而颇能解，解而未能别：背得出用药说明，不等于真正懂得怎样用药 | Volume 75 Knowing It by Heart Isn't Enough — "I can recite and roughly explain, but cannot yet distinguish": being able to recite the instructions for your medicine is not the same as truly knowing how to use it |
Volume 76 HJ76 | 示从容论 ——援物比类，从容求之：气短、脚肿，不一定只是"老了" | Volume 76 Three Pillows to Sleep — "Draw on things to compare and classify, and seek the answer with care": breathlessness and swollen ankles are not necessarily "just old age" |
Volume 77 HJ77 | 疏五过论 ——尝富后贫，名曰失精：生活的重大打击，也会让人"病从内生" | Volume 77 When Fortune Turns — "Once rich, later poor — this is called loss of essence": a major blow in life can also make illness "arise from within" |
Volume 78 HJ78 | 征四失论 ——不问其始，卒持寸口，何病能中：便血不能只靠"把把脉" | Volume 78 More Than a Pulse — "Without asking how it began, seizing the wrist pulse — how can any illness be hit upon?": blood in the stool needs more than "feeling the pulse" |
Volume 79 HJ79 | 阴阳类论 ——冬三月之病，至春正月：寒冬里，独居老人要格外防冷 | Volume 79 Out in the Cold — "Illness in the three months of winter … by the first month of spring": in the depths of winter, older people living alone need special protection from the cold |
Volume 80 HJ80 | 方盛衰论 ——少气之厥，令人妄梦：睡梦中拳打脚踢，可能是身体发出的早期信号 | Volume 80 Fighting in His Sleep — "Counterflow from scant qi brings wild dreams": punching and kicking in your sleep may be an early signal from the body |
Volume 81 HJ81 | 解精微论（含全书后记） ——厥则目无所见：老人新发头痛、眼前突然发黑，可能是急症 | Volume 81 A Curtain Over the Eye (with the Afterword) — "In counterflow, the eyes see nothing": a new headache or sudden loss of vision in an older person may be an emergency |
Note: the English titles are reader-friendly publication titles; the English name of each chapter of the Suwen appears on the title page of each volume.
About the Huangdi Neijing series
The Huangdi Neijing, the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic, consists mainly of two parts, the Suwen and the Lingshu, each of eighty-one chapters.
This series begins with the eighty-one volumes of the Suwen. Each chapter is a book in its own right, published in Chinese and in English, so readers can choose single volumes by interest or read the complete collection.
After the Suwen series, we plan a further series on the eighty-one chapters of the Lingshu, the companion text to the Suwen, exploring the channels, acupuncture points, needling and the ancient understanding of the human body. We hope in the end to offer a modern reading of all one hundred and sixty-two chapters of the Inner Classic.
For more information, please visit our website at theFTL.org.
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