Great Discussion on the Movements of the Five Phases

The Yellow Emperor sat in the Hall of Light and began to correct the astronomical principles, observing the farthest reaches of the eight directions and examining the regular movements of the five constants. He then summoned the Celestial Master Qibo and asked: "The Treatise says that the movement and stillness of heaven and earth are governed by the spiritual intelligence as their guiding principle, and the ascent and descent of yin and yang are manifested through cold and heat as their signs. I have heard from you, Master, about the laws of the five movements. What you have taught is precisely that the qi of the five movements each governs a year, and the sequence of the five movements is determined starting from the year jia-zi. I have therefore discussed this. Gui Yuqu said: 'The earth movement governs the years jia and ji, the metal movement governs the years yi and geng, the water movement governs the years bing and xin, the wood movement governs the years ding and ren, and the fire movement governs the years wu and gui. In the years zi and wu, the Lesser Yin ruler-fire governs heaven; in the years chou and wei, the Greater Yin damp-earth governs heaven; in the years yin and shen, the Lesser Yang minister-fire governs heaven; in the years mao and you, the Bright Yang dry-metal governs heaven; in the years chen and xu, the Greater Yang cold-water governs heaven; in the years si and hai, the Ceasing Yin wind-wood governs heaven.' This does not correspond with the laws of yin and yang. What is the reason?"

Qibo said: "This is to elucidate the principles of yin and yang in heaven and earth. Those things that can be counted with numbers are the yin and yang within the human body, and thus they can be inferred by combining with numbers. As for yin and yang, they can be counted from one to ten, extended to a hundred, and from a thousand counted to ten thousand. The yin and yang of heaven and earth cannot be calculated by numbers; they must be understood through the method of taking images and comparing categories."

The Yellow Emperor said: "I wish to hear where these laws begin." Qibo said: "This question is truly clear! I have examined the text of the 'Record of the Grand Beginning of Heaven's Cycles': The qi of the Red Heaven spans across the lodges Niu and Nu and the sector wu; the qi of the Yellow Heaven spans across the lodges Xin and Wei and the sector ji; the qi of the Azure Heaven spans across the lodges Wei, Shi, Liu, and Gui; the qi of the White Heaven spans across the lodges Kang, Di, Mao, and Bi; the qi of the Black Heaven spans across the lodges Zhang, Yi, Lou, and Wei. What are called the sectors wu and ji refer to the lodges Kui, Bi, Jiao, and Zhen—these are the gates and doors of heaven and earth. The beginning of climatic change is the place where the natural law arises; it cannot be unknown."

The Yellow Emperor said: "Well spoken! The Treatise says that heaven and earth are the upper and lower of all things, and left and right are the pathways of yin and yang's movement. I do not understand what it means." Qibo said: "What is called 'upper and lower' refers to the qi that governs heaven being above each year, and the qi that springs from the earth being below, thereby manifesting the positions of yin and yang. What is called 'left and right' refers to the position of the qi that governs heaven: if the governing heaven is Ceasing Yin wind-wood, then to its left is Lesser Yin ruler-fire, and to its right is Greater Yang cold-water; if the governing heaven is Lesser Yin ruler-fire, then to its left is Greater Yin damp-earth, and to its right is Ceasing Yin wind-wood; if the governing heaven is Greater Yin damp-earth, then to its left is Lesser Yang minister-fire, and to its right is Lesser Yin ruler-fire; if the governing heaven is Lesser Yang minister-fire, then to its left is Bright Yang dry-metal, and to its right is Greater Yin damp-earth; if the governing heaven is Bright Yang dry-metal, then to its left is Greater Yang cold-water, and to its right is Lesser Yang minister-fire; if the governing heaven is Greater Yang cold-water, then to its left is Ceasing Yin wind-wood, and to its right is Bright Yang dry-metal. This is determined by facing north, and it describes the left and right positions when the qi governing heaven manifests."

The Yellow Emperor said: "What is the lower position of the qi that springs from the earth?" Qibo said: "If Ceasing Yin wind-wood governs heaven above, then Lesser Yang minister-fire springs from the earth below, with Bright Yang dry-metal to its left and Greater Yin damp-earth to its right; if Lesser Yin ruler-fire governs heaven above, then Bright Yang dry-metal springs from the earth below, with Greater Yang cold-water to its left and Lesser Yang minister-fire to its right; if Greater Yin damp-earth governs heaven above, then Greater Yang cold-water springs from the earth below, with Ceasing Yin wind-wood to its left and Bright Yang dry-metal to its right; if Lesser Yang minister-fire governs heaven above, then Ceasing Yin wind-wood springs from the earth below, with Lesser Yin ruler-fire to its left and Greater Yang cold-water to its right; if Bright Yang dry-metal governs heaven above, then Lesser Yin ruler-fire springs from the earth below, with Greater Yin damp-earth to its left and Ceasing Yin wind-wood to its right; if Greater Yang cold-water governs heaven above, then Greater Yin damp-earth springs from the earth below, with Lesser Yang minister-fire to its left and Lesser Yin ruler-fire to its right. This is determined by facing south, and it describes the left and right positions when the qi that springs from the earth manifests."

The upper and lower qi intermingle, cold and heat qi superimpose upon each other. When qi is harmonious with qi, it is balanced; when it is not harmonious, illness arises. The Yellow Emperor said: "If qi is harmonious yet illness occurs, why is this?" Qibo said: "This is because the qi below superimposes upon the qi above, and their positions are not appropriate."

The Yellow Emperor said: "What about movement and stillness?" Qibo said: "The governing qi above moves to the right, and the springing qi below moves to the left; after rotating left and right for one complete cycle, they meet again." The Yellow Emperor said: "I have heard from Gui Yuqu that what corresponds with the earth is still. Now you, Master, say that the qi below moves to the left. I do not understand this meaning and wish to hear how it arises." Qibo said: "The movement and stillness of heaven and earth, and the repeated transformations of the five phases—even Gui Yuqu only observed the general signs and did not fully understand. As for the function of transformation, heaven manifests phenomena, earth gives form to bodies, the sun, moon, and five stars move across the sky, and the five phases adhere to the earth. The earth is what carries and generates the categories of forms and substances; heaven is what arranges the essences corresponding to it. The movement of form and essence is like the root and the branches. Looking up to observe celestial phenomena, though distant, they can be known."

The Yellow Emperor said: "Is the earth situated below?" Qibo said: "The earth is below humans, but it exists within the Great Void." The Yellow Emperor said: "What does it rely on to support it?" Qibo said: "It is the force of the great qi that holds it up. Dryness makes it dry, heat makes it evaporate, wind makes it move, dampness makes it moisten, cold makes it firm, and fire makes it warm. Thus, cold and wind qi are below, dry and heat qi are above, damp qi is in the middle, and fire qi travels among them. Cold and heat qi enter the six directions, thereby causing the void to produce transformation. Therefore, when dryness is excessive, the earth becomes parched; when heat is excessive, the earth becomes scorching; when wind is excessive, the earth trembles; when dampness is excessive, the earth becomes muddy; when cold is excessive, the earth cracks; when fire is excessive, the earth becomes hard."

The Yellow Emperor said: "How can the transformations of heaven and earth be diagnosed through pulse signs?" Qibo said: "The changes of heaven and earth's qi, the onset of conquering qi and retaliating qi, do not manifest in pulse diagnosis. The 'Pulse Method' says: 'The transformations of heaven and earth cannot be diagnosed through the pulse.' This is what it means."

The Yellow Emperor said: "What about the intercalary qi?" Qibo said: "It is diagnosed at the positions of the intercalary qi on the left and right sides of the pulse." The Yellow Emperor said: "How is it diagnosed?" Qibo said: "When the pulse is in accord with the qi, it is balanced; when it goes against the qi, illness arises. When the pulse appears in an inappropriate position, illness arises; when the pulse alternates positions, illness arises; when the pulse loses its proper place, it is dangerous; when the inch and cubit pulses are opposite, death occurs; when yin and yang qi interlace, death occurs. First, establish the year's movement for that year, thereby understanding the qi of that year. The left and right pulses correspond and manifest accordingly. Only then can one discuss the favorable and unfavorable directions of life and death."

The Yellow Emperor said: "How do cold, heat, dryness, dampness, wind, and fire correspond to the human body? And how do they transform all things?" Qibo said: "The east generates wind qi; wind qi promotes wood qi; wood qi produces sour flavor; sour flavor nourishes the liver; the liver generates sinews; sinews nourish the heart. In heaven, it is the mysterious phenomenon; in humans, it is the way of nurturing life; on earth, it is the function of transformation. Transformation produces the five flavors; the way of nurturing life produces wisdom; the mysterious produces spiritual intelligence; transformation produces qi. In spiritual intelligence, in heaven it is wind qi, on earth it is wood qi, in the human body it is sinews, in qi it is gentleness, in the five viscera it is the liver. Its nature is warmth; its virtue is harmony; its function is movement; its color is green; its transformation is flourishing; its insect class is hairy insects; its governing order is dispersion; its season is diffusion; its movement is breaking and tearing; its disaster is falling; its flavor is sour; its emotion is anger. Anger harms the liver; grief overcomes anger; wind qi harms the liver; dryness qi overcomes wind qi; sour flavor harms sinews; pungent flavor overcomes sour flavor."

In the south, it generates heat; heat generates fire; fire generates the bitter flavor; the bitter flavor nourishes the heart; the heart generates the blood vessels; the blood vessels generate the spleen. Its manifestation in heaven is heat, on earth it is fire, in the human body it is the blood vessels, in the qi mechanism it is the breath, among the five viscera it is the heart. Its nature is summer heat, its virtue is brightness, its function is agitation, its color is red, its transformation is luxuriance, its insect category is the feathered insect, its government is brilliance, its seasonal influence is stifling heat and steaming vapor, its movement is scorching and burning, its calamity is conflagration, its flavor is bitter, its emotion is joy. Joy harms the heart; fear overcomes joy. Heat harms the qi mechanism; cold overcomes heat. The bitter flavor harms the qi mechanism; the salty flavor overcomes the bitter flavor.

In the center, it generates dampness; dampness generates earth; earth generates the sweet flavor; the sweet flavor nourishes the spleen; the spleen generates the flesh; the flesh generates the lung. Its manifestation in heaven is dampness, on earth it is earth, in the human body it is the flesh, in the qi mechanism it is fullness, among the five viscera it is the spleen. Its nature is quiet and receptive, its virtue is moistening, its function is transformation, its color is yellow, its transformation is fullness, its insect category is the naked insect. Its government is tranquility, its seasonal influence is clouds and rain, its movement is water and dampness flowing and pouring, its calamity is water and dampness flooding and bursting, its flavor is sweet, its emotion is thoughtfulness. Thoughtfulness harms the spleen; anger overcomes thoughtfulness. Dampness harms the flesh; wind overcomes dampness. The sweet flavor harms the spleen; the sour flavor overcomes the sweet flavor.

In the west, it generates dryness; dryness generates metal; metal generates the acrid flavor; the acrid flavor nourishes the lung; the lung generates the skin and body hair; the skin and body hair generate the kidney. Its manifestation in heaven is dryness, on earth it is metal, in the human body it is the skin and body hair, in the qi mechanism it is completion, among the five viscera it is the lung. Its nature is coolness, its virtue is clear and severe, its function is firmness, its color is white, its transformation is convergence, its insect category is the shelled insect, its government is forceful and urgent, its seasonal influence is mist and dew, its movement is slaughter and killing, its calamity is withering and falling, its flavor is acrid, its emotion is melancholy. Melancholy harms the lung; joy overcomes melancholy. Heat harms the skin and body hair; cold overcomes heat. The acrid flavor harms the skin and body hair; the bitter flavor overcomes the acrid flavor.

In the north, it generates cold; cold generates water; water generates the salty flavor; the salty flavor nourishes the kidney; the kidney generates the marrow; the marrow generates the liver. Its manifestation in heaven is cold, on earth it is water, in the human body it is the bones, in the qi mechanism it is firmness, among the five viscera it is the kidney. Its nature is bitter cold, its virtue is chill, its function is storage, its color is black, its transformation is stillness, its insect category is the scaly insect, its government is tranquility, its seasonal influence is ice and cold, its movement is solidification and bitter cold, its calamity is hail, its flavor is salty, its emotion is fear. Fear harms the kidney; thoughtfulness overcomes fear. Cold harms the blood; dryness overcomes cold. The salty flavor harms the blood; the sweet flavor overcomes the salty flavor. The five directions’ qi alternately govern the seasons, each having its early or late arrival. When it is not in its proper position, it is called deviant qi; when it is in its proper position, it is called correct qi.

The Yellow Lord said: How do diseases manifest in their transformations? Qi Bo said: When qi and qi are in harmony, the condition is mild; when they are not in harmony, the condition is severe.

The Yellow Lord said: What about the qi that governs the year? Qi Bo said: When qi is in excess, it overcomes the qi that it conquers and also bullies the qi that it does not conquer; when qi is insufficient, then the qi that it does not conquer bullies and invades it, and the qi that it conquers also despises and bullies it. One who bullies others will instead be harmed by deviant qi. The reason why bullying leads to being harmed by deviance is that it lacks fear. The Yellow Lord said: Well spoken.