Lingshu · The Twenty-Five Kinds of Yin-Yang Persons

The text

The Yellow Emperor said: I have heard of yin and yang persons. How is it? Bo Gao said: Between heaven and earth, within the six directions, nothing leaves the five; man also answers them. Therefore there is the government of five-times-five, twenty-five persons — and the yin-yang persons are not among them. Their bearing, again, does not match the crowd. I already know this. I wish to hear the forms of the twenty-five persons, the distinctions of where blood and qi are born, and how by watching from without one knows the inner. How is it? Qi Bo said: Exhaustive, the question. This is a secret of the former teachers. Even Bo Gao cannot yet make it clear. The Yellow Emperor left his mat, stepped back in respect, and said: I have heard it. To obtain the person and not teach — this is called a double loss. To obtain it and leak it — heaven will weary of him. I wish to obtain it and make it clear, store it in the metal casket, and not dare to spread it. Qi Bo said: First set the five forms — metal, wood, water, fire, earth. Tell apart their five colors; distinguish the persons of the five forms — and the twenty-five persons are complete. The Yellow Emperor said: I wish to hear it to the end. Qi Bo said: Be careful, be careful. Let this servant speak. The wood-form person is matched to upper jiao, like the Green Emperor. As a person: green color, small head, long face, large shoulders and back, a straight body, small hands; the feet well-made; talented; labors the heart; little strength; much worry; toils at affairs. Can bear spring and summer; cannot bear autumn and winter; meeting them, illness is born. Foot jueyin — easy and unhurried. The greater-jiao person is matched to the left foot shaoyang; above shaoyang, lingering and yielding. The left-jiao person is matched to the right foot shaoyang; below shaoyang, following and compliant. The clamp-jiao person is matched to the right foot shaoyang; above shaoyang, pushing forward. The split-jiao person is matched to the left foot shaoyang; below shaoyang, taut as a peg. The fire-form person is matched to upper zhi, like the Red Emperor. As a person: red color, broad of jowl, the face flesh falling away, small head; shoulders, back, thighs, and belly well-made; small hands and feet; walks settled on the ground; a swift heart; walks with a sway; shoulders and back full of flesh; has qi; light with wealth; little trust; much pondering; sees affairs clearly; a good face; a hurried heart; not long-lived, dies suddenly. Can bear spring and summer; cannot bear autumn and winter; in autumn and winter, meeting them, illness is born. Hand shaoyin — firm as a kernel. The substance-zhi person is matched to the left hand taiyang; above taiyang, fleshy and abundant. The lesser-zhi person is matched to the right hand taiyang; below taiyang, restless and unsettled. The right-zhi person is matched to the right hand taiyang; above taiyang, sharp and keen. The substance-split person is matched to the left hand taiyang; below taiyang, supported and composed. The earth-form person is matched to upper gong, like the Yellow Emperor of high antiquity. As a person: yellow color, round face, large head, handsome shoulders and back, large belly, handsome thighs and shins, small hands and feet, much flesh, above and below matching; walks settled on the ground; lifts the feet light and easy; the heart loves to benefit others; does not love power; readily attaches to people. Can bear autumn and winter; cannot bear spring and summer; in spring and summer, meeting them, illness is born. Foot taiyin — honest and substantial. The greater-gong person is matched to the left foot yangming; above yangming, gentle and yielding. The added-gong person is matched to the left foot yangming; below yangming, solid as a bank. The lesser-gong person is matched to the right foot yangming; above yangming, turning like a pivot. The left-gong person is matched to the right foot yangming; below yangming, still and self-contained. The metal-form person is matched to upper shang, like the White Emperor. As a person: square face, white color, small head, small shoulders and back, small belly, small hands and feet; as if the bones issued outside the heels; bones light; the body clean-edged; a hurried heart, quiet and fierce; good as an officer. Can bear autumn and winter; cannot bear spring and summer; in spring and summer, meeting them, illness is born. Hand taiyin — honest and substantial. The clamp-shang person is matched to the left hand yangming; above yangming, clean-edged. The right-shang person is matched to the left hand yangming; below yangming, open and unforced. The left-shang person is matched to the right hand yangming; above yangming, watchful. The lesser-shang person is matched to the right hand yangming; below yangming, stern. The water-form person is matched to upper yu, like the Black Emperor. As a person: black color, the face uneven, large head, clean jaw; small shoulders, large belly; moving hands and feet; in walking the body sways; the sacrum low, the back long, stretching on and on; without respect or awe; readily cheats people, dies by execution. Can bear autumn and winter; cannot bear spring and summer; in spring and summer, meeting them, illness is born. Foot shaoyin — overflowing, spreading. The greater-yu person is matched to the right foot taiyang; above taiyang, full in the cheeks. The lesser-yu person is matched to the left foot taiyang; below taiyang, winding and lingering. The crowd-yu person is matched to the right foot taiyang; below taiyang, clean and spare. The shackle-yu person is matched to the left foot taiyang; above taiyang, settled and quiet. Thus the twenty-five changes of the five-form persons are how the crowd deceive one another. The Yellow Emperor said: One obtains the form and does not obtain the color — how is it? Qi Bo said: When form overcomes color, or color overcomes form, when the year of overcoming arrives and the years add, meeting it, illness walks; losing it, there is worry. When form and color match each other: wealth, honor, and great joy. The Yellow Emperor said: When form and color overcome each other, can the added years be known? Qi Bo said: Of year-taboos, for persons high and low: the great taboos regularly add at seven years, sixteen, twenty-five, thirty-four, forty-three, fifty-two, sixty-one — all a person's great taboos; one cannot but keep oneself at rest. Meeting them, illness walks; losing them, there is worry. In these times do no crooked work. These are called the year-taboos. The Yellow Emperor said: You, master, speak of the pulse above and below, the watching of blood and qi, to know form and qi — how is it? Qi Bo said: Above foot yangming: blood and qi full, the whiskers handsome and long; blood little and qi much, the whiskers short; qi little and blood much, the whiskers few; blood and qi both little, no whiskers, and many lines at the two corners of the mouth. Below foot yangming: blood and qi full, the lower hair handsome and long, reaching the chest; blood much and qi little, the lower hair handsome and short, reaching the navel; in walking they readily lift the feet high; the toes have little flesh; the feet readily cold. Blood little and qi much: flesh that readily chaps. Blood and qi both little: no hair — or if there is hair, sparse, withered, and spent; readily limp, reversed, and foot-impediment. Above foot shaoyang: qi and blood full, the connecting whiskers handsome and long; blood much and qi little, the connecting whiskers handsome and short; blood little and qi much, little beard; blood and qi both little, no beard; meeting cold and damp, readily impediment, bone pain, nails withered. Below foot shaoyang: blood and qi full, the shin hair handsome and long, the outer ankle fat; blood much and qi little, the shin hair handsome and short, the skin of the outer ankle firm and thick; blood little and qi much, the down sparse, the skin of the outer ankle thin and soft; blood and qi both little, no hair, the outer ankle lean, without flesh. Above foot taiyang: blood and qi full, handsome brows, the brows having fine long hairs; blood much and qi little, ugly brows, the face with many fine lines; blood little and qi much, the face with much flesh; blood and qi in accord, a handsome color. Below foot taiyang: blood and qi full, the heel flesh full, the heel firm; qi little and blood much, the heel hollow; blood and qi both little, readily cramping, pain under the heel. Above hand yangming: blood and qi full, the mustache handsome; blood little and qi much, the mustache ugly; blood and qi both little, no mustache. Below hand yangming: blood and qi full, the hair under the arm handsome, the thenar flesh warm; qi and blood both little, the hand lean and cold. Above hand shaoyang: blood and qi full, the brows handsome and long, the ear of a handsome color; blood and qi both little, the ear scorched, of an ugly color. Below hand shaoyang: blood and qi full, the hand curled, much flesh, and warm; blood and qi both little, cold and lean; qi little and blood much, lean and with many vessels. Above hand taiyang: blood and qi full, the mouth with much beard, the face with much flesh and even; blood and qi both little, the face lean, of an ugly color. Below hand taiyang: blood and qi full, the palm flesh full; blood and qi both little, the palm lean and cold. The Yellow Emperor said: The twenty-five persons — has needling them a measure? Qi Bo said: Handsome brows: the vessel of foot taiyang, much qi and blood. Ugly brows: little blood and qi. Fat and lustrous: blood and qi in surplus. Fat and without luster: qi in surplus, blood not enough. Lean and without luster: qi and blood both not enough. Examine the surplus and the not-enough of form and qi, and regulate — then you can know against and with. The Yellow Emperor said: Needling the various yin and yang — how is it? Qi Bo said: Press the inch-mouth and the man's-welcome to regulate yin and yang. Feel along the channels where they clot and catch. What is knotted and does not open: through the body this is all painful impediment; in the extreme it does not walk — therefore clot and catch. What clots and catches: bring qi to warm it; when the blood is in accord, it stops. The knotted networks: the vessel is knotted, the blood does not walk; open it, and then it walks. Therefore it is said: qi in surplus above, guide it down; qi not enough above, push it and let it rest; what lingers and does not arrive, go to meet it. You must be clear about the channel-tunnels, and then you can hold them. When cold and heat struggle, guide them and make them walk. What is pent and old, the blood not knotted — give it according to the rule. You must first know clearly the twenty-five persons — then where blood and qi sit, left and right, above and below, and the measure of needling is complete.

The line

Bo Gao said: Between heaven and earth, within the six directions, nothing leaves the five; man also answers them.

The note

Twenty-five persons: the five phases, each cut again into five. This is not fortune-telling. It is admitting that form, color, and gait were never one way of walking.