Lingshu · Moving the Needle

The text

The Yellow Emperor asked Qi Bo: I have heard the nine needles from you, and practiced them among the people. The blood and qi of the people have each a different form: in some the spirit stirs and qi travels before the needle; in some qi and the needle meet; in some the needle has already come out and qi travels alone; in some only after several insertions is it known; in some, when the needle is issued, qi reverses; in some, after several insertions the illness grows worse. These six are each of a different form. I wish to hear their ways. Qi Bo said: In a person of doubled yang the spirit is easily stirred, and the qi easily goes forth. The Yellow Emperor said: What is meant by a person of doubled yang? Qi Bo said: A person of doubled yang is blazing and lofty, quick in speech, high in step. The zang-qi of heart and lung has surplus; yang qi is slippery, abundant, and lifted, and so the spirit stirs and qi travels first. The Yellow Emperor said: There are persons of doubled yang whose spirit does not travel first. Why is that? Qi Bo said: Such a person has a fair share of yin. The Yellow Emperor said: How does one know that there is a fair share of yin? Qi Bo said: Those with much yang have much joy; those with much yin have much anger; those who anger often also let it go easily. Therefore one says there is a fair share of yin. The parting and meeting of their yin and yang is hard, and so their spirit cannot travel first. The Yellow Emperor said: When qi and the needle meet — how is that? Qi Bo said: Yin and yang are in accord, and blood and qi are moist, glossy, and sliding. So when the needle enters, qi comes out quickly, and they meet. The Yellow Emperor said: When the needle has already come out and qi travels alone — what qi makes it so? Qi Bo said: There is much yin qi and little yang qi. Yin qi is sunken and yang qi is floating, stored within. So when the needle has already come out, qi follows after it, and therefore travels alone. The Yellow Emperor said: Only after several insertions is it known. What qi makes it so? Qi Bo said: This person has much yin and little yang. The qi is sunken and goes forth with difficulty, and so only after several insertions is it known. The Yellow Emperor said: When the needle enters and qi reverses — what qi makes it so? Qi Bo said: As for qi reversing, and as for illness growing worse after several insertions: this is not a matter of yin and yang qi, nor of the tendency to float or sink. These are all the ruin of the coarse hand, the fault of the worker. There is no excess in the form and qi themselves.

The line

The Yellow Emperor asked Qi Bo: I have heard the nine needles from you, and practiced them among the people. The blood and qi of the people have each a different form: in some the spirit stirs and qi travels before the needle; in some qi and the needle meet; in some the needle has already come out and qi travels alone; in some only after several insertions is it known; in some, when the needle is issued, qi reverses; in some, after several insertions the illness grows worse. These six are each of a different form. I wish to hear their ways. Qi Bo said: In a person of doubled yang the spirit is easily stirred, and the qi easily goes forth.

The note

Sometimes the spirit stirs and qi travels before the needle; sometimes qi and the needle meet. Moving the needle is admitting that the same needle has a different time in different people.