Lingshu · The Nine Palaces and Eight Winds

The text

- Beginning of Summer, 4, Xun, Yinluo, southeast Summer Solstice, 9, Li, Shangtian, south Beginning of Autumn, 2, Kun, Xuanwei, southwest - Spring Equinox, 3, Zhen, Cangmen, east Zhaoyao, 5, the Center Autumn Equinox, 7, Dui, Cangguo, west - Beginning of Spring, 8, Gen, Tianliu, northeast Winter Solstice, 1, Kan, Yezhe, north Beginning of Winter, 6, Qian, Xinluo, northwest } Taiyi always, on the day of the winter solstice, dwells in the Ye Zhe palace for forty-six days. The next day it dwells in Tianliu for forty-six days. The next day it dwells in Cangmen for forty-six days. The next day it dwells in Yinluo for forty-five days. The next day it dwells in the Heaven palace for forty-six days. The next day it dwells in Xuanwei for forty-six days. The next day it dwells in Cangguo for forty-six days. The next day it dwells in Xinluo for forty-five days. The next day it again dwells in the Ye Zhe palace — it is called the winter solstice. Taiyi's daily wandering: on the day of the winter solstice it dwells in the Ye Zhe palace; count the days of its place from one lodging to nine days, then return again to one. Always it is like this, without end, ending and beginning again. On the day Taiyi moves, heaven must answer it with wind and rain. If there is wind and rain on that day, it is auspicious: the year is fair, the people are at peace, and there is little illness. If it comes before, there is much rain; if it comes after, there is much drought. If Taiyi on the day of the winter solstice has a change, the omen is in the ruler. If Taiyi on the day of the spring equinox has a change, the omen is in the minister. If Taiyi on the day of the center palace has a change, the omen is in the officers. If Taiyi on the day of the autumn equinox has a change, the omen is in the generals. If Taiyi on the day of the summer solstice has a change, the omen is in the people. What is meant by having a change: on the days Taiyi dwells in the five palaces, a sick wind snaps trees and lifts sand and stones; each by what it governs, one reads noble and base. Then look at where the wind comes from and read it. Wind coming from the quarter where it dwells is full wind: it governs birth, and grows and nourishes the ten thousand things. Coming from the opposite quarter behind is vacant wind, that which injures a person: it governs killing, governs harm. Carefully wait for vacant wind and avoid it. Therefore the sage's daily Dao of avoiding vacant pathogen is like avoiding arrows and stones; the pathogen cannot harm — this is what is meant. Thus when Taiyi enters and moves and stands in the center palace, it then faces the eight winds, so as to read the auspicious and the inauspicious. Wind coming from the south is named Great Weak Wind. In injuring a person, it lodges inwardly in the heart, outwardly in the vessels; its qi governs heat. Wind coming from the southwest is named Plotting Wind. In injuring a person, it lodges inwardly in the spleen, outwardly in the muscles; its qi governs weakness. Wind coming from the west is named Hard Wind. In injuring a person, it lodges inwardly in the lung, outwardly in the skin; its qi governs dryness. Wind coming from the northwest is named Breaking Wind. In injuring a person, it lodges inwardly in the small intestine, outwardly in the hand taiyang vessel. If the vessel is cut, there is overflow; if the vessel is closed, it knots and does not pass; one is apt to die suddenly. Wind coming from the north is named Great Hard Wind. In injuring a person, it lodges inwardly in the kidney, outwardly in the bones and the spine-sinews of the shoulder and back; its qi governs cold. Wind coming from the northeast is named Baleful Wind. In injuring a person, it lodges inwardly in the large intestine, outwardly below the two wide armpit-bones and in the limb-joints. Wind coming from the east is named Infant Wind. In injuring a person, it lodges inwardly in the liver, outwardly in the sinew-knots; its qi governs dampness of the body. Wind coming from the southeast is named Weak Wind. In injuring a person, it lodges inwardly in the stomach, outwardly in the flesh; its qi governs heaviness of the body. These eight winds all come from their vacant quarter, and only then can they make a person ill. When three vacancies beat together, it is sudden illness and sudden death. Two repletions and one vacancy: the illness is then dripping exposure, cold and heat. Offending a place of rain and damp, it is then wilting. Therefore the sage avoids wind as one avoids arrows and stones. If there are three vacancies and one is struck aslant by pathogenic wind, it is then being struck down, and withering of one side.

The line

Coming from the opposite quarter behind is vacant wind, that which injures a person: it governs killing, governs harm. Carefully wait for vacant wind and avoid it. Therefore the sage's daily Dao of avoiding vacant pathogen is like avoiding arrows and stones; the pathogen cannot harm — this is what is meant.

The note

Vacant wind comes from the opposite quarter, like arrows and stones. Full wind governs birth; vacant wind governs killing. To avoid is not cowardice; it is knowing where the wind comes from.