Suwen · The Qi-Image of the Balanced Person

The text

The Yellow Emperor asked: What is a balanced person? Qi Bo replied: In one exhalation the pulse moves twice; in one inhalation the pulse also moves twice. In a settled breath the pulse moves five times; intercalated with a long sigh — this is called a balanced person. A balanced person is one who is not ill. Always use the one who is not ill to attune the one who is ill. The physician is not ill, and therefore takes a level breath for the one who is ill, and attunes by that — this is the method. If in one exhalation the pulse moves once, and in one inhalation the pulse moves once, it is called little qi. If in one exhalation the pulse moves three times, and in one inhalation three times and is restless: if the chi is hot, it is called warm illness; if the chi is not hot and the pulse is slippery, it is called wind illness; if the pulse is rough, it is called impediment. If in one exhalation the pulse moves four times or more, it is called death. If the pulse is cut off and does not arrive, it is called death. If it is suddenly sparse, suddenly rapid, it is called death. The constant qi of a balanced person is received from the stomach. The stomach is the constant qi of the balanced person. When a person has no stomach-qi it is called against; against means death. In spring, a stomach pulse that is slightly stringlike is called balanced. Much string and little stomach is called liver illness. Only string and no stomach is called death. Stomach with a hairlike quality is called autumn illness; if the hair is extreme, it is called present illness. The true of the zang is scattered in the liver; the liver stores the qi of the sinews and membranes. In summer, a stomach pulse that is slightly hooked is called balanced. Much hook and little stomach is called heart illness. Only hook and no stomach is called death. Stomach with a stony quality is called winter illness; if the stone is extreme, it is called present illness. The true of the zang communicates with the heart; the heart stores the qi of the blood and vessels. In late summer, a stomach pulse that is slightly soft and weak is called balanced. Much weakness and little stomach is called spleen illness. Only intermittent and no stomach is called death. Soft and weak with a stony quality is called winter illness; if the weakness is extreme, it is called present illness. The true of the zang moistens the spleen; the spleen stores the qi of the flesh. In autumn, a stomach pulse that is slightly hairlike is called balanced. Much hair and little stomach is called lung illness. Only hair and no stomach is called death. Hair with a stringlike quality is called spring illness; if the string is extreme, it is called present illness. The true of the zang is high in the lung, by which ying and wei, yin and yang, are set in motion. In winter, a stomach pulse that is slightly stony is called balanced. Much stone and little stomach is called kidney illness. Only stone and no stomach is called death. Stone with a hooked quality is called summer illness; if the hook is extreme, it is called present illness. The true of the zang is below in the kidney; the kidney stores the qi of the bones and marrow. The great collateral of the stomach is called Xuli. It pierces the diaphragm and networks the lung, and comes out below the left breast; its movement answers the clothes. It is the ancestral qi of the pulse. When it is abundant, panting, rapid, and cutting off, the illness is in the center. When it is knotted and transverse, there is an accumulation. When it is cut off and does not arrive, it is called death. Below the breast, if its movement answers the clothes, ancestral qi is leaking. If you wish to know surplus and insufficiency at the inch-opening: a pulse at the inch-opening that strikes the hand as short is called headache. A pulse at the inch-opening that strikes the hand as long is called pain in the feet and shins. A pulse at the inch-opening that strikes the hand hurried and beating upward is called pain in the shoulders and back. A pulse at the inch-opening that is sunken and firm is called illness in the center. A pulse at the inch-opening that is floating and abundant is called illness on the outside. A pulse at the inch-opening that is sunken and weak is called cold and heat, and shan-jia with pain in the lesser abdomen. A pulse at the inch-opening that is sunken and transverse is called accumulation below the flank, and transverse accumulation and pain in the abdomen. A pulse at the inch-opening that is sunken and panting is called cold and heat. A pulse that is abundant, slippery, and firm is called illness on the outside. A pulse that is small, replete, and firm: the illness is within. A pulse that is small, weak, and rough is called a long illness. A pulse that is slippery, floating, and hurried is called a new illness. A pulse that is urgent is called shan-jia with pain in the lesser abdomen. A slippery pulse is called wind. A rough pulse is called impediment. Slow and slippery is called heat in the center. Abundant and tight is called swelling. When the pulse follows yin and yang, the illness is easily ended; when the pulse goes against yin and yang, the illness is hard to end. When the pulse obtains the following of the four seasons, the illness has nothing further; when the pulse goes against the four seasons, and does not skip a zang, it is called hard to end. Many green vessels on the arm are called blood desertion. A chi pulse that is slow and rough is called slack weariness. Lying at ease with an abundant pulse is called blood desertion. A rough chi and a slippery pulse are called much sweat. A cold chi and a fine pulse are called later draining. A chi pulse that is coarse and always hot is called heat in the center. If the liver appears on a geng or xin day, death. If the heart appears on a ren or gui day, death. If the spleen appears on a jia or yi day, death. If the lung appears on a bing or ding day, death. If the kidney appears on a wu or ji day, death. This is called the true zang appearing — all are death. A moving pulse in the neck, panting, hurried coughing: it is called water. Slight swelling around the eyes, like a silkworm risen from sleep: it is called water. Urine yellow-red and lying at ease: yellow dan. Having eaten and still as if hungry: stomach dan. A swollen face is called wind. Swollen feet and shins are called water. Yellow eyes are called yellow dan. When a woman's hand-shaoyin pulse moves greatly, she is with child. There are pulses that go against or with the four seasons, before the form of a zang has appeared. In spring and summer the pulse is thin; in autumn and winter the pulse is floating and large — this is called going against the four seasons. Wind-heat with a quiet pulse; draining and blood desertion with a replete pulse; illness in the center with a vacuous pulse; illness on the outside with a rough and firm pulse — all are hard to treat. This is called going against the four seasons. The person takes water and grain as root. Therefore when a person is cut off from water and grain there is death; when the pulse has no stomach-qi there is also death. What is called no stomach-qi is obtaining only the true-zang pulse and not obtaining stomach-qi. What is called the pulse not obtaining stomach-qi: the liver is not stringlike, the kidney is not stony. When the taiyang pulse arrives, it is flooding, large, and long. When the shaoyang pulse arrives, it is suddenly rapid, suddenly sparse, suddenly short, suddenly long. When the yangming pulse arrives, it is floating, large, and short. The balanced heart pulse comes linked, linked, like joined pearls, like following langgan jade — this is called the heart balanced. In summer take stomach-qi as the root. The ill heart pulse comes panting, panting, in succession, faintly hooked in the middle — this is called heart illness. The dying heart pulse comes hooked in front and sitting behind, like holding a belt-hook — this is called heart death. The balanced lung pulse comes softly, softly, like falling elm pods — this is called the lung balanced. In autumn take stomach-qi as the root. The ill lung pulse comes neither rising nor descending, like following a chicken feather — this is called lung illness. The dying lung pulse comes like a thing floating, like wind blowing hair — this is called lung death. The balanced liver pulse comes soft and weak, swaying, like lifting the tip of a long pole — this is called the liver balanced. In spring take stomach-qi as the root. The ill liver pulse comes full, replete, and slippery, like following a long pole — this is called liver illness. The dying liver pulse comes urgent and still more taut, like a newly strung bowstring — this is called liver death. The balanced spleen pulse comes harmonious and soft, each beat apart, like a chicken walking the ground — this is called the spleen balanced. In late summer take stomach-qi as the root. The ill spleen pulse comes replete, full, and rapid, like a chicken lifting its foot — this is called spleen illness. The dying spleen pulse comes sharp and firm like a crow's beak, like a bird's spur, like a leaking roof, like flowing water — this is called spleen death. The balanced kidney pulse comes panting, linked, like a hook, and is firm when pressed — this is called the kidney balanced. In winter take stomach-qi as the root. The ill kidney pulse comes like pulling kudzu, and grows firmer when pressed — this is called kidney illness. The dying kidney pulse issues like a snatched rope, click, click, like flicking a stone — this is called kidney death.

The line

A balanced person is one who is not ill.

The note

A balanced person is not a person without rise and fall. Breath and pulse are still in the same boat. The qi-image is seeing the look of being alive — not seeing a number.