Suwen · On Pain

The text

The Yellow Emperor asked: I have heard that those who speak well of heaven must have it verified in the person; those who speak well of the ancient must have it joined to the present; those who speak well of the person must have it confirmed in themselves. If it is like this, the Dao is not confused and the essential numbers are reached — this is what is called brightness. Now I ask of you: let it be spoken and knowable, looked at and visible, felt and obtainable; let it be verified in myself, so that the covering is lifted and the confusion resolved. May I hear it? Qi Bo bowed twice, touched his forehead to the ground, and answered: Of which Dao is the question? The Emperor said: I wish to hear of sudden pain in a person's five zang — what qi makes it so? Qi Bo answered: The channel vessels flow without stop, circling and going around without rest. Cold qi enters the channels and is delayed there; it weeps and does not travel. Lodging as a guest outside the vessels, the blood is little; lodging as a guest inside the vessels, the qi does not pass through. Therefore there is sudden pain. The Emperor said: Some pains stop suddenly; some ache extremely and do not rest; some ache extremely and cannot be pressed; some, pressed, stop; some, pressed, have no benefit; some pant and move, answering the hand; some have the heart and the back drawing each other in pain; some have the flanks and ribs and the lesser abdomen drawing each other in pain; some have belly pain drawing the yin of the thigh; some have pain that stays from former days and becomes an accumulation; some have sudden pain as if dying, not knowing people, and after a little while live again; some have pain and vomit; some have belly pain and then outflow; some have pain and closing that will not pass through. All these pains have different forms. How does one tell them apart? Qi Bo said: When cold qi lodges as a guest outside the vessels, the vessels are cold; when the vessels are cold they shrink and coil; shrinking and coiling, the vessels are taut and tight; taut and tight, they draw the small collaterals outward. Therefore there is sudden pain. Obtain warmth, and the pain stops at once. If again one is struck by cold, the pain lasts long. When cold qi lodges as a guest in the midst of the channel vessels, and contends with warm qi, the vessels are full; full, there is pain that cannot be pressed. Cold qi stays and delays; warm qi comes from above; then the vessels fill and enlarge, and blood and qi are in disorder. Therefore the pain is extreme and cannot be pressed. When cold qi lodges as a guest between the intestines and stomach, beneath the membrane-origin, the blood cannot scatter; the small collaterals are tight and drawing, therefore there is pain. Press it, and blood and qi scatter; therefore pressing stops the pain. When cold qi lodges as a guest in the vessels that flank the spine, it is deep, and pressing cannot reach it; therefore pressing has no benefit. When cold qi lodges as a guest in the Thoroughfare vessel — the Thoroughfare vessel rises from the Pass Origin and goes straight up along the belly — cold qi lodging, the vessel does not pass through; the vessel not passing through, qi follows it. Therefore there is panting movement that answers the hand. When cold qi lodges as a guest in the vessels of the back transports, the blood vessels weep; the vessels weeping, the blood is vacant; the blood vacant, there is pain. Its transports pour into the heart; therefore they draw each other in pain. Press, and hot qi arrives; hot qi arriving, the pain stops. When cold qi lodges as a guest in the Jueyin vessel — the Jueyin vessel networks the yin organs and ties to the liver — cold qi lodging in the midst of the vessel, the blood weeps and the vessel is tight. Therefore the flanks and ribs and the lesser abdomen draw each other in pain. When reversal qi lodges as a guest in the yin of the thigh, cold qi goes up and reaches the lesser abdomen; the blood weeps below and they draw each other. Therefore belly pain draws the yin of the thigh. When cold qi lodges as a guest between the small intestine and the membrane-origin, in the midst of the collateral blood, the blood weeps and cannot pour into the great channels; blood and qi stay and delay and cannot travel. Therefore from former days it becomes an accumulation. When cold qi lodges as a guest in the five zang, reversal against discharges upward; yin qi is exhausted, yang qi has not yet entered. Therefore there is sudden pain as if dying, not knowing people. When the qi turns back, there is life. When cold qi lodges as a guest in the intestines and stomach, reversal against goes out above; therefore there is pain and vomiting. When cold qi lodges as a guest in the small intestine, the small intestine cannot complete a gathering; therefore afterward there is outflow and belly pain. When heat qi stays in the small intestine, there is pain in the intestines; wasting heat, parched thirst; then it is hard and dry and cannot come out. Therefore there is pain and closing that will not pass through. The Emperor said: This is what was called spoken and knowable. Looked at and visible — how? Qi Bo said: The five zang and six fu each have, of course, their regions. Watch their five colors: yellow and red are heat; white is cold; green and black are pain. This is what is called looked at and visible. The Emperor said: Felt and obtainable — how? Qi Bo said: Watch the vessel that governs the illness: if it is hard, and if there is blood, and if it has sunk down — all these can be felt and obtained. The Emperor said: Good. I know that the hundred illnesses are born of qi. Anger: qi goes up. Joy: qi slackens. Grief: qi melts. Fear: qi goes down. Cold: qi gathers in. Heat: qi discharges. Startle: qi is in disorder. Taxation: qi is spent. Thought: qi knots. The nine qi are not the same — what illnesses do they give birth to? Qi Bo said: Anger: qi goes against; if extreme, one vomits blood and has undigested outflow. Therefore qi goes up. Joy: qi is in accord and the will gets through; ying and wei pass freely. Therefore qi slackens. Grief: the heart's ties are tight; the lung spreads and its leaves lift; the upper burner does not pass through; ying and wei do not scatter; heat qi is in the center. Therefore qi melts. Fear: jing withdraws; withdrawing, the upper burner closes; closing, qi turns back; turning back, the lower burner swells. Therefore qi does not travel. Cold: the skin interstices close; qi does not travel. Therefore qi gathers in. Heat: the skin interstices open; ying and wei pass through; sweat discharges greatly. Therefore qi discharges. Startle: the heart has nothing to lean on; the spirit has nowhere to return; thought has nowhere to settle. Therefore qi is in disorder. Taxation: panting breath and sweat going out; outside and inside both overflow. Therefore qi is spent. Thought: the heart has something it keeps; the spirit has somewhere it returns; upright qi stays and does not travel. Therefore qi knots.

The line

I know that the hundred illnesses are born of qi. Anger: qi goes up. Joy: qi slackens. Grief: qi melts. Fear: qi goes down. Cold: qi gathers in. Heat: qi discharges. Startle: qi is in disorder. Taxation: qi is spent. Thought: qi knots. The nine qi are not the same — what illnesses do they give birth to?

The note

The hundred illnesses are born of qi. Anger sends qi up; fear sends qi down. To raise up pain is to free it from the site, and see it as one way qi walks.