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Chapter 61 Discourse on Holes [to treat] Water and Heat. 61-326-5 Huang Di asked: “The minor yin, how is it that it rules the kidneys; The kidneys, how is it that they rule the water?” Qi Bo responded: “The kidneys are the extreme yin. extreme yin is abundant water. The lung is the major yin. Minor yin is a winter vessel.1 Hence, its basis is in the kidneys, its end is in the lung.2 Both accumulate water.”3 1 Hu Tianxiong: “The Tai su has the four characters 腎者少陰 (instead of 肺者太 陰). In the preceding paragraph, [Huang] Di asks two questions. first, ‘how is it that the minor yin rules the kidneys?’and second,‘how is it that the kidneys rule the water?’ In the preceding passage, Qi Bo has already answered the question ‘how is it that the kidneys rule the water?’Hence,the subsequent passage should respond to the question ‘how is it that the minor yin rules the kidneys?’The [Tai su] phrasing ‘the kidneys are minor yin; minor yin is a winter [movement in the] vessels’ answers this question. I should also like to point out here the difference between [the statements] ‘the kidneys are minor yin’ and ‘the kidneys are extreme yin.’ ‘extreme yin’ refers to the climate. The kidneys rule [in] winter; the command of winter is severe cold. Hence, [the text] states: ‘the kidneys are extreme yin.’‘Minor yin’ refers to the conduit vessels, as is said in Ling shu 10: ‘The foot minor yin vessel of the kidneys [emerges from ...].’ Hence, [the text] states: ‘the minor yin is the winter vessel.’” 脈 may stand here for 氣, “qi.” see also Hu Tianxiong in note 34. 2 Hu Tianxiong: “The character 其 is a pronoun for ‘minor yin vessel.’ Hence, the [subsequent] commentary by Wang Bing.” 3 Wang Bing: “ ‘yin’ is to say: cold. The winter months [are marked by] extreme cold; the kidney qi corresponds to them. Hence, [the text] states: ‘The kidneys are the extreme yin.’ Water governs in winter. Hence, [the text] states: ‘extreme yin is abounding water.’ The minor yin vessel of the kidneys rises from the kidneys, penetrates liver and diaphragm and enters the lung. Hence, [the text] states: ‘Its origin is in the kidneys; its end is in the lung.’When the kidney qi rises contrary [to its normal flow], water settles in the lung as a result. Hence, [the text] states: ‘They all collect water.’” Zhang Jiebin: “The kidneys correspond to the qi of the north; their depot is located in the lower part [of the body]. Hence, they are called ‘extreme yin.’The water 90 Huang Di nei jing su wen 61-326-7 [Huang] Di: “The kidneys, how can they generate diseases by assembling water?” Qi Bo: “The kidneys are the gates of the stomach.4 Hence, when the gates do not [open] freely, water assembles and follows its type.5 61-326-11 above and below it spills into the skin; governs in winter and the kidneys rule it. Hence, [the text] says ‘abound with water.’” for a detailed discussion of 其本在腎, 其末在肺 see also 94/51. 4 Zhang Jiebin: “The 關 (‘gate’) is the place where the door leafs must meet.Hence,it controls opening and closing, leaving and entering.The kidneys rule the lower burner; their openings are the two yin [openings]. Water and grains enter the stomach. The clear [parts] leave through the frontal yin [opening]; the turbid [parts] leave through the yin [opening] in the back. When the kidney qi undergoes transformation, then the two yin [openings] are passable.When the kidney qi does not undergo transformation , then the two yin [openings] close. .. Hence, [the text] states: the kidneys are the gate of the stomach.”Hu Tianxiong: “The Tai su has 關閉,‘the gate is closed,’instead of 關. yang shangshan commented: ‘The stomach rules water and grain. When the stomach qi is shut in and cannot move freely, the kidneys accumulate water.’That is, yang shangshan considers the stomach as the gate of the kidneys, while Wang Bing considers the kidneys as the gate of the stomach. one should follow Wang Bing’s comment.” 5 Wang Bing: “The 關 is that by which one controls leaving and entering. The kidneys rule the lower burner.The bladder is its palace. It controls the [kidneys’] separate outflow through the gate openings, [i.e.,] the two yin [openings.]. Hence, when the kidney qi undergoes transformation, then the two yin [openings] are passable; when the two yin [openings] are...

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