Re-translation of Huang Di Nei Jing - Article I

上古天真論篇第一
Article I On the Original Reality of Antiquity

1 昔在黃帝，生而神靈，弱而能言，幼而徇齊，長而敦敏，成而登天。
- English: Huangdi, or Yellow Emperor of the old days was born a prodigy. Having acquired language early, Yellow Emperor was able to obtain knowledge expeditiously in childhood and had cultivated a character of honesty, amiability and acumen when grown-up. He ascended the throne by the time of his adulthood.
Notes:
① Huangdi (黃帝 Pinyin: huáng dì) or the Yellow Emperor, is a legendary Chinese sovereign and cultural hero who is considered in Chinese mythology the ancestor of all Han Chinese. One of the legendary Five Emperors, it was written in the Shiji by historian Sima Qian (145 B.C.-90 B.C.) that Huangdi reigned from 2497 B.C. to 2398 B.C. His personal name was said to be Gōngsūn Xuānyuán (公孫軒轅). He emerged as a chief deity of Taoism during the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD). The legend of his victory in the war against Emperor Chi You at the Battle of Zhuolu is seen as the establishment of the Han Chinese nationality. Among his many accomplishments, Huangdi has been credited with the invention of the principles of Traditional Chinese medicine. The Huangdi Neijing was supposedly composed in collaboration with his physician Qibo. However, modern historiographers generally consider it to have been compiled from ancient sources by a scholar living between the Zhou and Han dynasties, more than 2,000 years later.
2 乃問于天師曰：余聞上古之人，春秋皆度百歲，而動作不衰；今時之人，年半百而動作皆衰者，時世異耶？人將失之耶？
- English: Yellow Emperor once asked the Supreme Master, “I understood that in the days of old, people could all live beyond the age of one hundred and still move with ease, but nowadays people move with senescence at the mere age of fifties. Is this due to a change of time and environment? or did we just gradually lose the knowledge of life-nurturing?”
Notes:
① Supreme Master is the revered name of Qibo (Master Qi). Qibo (岐伯; pinyin: qíbó), was a mythological Chinese doctor, employed by the Yellow Emperor as his minister. It is said that Qibo had learned medicine from some celestial being like Guangchengzi, Chisongzi (赤松子; pinyin: chìsōng zǐ), Zhongnanzi (中南子; pinyin: zhōng nán zǐ). Zhongnanzi recommended Qibo to Yellow Emperor, while Yellow Emperor asked Tao to Guangchengzi in Kongtong Mountains. Qibo became the chancellor of Yellow Emperor. He sampled medicinal herbs by the order of Yellow Emperor. Paul Unschuld, the renowned sinologist and translator, even argues that based on phonetic similarities Qibo might have been Hippocrates.
â‘¡ life-nurturing: The traditional healthcare to promote health, prevent disease and enhance longevity in China, also called health preservation or health cultivation.
3 岐伯對曰：上古之人，其知道者，法於陰陽，和於術數，食飲有節，起居有常，不妄作勞，故能形與神俱，而盡終其天年，度百歲乃去。
- English: Master Qi replied: “Those ancients who knew well of Tao followed the principles of yin-yang and abode by the practices of shushu. They led a regular life of moderate diet with neither impetuous overwork nor any excessive sex. From thence their culmination of both fitness and liveliness, and their full exploitation of the allotted lifespan of one hundred years.”
Notes:
① Tao or Dao (道, Pinyin: Dào) is a Chinese character often translated as “Way” or “Path”. In ancient China, Tao could be modified by other nouns. Two of such compounds gained special currency in Classical Chinese philosophy: Tian Tao (sky or natural dao--usually translated religiously as "heaven's Tao"), and Ren Tao (human tao, the normative orders constructed by social practices). Here, tao refers to the natural tao, a notion roughly corresponds to the order expressed in the totality of natural laws.
② yin-yang (Yinyang 陰陽, Pinyin: yīn-yáng) is one of the dominant concepts shared by different schools throughout the history of Chinese philosophy. Just as with many other Chinese philosophical notions, the influences of yin-yang are easy to observe, but its conceptual meanings are hard to define. Despite the differences in the interpretation, application, and appropriation of yin-yang, three basic themes underlie nearly all deployments of the concept in Chinese philosophy: (1) yin-yang as the coherent fabric of nature and mind, exhibited in all existence, (2) yin-yang as jiao (interaction) between the waxing and waning of the cosmic and human realms, and (3) yin-yang as a process of harmonization ensuring a constant, dynamic balance of all things.
③ shushu (術數, Pinyin: shù shù) refers to the various ways of observing nature in ancient China, the results of such observations can be applied into many practices such as life-nurturing, kongfu and even fortune-telling.
4 今時之人不然也，以酒為漿，以妄為常，醉以入房，以欲竭其精，以耗散其真，不知持滿，不時(【注】從範登脈、王海平解, 做"識"的音誤。詳見“‘不時禦神’新解”，範登脈，王海平著，《南京中醫藥大學學報（社會科學版）》2001年03期)禦神，務快其心，逆于生樂，起居無節，故半百而衰也。
- English: “People nowadays are different: liquor is taken as water and impetuosity taken as normality. Drunken sex exhausts one’s essence and dissipates his genuine qi. People know nothing about continence for the adequacy of essential qi, nor anything about manoeuvre of his essence-spirit, but seek utter enjoyment from an irregular life neglecting life-nurturing. From hence their decrepitude by the age of fifties.”
Notes:
① essence：jing (精, Pinyin: jīng) is the Chinese word for "essence", specifically kidney essence. Along with qì and shén, it is considered one of the three treasures of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Jīng is stored in the kidneys and is the densest physical matter within the body (as opposed to shén which is the most volatile). It is said to be the material basis for the physical body and is negative in nature, which means it nourishes, fuels, and cools the body. As such it is as well an important concept in the internal martial arts. Jīng is also believed by some to be the carrier of our heritage (similar to DNA). Production of semen, in the man, and menstrual blood (or pregnancy), in the woman, are believed to place the biggest strains on jīng. Because of this, some even equate jīng with semen, though it is inaccurate.
② genuine qi (real ch'I; 真氣, Pinyin: zhēn qì) is normally regarded in China as the original momentum of human body. The term ch'i or qi, in traditional Chinese philosophy, refers to the ethereal substance of which everything is composed. Early Taoist philosophers and alchemists regarded qi as a vital force inhering in the breath and bodily fluids and developed techniques to alter and control the movement of qi within the body; their aim was to achieve physical longevity and spiritual power.
③ essence spirit (精神, Pinyin: jīng shén): state of mind or mood, reflection of the strength of essence, also called spirit or mind. 精神is a compound word which consists of two of the three characters representing the three treasures of human body: Jing Qi Shen (精氣神). These are terms commonly used in Taoism related studies. They refer to the processes noted in the human body by Taoists that they say are related to spiritual and physical health. Jing (精) means an essence, qi (氣) breath energy and shen (神) a divine or human spirit.
5 夫上古聖人之教下也，皆謂之虛邪賊風，避之有時，恬惔虛無，真氣從之，精神內守，病安從來。
- English: “When ancient sages instructed common people, they unvaryingly asked them to duly avoid weakness, evils and pathogenic winds. Calmness and freedom from any avarices and excessive fantasies would bring about the flowing of genuine qi, and essence-spirit would retain internally. How come the diseases?”
Notes:
① weakness, evils and pathogenic wind(虛邪賊風, Pinyin: xū xié zéi fēnɡ) is a cover term referring to all external pathogenic factors and defective qi of the four seasons.
6 是以志閑而少欲，心安而不懼，形勞而不倦，氣從以順，各從其欲，皆得所願。
- English: “Hence humble ambition lessens one’s desires, calm heart resists fears; toil and moil induces no tiredness, and genuine qi flows in its own pathways. Everyone follows his heart’s desire and all desirability is attained.”
7 故美其食，任其服，樂其俗，高下不相慕，其民故曰樸。
- English: “Therefore, take whatever foods as delicacies, wear whatever clothes as suitable, enjoy whatever common customs, and feel no envy of others whether higher or lower in status. From whence the so-called plain peoples.”
8 是以嗜欲不能勞其目，淫邪不能惑其心，愚智賢不肖不懼於物，故合於道。
- English: Therefore, no avarice or lust diverts their sights, and no licentious evils befuddle their minds. Slow or smart, capable or incapable, no one is dismayed by the exteriors, thus abiding by the Tao of life-nurturing.
9 所以能年皆度百歲而動作不衰者，以其德全不危也。
- English: “Their surpassing the centurial age with no sign of decrepitude should all be attributed to their accomplishment of high levels of morality which prevents the hazards of diseases.”
10 帝曰：人年老而無子者，材力盡邪？將天數然也？
- English: Yellow Emperor asked, “Has an elder who cannot have child anymore exhausted the power of his essence? Or is it simply a heaven’s decree?”
11 岐伯曰：女子七歲腎氣盛，齒更發長。
- English: Master Qi replied, “By the age of seven, a girl’s kidney qi prospers, her teeth change and hair densifies.”
12 二七而天癸至，任脈通，太沖脈盛，月事以時下，故有子。
- English: “By the age of fourteen, Tiangui appears and the Conception Vessel flows, the Thoroughfare Vessel expedites and menarche comes duly, which all signifies fertility.”
Notes:
① The word Tiangui(天癸, Pinyin: tiān ɡuǐ), though appears only twice in the Cannon, is a highly controversial term among all experts of TCM as to its true meaning since their explanations are rather assorted. Roughly, it is a material that upon which development of reproductive organs and maintenance of reproductive function depends, it’s derived from the kidney essence when it is abundant, also called (female) sex-stimulating essence/menstruation. Here, we simply adopt the WHO terminology “Tiangui”. (WHO International Standard Terminologies on Traditional Medicine in the Western Pacific Region, ISBN 978 92 9061 248 7, World Health Organization, 2007)
13 三七腎氣平均，故真牙生而長極。
- English: “By the age of twenty-one, kidney qi suffices, opsigenes grow to complete tooth growth.”
14 四七筋骨堅，發長極，身體盛壯。
- English: “By the age of twenty-eight, her sinews and bones are sturdy, hair flourishes and her physique culminates.”
15 五七陽明脈衰，面始焦，發始墮。
- English: “By the age of thirty-five, the yang brightness meridian dwindles, aging shows in face, and hair starts to fall.”
16 六七三陽脈衰於上，面皆焦，發始白。
- English: “By the age of forty-two, the three yang meridians dwindle in the upper part, face shows a pervasive aging, and hair turns grey”.
Notes:
① The three yang meridians refers respectively to Taiyang，Shaoyang and Yangming meridian.
17 七七任脈虛，太沖脈衰少，天癸竭，地道不通，故形壞而無子也。
- English: “By the age of forty-nine, the Conception Vessel enervates, the Thoroughfare Vessel enfeebles, and Tiangui exhausts with the termination of menstruation, from hence her physical deterioration and infertility.”
18 丈夫八歲腎氣實，發長齒更。
- English: “By the age of eight, a man’s kidney qi is enriched, milk teeth change and hair densifies.
19 二八腎氣盛，天癸至，精氣溢瀉，陰陽和，故能有子。
- English: “By the age of sixteen, a man’s kidney qi flourishes with the advent of Tiangui and overflow of his essential qi, hence his ability of intercourse and procreation.”
20 三八腎氣平均，筋骨勁強，故真牙生而長極。
- English: “By the age of twenty-four, kidney qi suffices while sinews and bones are strengthened, opsigenes grow thereby to complete tooth growth.”
21 四八筋骨隆盛，肌肉滿壯。
- English: “By the age of thirty-two, tendons and bones culminate and muscles are in their utmost sturdiness.”
22五八腎氣衰，發墮齒槁。
- English: “By the age of forty, kidney qi dwindles, hair starts to fall and teeth begin to wither.”
23 六八陽氣衰竭於上，面焦，髮鬢頒白。
- English: “By the age of forty-eight, depletion of his yang qi is shown in the upper part, his face wrinkles, and hair and sideboards turn grey.”
24 七八肝氣衰，筋不能動，天癸竭，精少，腎臟衰，形體皆極。
- English: “By the age of fifty-six, his liver qi declines, sinews stiffens, Tiangui depletes, kidney enervates with essence short of supply, and his physique exhausts.
25 八八則齒發去。
- English: “By the age of sixty-four, hair and teeth are all gone.”
26 腎者主水，受五臟六腑之精而藏之，故五臟盛，乃能瀉。
- English: “Being in charge of water, kidney receives and hoards essential qi from all of the five viscerae and six bowels，so that the five viscerae functions vigorously and kidney qi brims to give away essence.”
Notes：
â‘  five viscerae and six bowels : five viscerae (wu zhang) a collective term for the heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney, and six bowels (liu fu) is a collective term for the gallbladder, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, urinary bladder and triple energizers.
27 今五臟皆衰，筋骨解墮，天癸盡矣，故髮鬢白，身體重，行步不正，而無子耳。
- English: “Now that the five viscerae decline, sinews and bones sag, Tiangui consumes, so that hair and sideboards turn grey, weight collects, walking deflects, and infertility befalls.”
28帝曰：有其年已老，而有子者，何也？
- English: Yellow Emperor asked: “Some of the elders are still able to reproduce, why?”
28 岐伯曰：此其天壽過度，氣脈常通，而腎氣有餘也。此雖有子，男子不過盡八八，女子不過盡七七，而天地之精氣皆竭矣。
- English: Master Qi said: “It is simply because of their extraordinarily allotted lifespan, their meridians and vessels are unimpeded and kidney qi excesses. Nevertheless, male’s fertility rarely surpasses sixty-four and female’s rarely exceeds forty-nine, when their heavenly bestowal of essential qi exhausts.”
29 帝曰：夫道者年皆百歲，能有子乎？
- English: Yellow Emperor asked: “Those who acquire Tao all live up to the age of one hundred years, can they still have children?”
30 岐伯曰：夫道者能卻老而全形，身年雖壽，能生子也。
- English: Master Qi replied: “Those who know Tao can resist aging and maintain their physiques. Though advanced in age, they are able to reproduce.”
31 黃帝曰：余聞上古有真人者，提挈天地，把握陰陽，呼吸精氣，獨立守神，肌肉若一，故能壽敝天地，無有終時，此其道生。
- English: Yellow Emperor said, “I understood there was a Zhenren of the remotest antiquity who knew well of the ultimate laws of heaven, earth and yin-yang. He could adjust his breath to inhale the essence of air, repose spiritually alone to remain detached and coordinate his muscles perfectly. Therefore, he could live as long as the universe exists with no end. This is the result of his Tao on life-nurturing.”
Notes:
① Zhenren (immortal, 真人, Pinyin: zhēn rén) Burton Watson, an accomplished translator of Chinese and Japanese literature and poetry, translates it as “True Man”, and notes “Another term for the Taoist sage, synonymous with the Perfect Man or the Holy Man.” Guo Xiang, the earliest known Zhuangzi editor and commentator, explains that “The zhenren unifies Heaven and man, and levels the myriad extensions. The myriad extensions do not oppose each other, and Heaven and man do not overcome each other. Thus being vast he is one, being dark he is omnipresent – he mysteriously unifies the other with his own self. ” (tr. Coyle 1998:204). These two characters has been translated in many ways: "Divine Man" by Frederic H. Balfour 1881; "true man" by James Legge 1891, Yu-Lan Fung 1933, Victor H. Mair 1994; "pure man" by Herbert Giles 1926; "God's Man" by James R. Ware 1963; "True Man" by Burton Watson 1968, A.C. Graham 1981; "Perfected Person" by Lee Yearley 1983; "Perfect Man" by Toshikiko Izutsu 1984; "realized beings" by David McCraw 1995; "Authentic Person" by Roger T. Ames 1998, James D. Sellmann 1998; "Genuine Person" by Daniel Coyle 1998.
32 中古之時，有至人者，淳德全道，和於陰陽，調於四時，去世離俗，積精全神，遊行天地之間，視聽八遠之外，此蓋益其壽命而強者也，亦歸於真人。
- English: “By the time of mid ancient times, there was a Zhiren of mellow morals and complete Tao. He was able to abide by the law of yin-yang and adjust himself to the seasons of the year while remaining detached from the worries and cares of daily life. He was able to focus whole-heatedly on a spiritual travel in the broad realm of the universe and reach far beyond. Hence his longevity and health, he is also accredited as a Zhenren.”
Notes:
① Zhiren (致人, Pinyin: zhì rén), another Taoist notion, refers to those who are divine, otherworldly.
33 其次有聖人者，處天地之和，從八風之理，適嗜欲於世俗之間，無恚嗔之心，行不欲離於世，被服章，舉不欲觀於俗，外不勞形於事，內無思想之患，以恬愉為務，以自得為功，形體不敝，精神不散，亦可以百數。
- English: “Then there was a sage who lived in harmony with the universe and all forces of nature. He adjusted his desires and behaviors to the well-accepted customs and practices with no hatred or resentment. Dressed plainly, he adapted to the society without being swayed away by fashions and trends. He had no intention to be involved in any conspicuous events, aiming at calmness, pleasure and carefree contentment with no physical exhaustion or mental burden. Therefore, his body is not fatigued, his essence-spirit is not dispersed, and he might as well live up to age of a century.”
34 其次有賢人者，法則天地，象似日月，辨列星辰，逆從陰陽，分別四時，將從上古合同於道，亦可使益壽而有極時。
- English: “Then there was Xianren, who was able to adjust himself to the universal rules, to the differentiation of seasons, and to the observance of celestial bodies. He adhered to the practice of Tao of the ancient Zhenren and thus prolonged his life, although not without an end.”
Notes:
① Xianren (賢人, Pinyin: xián rén) is a person of virtues.