灵枢经·经别 Channel Divergences
黄帝问于歧伯曰：余闻人之合于天道也，内有五藏，以应五音、五色、五时、五味、五位也；外有六府，以应六律。六律建阴阳诸经而合之十二月、十二辰、十二节、十二经水、十二时、十二经脉者，此五藏六府之所以应天道。夫十二经脉者，人之所以生，病之所以成，人之所以治，病之所以起，学之所始，工之所止也。粗之所易，上之所难也。请问其离合，出入奈何？歧伯稽首再拜曰：明乎哉问也！此粗之所过，上之所息也，请卒言之。
足太阳之正，别入于膕中，其一道下尻五寸，别入于肛，属于膀胱，散之肾，循膂，当心入散；直者，从膂上出于项，复属于太阳，此为一经也。足少阴之正，至膕中，别走太阳而合，上至肾，当十四椎出属带脉；直者，系舌本，复出于项，合于太阳，此为一合。成以诸阴之别，皆为正也。
足少阳之正，绕髀入毛际，合于厥阴，别者入季胁之间，循胸里属胆，散之上肝，贯心以上挟咽，出颐颌中，散于面，系目系，合少阳于外眦也。足厥阴之正，别跗上，上至毛际，合于少阳，与别俱行，此为二合也。
足阳明之正，上至脾，入于腹里属胃，散之脾，上通于心，上循咽出于口，上頞䪼，还系目系，合于阳明也。足太阴之正，上至髀，合于阳明，与别俱行，上结于咽，贯舌中，此为三合也。
手太阳之正，指地，别于肩解，入腋走心，系小肠也。手少阴之正，别入于渊腋两筋之间，属于心，上走喉咙，出于面，合目内眦，此为四合也。
手少阳之正，指天，别于巅，入缺盆，下走三焦，散于胸中也。手心主之正，别下渊腋三寸，入胸中，别属三焦，出循喉咙，出耳后，合少阳完骨之下，此为五合也。
手阳明之正，从手循膺乳，别于肩髃，入柱骨，下走大肠，属于肺，上循喉咙，出缺盆，合于阳明也。手太阴之正，别入渊腋少阴之前，入走肺，散之大阳，上出缺盆，循喉咙，复合阳明，此六合也。
Huangdi asked Qibo: 'I have heard that the human being accords with the Way of Heaven: within, there are the five viscera, which correspond to the five notes, the five colors, the five seasons, the five flavors, and the five positions; without, there are the six bowels, which correspond to the six pitch-pipes. The six pitch-pipes establish the several channels of yin and yang and unite them with the twelve months, the twelve double-hours, the twelve joints, the twelve channel waters, the twelve periods of the day, and the twelve channels — this is how the five viscera and six bowels correspond to the Way of Heaven. Now the twelve channels are that by which a person is born, that by which disease is formed, that by which a person is treated, that from which disease arises, the starting point of study, and the endpoint of the practitioner's skill. They are what the unskilled find easy and what the superior physician finds difficult. May I ask about their separating and joining, their emerging and entering?' Qibo bowed his head twice and said: 'How penetrating is this question! This is what the unskilled pass over and what the superior physician dwells upon. Allow me to explain it fully.'
The primary vessel of Foot Taiyang branches off and enters the popliteal fossa; one of its branches descends five inches below the coccyx and branches off to enter the anus, connects with the bladder, and disperses into the kidney; it follows the muscles alongside the spine and, on reaching the region of the heart, enters and disperses there. Its straight-running branch ascends from the muscles alongside the spine and emerges at the nape of the neck, rejoining the Taiyang channel — this constitutes the channel of Taiyang. The primary vessel of Foot Shaoyin reaches the popliteal fossa, branches off to run to Taiyang and joins with it, ascends to the kidney, and emerges at the fourteenth vertebra to connect with the Girdling Vessel; its straight-running branch attaches to the root of the tongue, emerges again at the nape of the neck, and joins with Taiyang — this constitutes the first confluence. It is by virtue of such divergent branches of the several yin channels that they, too, are termed 'primary vessels.'
The primary vessel of Foot Shaoyang circles around the thigh and enters the pubic hairline, joining with Jueyin; its branch enters the region of the free ribs, follows the interior of the chest, connects with the gallbladder, and disperses upward into the liver; it penetrates the heart and ascends alongside the throat, emerges between the chin and jaw, disperses over the face, and connects with the eye system, joining Shaoyang again at the outer canthus. The primary vessel of Foot Jueyin branches off above the instep, ascends to the pubic hairline, and joins with Shaoyang, traveling together with its branch — this constitutes the second confluence.
The primary vessel of Foot Yangming ascends to the spleen, enters the interior of the abdomen, connects with the stomach, and disperses into the spleen; it communicates upward with the heart, ascends alongside the throat and emerges at the mouth, rises to the bridge of the nose and the region beneath the eye, and returns to connect with the eye system, joining Yangming again. The primary vessel of Foot Taiyin ascends to the thigh and joins with Yangming, traveling together with its branch; it ascends and knots at the throat, penetrating through the middle of the tongue — this constitutes the third confluence.
The primary vessel of Hand Taiyang points downward toward the earth; it branches off at the shoulder joint, enters the axilla, and runs to the heart, connecting with the small intestine. The primary vessel of Hand Shaoyin branches off and enters between the two sinews at the depths of the axilla, connects with the heart, ascends to run to the throat, emerges at the face, and joins at the inner canthus — this constitutes the fourth confluence.
The primary vessel of Hand Shaoyang points upward toward the heavens; it branches off at the vertex, enters the supraclavicular fossa, descends to run to the triple burner, and disperses within the chest. The primary vessel of Hand Jueyin, the Pericardium channel, branches off three inches below the depths of the axilla, enters the chest, branches off to connect with the triple burner, emerges to follow the throat, and comes out behind the ear, joining Shaoyang below the mastoid bone — this constitutes the fifth confluence.
The primary vessel of Hand Yangming runs from the hand along the chest and breast, branches off at the shoulder, enters at the great bone of the neck, descends to run to the large intestine, and connects with the lung; it ascends along the throat and emerges at the supraclavicular fossa, joining Yangming again. The primary vessel of Hand Taiyin branches off and enters the depths of the axilla in front of Shaoyin, enters to run to the lung, and disperses into the large intestine; it ascends and emerges at the supraclavicular fossa, follows the throat, and rejoins Yangming — this constitutes the sixth confluence.