灵枢经·经水 Channel Waters
黄帝问于歧伯曰：经脉十二者，外合于十二经水，而内属于五藏六府。夫十二经水者，其有大小、深浅、广狭、远近各不同；五藏六府之高下、大小、受谷之多少亦不等，相应奈何？夫经水者，受水而行之；五藏者，合神气魂魄而藏之；六府者，受谷而行之，受气而扬之；经脉者，受血而营之。合而以治，奈何？刺之深浅，灸之壮数，可得闻乎？
歧伯答曰：善哉问也！天至高不可度，地至广不可量，此之谓也。且夫人生于天地之间，六合之内，此天之高，地之广也，非人力之所能度量而至也。若夫八尺之士，皮肉在此，外可度量切循而得之，其死可解剖而视之。其藏之坚脆，府之大小，谷之多少，脉之长短，血之清浊，气之多少，十二经之多血少气，与其少血多气，与其皆多血气，与其皆少血气，皆有大数。其治以针艾，各调其经气，固其常有合乎。
黄帝曰：余闻之，快于耳不解于心，愿卒闻之。歧伯答曰：此人之所以参天地而应阴阳也，不可不察。足太阳外合清水，内属膀胱，而通水道焉。足少阳外合于渭水，内属于胆。足阳明外合于海水，内属于胃。足太阴外合于湖水，内属于脾。足少阴外合于汝水，内属于肾。足厥阴外合于渑水，内属于肝。手太阳外合淮水，内属小肠，而水道出焉。手少阳外合于漯水，内属于三焦。手阳明外合于江水，内属于大肠。手太阴外合于河水，内属于肺。手少阴外合于济水，内属于心。手心主外合于漳水，内属于心包。凡此五藏六府十二经水者，外有源泉，而内有所禀，此皆内外相贯，如环无端，人经亦然。故天为阳，地为阴，腰以上为天，腰以下为地。故海以北者为阴，湖以北者为阴中之阴；漳以南者为阳，河以北至漳者为阳中之阴；漯以南至江者，为阳中之太阳，此一隅之阴阳也，所以人与天地相参也。
黄帝曰：夫经水之应经脉也，其远近浅深，水血之多少，各不同，合而以刺之奈何？歧伯答曰：足阳明，五藏六府之海也，其脉大，血多气盛，热壮，刺此者不深勿散，不留不写也。足阳明刺深六分，留十呼。足太阳深五分，留七呼。足少阳深四分，留五呼。足太阴深三分，留四呼。足少阴深二分，留三呼。足厥阴深一分，留二呼。手之阴阳，其受气之道近，其气之来疾，其刺深者，皆无过二分，其留，皆无过一呼。其少长、大小、肥瘦，以心擦之，命曰法天之常，灸之亦然。灸而过此者，得恶火则骨枯脉涩，刺而过此者，则脱气。
黄帝曰：夫经脉之大小，血之多少，肤之厚薄，肉之坚脆及膕之大小，可为量度乎？歧伯答曰：其可为度量者，取其中度也。不甚脱肉，而血气不衰也。若夫度之人，消瘦而形肉脱者，恶可以度量刺乎。审、切、循、扪、按，视其寒温盛衰而调之，是谓因适而为之真也.
Huangdi asked Qibo: 'The twelve channels correspond outwardly to the twelve channel waters — the great rivers of the land — and connect inwardly with the five viscera and six bowels. Now these twelve channel waters differ from one another in size, depth, breadth, and distance; and the five viscera and six bowels likewise differ in their height, size, and the amount of grain they receive. How do these correspondences work? The channel waters receive water and conduct it onward; the five viscera unite the spirit, qi, ethereal soul, and corporeal soul, and store them; the six bowels receive grain and conduct it onward, receive qi and disperse it abroad; the channels receive blood and nourish the body with it. How are these united in treatment? May I hear of the proper depth for needling and the number of cones for moxibustion?'
Qibo replied: 'An excellent question! Heaven is so high it cannot be measured, and Earth so vast it cannot be gauged — this is what your question touches upon. Now, human beings are born between Heaven and Earth, within the six directions; and the height of Heaven and the breadth of Earth are not things that human effort can measure and attain. But as for a person of eight spans in height, his skin and flesh are right here before us — externally they can be measured, palpated, and traced by hand, and after death the body can be dissected and examined. The firmness or fragility of the viscera, the size of the bowels, the amount of grain they hold, the length of the vessels, the clarity or turbidity of the blood, and the abundance or scarcity of qi — as well as which of the twelve channels have much blood and little qi, which have little blood and much qi, which have abundant blood and qi in both, and which have scant blood and qi in both — all of these follow fixed general measures. In treating with needle and moxa, one regulates the channel qi of each accordingly; surely there is a constant correspondence to be found here.'
Huangdi said: 'I have heard this, and it pleases my ear, yet it has not settled in my mind — I wish to hear it in full.' Qibo replied: 'This is precisely how a person joins with Heaven and Earth and corresponds to yin and yang; it cannot be left unexamined. Foot Taiyang corresponds outwardly to the Qing River, and connects inwardly with the bladder, through which the waterways pass. Foot Shaoyang corresponds outwardly to the Wei River, and connects inwardly with the gallbladder. Foot Yangming corresponds outwardly to the sea, and connects inwardly with the stomach. Foot Taiyin corresponds outwardly to the Hu, or Lake, waters, and connects inwardly with the spleen. Foot Shaoyin corresponds outwardly to the Ru River, and connects inwardly with the kidney. Foot Jueyin corresponds outwardly to the Sheng River, and connects inwardly with the liver. Hand Taiyang corresponds outwardly to the Huai River, and connects inwardly with the small intestine, through which the waterways emerge. Hand Shaoyang corresponds outwardly to the Ta River, and connects inwardly with the triple burner. Hand Yangming corresponds outwardly to the Yangtze, and connects inwardly with the large intestine. Hand Taiyin corresponds outwardly to the Yellow River, and connects inwardly with the lung. Hand Shaoyin corresponds outwardly to the Ji River, and connects inwardly with the heart. Hand Jueyin, the Pericardium, corresponds outwardly to the Zhang River, and connects inwardly with the pericardium. In all these cases, the twelve channel waters of the five viscera and six bowels have their springs and sources outwardly, and their inward endowments within; the inner and outer are threaded through one another like a ring without end, and the channels of the human body are just the same. Thus Heaven is yang and Earth is yin; above the waist corresponds to Heaven, and below the waist corresponds to Earth. Thus the region north of the sea is yin, and the region north of the lake is yin within yin; the region south of the Zhang is yang, and the region north of the Yellow River up to the Zhang is yin within yang; the region south of the Ta as far as the Yangtze is the greater yang within yang. This is but one corner of the pattern of yin and yang, by which the human being joins with Heaven and Earth.'
Huangdi said: 'Now, since the channel waters correspond to the channels, and their distance, depth, and the abundance of water and blood each differ, how does one unite these principles in needling?' Qibo replied: 'Foot Yangming is the sea of the five viscera and six bowels; its vessel is large, its blood abundant and its qi vigorous, and its heat is strong. In needling it, if one does not go deep the qi will not disperse, and if one does not retain the needle it will not be drained. Foot Yangming should be needled to a depth of six fen, and the needle retained for ten breaths. Foot Taiyang, to a depth of five fen, retained for seven breaths. Foot Shaoyang, to a depth of four fen, retained for five breaths. Foot Taiyin, to a depth of three fen, retained for four breaths. Foot Shaoyin, to a depth of two fen, retained for three breaths. Foot Jueyin, to a depth of one fen, retained for two breaths. As for the yin and yang channels of the hand, their pathways of receiving qi are shorter, and their qi arrives swiftly; in needling them, the depth should never exceed two fen, and the needle should never be retained beyond one breath. As for a person's youth or age, size, fatness or thinness, one must judge with careful attention — this is called following the constant pattern of Heaven, and the same holds true for moxibustion. If moxibustion exceeds these measures, harmful fire will cause the bones to wither and the vessels to become choppy; if needling exceeds these measures, the qi will be drained away.'
Huangdi said: 'Now, the size of the channels, the abundance of blood, the thickness or thinness of the skin, the firmness or fragility of the flesh, and the size of the popliteal fossa — can these be taken as fixed measures?' Qibo replied: 'What can be taken as a measure is the person of medium build — one who has not greatly wasted in flesh, and whose blood and qi have not declined. But as for a person to be measured who is emaciated and has lost his flesh, how could one apply these measurements to needling him? One must examine, palpate, trace along, feel, and press, observing whether the person is cold or warm, replete or deficient, and regulate accordingly — this is what is meant by adapting to the individual to achieve the true method.'