灵枢经·海论 Discourse on the Seas
黄帝问于歧伯曰：余闻刺法于夫子，夫子之所言，不离于营卫血气。夫十二经脉者，内属于府藏，外络于肢节，夫子乃合之于四海乎。歧伯答曰：人亦有四海，十二经水。经水者，皆注于海，海有东西南北，命曰四海。黄帝曰：以人应之奈何？歧伯曰：人有髓海，有血海，有气海，有水谷之海，凡此四者，以应四海也。
黄帝曰：远乎哉，夫子之合人天地四海也，愿闻应之奈何？歧伯答曰：必先明知阴阳表里荥输所在，四海定矣。
黄帝曰：定之奈何？歧伯曰：胃者水谷之海，其输上在气街，下至三里；冲脉者，为十二经之海，其输上在于大杼，下出于巨虚之上下廉；膻中者，为气之海,其输上在于柱骨之上下，前在于人迎，脑为髓之海，其输上在于其盖，下在风府。
黄帝曰：凡此四海者，何利何害？何生何败？歧伯曰：得顺者生，得逆者败；知调者利，不知调者害。
黄帝曰：四海之逆顺奈何？歧伯曰：气海有馀者，气满胸中，悗息面赤；气海不足，则气少不足以言。血海有馀，则常想其身大，怫然不知其所病；血海不足，亦常想其身小，狭然不知其所病。水谷之海有馀，则腹满；水谷之海不足，则饥不受谷食。髓海有馀，则轻劲多力，自过其度；髓海不足，则脑转耳鸣，胫酸眩冒，目无所见，懈怠安卧。
黄帝曰：余已闻逆顺，调之奈何？歧伯曰：审守其俞，而调其虚实，无犯其害，顺者得复，逆者必败。黄帝曰：善。
Huangdi asked Qibo: 'I have heard the methods of needling from you, Master, and what you have spoken of has never strayed from nutritive qi, defensive qi, blood, and qi. Now the twelve channel vessels are internally connected to the bowels and viscera, and externally netted throughout the limbs and joints — do you, Master, also correlate these with the four seas?' Qibo replied: 'The human being likewise has four seas, corresponding to the twelve channel-rivers. The channel-rivers all flow into the sea, and the sea has its eastern, western, southern, and northern portions, which are called the four seas.' Huangdi said: 'How does the human being correspond to this?' Qibo said: 'The human being has a Sea of Marrow, a Sea of Blood, a Sea of Qi, and a Sea of Water and Grain — these four correspond to the four seas.'
Huangdi said: 'How far-reaching this is, Master, that you correlate the human being with the four seas of Heaven and Earth! I wish to hear how this correspondence works.' Qibo replied: 'One must first clearly understand the location of yin and yang, exterior and interior, and the ying and shu transport points; only then can the four seas be determined.'
Huangdi said: 'How does one determine them?' Qibo said: 'The stomach is the Sea of Water and Grain; its transport points lie above at Qichong and below at Zusanli. The Penetrating Vessel is the sea of the twelve channels; its transport points lie above at Dazhu and emerge below at the upper and lower borders of Juxu. The chest center is the Sea of Qi; its transport points lie above and below the pillar-bone, and in front, at Renying. The brain is the Sea of Marrow; its transport point lies above at its crown, and below at Fengfu.'
Huangdi said: 'As for these four seas, what benefits them and what harms them? What allows them to flourish and what causes them to fail?' Qibo said: 'To obtain accord brings flourishing; to fall into opposition brings failure. To know how to regulate them is beneficial; not to know how to regulate them is harmful.'
Huangdi said: 'What are the signs of accord and opposition in the four seas?' Qibo said: 'When the Sea of Qi is in surplus, the qi fills the chest, breathing is oppressed, and the face is flushed red; when the Sea of Qi is insufficient, the qi is scant and insufficient even for speech. When the Sea of Blood is in surplus, one constantly feels as though one's body were enlarged, oppressed and vexed without knowing where the illness lies; when the Sea of Blood is insufficient, one likewise constantly feels as though one's body were diminished, constricted, without knowing where the illness lies. When the Sea of Water and Grain is in surplus, the abdomen is full; when the Sea of Water and Grain is insufficient, one is hungry yet cannot take in food. When the Sea of Marrow is in surplus, the body is light and vigorous with abundant strength, exceeding its usual measure; when the Sea of Marrow is insufficient, the brain spins and the ears ring, the lower legs ache and the vision swims, the eyes see nothing, and one becomes languid and inclined to lie down at ease.'
Huangdi said: 'I have now heard of accord and opposition — how does one regulate them?' Qibo said: 'Carefully attend to their transport points, and regulate their deficiency and excess, taking care not to commit any harm; when accord is restored, recovery follows, but when opposition persists, failure is certain.' Huangdi said: 'Good.'