素问·四气调神大论 Great Discourse on Regulating the Spirit in Accord with the Four Seasons' Qi

The three months of spring are called the period of unfolding and renewal. Heaven and Earth together bring forth life, and the myriad things flourish. One should retire late and rise early, walk broadly in the courtyard, let the hair hang loose and the body relax, so as to allow the will to be generated. One should give life and not kill, give and not take away, reward and not punish — this is the way of nurturing life in response to the qi of spring. To go against this injures the liver, and in summer this will bring about cold-transmutation disorders, so that one has little with which to support growth. The three months of summer are called the period of luxuriant flourishing. The qi of Heaven and Earth intermingle, and the myriad things bloom and bear fruit. One should retire late and rise early, without growing weary of the long days. One should not let the will become angered, but allow the flower-like brilliance of the body to reach its fullness, allow the qi to be released, as though what one loved were outside oneself — this is the way of nurturing growth in response to the qi of summer. To go against this injures the heart, and in autumn this will bring about recurrent fevers and chills, so that one has little with which to support the gathering-in of autumn, and by the winter solstice one will fall gravely ill. The three months of autumn are called the period of calm equanimity. The qi of Heaven becomes brisk and the qi of Earth becomes clear. One should retire early and rise early, rising together with the crowing of the cock. One should keep the will at peace and tranquil, so as to soften the severity of autumn, gather in the spirit and qi, and cause the autumn qi to be level; one should not let the will extend outward, so as to keep the lung qi clear — this is the way of nurturing the gathering-in in response to the qi of autumn. To go against this injures the lung, and in winter this will bring about diarrhea with undigested food, so that one has little with which to support the storing-up of winter. The three months of winter are called the period of closing and storing. The waters freeze and the earth cracks open; one should not disturb one's yang. One should retire early and rise late, always waiting for the sunlight to appear. One should keep the will as though hidden and concealed, as though harboring a private intention, as though one had already attained something. One should avoid the cold and seek warmth, and not allow the skin to leak and let the qi be repeatedly stolen away — this is the way of nurturing the storing-up in response to the qi of winter. To go against this injures the kidney, and in spring this will bring about wilting and reversal of the limbs, so that one has little with which to support the generation of spring.

The qi of Heaven is pure, tranquil, and luminous. It stores its virtue ceaselessly, and therefore does not descend. If the brightness of Heaven were obscured, then even the sun and moon would lose their brightness, and evil influences would harm the body's openings; the yang qi would become blocked and closed, and the qi of Earth would cloud over what should be bright — the clouds and mist would lose their clarity, so that in response, the white dew above would fail to descend. When the qi of Heaven and Earth no longer communicate and intermingle openly, the life of the myriad things would fail to be bestowed, and if not bestowed, the great trees would largely die. Malign qi would fail to disperse, wind and rain would lose their regulation, the white dew would fail to descend, and dead and withered plants would fail to flourish. Thieving winds would arrive repeatedly, violent rains would arise repeatedly, Heaven and Earth and the four seasons would fail to preserve one another, and, having lost accord with the Way, life would be cut off and extinguished before its time. Only the sage follows the Way of Heaven and Earth; hence his body suffers no strange illness, the myriad things do not lose their due, and the qi of life is never exhausted. To go against the qi of spring causes the lesser yang not to be generated, and the liver qi becomes altered within. To go against the qi of summer causes the greater yang not to grow, and the heart qi becomes hollowed out within. To go against the qi of autumn causes the greater yin not to be gathered in, and the lung qi becomes scorched and full. To go against the qi of winter causes the lesser yin not to be stored, and the kidney qi alone sinks down. Now, yin and yang of the four seasons are the root and foundation of the myriad things. This is why the sage nourishes yang in spring and summer, and nourishes yin in autumn and winter, so as to follow this root; thus he rises and falls together with the myriad things at the gate of growth and development. To go against this root is to hew down this foundation and to ruin one's own true nature.

Thus yin and yang and the four seasons are the beginning and end of the myriad things, the root of death and life. To go against them gives rise to calamity and harm; to follow them prevents severe illness from arising — this is called attaining the Way. The Way is something the sage puts into practice, while the fool merely wears it as an ornament. Following yin and yang brings life; going against them brings death. Following them brings order; going against them brings chaos. To reverse what should be followed is to go against it, and this is called internal obstruction. This is why the sage does not treat illness that has already arisen, but treats illness before it arises; does not bring order to disorder that has already occurred, but brings order before disorder occurs — this is precisely what is meant. For if one only administers medicine after the illness has already formed, or only governs after disorder has already formed, this is like digging a well after one has become thirsty, or casting weapons after the battle has already begun — is this not too late?