Classica Sinica Medica

六經 简体 六经

liù jīng

The six conduits

Also rendered: The six conduits (this site; 經 rendered conduit, as throughout) · The six channels (where 經 is rendered channel)

Vessels

Reviewed · 2026-09-30

At a glance

Pinyin
liù jīng
Simplified
六经
Literal
六經 liù jīng — the six vessels the second half of this chapter is ordered by: greater yang, yang brightness, lesser yang, greater yin, lesser yin, ceasing yin. The Emperor asks for them by name after the general doctrine is settled, and the rest of the chapter is the answer they asked for.
Shuowen
《說文解字》：六，易之數，陰變於六，正於八；經，織也。「六」讀 liù、**本篇1見**；「經」讀 jīng、**本篇4見**；**「六經脉之厥狀病能也」——能讀 tài，通「態」**；**本篇「能」四見，惟此讀 tài**。

In brief

The six vessels — three yang and three yin — taken together as the frame for clinical description. Chapter 45 is one of the places in the Suwen where they are used exactly that way: first what inversion looks like in each of them, then the counterflow form, down to the hand vessels at the end.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The graphs 六、經
六者三陰三陽之數，經者氣血所行之幹
願聞六經脉之厥狀病能也 — Suwen 45
2
What is asked of them 厥狀病能
狀者形也，能讀 tài，謂病態
六經脉之厥狀病能也 — Suwen 45
3
The three yang 巨陽、陽明、少陽
本篇先言三陽之厥，而後及於三陰
巨陽之厥 — Suwen 45
4
The three yin 太陰、少陰、厥陰
三陰各一條，言腹滿、心痛、痙之屬
太陰之厥 — Suwen 45
5
The rule that follows 盛則寫之，虚則補之
六經既列，然後言補寫之法
盛則寫之 — Suwen 45
6
Down to the hands 手太陰、手心主、手太陽、手陽明
厥逆之部自足經而及於手經
手太陰厥逆 — Suwen 45

Occurrences in the classics

Passages where the term does real work, with the original, pinyin and English on the same line.

Display
2 passages
Suwen 45 Suwen 45 · 厥論 Read in context →
帝曰：善。願聞六經脉之厥狀病能也。 帝曰：善。愿闻六经脉之厥状病能也。
Dì yuē: shàn. Yuàn wén liù jīng mài zhī jué zhuàng bìng tài yě.
The Emperor says: good. I wish to hear the signs inversion takes in the vessels of the six conduits, and the forms the illness assumes.
**「願聞六經脉之厥狀病能也」——**「六」讀 liù、**本篇1見**；「經」讀 jīng、**本篇4見**；**「病能」之能讀 tài，通「態」**；**本篇「能」四見，惟此一讀 tài，餘三處讀 néng**。
素問·氣交變大論 Suwen 69 · 氣交變大論 Read in context →
黄帝問曰：五運更治，上應天期，陰陽往復，寒暑迎隨，真邪相薄，内外分離，六經波蕩，五氣傾移，太過不及，專勝兼并，願言其始，而有常名，可得聞乎？ 黄帝问曰：五运更治，上应天期，阴阳往复，寒暑迎随，真邪相薄，内外分离，六经波荡，五气倾移，太过不及，专胜兼并，愿言其始，而有常名，可得闻乎？
Huáng dì wèn yuē: wǔ yùn gēng zhì, shàng yìng tiān qī, yīn yáng wǎng fù, hán shǔ yíng suí, zhēn xié xiāng bó, nèi wài fēn lí, liù jīng bō dàng, wǔ qì qīng yí, tài guò bù jí, zhuān shèng jiān bìng, yuàn yán qí shǐ, ér yǒu cháng míng, kě dé wén hū?
Huang Di asked: the five circuits govern in turn and answer above to the periods of heaven; yin and yang go and return, cold and summer heat meet and follow; the true and the evil press upon one another, and the inner and the outer are pulled apart; the six channels are tossed like waves and the five qi lean and shift. There is surplus and there is falling short; there is prevailing alone and there is being swallowed up. I wish to hear how it begins, and whether it has a constant name — may it be told to me?
「真邪相薄，内外分離，六經波蕩，五氣傾移」——**「六經」本篇1見，止此一見**；**本篇六經與五氣對舉：六經波蕩是人之經，五氣傾移是天之氣，真邪相薄則内外由是而分**；**「六」讀 liù、「經」讀 jīng**

Compounds built on this term

六經
liù jīng
the six conduits
本篇一見
六經脉
liù jīng mài
the vessels of the six conduits
本篇「六經脉之厥狀病能」
病能
bìng tài
the forms illness takes
能讀 tài，通「態」
盛則寫之，虚則補之
shèng zé xiě zhī, xū zé bǔ zhī
where there is excess drain it, where emptiness supplement it
本篇之法

How it has been translated

Every rendering below is a decision about which reader is being addressed. There is no neutral option.

This sitethe six conduits經 is conduit on this site, so the six keep the anatomy rather than the literature
Unschuldthe six conduitshe keeps the same rendering of 經
Wisemanthe six channels經 is channel in his system

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-09-30

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Reading path

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