The fifteen luo vessels · shi wu luo

Also rendered: The fifteen luo (literal, and it keeps the number) · The fifteen collateral vessels (full, and it is long)

Vessels

Reviewed · 2026-10-24

At a glance

Pinyin: shí wǔ luò
Simplified: 十五络
Literal: 十五 shí wǔ — fifteen; 絡 luò — the netting that binds. Twelve channels, the governing vessel, the supervising vessel and the great luo of the spleen.
Shuowen: 《說文》：絡，絮也，一曰麻未漚也，引申為纏繞相連之稱。「十五絡」本篇1見；「大絡」3見；「絡」字全篇41見，為《靈樞》言絡最詳之處。

In brief

The fifteen collateral vessels: one separating luo for each of the twelve channels, one for the governing vessel, one for the supervising vessel, and the great luo of the spleen. Each is named, given a starting point and a pair of signs, full and deficient, that identify it. The chapter’s closing rule is still used: 實則必見，虚則必下，視之不見，求之上下 — when full they are seen, when deficient they sink; if not seen, seek above and below.

Senses in the classical corpus

The count 凡此十五絡者

十二經別絡加任督及脾之大絡

Of these fifteen luo vessels.

凡此十五絡者 — 靈樞·經脉

How they show 實則必見

邪實則絡脈浮見

When full they are surely seen.

實則必見 — 靈樞·經脉

How they hide 虚則必下

正虚則絡脈陷下

When deficient they surely sink.

虚則必下 — 靈樞·經脉

Occurrences in the classics

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

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1 passages

靈樞·經脉 Read in context →

脾之大絡，名曰大包，出淵腋下三寸，布胸脅。實則身盡痛，虚則百節盡皆縱，此脉若羅絡之血者，皆取之脾之大絡脉也。凡此十五絡者，實則必見，虚則必下，視之不見，求之上下。人經不同，絡脉異所别也。脾之大络，名曰大包，出渊腋下三寸，布胸胁。实则身尽痛，虚则百节尽皆纵，此脉若罗络之血者，皆取之脾之大络脉也。凡此十五络者，实则必见，虚则必下，视之不见，求之上下。人经不同，络脉异所别也。

pí zhī dà luò, míng yuē dà bāo, chū yuān yè xià sān cùn, bù xiōng xié. shí zé shēn jǐn tòng, xū zé bǎi jié jǐn jiē zòng, cǐ mài ruò luó luò zhī xuè zhě, jiē qǔ zhī pí zhī dà luò mài yě. fán cǐ shí wǔ luò zhě, shí zé bì jiàn, xū zé bì xià, shì zhī bù jiàn, qiú zhī shàng xià. rén jīng bù tóng, luò mài yì suǒ bié yě.

The great luo of the spleen is called Dabao. It comes out three inches below the abyss of the armpit and spreads over the chest and flanks. When full the whole body pains; when deficient all the joints are slack. Where this vessel is like a net of blood, take it all from the great luo of the spleen. Of these fifteen luo, when full they are surely seen, when deficient they surely sink; if looking one does not see them, seek above and below. People’s channels differ, and the places where the luo separate differ too.

十五絡者：十二經之别各一，任脉之别尾翳，督脉之别長强，脾之大絡大包，合十五。本篇逐一列其名、其起處、其虛實二候，末以「求之上下」結之。

Compounds built on this term

大絡

dà luò

the great luo

脾之大絡曰大包

别絡

bié luò

the separating luo

十五絡之通稱

羅絡

luó luò

netted

此脉若羅絡之血者

How it has been translated

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

This site	the fifteen luo vessels	the chapter's own count
Literal	the fifteen network vessels	exact, and it is vague
Clinical	the fifteen collaterals	standard modern usage

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-10-24

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