Classica Sinica Medica

Opposing and Following

逆順

Nì shùn

A chapter on timing, built from two borrowings. The first is from war: do not meet a charging army head-on, do not strike one drawn up in order. The second is from the needling tradition itself: no needle into blazing heat, into dripping sweat, into a confused pulse, or where disease and pulse contradict each other.From these Bo Gao draws a ladder of skill. The best physician treats before the illness exists; the next, before it is full; the next, after it has declined. The inferior physician needles at the moment of attack, at the body's fullest, or when pulse and disease disagree — that is, precisely when needling can only add injury.The conclusion is the sentence that later became a proverb: the superior physician treats the not-yet-ill. Its force here is technical rather than moral. It names the moment when the disease is still shallow enough to be turned.

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黃帝問于伯高曰：余聞氣有逆順，脉有盛衰，刺有大約，可得聞乎？伯高曰：氣之逆順者，所以應天地陰陽四時五行也。脉之盛衰者，所以候血氣之虚實，有餘不足；刺之大約者，必明知病之可刺，與其未可刺，與其已不可刺也。 黄帝问于伯高曰：余闻气有逆顺，脉有盛衰，刺有大约，可得闻乎？伯高曰：气之逆顺者，所以应天地阴阳四时五行也。脉之盛衰者，所以候血气之虚实，有余不足；刺之大约者，必明知病之可刺，与其未可刺，与其已不可刺也。
Huáng Dì wèn yú Bó Gāo yuē: yú wén qì yǒu nì shùn, mài yǒu shèng shuāi, cì yǒu dà yuē, kě dé wén hū? Bó Gāo yuē: qì zhī nì shùn zhě, suǒ yǐ yīng tiān dì yīn yáng sì shí wǔ xíng yě. mài zhī shèng shuāi zhě, suǒ yǐ hòu xuè qì zhī xū shí, yǒu yú bù zú; cì zhī dà yuē zhě, bì míng zhī bìng zhī kě cì, yǔ qí wèi kě cì, yǔ qí yǐ bù kě cì yě.
黄帝问伯高说：我听说气有逆顺，脉有盛衰，针刺有大的法则，可以讲给我听吗？伯高说：气的逆顺，是用来应合天地、阴阳、四时、五行的；脉的盛衰，是用来诊察血气的虚实与有余不足的；针刺的大法，是必须清楚知道病可以刺、病还不可以刺，以及病已经不可以刺。
The Yellow Emperor asked Bo Gao: I have heard that qi has its opposing and following, the pulse its fullness and decline, and needling its great rule. May I hear of them? Bo Gao said: The opposing and following of qi is what answers to heaven and earth, yin and yang, the four seasons and the five phases. The fullness and decline of the pulse is what discloses the vacuity or repletion, the excess or insufficiency of blood and qi. The great rule of needling is that one must know clearly whether the disease may be needled, whether it may not yet be needled, and whether it may no longer be needled.
黃帝曰：候之奈何？伯高曰：兵法曰：無迎逢逢之氣，無擊堂堂之陣。 黄帝曰：候之奈何？伯高曰：兵法曰：无迎逢逢之气，无击堂堂之阵。
Huáng Dì yuē: hòu zhī nài hé? Bó Gāo yuē: bīng fǎ yuē: wú yíng péng péng zhī qì, wú jī táng táng zhī zhèn.
黄帝说：怎样诊察呢？伯高说：兵法上说，不要迎击气势汹涌的敌军，不要攻打阵容严整的军队。
The Emperor said: How is this examined? Bo Gao said: The art of war says, do not meet the oncoming rush of qi, do not strike a well-ordered array.
刺法曰：無刺熇熇之𤍠，無刺漉漉之汗，無刺渾渾之脉，無刺病與脉，相逆者。 刺法曰：无刺熇熇之𤍠，无刺漉漉之汗，无刺浑浑之脉，无刺病与脉，相逆者。
cì fǎ yuē: wú cì hè hè zhī rè, wú cì lù lù zhī hàn, wú cì hún hún zhī mài, wú cì bìng yǔ mài, xiāng nì zhě.
刺法上说，不要刺热势炽盛的病，不要刺汗出不止的病，不要刺脉象浑乱的病，不要刺病情与脉象相违背的病。
The art of needling says: do not needle a blazing heat, do not needle a dripping sweat, do not needle a turbid, confused pulse, and do not needle when disease and pulse oppose one another.
黃帝曰：候其可刺奈何？ 黄帝曰：候其可刺奈何？
Huáng Dì yuē: hòu qí kě cì nài hé?
黄帝说：怎样诊察可以刺的时机呢？
The Emperor said: How does one judge the time when needling is possible?
伯高曰：上工刺其未生者也，其次刺其未盛者也，其次刺其已衰者也。下工刺其方襲者也，與其形之盛者也，與其病之與脉相逆者也。 伯高曰：上工刺其未生者也，其次刺其未盛者也，其次刺其已衰者也。下工刺其方袭者也，与其形之盛者也，与其病之与脉相逆者也。
Bó Gāo yuē: shàng gōng cì qí wèi shēng zhě yě, qí cì cì qí wèi shèng zhě yě, qí cì cì qí yǐ shuāi zhě yě. xià gōng cì qí fāng xí zhě yě, yǔ qí xíng zhī shèng zhě yě, yǔ qí bìng zhī yǔ mài xiāng nì zhě yě.
伯高说：上等的医者刺病于未生之时，次一等的刺病于未盛之时，再次一等的刺病于已衰之时。下等的医者刺病于邪气正袭之时，刺形体正盛之时，刺病与脉相违背之时。
Bo Gao said: The superior physician needles the disease before it is born; the next needles it before it is full; the next needles it after it has declined. The inferior physician needles it just as it strikes, needles the body at its fullest, and needles when disease and pulse oppose one another.
故曰：方其盛也，勿敢毁傷；刺其已衰，事必大昌。 故曰：方其盛也，勿敢毁伤；刺其已衰，事必大昌。
gù yuē: fāng qí shèng yě, wù gǎn huǐ shāng; cì qí yǐ shuāi, shì bì dà chāng.
所以说：正当邪气盛的时候，不要轻率毁伤正气；等到病气已衰再刺，事情必定大为顺利。
Hence it is said: while it is full, do not dare to damage; needle it once declined, and the work will surely prosper.
故曰：上工治未病，不治已病，此之謂也。 故曰：上工治未病，不治已病，此之谓也。
gù yuē: shàng gōng zhì wèi bìng, bù zhì yǐ bìng, cǐ zhī wèi yě.
所以说：上等的医者治未病，不治已病，说的就是这个道理。
Hence it is said: the superior physician treats the not-yet-ill, not the already ill. This is what that means.

Textual notes

Readings follow the base edition; significant variants are recorded here.

  1. 無迎逢逢之氣無迎蓬蓬之氣

    逢逢讀 péng péng，盛貌，狀氣之洶湧如鼓聲。通行本或作蓬蓬，蓬亦盛也，音義並同。迎謂逆而當之，即下文「刺其方襲」之意，皆戒其乘盛而犯。

  2. 無擊堂堂之陣無擊堂堂之陣

    堂堂，行列嚴整之貌。陣謂軍旅之陳。此以用兵喻用鍼：氣盛如軍陳之整，不可直犯，當待其衰。二句皆引兵法，下二句乃引刺法，文勢相接而所出不同。

  3. 無刺熇熇之𤍠無刺熇熇之熱

    熇熇讀 hè hè，火盛之貌。熱盛於內，其氣炎上，刺之則氣隨鍼泄而熱反內陷，故戒。此與下「漉漉之汗」「渾渾之脉」三句一例，皆言邪勢方張，不可遽奪。

  4. 無刺漉漉之汗無刺漉漉之汗

    漉漉，汗出不止之貌，如水下滲。汗多則津傷，再刺則衛氣愈虛，故戒。汗與血同源，奪汗者無血，此古人刺禁之要。

  5. 無刺渾渾之脉無刺渾渾之脉

    渾渾讀 hún hún，脈象濁亂，來去無端緒，虛實難辨。脈既渾亂，則補寫無所依據，故不可刺。此句與上二句皆就脈證言，非就天時言。

  6. 病與脉，相逆者病與脉相逆者

    句讀當於脈下斷。病寒而脈數，病熱而脈遲，是病與脈相逆。相逆則真假難明，刺之易誤，故戒。此條爲四戒之末，尤爲臨證之要。

Cite this page

APA

Huangdi Neijing · Lingshu 黃帝內經靈樞 (Compiled over the same span as the Suwen; the present text was put in order in the Tang.). Nì shùn 逆順 [Opposing and Following], Chapter 55. In Classica Sinica Medica. Base text: 《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。 Retrieved 29 October 2026, from https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/opposing-and-following/

MLA

"Nì shùn 逆順 [Opposing and Following]." Huangdi Neijing · Lingshu 黃帝內經靈樞, chapter 55, Classica Sinica Medica, 2026, https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/opposing-and-following/. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026. Base text: 《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。

Chinese scholarly

《黃帝內經靈樞·逆順》（Huángdì Nèijīng Língshū）。《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。Classica Sinica Medica，2026 年 10 月 29 日 存取，https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/opposing-and-following/。

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