Classica Sinica Medica

A Separate Discourse on the Five Storing Organs

五藏别論

Wǔ zàng bié lùn

The eleventh chapter settles a quarrel. Different teachers were calling the same parts by different names — some counting brain and marrow among the storing organs, some counting stomach and intestines, some calling both of them palaces — and each insisted he was right. Qibo answers not by picking a side but by changing the question: the division is not about anatomy but about behaviour. Whatever stores and does not discharge belongs to the earth and is a storing organ; whatever passes things through belongs to heaven and is a palace. On that test six parts turn out to be neither one thing nor the other — brain, marrow, bone, vessels, gallbladder and the womb store like organs but are shaped like palaces, and so they get a category of their own, the extraordinary constant palaces. The famous formula follows from it: the organs are full but never filled, the palaces are filled but never full. The second half explains why the pulse at the wrist can speak for the whole body — because everything the organs live on passes through the stomach first — and closes with three sorts of patient a physician should not try to treat.

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黃帝問曰：余聞方士，或以腦髓爲藏，或以腸胃爲藏，或以爲府，敢問更相反？皆自謂是，不知其道，願聞其説。 黄帝问曰：余闻方士，或以脑髓为藏，或以肠胃为藏，或以为府，敢问更相反？皆自谓是，不知其道，愿闻其说。
huáng dì wèn yuē: yú wén fāng shì, huò yǐ nǎo suǐ wéi zàng, huò yǐ cháng wèi wéi zàng, huò yǐ wéi fǔ, gǎn wèn gēng xiāng fǎn? jiē zì wèi shì, bù zhī qí dào, yuàn wén qí shuō.
黄帝问道：我听方士们的说法不一，有的把脑髓当作藏，有的把肠胃当作藏，又有的把它们当作府；若拿相反的意见去问他们，却人人都说自己是对的。我不晓得究竟的道理，想听听你的说法。
The Yellow Emperor asks: I have heard the recipe gentlemen, and some of them take brain and marrow to be storing organs, some take stomach and intestines to be storing organs, and some call them palaces — yet when they are pressed with the opposite view, each one says he alone is right. I do not know the principle behind it. I wish to hear your account of it.
歧伯對曰：腦、髓、骨、脉、膽、女子胞，此六者，地氣之所生也，皆藏於陰而象於地，故藏而不冩，名曰奇𢘆之府。 歧伯对曰：脑、髓、骨、脉、胆、女子胞，此六者，地气之所生也，皆藏于阴而象于地，故藏而不写，名曰奇恒之府。
qí bó duì yuē: nǎo, suǐ, gǔ, mài, dǎn, nǚ zǐ bāo, cǐ liù zhě, dì qì zhī suǒ shēng yě, jiē cáng yú yīn ér xiàng yú dì, gù cáng ér bù xiě, míng yuē qí héng zhī fǔ.
岐伯回答说：脑、髓、骨、脉、胆、女子胞这六者，是禀地气而生的，都蓄藏阴精而取象于大地，所以只藏而不泻，名叫「奇恒之府」。
Qibo answers: brain, marrow, bone, vessels, gallbladder and the woman’s womb — these six are born of the qi of earth. They all store in the yin and take their image from the earth, and therefore they store and do not discharge. They are named the extraordinary constant palaces.
夫胃、大腸、小腸、三焦、膀胱，此五者，天氣之所生也，其氣象天，故冩而不藏。此受五藏濁氣，名曰傳化之府。 夫胃、大肠、小肠、三焦、膀胱，此五者，天气之所生也，其气象天，故写而不藏。此受五藏浊气，名曰传化之府。
fú wèi, dà cháng, xiǎo cháng, sān jiāo, páng guāng, cǐ wǔ zhě, tiān qì zhī suǒ shēng yě, qí qì xiàng tiān, gù xiě ér bù cáng. cǐ shòu wǔ zàng zhuó qì, míng yuē chuán huà zhī fǔ.
至于胃、大肠、小肠、三焦、膀胱这五者，是禀天气而生的，它们的气取象于天，所以只泻而不藏。它们受纳五藏的浊气，名叫「传化之府」。
Now stomach, large intestine, small intestine, triple burner and bladder — these five are born of the qi of heaven; their qi images heaven, and therefore they discharge and do not store. They receive the turbid qi of the five storing organs. They are named the palaces of transmission and transformation.
此不能久留輸冩者也。 此不能久留输写者也。
cǐ bù néng jiǔ liú shū xiě zhě yě.
这是说水谷与糟粕不能在其中长久停留，必须随时转输泻出。
These are the places in which nothing may be held long — only passed along and discharged.
魄門亦爲五藏使，水榖不得久藏。 魄门亦为五藏使，水谷不得久藏。
pò mén yì wéi wǔ zàng shǐ, shuǐ gǔ bù dé jiǔ cáng.
魄门也为五藏行使输泻之职，所以水谷的糟粕不能久留体内。
The gate of the po serves the five storing organs as their emissary, and so water and grain are not kept long.
所謂五藏者，藏精氣而不冩也，故滿而不能實。 所谓五藏者，藏精气而不写也，故满而不能实。
suǒ wèi wǔ zàng zhě, cáng jīng qì ér bù xiě yě, gù mǎn ér bù néng shí.
所谓五藏，是蓄藏精气而不向外泻的，所以它可以常保精气的盈满，却不能像府那样被水谷一时充实。
What are called the five storing organs store essential qi and do not discharge it; therefore they may be full, but they cannot be filled.
六府者，傳化物而不藏，故實而不能滿也。 六府者，传化物而不藏，故实而不能满也。
liù fǔ zhě, chuán huà wù ér bù cáng, gù shí ér bù néng mǎn yě.
六府是传导化生水谷而不蓄藏的，所以它可以一时被水谷充实，却不能保持盈满。
The six palaces transmit and transform things and do not store; therefore they may be filled, but they cannot be full.
所以然者，水榖入口，則胃實而腸虚，食下則腸實而胃虚，故曰實而不滿，滿而不實也。 所以然者，水谷入口，则胃实而肠虚，食下则肠实而胃虚，故曰实而不满，满而不实也。
suǒ yǐ rán zhě, shuǐ gǔ rù kǒu, zé wèi shí ér cháng xū, shí xià zé cháng shí ér wèi xū, gù yuē shí ér bù mǎn, mǎn ér bù shí yě.
之所以如此：水谷从口而入，则胃中充实而肠中空虚；食物下行之后，则肠中充实而胃中空虚。所以说六府是一时的充实而非持久的盈满，五藏是持久的盈满而非一时的充实。
Here is why it is so: when water and grain enter the mouth, the stomach is filled and the intestines empty; once the food has gone down, the intestines are filled and the stomach empty. Hence the saying — filled but not full, full but not filled.
帝曰：氣口何以獨爲五藏主？ 帝曰：气口何以独为五藏主？
dì yuē: qì kǒu hé yǐ dú wéi wǔ zàng zhǔ?
黄帝问：气口这一处脉，为什么能单独主候五藏的病变？
The Emperor says: how is it that the qi mouth alone is master of the five storing organs?
歧伯曰：胃者，水榖之海，六府之大源也。 歧伯曰：胃者，水谷之海，六府之大源也。
qí bó yuē: wèi zhě, shuǐ gǔ zhī hǎi, liù fǔ zhī dà yuán yě.
岐伯说：胃是水谷之海，是六府的大源头。
Qibo says: the stomach is the sea of water and grain, the great source of the six palaces.
五味入口，藏於胃，以養五藏氣。氣口亦太陰也，是以五藏六府之氣味，皆出於胃，變見於氣口。 五味入口，藏于胃，以养五藏气。气口亦太阴也，是以五藏六府之气味，皆出于胃，变见于气口。
wǔ wèi rù kǒu, cáng yú wèi, yǐ yǎng wǔ zàng qì. qì kǒu yì tài yīn yě, shì yǐ wǔ zàng liù fǔ zhī qì wèi, jiē chū yú wèi, biàn xiàn yú qì kǒu.
五味从口而入，贮留在胃中，用以滋养五藏之气。气口也属太阴，所以五藏六府的气与味都出自于胃，而变化显现于气口。
The five flavours enter the mouth and are stored in the stomach, and thereby nourish the qi of the five storing organs. The qi mouth too is the greater yin; therefore the qi and flavour of the five storing organs and six palaces all come out of the stomach, and their changes appear at the qi mouth.
故五氣入鼻，藏於心肺，心肺有病，而鼻爲之不利也。 故五气入鼻，藏于心肺，心肺有病，而鼻为之不利也。
gù wǔ qì rù bí, cáng yú xīn fèi, xīn fèi yǒu bìng, ér bí wèi zhī bù lì yě.
所以五气从鼻而入，藏留于心肺；心肺一旦有病，鼻就会因而通气不利。
Thus the five qi enter through the nose and are stored in heart and lung; when heart and lung are diseased, the nose is obstructed on their account.
凡治病，必察其下，適其脉，觀其志意，與其病也。 凡治病，必察其下，适其脉，观其志意，与其病也。
fán zhì bìng, bì chá qí xià, shì qí mài, guān qí zhì yì, yǔ qí bìng yě.
凡是治病，必先察看病人目下所见的情况，调理审度其脉象，观察其心志情意，以及病情的深浅成败。
In every treatment one must examine what lies below, bring the pulse into proper focus, observe the will and the intention, and take the disease itself into account.
拘於鬼神者，不可與言至德；惡於鍼石者，不可與言至巧。 拘于鬼神者，不可与言至德；恶于针石者，不可与言至巧。
jū yú guǐ shén zhě, bù kě yǔ yán zhì dé; wù yú zhēn shí zhě, bù kě yǔ yán zhì qiǎo.
拘泥于鬼神之说的人，不能与他谈论至高的医学之理；厌恶针石治疗的人，不能与他谈论至精的医疗技巧。
With someone bound fast to ghosts and spirits, the highest virtue cannot be discussed; with someone who loathes the needle and the stone, the finest skill cannot be discussed.
病不許治者，病必不治，治之無功矣。 病不许治者，病必不治，治之无功矣。
bìng bù xǔ zhì zhě, bìng bì bù zhì, zhì zhī wú gōng yǐ.
病人不允许施治的，他的病必定治不好；勉强去治，也不会有功。
Where the patient will not permit treatment, the illness certainly goes untreated; to treat it regardless accomplishes nothing.

Textual notes

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

  1. 藏而不冩藏而不写

    底本作「冩」，為「寫」之俗字，本篇四見（藏而不冩、冩而不藏、輸冩、藏精氣而不冩），諸本並作「寫」；「藏」此讀 cáng。

  2. 奇𢘆之府奇恒之府

    底本作「𢘆」，為「恆」之古文，諸本作「奇恆之府」；「奇恆」讀 qí héng，異於常府之謂。

  3. 水榖水谷

    底本作「榖」，為「穀」之俗字，本篇三見。

  4. 藏藏

    本篇二讀：五藏、藏府讀 zàng；「皆藏於陰」「藏而不冩」「不得久藏」讀 cáng，蓄藏也。

  5. 魄門魄门

    讀 pò mén。王冰「謂肛之門也，內通於肺，故曰魄門」；一說「魄」通「粕」，謂糟粕所出之門。

  6. 精氣精气

    全元起本及《甲乙經》《太素》「精氣」作「精神」；底本作「精氣」。

  7. 變見於氣口变见于气口

    「見」讀 xiàn，同「現」，謂變化顯現於氣口；新校正云全元起本「出」作「入」。

  8. 必察其下必察其下

    《太素》作「必察其上下，適其脈候，觀其志意，與其病能」，文異；此從底本。

  9. 惡於鍼石恶于针石

    「惡」讀 wù，厭惡也；惡於鍼石則巧不得施，此從底本。

  10. 此不能久留輸冩者也此不能久留输写者也

    底本別此七字為一句；諸本或連上作「名曰傳化之府，此不能久留輸寫者也」，句讀之異，義無所改。

Cite this page

APA

Huangdi Neijing · Suwen 黃帝內經素問 (c. 3rd c. BCE – 1st c. CE; recension c. 762 CE). Wǔ zàng bié lùn 五藏别論 [A Separate Discourse on the Five Storing Organs], Chapter 11. In Classica Sinica Medica. Base text: 《重廣補註黃帝內經素問》二十四卷，唐·王冰注，宋·林億、孫奇、高保衡等校正，宋·孫兆重改誤。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊初編》影印明嘉靖二十九年（1550）顧從德覆宋刊本錄入，卷一牌記題「上海涵芬樓景印明顧氏翻宋本」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。 Retrieved 13 October 2026, from https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-suwen/separate-discourse-on-the-five-storing-organs/

MLA

"Wǔ zàng bié lùn 五藏别論 [A Separate Discourse on the Five Storing Organs]." Huangdi Neijing · Suwen 黃帝內經素問, chapter 11, Classica Sinica Medica, 2026, https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-suwen/separate-discourse-on-the-five-storing-organs/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026. Base text: 《重廣補註黃帝內經素問》二十四卷，唐·王冰注，宋·林億、孫奇、高保衡等校正，宋·孫兆重改誤。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊初編》影印明嘉靖二十九年（1550）顧從德覆宋刊本錄入，卷一牌記題「上海涵芬樓景印明顧氏翻宋本」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。

Chinese scholarly

《黃帝內經素問·五藏别論》（Huángdì Nèijīng Sùwèn）。《重廣補註黃帝內經素問》二十四卷，唐·王冰注，宋·林億、孫奇、高保衡等校正，宋·孫兆重改誤。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊初編》影印明嘉靖二十九年（1550）顧從德覆宋刊本錄入，卷一牌記題「上海涵芬樓景印明顧氏翻宋本」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。Classica Sinica Medica，2026 年 10 月 13 日 存取，https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-suwen/separate-discourse-on-the-five-storing-organs/。

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