Classica Sinica Medica

The Ordinary Person Without Grain

平人絶榖

Píng rén jué gǔ

This chapter is an argument by arithmetic, and its conclusion is startlingly exact. Bo Gao takes the capacities given in the previous chapter, subtracts what the body must keep, divides by the daily loss, and arrives at seven days.The reasoning runs in three steps. First the holding capacity of each segment is stated. Then a distinction is drawn between the full and the ordinary state: a stuffed gut is not a working one, and health consists in the alternation of emptiness and fullness rather than in repletion. Finally the daily loss is counted — two bowel movements, five sheng a day — against a standing reserve of three dou and five sheng, and the reserve is gone on the seventh day.The chapter's most quoted sentence is almost a by-product: 故神者，水榖之精氣也. Spirit is not imported from elsewhere; it is what water and grain become when the body has done its work. Fasting therefore ends not in weakness but in the loss of that on which spirit itself depends.

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黃帝曰：願聞人之不食，七日而死，何也？ 黄帝曰：愿闻人之不食，七日而死，何也？
Huáng Dì yuē: yuàn wén rén zhī bù shí, qī rì ér sǐ, hé yě?
黄帝说：我想听听人不吃东西，到第七天就会死，这是什么道理？
The Yellow Emperor said: I should like to hear why a person who does not eat dies on the seventh day.
伯高曰：臣請言其故。胃大一尺五寸，徑五寸，長二尺六寸，横屈受水榖三斗五升，其中之榖，常留二斗，水一斗五升而滿。上焦泄氣，出其精微，慓悍滑疾。下焦下漑諸腸。 伯高曰：臣请言其故。胃大一尺五寸，径五寸，长二尺六寸，横屈受水榖三斗五升，其中之榖，常留二斗，水一斗五升而满。上焦泄气，出其精微，慓悍滑疾。下焦下漑诸肠。
Bó Gāo yuē: chén qǐng yán qí gù. wèi dà yī chǐ wǔ cùn, jìng wǔ cùn, cháng èr chǐ liù cùn, héng qū shòu shuǐ gǔ sān dǒu wǔ shēng, qí zhōng zhī gǔ, cháng liú èr dǒu, shuǐ yī dǒu wǔ shēng ér mǎn. shàng jiāo xiè qì, chū qí jīng wēi, piào hàn huá jí. xià jiāo xià gài zhū cháng.
伯高说：请让我说说其中的缘故。胃大一尺五寸，直径五寸，长二尺六寸，横着屈曲，受纳水谷三斗五升，其中所存的谷，常常留着二斗，水一斗五升就满了。上焦宣泄精气，把精微输布出去，其性慓悍滑疾。下焦向下灌溉各肠。
Bo Gao said: Let me state the reason. The stomach is one chi and five cun in girth, five cun across and two chi and six cun long; bent crosswise, it receives three dou and five sheng of water and grain, of which two dou of grain are always retained, and it is full with a dou and five sheng of water. The upper jiao disperses qi and sends out its essence, swift and fierce and slippery and rapid. The lower jiao irrigates the intestines below.
小腸大二寸半，徑八分分之少半，長三丈二尺，受榖二斗四升，水六升三合合之大半。 小肠大二寸半，径八分分之少半，长三丈二尺，受榖二斗四升，水六升三合合之大半。
xiǎo cháng dà èr cùn bàn, jìng bā fēn fēn zhī shǎo bàn, cháng sān zhàng èr chǐ, shòu gǔ èr dǒu sì shēng, shuǐ liù shēng sān gě gě zhī dà bàn.
小肠大二寸半，直径八分又少半，长三丈二尺，受谷二斗四升，水六升三合又大半合。
The small intestine is two cun and a half in girth, eight fen and a little less across, and three zhang and two chi long; it receives two dou and four sheng of grain and six sheng and three ge of water, and a good half ge over.
迴腸大四寸，徑一寸寸之少半，長二丈一尺，受榖一斗，水七升半。 回肠大四寸，径一寸寸之少半，长二丈一尺，受榖一斗，水七升半。
huí cháng dà sì cùn, jìng yī cùn cùn zhī shǎo bàn, cháng èr zhàng yī chǐ, shòu gǔ yī dǒu, shuǐ qī shēng bàn.
回肠大四寸，直径一寸又少半，长二丈一尺，受谷一斗，水七升半。
The large intestine is four cun in girth, one cun and a little less across, and two zhang and one chi long; it receives one dou of grain and seven sheng and a half of water.
廣腸大八寸，徑二寸寸之大半，長二尺八寸，受榖九升三合八分合之一。 广肠大八寸，径二寸寸之大半，长二尺八寸，受榖九升三合八分合之一。
guǎng cháng dà bā cùn, jìng èr cùn cùn zhī dà bàn, cháng èr chǐ bā cùn, shòu gǔ jiǔ shēng sān gě bā fēn gě zhī yī.
广肠大八寸，直径二寸又大半，长二尺八寸，受谷九升三合又八分合之一。
The rectum is eight cun in girth, two cun and a good part more across, and two chi and eight cun long; it receives nine sheng and three ge of grain, and one eighth of a ge over.
腸胃之長，凡五丈八尺四寸，受水榖九斗二升一合合之大半。此腸胃所受水榖之數也。 肠胃之长，凡五丈八尺四寸，受水榖九斗二升一合合之大半。此肠胃所受水榖之数也。
cháng wèi zhī cháng, fán wǔ zhàng bā chǐ sì cùn, shòu shuǐ gǔ jiǔ dǒu èr shēng yī gě gě zhī dà bàn. cǐ cháng wèi suǒ shòu shuǐ gǔ zhī shù yě.
胃肠的总长，共五丈八尺四寸，受水谷九斗二升一合又大半合。这就是胃肠所受水谷的数目。
The whole length of stomach and intestines is five zhang, eight chi and four cun, and they receive nine dou, two sheng and one ge of water and grain, and a good half ge over. Such is the measure of water and grain the stomach and intestines hold.
平人則不然，胃滿則腸虚，腸滿則胃虚，更虚更滿，故氣得上下，五藏安定，血脉和利，精神乃居。故神者，水榖之精氣也。 平人则不然，胃满则肠虚，肠满则胃虚，更虚更满，故气得上下，五藏安定，血脉和利，精神乃居。故神者，水榖之精气也。
píng rén zé bù rán, wèi mǎn zé cháng xū, cháng mǎn zé wèi xū, gēng xū gēng mǎn, gù qì dé shàng xià, wǔ zàng ān dìng, xuè mài hé lì, jīng shén nǎi jū. gù shén zhě, shuǐ gǔ zhī jīng qì yě.
平常人却不是这样：胃满了肠就虚，肠满了胃就虚，更替着虚、更替着满，所以气能上下往来，五脏安定，血脉和利，精神才有所居处。所以神，就是水谷的精气。
In the ordinary person it is not so: when the stomach is full the intestines are empty, and when the intestines are full the stomach is empty, emptying and filling in turn, so that qi may rise and descend, the five zang are at rest, blood and vessels are harmonious and free, and the spirit has where to dwell. Spirit, then, is the essence of water and grain.
故腸胃之中，當留榖二斗，水一斗五升。 故肠胃之中，当留榖二斗，水一斗五升。
gù cháng wèi zhī zhōng, dāng liú gǔ èr dǒu, shuǐ yī dǒu wǔ shēng.
因此胃肠之中，应当常留着谷二斗、水一斗五升。
Hence within the stomach and intestines there should always remain two dou of grain and one dou and five sheng of water.
故平人日再後，後二升半，一日中五升，七日五七三斗五升，而留水榖盡矣。故平人不食飲七日而死者，水榖精氣津液皆盡故也。 故平人日再后，后二升半，一日中五升，七日五七三斗五升，而留水榖尽矣。故平人不食饮七日而死者，水榖精气津液皆尽故也。
gù píng rén rì zài hòu, hòu èr shēng bàn, yī rì zhōng wǔ shēng, qī rì wǔ qī sān dǒu wǔ shēng, ér liú shuǐ gǔ jìn yǐ. gù píng rén bù shí yǐn qī rì ér sǐ zhě, shuǐ gǔ jīng qì jīn yè jiē jìn gù yě.
所以平常人每天大便两次，每次二升半，一天共五升，七天就是五七三斗五升，所留的水谷就耗尽了。所以平常人不吃不喝到七天就死，是水谷的精气津液都竭尽的缘故。
So the ordinary person moves the bowels twice a day, two sheng and a half each time, five sheng in a day; in seven days that is five times seven, three dou and five sheng, and the retained water and grain is used up. That is why the ordinary person dies after seven days without food or drink: the essence, qi, fluids and humours of water and grain are all exhausted.

Textual notes

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

  1. 上焦泄氣，出其精微上焦泄氣，出其精微

    泄，發散也，非泄瀉之泄。上焦如霧，宣發穀氣之精微，使其慓悍滑疾而行於分肉；下焦如瀆，則以水液灌注諸腸。二焦一升一降，此章藉以明穀氣之出路。

  2. 常留二斗，水一斗五升而滿常留二斗水，一斗五升而滿

    底本原作「常留二斗水，一斗五升而滿」，於「水」字斷句則「一斗五升」無所屬。今移句讀：所留者穀二斗、水一斗五升，與下文「當留榖二斗，水一斗五升」正合。

  3. 下焦下漑諸腸下焦下溉諸腸

    漑即溉之異體，灌注也。上焦泄氣出其精微，下焦則以水液灌注諸腸，一出一注，相對成文。

  4. 受榖二斗四升，水六升三合合之大半受穀二斗四升，水六升三合，合之大半

    「合之大半」謂三合之外又大半合。下文「八分合之一」謂一合之八分，句法相同，皆古算家記零餘之語，非重複。

  5. 腸胃之長，凡五丈八尺四寸腸胃之長，凡五丈八尺四寸

    合胃二尺六寸、小腸三丈二尺、迴腸二丈一尺、廣腸二尺八寸，正得五丈八尺四寸。前篇多咽門至胃一尺六寸，故爲六丈四寸四分，兩篇相校而數始全。

  6. 故神者，水榖之精氣也故神者，水穀之精氣也

    此句爲全章眼目。神非別有一物，即水穀所化之精氣；水穀既竭，精氣無所生，神亦隨之而散，故七日而死。

  7. 故平人日再後故平人日再後

    再後，一日二度大便也。後，此處作動詞用，指登廁。古醫書言「後」多如此，與「前」指小便相對。

  8. 五七三斗五升五七三斗五升

    五升乘七日得三斗五升，恰合所留之數。此句以乘數出之，不作「三斗五升」直敘，正見古人由日計推至七日之思。

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.). Píng rén jué gǔ 平人絶榖 [The Ordinary Person Without Grain], Chapter 32. 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/the-ordinary-person-without-grain/

MLA

"Píng rén jué gǔ 平人絶榖 [The Ordinary Person Without Grain]." Huangdi Neijing · Lingshu 黃帝內經靈樞, chapter 32, Classica Sinica Medica, 2026, https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/the-ordinary-person-without-grain/. 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·平人絶榖》（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/the-ordinary-person-without-grain/。

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