Classica Sinica Medica

A Discourse on the Measure of Needling

刺齊論

Cì qí lùn

The companion piece to the chapter before it. Where 刺要論 states the rule — each depth has its own level and the needle must not overstep — 刺齊論 works out what the rule means in the hand, and its title graph 齊, read qí, is the word for measuring out: the even measure that belongs to each depth. Qibo first sets out the seven prohibitions in a single breath, from the bone down to the skin and back up again, and the Emperor answers that he does not know what they mean. The explanation is deceptively plain. To needle the bone without wounding the sinew is to take the needle as far as the sinew and stop there, short of the bone; and so with each of the others — reach the level you aim at, and do not go past it. The last sentences turn the same rule over and show its edge. When the illness is in the skin the needle belongs in the skin, and the flesh beneath is untouched; but to carry it past the flesh is to strike the sinew, and to carry it past the sinew is to strike the bone. That is what the chapter calls 反, reversal: not a different needling, but the same needling carried one level too far. Two hundred and eleven graphs, and the whole art of depth is in them.

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11 paragraphs
黄帝問曰：願聞刺淺深之分。 黄帝问曰：愿闻刺浅深之分。
Huáng dì wèn yuē: yuàn wén cì qiǎn shēn zhī fēn.
黄帝问道：希望听一听针刺浅与深的分际。
The Yellow Emperor asks: I wish to hear the divisions of shallow and deep in needling.
歧伯對曰：刺骨者無傷筋，刺筋者無傷肉，刺肉者無傷脉，刺脉者無傷皮，刺皮者無傷肉，刺肉者無傷筋，刺筋者無傷骨。 歧伯对曰：刺骨者无伤筋，刺筋者无伤肉，刺肉者无伤脉，刺脉者无伤皮，刺皮者无伤肉，刺肉者无伤筋，刺筋者无伤骨。
Qí bó duì yuē: cì gǔ zhě wú shāng jīn, cì jīn zhě wú shāng ròu, cì ròu zhě wú shāng mài, cì mài zhě wú shāng pí, cì pí zhě wú shāng ròu, cì ròu zhě wú shāng jīn, cì jīn zhě wú shāng gǔ.
歧伯回答说：刺骨的时候不要伤及筋，刺筋的时候不要伤及肉，刺肉的时候不要伤及脉，刺脉的时候不要伤及皮，刺皮的时候不要伤及肉，刺肉的时候不要伤及筋，刺筋的时候不要伤及骨。
Qibo replies: when needling the bone do not wound the sinew; when needling the sinew do not wound the flesh; when needling the flesh do not wound the vessel; when needling the vessel do not wound the skin; when needling the skin do not wound the flesh; when needling the flesh do not wound the sinew; when needling the sinew do not wound the bone.
帝曰：余未知其所謂，願聞其解。 帝曰：余未知其所谓，愿闻其解。
Dì yuē: yú wèi zhī qí suǒ wèi, yuàn wén qí jiě.
黄帝说：我还不明白这话的意思，希望听你解释。
The Emperor says: I do not yet understand what this means; I wish to hear its explanation.
歧伯曰：刺骨無傷筋者，鍼至筋而去，不及骨也。 歧伯曰：刺骨无伤筋者，针至筋而去，不及骨也。
Qí bó yuē: cì gǔ wú shāng jīn zhě, zhēn zhì jīn ér qù, bù jí gǔ yě.
歧伯说：所谓刺骨不要伤筋，是说针到达筋的层次就停止，不再深入至骨。
Qibo says: “when needling the bone do not wound the sinew” means the needle arrives at the sinew and stops, not reaching the bone.
刺筋無傷肉者，至肉而去，不及筋也。 刺筋无伤肉者，至肉而去，不及筋也。
Cì jīn wú shāng ròu zhě, zhì ròu ér qù, bù jí jīn yě.
所谓刺筋不要伤肉，是说针到达肉的层次就停止，不再深入至筋。
“When needling the sinew do not wound the flesh” means it arrives at the flesh and stops, not reaching the sinew.
刺肉無傷脉者，至脉而去，不及肉也。 刺肉无伤脉者，至脉而去，不及肉也。
Cì ròu wú shāng mài zhě, zhì mài ér qù, bù jí ròu yě.
所谓刺肉不要伤脉，是说针到达脉的层次就停止，不再深入至肉。
“When needling the flesh do not wound the vessel” means it arrives at the vessel and stops, not reaching the flesh.
刺脉無傷皮者，至皮而去，不及脉也。 刺脉无伤皮者，至皮而去，不及脉也。
Cì mài wú shāng pí zhě, zhì pí ér qù, bù jí mài yě.
所谓刺脉不要伤皮，是说针到达皮的层次就停止，不再深入至脉。
“When needling the vessel do not wound the skin” means it arrives at the skin and stops, not reaching the vessel.
所謂刺皮無傷肉者，病在皮中，鍼入皮中，無傷肉也。 所谓刺皮无伤肉者，病在皮中，针入皮中，无伤肉也。
Suǒ wèi cì pí wú shāng ròu zhě, bìng zài pí zhōng, zhēn rù pí zhōng, wú shāng ròu yě.
所谓刺皮不要伤肉，是因为病在皮中，针只入皮中，并不伤及肉。
As for “when needling the skin do not wound the flesh”: the illness is within the skin, the needle enters within the skin, and the flesh is not wounded.
刺肉無傷筋者，過肉中筋也。 刺肉无伤筋者，过肉中筋也。
Cì ròu wú shāng jīn zhě, guò ròu zhòng jīn yě.
所谓刺肉不要伤筋，是说若过了肉的层次，就会中伤于筋。
“When needling the flesh do not wound the sinew” means that to go past the flesh is to strike the sinew.
刺筋無傷骨者，過筋中骨也。 刺筋无伤骨者，过筋中骨也。
Cì jīn wú shāng gǔ zhě, guò jīn zhòng gǔ yě.
所谓刺筋不要伤骨，是说若过了筋的层次，就会中伤于骨。
“When needling the sinew do not wound the bone” means that to go past the sinew is to strike the bone.
此之謂反也。 此之谓反也。
Cǐ zhī wèi fǎn yě.
这就叫做「反」，即深浅失度、与其分际相反。
This is what is called reversal.

Textual notes

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

  1. 黄帝問曰：願聞刺淺深之分黄帝问曰：愿闻刺浅深之分

    來稿於四處「曰」下加現代引號「“”」，底本無之；此从底本，四組引號並回刪，不入正文。

  2. 歧伯對曰歧伯对曰

    底本作「歧」，从止支聲，讀 qí；來稿作从山之「岐」。全站前五十篇皆从止，此从底本，本篇二見。

  3. 病在皮中，鍼入皮中病在皮中，针入皮中

    「中」此讀 zhōng，中裏之義；下文「過肉中筋」「過筋中骨」之「中」讀 zhòng，中傷之義。本篇「中」四見而兩讀，各依其義。

  4. 鍼至筋而去针至筋而去

    底本作「鍼」，从金咸聲，讀 zhēn；通行本多作「針」。此从底本。本篇二見。

Cite this page

APA

Huangdi Neijing · Suwen 黃帝內經素問 (c. 3rd c. BCE – 1st c. CE; recension c. 762 CE). Cì qí lùn 刺齊論 [A Discourse on the Measure of Needling], Chapter 51. 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 14 October 2026, from https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-suwen/measure-of-needling/

MLA

"Cì qí lùn 刺齊論 [A Discourse on the Measure of Needling]." Huangdi Neijing · Suwen 黃帝內經素問, chapter 51, Classica Sinica Medica, 2026, https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-suwen/measure-of-needling/. Accessed 14 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·刺齊論》（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 14 日 存取，https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-suwen/measure-of-needling/。

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