常用引文　Commonly Used Citations

阴阳者，天地之道也，万物之纲纪，变化之父母，生杀之本始。

[yīn yáng zhě, tiān dì zhī dào yě, wàn wù zhī gāng jì, biàn huà zhī fù mǔ, shēng shā zhī běn shǐ]

Yin-yang is the law of nature, the principle of all things, the mother of all changes, and the root of life and death.

天为阳，地为阴；日为阳，月为阴。

[tiān wéi yáng, dì wéi yīn; rì wéi yáng, yuè wéi yīn]

Heaven pertains to yang, while Earth pertains to yin; the sun pertains to yang, while the moon pertains to yin.

水为阴，火为阳。

[shuǐ wéi yīn, huǒ wéi yáng]

Water pertains to yin, while fire pertains to yang.

生之本，本于阴阳。

[shēng zhī běn, běn yú yīn yáng]

The origin of life is yin and yang.

阴阳者，万物之能始也。

[yīn yáng zhě, wàn wù zhī néng shǐ yě]

Yin and yang are the generators of all things.

阳化气，阴成形。

[yáng huà qì, yīn chéng xíng]

Yang produces the vital energy, and yin constructs the physique.

外者为阳，内者为阴。

[wài zhě wéi yáng, nèi zhě wéi yīn]

The external pertains to yang, while the internal pertains to yin.

阴中有阳，阳中有阴。

[yīn zhōng yǒu yáng, yáng zhōng yǒu yīn]

There is yang in yin, and there is yin in yang.

背为阳，阳中之阳，心也。

[bèi wéi yáng, yáng zhōng zhī yáng, xīn yě]

As the back of the body belongs to yang, the yang of yang is the heart.

背为阳，阳中之阴，肺也。

[bèi wéi yáng, yáng zhōng zhī yīn, fèi yě]

As the back of the body belongs to yang, the yin of yang is the lung.

腹为阴，阴中之阴，肾也。

[fù wéi yīn, yīn zhōng zhī yīn, shèn yě]

As the abdomen belongs to yin, the yin of yin is the kidney.

腹为阴，阴中之阳，肝也。

[fù wéi yīn, yīn zhōng zhī yáng, gān yě]

As the abdomen belongs to yin, the yang of yin is the liver.

腹为阴，阴中之至阴，脾也。

[fù wéi yīn, yīn zhōng zhī zhì yīn, pí yě]

As the abdomen belongs to yin, the extreme yin of yin is the spleen.

阴阳之要，阳密乃固。

[yīn yáng zhī yào, yáng mì nǎi gù]

The key to optimize yin and yang is that only when yang is compact can yin be strengthened.

阴在内，阳之守也。阳在外，阴之使也。

[yīn zài nèi, yáng zhī shǒu yě。yáng zài wài, yīn zhī shǐ yě]

Yin resides inside with yang as its defense, while yang stays outside to fulfill the mission of yin.

阳根于阴，阴根于阳。

[yáng gēn yú yīn, yīn gēn yú yáng]

Yang is rooted in yin, and yin is rooted in yang.

阴平阳秘，精神乃治。

[yīn píng yáng mì, jīng shén nǎi zhì]

If one keeps yin even and yang firm, one's spirit will be sound.

阴阳离决，精气乃绝。

[yīn yáng lí jué, jīng qì nǎi jué]

When yin and yang separate, essential qi expires.

重阴必阳，重阳必阴。

[chóng yīn bì yáng, chóng yáng bì yīn]

Extreme yin gives rise to yang, and extreme yang gives rise to yin. – a mechanism of yin-yang conversion, e.g., severe loss of fluids (yin) may be manifested by symptoms of yang nature such as feeling hot and restlessness, and intense heat may bring on cold symptoms such as chills and cold limbs

阴胜则阳病，阳胜则阴病。

[yīn shèng zé yáng bìng, yáng shèng zé yīn bìng]

Excess yin makes yang suffer, and excess yang makes yin suffer. – a mechanism of disease explained by yin-yang theory, e.g., excessive cold (yin) impairs yang qi,and exuberant heat (yang) consumes body fluids (yin)

阳胜则热，阴胜则寒。

[yáng shèng zé rè, yīn shèng zé hán]

When in predominance, yang makes heat, and yin makes cold.

阴阳者，数之可十，推之可百，数之可千，推之可万，万之大不可胜数，然其要一也。

[yīn yáng zhě, shǔ zhī kě shí, tuī zhī kě bǎi, shǔ zhī kě qiān, tuī zhī kě wàn, wàn zhī dà bù kě shèng shǔ, rán qí yào yī yě]

Yin and yang can be counted from one to ten, and inferred from ten to one hundred, counted from one hundred to one thousand, and inferred from one thousand to ten thousand and even to infinity, but the principle of yin-yang is just one (i.e., the unity of opposites).

谨察阴阳所在而调之，以平为期。

[jǐn chá yīn yáng suǒ zài ér tiáo zhī, yǐ píng wéi qī]

One must carefully observe the positions of yin and yang, and apply appropriate treatment until they are balanced.

阳常有余，阴常不足。

[yáng cháng yǒu yú, yīn cháng bù zú]

Yang is usually redundant while yin is ever deficient. – a theory advocated by Zhu Danxi (1281-1358), according to which the method of replenishing yin is recommended as a basic principle for treating disease

阴静阳躁，阳生阴长。

[yīn jìng yáng zào, yáng shēng yīn zhǎng]

Yin is quiescent, while yang is vigorous. Yang produces birth, while yin nurtures growth.

阳生于阴。

[yáng shēng yú yīn]

Yang originates from yin.

阴生于阳。

[yīn shēng yú yáng]

Yin originates from yang.

孤阳不生，独阴不长。

[gū yáng bù shēng, dú yīn bù zhǎng]

Solitary yang can never be born, and solitary yin never grows.

阳为气，阴为味。

[yáng wéi qì, yīn wéi wèi]

Yang refers to property, and yin to flavor (in the case of a medicinal).

辛甘发散为阳，酸苦涌泄为阴。

[xīn gān fā sàn wéi yáng, suān kǔ yǒng xiè wéi yīn]

The pungent and sweet with dispersing effect pertain to yang, while the sour and bitter with emetic and purgative effects pertain to yin.