人受天地之气以生。天之阳气为气，地之阴气为血，故气常有余，血常不足。何以言之？
天地为万物父母。天大也，为阳而运于地之外；地居天之中，为阴，天之大气举之。曰，实也，
亦属阳而运于月之外；月，缺也，属阴，禀日之光以为明者也。人身之阴气，其消长若月之盈缺，
故人之生也，男子十六岁而精通，女子十四
岁而经行。是有形之后，犹有待于乳哺水谷以养，阴气始成而可与阳气为配，以能成人，而为人
之父母。古人必近三十、二十而后嫁娶，可见阴气之难成，而古人之善于摄养也。《礼记》注
曰∶惟五十而后养阴者有以加。《内经》曰∶年至四十，阴气自半而起居衰矣。又曰∶男子六十
四岁而精绝，女子四十九岁而经断。夫以阴气之成，止供给得三十年之视听言动，已先亏矣。人
之情欲无涯，此难成易亏之阴气，若之何而可以供给也？经曰∶阳者，天气也，主外；阴者，地
气也，主内。故阳道实，阴道虚。又曰∶至阴虚，天气绝；至阳盛，地气不足。观虚与盛之所在，
非予之过论。主闭藏者，肾也；司疏泄者，肝也。二脏皆有相火，而其系上属于心。心，君火也，
为物所感则易动。心动则相火亦动，动则精自走，相火翕然而起，虽不交会亦暗流而疏泄矣。所
以圣贤只是教人收心养心，其旨深矣。
天地以五行更迭衰旺而成四时，人之五脏六腑亦应之而衰旺。四月属巳，五月属午，为火大
旺。火为肺金之夫，火旺则金衰。六月属未，为土大旺。土为水之夫，土旺则水衰，况肾水常藉
肺金为母，以补助其不足。故《内经》谆谆于资其化源也。古人于夏必独宿而淡味，兢兢业业于
爱护也。保养金水二脏，正嫌火土之旺尔。《内经》曰∶冬不藏精者，春必病温。十月属亥，十
一月属子，正火气闭藏潜伏，以养其本然之真，而为来春发生升动之本。若于此时恣嗜欲以戕贼，
至春升之际，下无根本，阳气轻浮，必有温热之病。夫夏月火土之旺，冬月火气之伏，此论一年
之虚耳。若上弦前、下弦后、月廓月空，亦为一月之虚，大风大雾、虹霓飞电、暴寒暴热、日月
薄蚀、忧愁忿怒、惊恐悲哀、醉饱劳倦、谋虑勤动，又皆为一日之虚。若病患初退，疮痍正作，
尤不止于一日之虚。今人多有春末夏初，患头痛脚软，食少体热，仲景谓春夏剧，秋冬瘥，而脉
弦大者，正世俗所谓注夏病。若犯此四者之虚，似难免此。夫当壮年便有老态，仰事俯育，一切
隳坏。予言至此，深可
惊惧。古人谓不见所欲，使心不乱。夫以温柔之盛于体，声音之盛于耳，颜色之盛于目，馨香之
盛于鼻，谁是铁汉，心不为之动也？善摄生者，于此五个月出居于外，苟值一月之虚，亦惟暂远
帷幕，各自珍重，保全天和，期无负敬身之教，幸甚。
人禀受天地之气而生成。天的阳气化为气，地的阴气化为血，所以气常常有余，而血常常不足。为什么这样说呢？
天地是万物的父母。天很大，属阳，运行在大地之外；地处于天之中，属阴，依靠天的巨大大气托举着它。月亮是圆的（实），也属阳，运行在地球之外；月亮是缺的（虚），属阴，凭借太阳的光芒来显现明亮。人身上的阴气，其消长变化就像月亮的圆缺一样。所以人在出生后，男子十六岁时精气通畅，女子十四岁时月经来潮。这是有了形体之后，还需要依赖乳汁、饮食水谷来滋养，阴气才能成长，从而与阳气相配合，能够成人，并为人之父母。古人一定要等到近三十岁或二十岁以后才结婚娶妻，可见阴气的难以成熟，以及古人善于保养身体。《礼记》注解说：只有到了五十岁以后，保养阴气的方法才能有所增益。《黄帝内经》说：人到四十岁，阴气自然减半，起居能力就开始衰退了。又说：男子六十四岁精液枯竭，女子四十九岁月经断绝。以阴气形成的艰难程度来看，仅仅够供给三十年看、听、说、动的消耗，就已经先亏损了。人的情欲没有边际，这种难成易亏的阴气，怎么能供应得了呢？经书说：阳，代表天气，主外；阴，代表地气，主内。所以阳道充实，阴道虚弱。又说：阴气极度虚弱时，天气就会隔绝；阳气极度旺盛时，地气就会不足。观察虚弱与旺盛所在的地方，这不是我过分的言论。主管闭藏的是肾；主管疏泄的是肝。这两脏都有相火（寄居于肝肾之火），而其联系上属于心。心，是君火（主宰生命活动的火），受到外物感应就容易动摇。心动则相火也随之动摇，一动摇精气就会自行流失，相火突然兴起，即使不进行性交，精气也会暗中流动而疏泄。所以圣贤只是教导人们收敛心神、涵养心神，其中的旨意深远啊。
天地通过五行交替衰旺而形成四季，人的五脏六腑也相应地出现衰旺。四月属巳，五月属午，是火气大旺的时候。火是肺金的“夫”（克制者/制约者，此处指火克金，或按五行生克关系理解，原文比喻可能借用夫妻相克或相生语境，通常火克金，故火旺金衰），火旺则金衰。六月属未，是土气大旺。土是水的“夫”（土克水），土旺则水衰，何况肾水经常借助肺金作为母脏（金生水），来补助其不足。所以《黄帝内经》反复强调要资助化源（脾胃生化之源）。古人在夏天一定单独居住且口味清淡，兢兢业业地爱护身体。保养肺金和肾水两脏，正是嫌弃火土二气太旺盛的缘故。《黄帝内经》说：冬天不藏精气的，春天必定患温病。十月属亥，十一月属子，正是火气闭藏潜伏，以养护其本然的真气，作为来年春天发生升动的根本。如果在这个时候放纵嗜欲来残害身体，到了春天升发之际，下焦无根，阳气轻浮，必然会有温热病发生。夏天的火土旺盛，冬天的火气伏藏，这只是一年中部分时间的虚弱情况。如果是上弦月之前、下弦月之后、月廓空无之时，也是一个月的虚弱期；大风大雾、虹霓闪电、暴寒暴热、日月食、忧愁愤怒、惊恐悲哀、醉酒饱食、劳累疲倦、思虑过度、辛勤劳作，又都成为一天的虚弱期。如果病人刚刚退热，疮疡正在发作，尤其不止是一天的虚弱。现在的人多有在春末夏初时，患上头痛脚软、食欲少、身体发热等症状，张仲景说春夏加重、秋冬缓解，且脉象弦大的，正是世俗所谓的“注夏病”（夏季倦怠综合征）。如果犯了这四种虚弱的情况，似乎难免患上此病。如果在壮年就有老态，对上侍奉父母、对下养育子女的一切事务都荒废毁坏。我话说到这里，深感惊惧。古人说：不看那些引起欲望的事物，使心不乱。以温柔的身体充满感官，声音充斥耳朵，颜色映入眼帘，馨香充满鼻子，谁是铁石心肠，心不为所动呢？善于养生的人，在这五个月里外出独居，如果遇到一个月的虚弱期，也只暂时远离帷帐床铺，各自珍重自己，保全天然和气，希望不辜负敬重身体的教诲，那就非常幸运了。
Human beings are born by receiving the Qi of Heaven and Earth. The Yang Qi of Heaven transforms into Qi, and the Yin Qi of Earth transforms into Blood; therefore, Qi is often in excess, while Blood is often deficient. Why is this so?
Heaven and Earth are the parents of all things. Heaven is vast, belonging to Yang, and moves outside the Earth; Earth resides within Heaven, belongs to Yin, and is held up by the great Qi of Heaven. The Moon is full (solid), also belonging to Yang, and moves outside the Earth; the Moon is waning (hollow), belonging to Yin, and derives its brightness from the light of the Sun. The Yin Qi in the human body fluctuates like the waxing and waning of the Moon. Thus, after birth, males reach seminal emission at sixteen years old, and females begin menstruation at fourteen years old. After forming the physical body, one still relies on milk, food, and water for nourishment; only then does Yin Qi mature enough to pair with Yang Qi, enabling adulthood and the capacity to become parents. In ancient times, marriage was typically delayed until around twenty or thirty years of age, demonstrating the difficulty of maturing Yin Qi and the ancients' proficiency in self-care. The commentary on the *Book of Rites* states: "Only after fifty can one effectively nourish Yin." The *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) says: "At forty, Yin Qi naturally halves, and daily activities decline." It further states: "Males experience seminal exhaustion at sixty-four, and females cease menstruation at forty-nine." Given the arduous process of forming Yin Qi, it barely suffices for thirty years of vision, hearing, speech, and movement, yet it is already depleted. Human desires are boundless; how can this difficult-to-form and easy-to-lose Yin Qi possibly sustain such demands? The classics state: "Yang represents Heavenly Qi, governing the exterior; Yin represents Earthly Qi, governing the interior." Therefore, the Path of Yang is solid, and the Path of Yin is hollow. It also says: "When Yin is extremely deficient, Heavenly Qi is cut off; when Yang is excessively abundant, Earthly Qi is insufficient." Observing where deficiency and abundance lie, this is not my exaggerated claim. The Zang organ responsible for closure and storage is the Kidney; the one responsible for dispersion and excretion is the Liver. Both organs contain Ministerial Fire (Xiang Huo, fire residing in the Liver and Kidneys), and their connections ascend to the Heart. The Heart houses Sovereign Fire (Jun Huo, the fire that governs life activities), which is easily stirred by external stimuli. When the Heart moves, Ministerial Fire also stirs; once stirred, Essence (Jing) leaks spontaneously. If Ministerial Fire flares up suddenly, even without sexual intercourse, Essence may flow secretly and be dispersed. Hence, sages merely teach people to gather and nurture their Heart-Mind, a profound principle indeed.
Heaven and Earth form the four seasons through the alternating rise and fall of the Five Elements (Wu Xing); similarly, the human Zang-Fu organs correspondingly wax and wane. The fourth month corresponds to Si, and the fifth to Wu, periods of intense Fire prosperity. Fire controls Metal (Lung Metal); thus, when Fire is prosperous, Metal declines. The sixth month corresponds to Wei, a period of intense Earth prosperity. Earth controls Water; thus, when Earth is prosperous, Water declines. Moreover, Kidney Water often relies on Lung Metal as its mother (Metal generates Water) to supplement its deficiencies. Therefore, the *Huangdi Neijing* repeatedly emphasizes nourishing the source of transformation (the Spleen and Stomach). In summer, the ancients would sleep separately and consume bland flavors, diligently protecting their health. They preserved Lung Metal and Kidney Water precisely because they feared the excessive prosperity of Fire and Earth. The *Huangdi Neijing* states: "Those who do not store Essence in winter will suffer from Warm diseases in spring." The tenth month corresponds to Hai, and the eleventh to Zi, periods when Fire Qi is stored and latent, nurturing its original true essence, serving as the root for the rising and moving energy of the coming spring. If one indulges in desires during this time, damaging the body, when spring arrives and energy rises, there will be no root below, Yang Qi will float lightly, and Warm diseases will inevitably occur. The prosperity of Fire and Earth in summer and the latency of Fire in winter refer only to seasonal deficiencies. Additionally, the periods before the first quarter moon, after the last quarter moon, and when the moon is new constitute monthly deficiencies; strong winds, heavy fog, rainbows, lightning, sudden cold or heat, solar/lunar eclipses, sorrow, anger, fear, grief, drunkenness, overeating, fatigue, excessive mental effort, and hard labor all constitute daily deficiencies. If a patient has just recovered from illness or suffers from active sores, the deficiency exceeds even a single day. Nowadays, many people suffer from headache, weak legs, poor appetite, and low-grade fever in late spring and early summer. Zhang Zhongjing noted that conditions worsening in spring and summer but improving in autumn and winter, accompanied by a wiry and large pulse, correspond to the common "Summer Malaise" (Zhu Xia Bing). If one encounters these four types of deficiency, one cannot avoid this condition. One might exhibit an elderly demeanor in youth, failing in duties to superiors and dependents. Hearing this, I am deeply alarmed. The ancients said: "Do not look at objects of desire, so the Heart remains undisturbed." With gentle bodies filling the senses, sounds filling the ears, colors delighting the eyes, and fragrances pleasing the nose, who could be so iron-willed that their Heart remains unmoved? Those skilled in preserving life should reside apart during these five months. If encountering a monthly deficiency, they should temporarily avoid intimate quarters, cherish themselves, preserve natural harmony, and hope not to fail the teaching of respecting the body. This would be fortunate indeed.