《素问》曰∶夫邪气之客于身也，以胜相加，至其所不胜而甚（传克我之经），至于所生而持（传生我之
经。持，相持也），至其所生而愈（传我生之经），自得其位而起（居所旺处）（稍次《藏气法时论篇》）。
又曰∶五脏受气于其所生（谓受病气于己之所生者），传之于其所胜（谓传于己之所克者），气舍于其所生（谓
舍于生己者），死于其所不胜（谓死于克己者，分位所传不顺，故死）。肝受气
于心，而传之于脾，气舍于肾，至肺而死。心受气于脾，传之于肺，气舍于肝，至肾而死。脾受气于肺，传之
于肾，气舍于心，至肝而死。肺受气于肾，传之于肝，气舍于脾，至心而死。肾受气于肝，传之于心，气舍于
肺，至脾而死。此皆气之逆行也。故死一日一夜五分之，此所以占死生之早暮也（朝主甲乙，昼主丙丁，四季
上主戊己，脯主庚辛，夜主壬癸。如肝死于肺，位属秋，庚辛，则主脯时死，余仿此）。（稍次《玉机真脏论
篇》）
《难经》曰∶经言七传者死，谓传其所胜也（七传者，传数至七也。吕广曰∶七，当作次，谓诸病以次相
传也），假令心病传肺，肺传肝，肝传脾，脾传肾，肾传心，一脏不再伤故死（此与下文皆以心部为例，心六传，
又至心，心当再传于肺，肺不肯受，是谓一脏不再伤也。传于所胜，谓之贼邪，故至死）。间脏者生，谓传其
所生也（间，隔也，间脏乃母传于子），假令心病传脾，脾传肺，肺传肾，肾传肝，肝传心，是子母相传，周
而复始，如环无端故生（心胜肺，今心病不径传于肺，而传之于脾，是脾隔其所胜矣。脾传肾，今不径传于肾，
而传之于肺，是肺隔其所胜矣。肺传肝，今不径传于肝，而传之于肾，是肾隔其所胜矣。肾胜心，今不径传于
心，而传之于肝，是肝隔其所胜矣。此间二脏而传也。又如心隔肺而传肝，肝又隔脾而传肾，此间一脏而传也。
传其所生谓之虚邪，无相胜之害，故得生也）。脏病难治，腑病易治，以此故也（ 括《五十三、五十四难》
两篇文）。
《素问》说：邪气侵犯人体，是按照五行相克的规律传变的，传到它所不能克制（即克我）的经脉时病情加重（这是传变到克我之经），传到它所生的经脉时病情相持不下（这是传变到生我之经。所谓“持”，指正气与邪气相互抗衡），传到它所产生的经脉时病情好转（这是传变到我生之经），当病气回到本脏当令旺盛的部位时则开始起效（居于本脏旺位）（这一观点稍次于《藏气法时论篇》的内容）。
又说：五脏的病气来源于它所生的脏腑（意指接受来自己所生者的病气），然后传给它所克制的脏腑（即传给己之所克者），病气停留于生它的脏腑（即停留在生己者处），最终死于克制它的脏腑（即死于克己者，因为分位传变不顺，所以致死）。例如，肝的病气受之于心，然后传给脾，病气停留于肾，传到肺时死亡。心的病气受之于脾，然后传给肺，病气停留于肝，传到肾时死亡。脾的病气受之于肺，然后传给肾，病气停留于心，传到肝时死亡。肺的病气受之于肾，然后传给肝，病气停留于脾，传到心时死亡。肾的病气受之于肝，然后传给心，病气停留于肺，传到脾时死亡。这些都是气的逆行传变。因此，死亡的时间分布在一日一夜的五个时段中，这就是用来占断生死早晚的依据（早晨对应甲乙木，白天对应丙丁火，四季末对应戊己土，傍晚对应庚辛金，夜晚对应壬癸水。例如肝病死于肺，肺属秋，对应庚辛金，则主在傍晚时分死亡，其余类推）。（这一观点稍次于《玉机真脏论篇》的内容）。
《难经》说：经文所说的“七传者死”，是指传变到其所克制的脏腑（所谓“七传”，是指传变次数达到七次。吕广认为：“七”应当作“次”解，意指各种疾病依次相传）。假如心病传给肺，肺传给肝，肝传给脾，脾传给肾，肾传回心，因为一个脏器不再受第二次伤害，所以致死（此处以下文皆以心脏为例，心脏经过六次传变又回到心脏，心脏本该再次传给肺，但肺不肯接受，这就叫“一脏不再伤”。传变到所胜之脏，称为贼邪，所以导致死亡）。如果是“间脏者生”，是指传变到它所生的脏腑（“间”，意为间隔，间脏即是母脏传给子脏）。假如心病传给脾，脾传给肺，肺传给肾，肾传给肝，肝传回心，这是子母相传，周而复始，像圆环一样没有尽头，所以能生（心本克肺，现在心病不直接传给肺，而是传给脾，这就是脾隔开了心所胜的肺。脾本克肾，现在不直接传给肾，而是传给肺，这就是肺隔开了脾所胜的肾。肺本克肝，现在不直接传给肝，而是传给肾，这就是肾隔开了肺所胜的肝。肾本克心，现在不直接传给心，而是传给肝，这就是肝隔开了肾所胜的心。这是间隔了两个脏而传变。又如心隔肺而传肝，肝又隔脾而传肾，这是间隔了一个脏而传变。传变到其所生之脏称为虚邪，没有相克相胜的危害，所以能够生存）。脏病难治，腑病易治，就是这个原因（概括了《五十三难》和《五十四难》两篇的内容）。
The *Suwen* (Plain Questions) states: When pathogenic factors invade the human body, they transmit according to the principle of mutual overcoming. The condition becomes severe when transmitted to the meridian that overcomes it (transmission to the meridian that controls me); it remains in a stalemate when transmitted to the meridian that produces it (transmission to the meridian that generates me; "stalemate" refers to the struggle between healthy qi and pathogenic factors); the condition improves when transmitted to the meridian produced by it (transmission to the meridian that I generate); and it begins to recover when it returns to its own position of prosperity (occupying the prosperous position of the organ itself) (this point is slightly subordinate to the content in the *Zangqi Fashi Lun* chapter).
It also states: The five zang organs receive pathological qi from the organ they produce (meaning receiving disease qi from what one generates), then transmit it to the organ they overcome (transmitting to what one controls), the qi stays in the organ that produces them (staying with what generates me), and death occurs at the organ that overcomes them (dying from what controls me, because the transmission across positions is unfavorable, leading to death). For example, the liver receives qi from the heart, transmits it to the spleen, the qi stays in the kidney, and death occurs upon reaching the lung. The heart receives qi from the spleen, transmits it to the lung, the qi stays in the liver, and death occurs upon reaching the kidney. The spleen receives qi from the lung, transmits it to the kidney, the qi stays in the heart, and death occurs upon reaching the liver. The lung receives qi from the kidney, transmits it to the liver, the qi stays in the spleen, and death occurs upon reaching the heart. The kidney receives qi from the liver, transmits it to the heart, the qi stays in the lung, and death occurs upon reaching the spleen. These are all examples of reverse qi transmission. Therefore, death is distributed across five parts of a day and night, which is used to predict the early or late timing of death (morning corresponds to Jia-Yi Wood, daytime to Bing-Ding Fire, the end of each season to Wu-Ji Earth, afternoon to Geng-Xin Metal, and night to Ren-Gui Water. For instance, if liver disease dies due to lung involvement, as the lung belongs to autumn and corresponds to Geng-Xin Metal, death is predicted in the afternoon; other cases follow this pattern) (this point is slightly subordinate to the content in the *Yuji Zhenzang Lun* chapter).
The *Nanjing* (Classic of Difficult Issues) states: The classic mentions that "seven transmissions lead to death," referring to transmission to the organ it overcomes (the term "seven transmissions" implies transmission up to seven times. Lu Guang argued that "seven" should be read as "successive," meaning diseases transmit sequentially). For example, if heart disease transmits to the lung, the lung to the liver, the liver to the spleen, the spleen to the kidney, and the kidney back to the heart, death ensues because one zang organ is not injured twice (here, using the heart as an example throughout the following text: the heart undergoes six transmissions and returns to itself; it should transmit again to the lung, but the lung refuses to accept it, which is called "one zang organ is not injured twice." Transmission to the overcome organ is termed "robber evil" (Ze Xie), thus leading to death). If it involves "interposing zang organs," life is preserved, referring to transmission to the organ it produces ("interpose" means to separate; interposing zang transmission is mother transmitting to son). For example, if heart disease transmits to the spleen, the spleen to the lung, the lung to the kidney, the kidney to the liver, and the liver back to the heart, this is mother-son transmission, cycling endlessly like a ring without beginning or end, thus ensuring survival (The heart normally overcomes the lung; now, heart disease does not transmit directly to the lung but to the spleen, meaning the spleen interposes the lung that the heart overcomes. The spleen normally overcomes the kidney; now it does not transmit directly to the kidney but to the lung, meaning the lung interposes the kidney that the spleen overcomes. The lung normally overcomes the liver; now it does not transmit directly to the liver but to the kidney, meaning the kidney interposes the liver that the lung overcomes. The kidney normally overcomes the heart; now it does not transmit directly to the heart but to the liver, meaning the liver interposes the heart that the kidney overcomes. This is transmission interposing two zang organs. Alternatively, the heart interposes the lung to transmit to the liver, and the liver interposes the spleen to transmit to the kidney; this is transmission interposing one zang organ. Transmission to the produced organ is termed "deficient evil" (Xu Xie), lacking the harm of mutual overcoming, thus allowing for survival). Diseases of the zang organs are difficult to treat, while diseases of the fu organs are easy to treat, for this reason (summarizing the texts of the *Fifty-Third* and *Fifty-Fourth* difficult issues).