阴阳学说　Yin-Yang Theory

阴阳学说［yīn yáng xué shuō］

yin-yang theory: an ancient Chinese philosophical concept of naive dialectics, expressing the law of the unity of opposites. Its principle is widely applied to traditional Chinese medicine.

阴阳［yīn yáng］

yin and yang: the two fundamental principles or properties in the universe, ever opposing and complementing each other, the ceaseless motion of which gives rise to all the changes in the world – an ancient philosophical concept used in traditional Chinese medicine for indicating various antitheses in anatomy, physiology, pathology, diagnosis and treatment, and for explaining the health and disease processes

阴［yīn］

yin: the female or negative principle, the structural or material aspect of an effective position

阳［yáng］

yang: the male or positive principle, the active or functional aspect of an effective position

阴中之阳［yīn zhōng zhī yáng］

yang within yin: Yin may be further divided into yin and yang. The resultant yang is called yang within yin, e.g., night is regarded as yin in relation to day, the period from nightfall to midnight is said to be yang within yin.

阴中之阴［yīn zhōng zhī yīn］

yin within yin: Yin may be further divided into yin and yang. The resultant yin is called yin within yin, e.g., night is regarded as yin in relation to day, and the period of the small hours is said to be yin within yin.

阳中之阳［yáng zhōng zhī yáng］

yang within yang: Yang may be further divided into yin and yang. The resultant yang is called yang within yang, e.g., day is regarded as yang in relation to night, and the period from dawn to noon is said to be yang within yang.

阳中之阴［yáng zhōng zhī yīn］

yin within yang: Yang may be further divided into yin and yang. The resultant yin is called yin within yang, e.g., day is regarded as yang in relation to night, and the period from noon to dusk is said to be yin within yang.

阴阳交感［yīn yáng jiāo gǎn］

yin-yang interaction: mutual actions of yin and yang, including mutual rooting, opposing, converting, as well as waxing and waning. It is the interaction between yin qi and yang qi that produces things, living and non-living.

阴阳互根［yīn yáng hù gēn］

mutual rooting of yin and yang; yin-yang interdependence: the existence of one being the prerequisite for the existence of the other. Without “brightness” (yang), there would be no “darkness” (yin); without “interior” (yin), there would be no“exterior” (yang).

阴阳对立［yīn yáng duì lì］

yin-yang opposition: the mutually opposing relationship between yin and yang. Yin and yang are always in a state of opposing each other, e.g., feminine, interior, cold, and inhibition being yin while masculine, exterior, heat, and excitement are yang.

阴阳转化［yīn yáng zhuǎn huà］

yin-yang conversion: The property of the same thing can be converted from yin to yang, or from yang to yin, e.g., the heat syndrome of a disease can be converted into a cold one, and vice versa.

阴阳消长［yīn yáng xiāo zhǎng］

waxing and waning of yin and yang: Of the two opposites of a single entity, increase of the one is usually associated with decrease of the other, e.g., functional activities (yang) consume nutrient substances (yin) – waning of yin with waxing of yang, and formation and storage of nutrient substances consume functional energy – waxing of yin with waning of yang.

阴阳平衡［yīn yáng píng héng］

yin-yang balance: the state in which yin and yang are balanced, a harmonious state by which health is guaranteed, also known as yin-yang harmony (阴阳调和 [yīn yáng tiáo hé])

阴阳调和［yīn yáng tiáo hé］

yin-yang harmony: state of yin and yang by which health is guaranteed, same as yin-yang balance (阴阳平衡 [yīn yáng píng héng])

阴阳失调［yīn yáng shī tiáo］

yin-yang disharmony: breakdown of the harmonious balance between yin and yang, a state regarded as the general pathogenesis of disease

阴阳不和［yīn yáng bù hé］

yin-yang disharmony: same as 阴阳失调 [yīn yáng shī tiáo]

阴阳乖戾［yīn yáng guāi lì］

yin-yang imbalance: state of yin and yang which is regarded as the general pathogenesis of disease, same as yin-yang disharmony (阴阳失调 [yīn yáng shī tiáo]or 阴阳不和 [yīn yáng bù hé])

阴阳离决［yīn yáng lí jué］

separation of yin and yang: state of yin and yang that indicates the end of life

阴阳自和［yīn yáng zì hé］

spontaneous harmonization of yin and yang: spontaneous recovery from yin-yang imbalance by natural regulatory function, a process indicating recovery of a person from illness

阴阳偏胜［盛］［yīn yáng piān shèng］

abnormal exuberance of yin or yang: morbid condition marked by yin or yang higher than the normal level – presence of heat when yang is preponderant, and presence of cold when yin is preponderant

阴阳偏衰［yīn yáng piān shuāi］

abnormal debilitation of yin or yang:morbid condition marked by yin or yang lower than the normal level – presence of cold when yang is deficient, and presence of heat when yin is deficient

阴阳胜复［yīn yáng shèng fù］

alternate preponderance of yin and yang: a hypothesis put forward in ancient times to explain natural changes and disease processes such as the periodic changes of seasons and the alternate prevalence of certain diseases

阴阳互损［yīn yáng hù sǔn］

mutual impairment between yin and yang: collective term for two morbid conditions, namely yang impairment affecting yin and yin impairment affecting yang, resulting in deficiency of both yin and yang

阳损及阴［yáng sǔn jí yīn］

yang impairment affecting yin: morbid condition in which impairment of yang impedes generation of yin, resulting in deficiency of both yin and yang with a preponderance of yang deficiency, e.g., deficiency of vital function often complicated by deficiency of vital essence in advanced cases

阴损及阳［yīn sǔn jí yáng］

yin impairment affecting yang: morbid condition in which impairment of yin impedes generation of yang, resulting in deficiency of both yin and yang with a preponderance of yin deficiency, e.g., deficiency of vital essence often complicated by deficiency of vital function in advanced cases

阴极似阳［yīn jí sì yáng］

extreme yin resembling yang: pathological change in which extremely weakened yang qi is expelled by exuberant yin from the interior to float on the body surface, forming a true cold and false heat syndrome/pattern

阳极似阴［yáng jí sì yīn］

extreme yang resembling yin: pathological change in which exuberant pathogenic heat makes yang qi depressed and deeply hidden in the interior, so that yin is restricted to the exterior, forming a true heat and false cold syndrome/pattern