Below is more material I've read concerning pulses that comes from Péng Zhòngshàn's Collection of Medical Lectures of Zhèng Qīnān and Lú Zhùzīi.

Most of us were trained to feel for the pathology the pulse reveals. We tend to look for unhealthy pulses. In this passage, the authors teach us about the healthy pulses for each position. I have found this incredibly helpful in that it helps me avoid pathologizing pulses that are actually healthy. Notice also how they emphasize the importance of the pulses always being relaxed, spirited, and with strength.

肺脉毛而有力佳, 胃脉缓而有力神, 心脉洪勾有力喜, 肝脉弦而有力畅, 肾脉沉而有力强。

  • When the Lung pulse is hair-like, there is beauty
  • When the Stomach pulse is moderate, there is spirit
  • When the Heart pulse is flooding, there is happiness
  • When the Liver pulse is wiry, there is ease
  • When the Kidney pulse is deep, there is power


Each pulse image position has its own criteria. The word "criteria" is used here as a standard to determine whether the corresponding organ is diseased. They particularly emphasized that the word "relaxed" should be added to the pulse image of each position. 
 

  • 肺脉毛而有力有神、缓。力和神是分不开的。毛:像鸡 毛禅子的毛,摸上去轻飘飘的,浮的,这样的感觉就是毛。 如果肺脉沉下去了,就有病了,紧了有病,只有毛了,加上 缓而有力,就是肺脉的正常脉象。
    Lung:
    When the Lung pulse is hair-like with strength, spirit and relaxation. Strength and spirit are inseparable. When touching, it feels light, buoyant, and floating. This feeling is hair-like. If the Lung pulse is deep, there is a disease. If it is tight, there is a disease. If it is only hair-like, relaxed, and strong, it is the normal pulse image for the Lung pulse.
     
  • 胃脉缓而有力有神。胃主四季,以后学天千地支八卦的 时候,要牵涉胃主四季,整个人身、各个部位,都要遵循这 个缓,胃本身要缓。胃脾互为表里,这里的胃脉主要指脾 脉。摸到脾脉缓和的,有神有力,就是健康。现在很多人多 食生冷,多用凉寒药,都会体现在脾脉上,脾脉紧,说明伤 了脾。我摸了这么久的脉,遇到脾胃脉有缓象的寥寥无几, 这就是不当饮食和药物造成的不良后果。以后你们就用这个 标准检查自己,是否乱吃药了,是否吃错药了,是否乱吃饮 食了。整个脉象要缓而有力有神,胃脉更应当缓、力、神。 内经〉〉上说:缓则生,不缓则死。可见缓字的重要,特别 是病重的时候,希望你们认真体会。
    Stomach:
    The Stomach pulse is relaxed, strong, and has spirit. The Stomach governs the four seasons. Later, when we learn the Ba Gua of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, we will want to involve the Stomach governing the four seasons. Every part of the entire body follows this relaxation, so the Stomach itself must be relaxed. The Stomach and Spleen together are the external and internal, and the Stomach pulse's main idea here includes the Spleen pulse. You are healthy if you feel the Spleen pulse is relaxed, harmonious, and with strength and spirit. Nowadays, many people eat more raw and cold food and use more cold-cooling medicines, which can be reflected in the Spleen pulse. Tightness of the Spleen pulse means that the Spleen has been injured. I have been feeling the pulse for a long time, though I have seen a relaxed Spleen pulse very few times. This is the adverse consequence of improper diet and herbs. From now on, you can use this criterion to check whether you have taken herbs mistakenly or without caution or eaten indiscriminately. The entire pulse should be relaxed, strong, and spirited, and the Stomach pulse should be relaxed, strong, and spirited. The Nei Jing says: Relaxation leads to life, and lack of relaxation leads to death. ; It can be seen that the word "relaxed" is important, especially when you are seriously ill. I hope you all can realize this. 
     
  • 心脉洪勾有力有神、缓。也是首先要有缓象。洪勾:像 如意的回勾,圆圆的,心脉不同于其他脉一直往下走,而要 有回过来的感觉,这叫洪勾,自己去观察如意,自己去体 会。有洪勾,但没有力、神,很弱,也是不正常的。有的人 说自己心力不佳,你就摸摸他的心脉,看是否是真的心脉问 题,有的吃多了不舒服会误认为是心不舒适,你不要跟着跑 了,要以脉来衡量,如果心脉是洪勾有力,他心力不够的表 达是说的胃,吃多了,胃胀到了,考察一下胃脉。所以,有 了标准脉象,我们就可以正确地判定这部脉是否有病。 
    Heart:
    The heart pulse is flooding and curved with strength, spirit, and relaxation. Relaxation is first.  
    Flooding and Curving: It is like Ruyi's wish-fulfilling wheel; it is round. The heart pulse is different from other pulses in that it goes straight down and must have the feeling of circling back up. This is called flooding and curving. 
     

Observe Ruyi and experience it yourself. If the Heart pulse is flooding and curving, but there is no strength or spirit and is very weak, this is abnormal. Some people say that they have poor mental strength, so you can feel their heart pulse to see if it is really a heart pulse problem. Some people who feel uncomfortable after overeating will mistakenly think that this is heart discomfort. Don't go running after them. Instead, use the pulse to judge. , If the heart pulse is flooding and curved with strength, the manifestation of the weak heart strength is the Stomach. If the Stomach is bloated after overeating, check the Stomach pulse. Therefore, we can correctly determine whether a pulse position reflects disease with the standard pulse images. 

  • 肝脉弦而有力有神、缓。弦:琴弦压住拨动一下的感 觉,简单说,肝脉要比其他脉窄一些,而且是畅达能通下去 的。如果肝脉在中间受了阻滞,就横宽了,或者是横向跑 了,这就不弦了。肝脉除了本脉弦,还要有缓象,如果是弦 的,触指有绷的感觉,有点硬,还要有缓象,才是正常脉, 如果没有缓象就是病脉了,到时候在危脉部分讲。 
    Liver: 
    The liver pulse is wiry, strong, spirited, and relaxed. 
    Wiry: 
    Wiry is the feeling of pressing and plucking a wire. Simply put, the liver pulse is narrower than other pulses, and it is smooth and can be passed through. If the Liver pulse is obstructed in the middle, it will become wider or run horizontally and less wiry. In addition to the wiry nature of the liver pulse, it must also be relaxed. The normal Liver pulse feels wiry, stretched when touching the finger, and is a bit hard and relaxed. If it is not relaxed, this is a disease pulse. Let's talk about it in the dangerous pulse position reflections when the time comes.
     
  • 肾脉沉而有力有神、缓。肾气强不强,就看有没有缓 象、沉下去没有,所以切尺脉要至骨。沉:是沉下去的,至 骨才能摸到,肾脉本身要沉,不至骨就摸不到肾脉。缓、 沉、神、力就是肾脉的正常脉,没有力、神,肾脉就弱了。 
    Kidney:
    The Kidney pulse is deep, relaxed, strong, and has spirit. To determine if the Kidney Qi is strong or weak, check whether it is relaxed, but deep down, it is not there. When touching the Chi pulse, you must go to the bone. 
    Deep: 
    Deep is deep down and can only be touched when you reach the bone. The Kidney pulse is deep. If you don't press deeply, you will not be feeling the Kidney pulse. The normal pulse for the Kidney is relaxed, deep, spirited, and strong. If it is not strong and spirited, the Kidney pulse is weak.  

这就有两个尺度,一个是整体的尺度,十三部脉都要 缓、力、神,是整体来考虑的,达到了缓、力、神,人身的 太和之气、正气就充满全身,诊病考察人是否健康,就是正 气、肾气是否旺盛,一个人肾气旺,脉就必然是缓而有力有 神,六脉都是这样的,这样就百病不生,要达到这样,就能 尽天年,尽天年就是能够活到百岁以上吧。从我现在观察, 能达到这样脉象的人还不多,你们通过服用姜、桂、附,都 可以达到尽天年。 
There are these two criteria. One is the overall measure in which the thirteen pulse positions are all relaxed, strong, and spirited. Consider these thirteen as a whole. When relaxation, strength, and spirit are achieved, the body's great harmonious Qi, the Zheng Qi, permeates the whole body. When diagnosing a disease, we examine whether a person is healthy. We observe whether the Zheng Qi and Kidney Qi are exuberant. If a person has strong Kidney Qi, this pulse must be relaxed, strong, and spirited. Each of the six pulses is like this. In this way, no diseases are generated. When you achieve this, you live out your lifespan. To live out your lifespan is to live to be over a hundred years old. From my current observation, not many people can achieve such a pulse image. You can all achieve longevity by taking Jiang, Gui, and Fu.

这不是一旬空话,这是一个标准。首先是整体脉的标 准,然后就是五脏分部脉本脉加上缓而有力有神。 为什么要以五脏脉为标准?因为五脏统帅全身,各有所 主。
This is not empty talk. These are the criteria. The first criterion is the overall pulse, and the second is the five Zang pulse positions' relaxation, strength, and spirit. 
Why should the five Zang pulses be used as the criteria? Because the five Zang control the whole body, each with its own area of mastery. 
 

  • 肺主皮毛,全身无处无皮毛,肺还主气
    The Lungs govern body hair. There is nowhere on the external body without body hair. The Lungs also govern Qi. 
     
  • 胃(脾)主肌 滕(肌滕,就是表皮以下连着骨头的,即肉),全身无处无 肌滕,你把胃脉掌握了,肌滕上的病也就掌握了
    The Stomach (Spleen) governs flesh and interstices (the flesh and interstices are the meaty part of the body from below the epidermis down to the bone). There is no place in the body without flesh and interstices. When you understand the Stomach pulse, you understand the diseases of the flesh and interstices. 
     
  • 心主血, 全身无处无血(管),毛细血管全身都布满了,血液的病就 在心,心也主脑,脑神经的病在心
    The Heart governs the blood, and there is no place in the body without blood (vessels). Capillaries suffuse the entire body. The diseases of the blood are in the Heart. The Heart also controls the brain. Diseases of the cranial nerves are in the Heart. 
     
  • 肝主筋,全身无处无 筋,包括指甲,指甲是肝之余,经络大家都知道
    The Liver governs the sinews. There is no place in the body without sinews, including nails. Nails are the alluvion of the Liver. Everyone knows about the channels and collaterals. 
     
  • 肾主骨,全身无处无骨,人无骨不能立,人的骨有病,就疼痛。
    The Kidneys govern bones. There is no place in the body without bones. A person cannot stand without bones. If a person's bones are diseased, they will feel pain.


抓住 五脏脉的标准,用五脏脉的标准衡量全身的疾病。 这就是人健康的两把尺子,一个总的,一个分的,这个 非常重要,不掌握好这两把尺子,就没有办法辨证。 
Grasp the criteria of the five Zang and measure the diseases of the whole body.
These are the two human health criteria; one is an overall measure, and the other discriminates. This is very important. If you don't master these two measure, there will be no way to differentiate patterns.

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