Translated version

In ancient times, Huangdi was born divine and intelligent, could speak when young, was obedient in childhood, sincere and keen in growth, and ascended to heaven upon adulthood.

He asked the Celestial Master: I have heard that people in high antiquity all lived to be a hundred years old, and their movements were not impaired; but people nowadays, at fifty years old, their movements are all impaired. Is it because the times are different? Or is it that people have lost something?

Qibo replied: People in high antiquity who knew the Dao[1] modeled themselves on Yin-Yang, harmonized with numerical arts[2], had regularity in eating and drinking, constancy in daily life, and did not labor recklessly. Thus, they could have body and spirit together, and exhaust their natural lifespan, living to a hundred years before departing.

Nowadays, people are not like this. They take wine as their drink, take recklessness as normal, enter the chamber while drunk, exhaust their essence with desires, dissipate their genuine qi[3] by waste, do not know how to maintain fullness, do not timely control their spirit, strive only to please their heart, oppose the pleasures of life, and have irregular daily life. Therefore, they decline at fifty.

The teachings of the sages in high antiquity to those below all said: 'Virtual evil and thieving winds[4], avoid them at the proper times; be serene, tranquil, and void, then genuine qi[3] follows, essence and spirit are guarded within, how can illness arise?'

Thus, will is at leisure and desires are few; heart is at peace and not fearful; body labors but not fatigued; qi[5] follows and is smooth; each follows their desire, and all obtain what they wish.

Therefore, they relish their food, are content with their clothing, enjoy their customs, high and low do not envy each other; thus, their people are called simple.

Thus, cravings and desires cannot tire their eyes; lewd evils cannot confuse their heart; fools and wise, worthy and unworthy, are not afraid of things; thus, they accord with the Dao[1].

Therefore, they who can all live to be a hundred years old without impaired movements do so because their virtue is complete and not endangered.

The Emperor said: When people grow old and have no children, is it because their material strength is exhausted? Or is it the decree of heaven?

Qibo said: At seven years, a woman's kidney qi[6] is abundant, teeth change and hair grows. At fourteen, tian gui[7] arrives, the conception vessel[8] is open, the thoroughfare vessel[9] is abundant, menses come on time, thus she can have children.

At twenty-one, kidney qi[6] is even and balanced, thus the wisdom teeth grow and reach their peak.

At twenty-eight, sinews and bones are firm, hair growth peaks, and the body is strong and flourishing.

At thirty-five, the Yang brightness vessel[10] declines, the face begins to wither, and hair begins to fall.

At forty-two, the three yang vessels[11] decline above, the face all withers, and hair begins to turn white.

At forty-nine, the conception vessel[8] is empty, the thoroughfare vessel[9] is scant and declined, tian gui[7] is exhausted, the earth passage is blocked, thus the form is ruined and there are no children.

At eight years, a man's kidney qi[6] is substantial, hair grows and teeth change.

At sixteen, kidney qi[6] is abundant, tian gui[7] arrives, essence and qi overflow and discharge, Yin-Yang harmonize, thus he can have children.

At twenty-four, kidney qi[6] is even and balanced, sinews and bones are vigorous and strong, thus the wisdom teeth grow and reach their peak.

At thirty-two, sinews and bones are lofty and abundant, muscles are full and strong.

At forty, kidney qi[6] declines, hair falls and teeth wither.

At forty-eight, yang qi[12] is exhausted and declined above, the face withers, and hair at the temples turns white.

At fifty-six, liver qi[13] declines, sinews cannot move, tian gui[7] is exhausted, essence is scant, the kidney organ declines, and the body form is all at its limit.

At sixty-four, teeth and hair are lost.

The kidney governs water, receives the essence of the five viscera[14] and six bowels[15] and stores it; thus, when the five viscera[14] are flourishing, it can discharge.

Now, when the five viscera[14] are all declined, sinews and bones slacken and fall, tian gui[7] is completely exhausted; thus, hair at the temples turns white, the body is heavy, walking is unsteady, and there are no children.

The Emperor said: There are those who are already old but have children, why is that?

Qibo said: This is because their heavenly lifespan is excessive, qi and vessels are constantly open, and kidney qi[6] is abundant. Although they can have children, men do not exceed sixty-four, women do not exceed forty-nine, and the essential qi of heaven and earth is all exhausted.

The Emperor said: Those who follow the Dao all live to be a hundred years old, can they have children?

Qibo said: Those who follow the Dao can repel aging and preserve their form intact; though their body years are long-lived, they can bear children.

Huangdi said: I have heard that in high antiquity there were true persons[16], who lifted and supported heaven and earth, grasped and held Yin-Yang, breathed essence and qi, stood alone guarding their spirit, muscles as one; thus, their lifespan rivaled heaven and earth, without end, this is because they embodied the Dao[1].

In middle antiquity, there were supreme persons[17], who were pure in virtue and complete in the Dao[1], harmonized with Yin-Yang, attuned to the four seasons, left the world and distanced themselves from customs, accumulated essence and preserved spirit whole, roamed between heaven and earth, saw and heard beyond the eight distances; this enhances their lifespan and strengthens them, and they also return to true persons[16].

Next, there were sages[18], who dwelled in the harmony of heaven and earth, followed the principles of the eight winds, satisfied cravings and desires within worldly customs, had no resentful or angry hearts, their conduct not wishing to depart from the world, wore robes and insignia, their actions not wishing to observe the vulgar, externally not wearied in form by affairs, internally without the affliction of thoughts, took tranquility and joy as their task, took self-contentment as their achievement; thus, their body form did not decay, spirit did not scatter, and they could live to be a hundred.

Next, there were worthy persons[19], who modeled themselves on heaven and earth, resembled the sun and moon, distinguished and arrayed the stars, followed and opposed Yin-Yang, differentiated the four seasons, and followed high antiquity to unite with the Dao[1]; this can also enhance longevity but has a finite time.