Fuzi (Aconitum) is the tuberous root of the perennial herbaceous plant known as Aconitum, belonging to the Ranunculaceae family.The main root of Aconitum resembles a crow’s head, hence its name. It is primarily cultivated in Sichuan, known as Chuan Wu, while the wild variety is called Cao Wu. The tuberous roots that grow from it are referred to as Fuzi.Cao Wu prefers to grow in shady areas on hillsides, often found in clusters along moist, shaded banks in valleys.Sichuan is located in the southwest, corresponding to the Kun hexagram, characterized by rich earth energy, pure yin without yang, nurturing all things. A hint of true yang emerges from this, represented by Cao Wu. Therefore, Aconitum from Sichuan is considered the best, as its growing environment is rich in earth energy, moist and cold, harmonizing water and soil, allowing true yang to flourish, a marvel of nature.
In early spring, when the ice and snow have not yet melted, the first shoots of Cao Wu emerge. Its vitality is so robust that it remains unperturbed by the harsh cold. This is the manifestation of true yang energy, which cannot be nurtured without the presence of true cold earth. Fuzi’s ability to break through yin and emerge as yang stems from this.Artificially cultivated Fuzi is primarily produced in Jiangyou, Sichuan. It is often grown from wild Cao Wu seeds, transplanted before the winter solstice, and harvested around the summer solstice of the following year. It begins to grow in pure yin conditions and matures in pure yang conditions, embodying the vitality of heaven and earth. Growing in a purely yin environment, its energy is purely yang and untainted, allowing it to penetrate walls and barriers, dispersing without obstruction, breaking through all cold and stagnant conditions.The Aconitum plant resembles mugwort, both having a single upright stem with fragmented leaves. Its energy flows smoothly, moving both upward and downward, capable of dispersing throughout the body.
Cao Wu grows taller and sturdier, with purple flowers at the top of the stem; the deeper the purple, the stronger the medicinal properties, indicating a higher concentration of vitality.Fuzi is the tuberous root harvested in the same year, shaped like an inverted cone, resembling a fetus in the womb, with its vitality directed downward. Thus, the energy of Fuzi is purely yang and dynamic, unobstructed and fearless, circulating through the twelve meridians in an instant.In Zhang Zhongjing’s Si Ni Tang and other formulas, Fuzi is used to treat critical conditions where the pulse is weak and on the verge of collapse, with heavy yin energy threatening to extinguish yang. At such times, only the pure yang and fearless nature of Fuzi can break through yin and restore yang, reviving life in moments of crisis, making it a true life-saving medicine.Regrettably, later generations, lacking understanding, view Fuzi’s pure yang nature as toxic, using substances like Ganba (bitter herbs) to process it, transforming the fearless true yang of heaven and earth into a toxic substance that is difficult to utilize, rendering Fuzi ineffective. Is this not a folly?
Therefore, Fuzi should only be used in its raw sun-dried or properly processed form; all other methods are absurd and ineffective.Fuzi is primarily a life-saving emergency remedy, not for daily health maintenance. It should be used only when indicated, capable of reviving life in an instant. Using it without indication will disperse the body’s yang energy, leading to stagnation of qi, causing numbness and palpitations. The pure yang of heaven and earth cannot endure this, resulting in a powerful toxic effect.Fuzi is inherently pure and dynamic, representing the true yang of heaven and earth, and is not toxic by nature. Improper processing can create toxicity, and improper use can lead to toxicity; this is not the fault of Fuzi.Human hearts are often burdened with attachments; without the fearless heart of Fuzi, one lacks the courage of heaven and earth. The power of pure yang resides within the heart, not a gift from Fuzi. As the Heart Sutra states, without attachments, there is no fear.