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(Issue 588)
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In today’s articlewe introduce the ninth chapter of the Huangdi Neijing “Theory of Six Sections and Organ Representation“
01Original Text
The Yellow Emperor asked: I have heard that the heavens have six sections to complete a year, and humans have nine sections to form a cycle, counting to three hundred sixty-five sections for humans, which is believed to have existed for a long time. I do not understand what this means.
Qibo replied: What a profound question! Please allow me to explain. The six sections of the heavens and the nine sections of the earth are used to correct the measurements of the heavens and the numbers of qi. The measurement of the heavens is to regulate the movements of the sun and moon; the number of qi is to record the transformations and growth of life. Heaven is yang, and earth is yin; the sun is yang, and the moon is yin. There are divisions in their movements, and there are principles in their cycles. The sun moves one degree, and the moon moves thirteen degrees, which has its peculiarities. Thus, the large and small months total three hundred sixty-five days to form a year, accumulating qi and resulting in leap months. The beginning is established at the start, the middle is marked, and the end is pushed, thus completing the measurement of the heavens.
The Emperor said: I have heard of the measurement of the heavens; I wish to know how the number of qi corresponds to it.
Qibo said: The heavens use six sections as a measure, and the earth uses nine sections to form cycles. There are ten days in the heavens, and after six days, it completes a cycle, and after six cycles, it completes a year, which is the law of three hundred sixty days. Since ancient times, those who understand the way of heaven know the source of life, which is based on yin and yang. Its qi connects the nine regions and the nine orifices, all communicating with the qi of the heavens. Therefore, it gives rise to five, and its qi is three; three forms the heavens, three forms the earth, and three forms humanity. When combined, they make nine, which is divided into nine regions, and the nine regions correspond to the nine organs. Thus, the physical organs are four, and the spiritual organs are five, totaling nine organs to correspond.
The Emperor said: I have heard of the meeting of six and nine; you mentioned the accumulation of qi and leap months. I wish to know what qi is. Please enlighten me, Master. Qibo said: This is a secret of the supreme deity, passed down by the ancient masters.
The Emperor said: Please continue. Qibo said: Five days are called a period, three periods are called qi, six qi are called time, and four times are called a year, each governed by its respective treatment. The five movements follow one another, and all are treated; the end date is cyclical, and the time establishes qi, like a ring without end, and the periods follow the same law.
Thus it is said: Not knowing the years of accumulation, the rise and fall of qi, and the origins of deficiency and excess, one cannot be a practitioner.
The Emperor said: At the beginning of the five movements, if it is like a ring without end, what if it is excessive or deficient?
Qibo said: The five qi are established, each with its own victory; the changes of excess and deficiency are their norm. The Emperor said: What about balanced qi?
Qibo said: There is no excess. The Emperor said: What if there is excess or deficiency? Qibo said: It is recorded in the classics.
The Emperor said: What is meant by victory? Qibo said: Spring overcomes late summer, late summer overcomes winter, winter overcomes summer, summer overcomes autumn, and autumn overcomes spring; this is the victory of the five elements, each with its qi governing its organs.
The Emperor said: How do you know its victory? Qibo said: Seek its arrival; all return to early spring, arriving before it arrives. This is called excess, where the weak are not victorious, and the strong are victorious, termed as qi indulgence. Arriving but not arriving is called deficiency, where the victorious act recklessly, and the weak suffer, termed as qi pressure. The so-called seeking its arrival refers to the time of qi arriving. Carefully observe the time; qi can be expected; if the time is lost, the periods are reversed, and the five treatments are indistinct, leading to internal evils, which cannot be prevented.
The Emperor said: Is there no succession? Qibo said: The qi of the heavens must not be without constancy. The absence of succession in qi is called abnormal; abnormalities lead to changes. The Emperor said: What happens when there are abnormalities and changes?
Qibo said: When changes occur, there is illness; the victorious are slight, and the defeated are severe. If one is heavily affected by evil, then death follows. Thus, if it is not the right time, it is slight; if it is the right time, it is severe.
The Emperor said: Good. I have heard that qi combines to form shapes, and changes give them proper names. The movements of heaven and earth, the transformations of yin and yang, how do they affect all things? Which are more and which are less? Can you tell me?
Before introducing this, let us first discuss some astronomical knowledge, the five elements, wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. We often say cold; these days are very cold, cold does not exceed five, on the sixth day it will change, because the value of the five qi is only five: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water; on the sixth day, it will change.
Heat also does not exceed five; in summer, if the weather is suddenly very hot for several consecutive days, after five days, it will reach its extreme, and on the sixth day, it will rain, making the weather cooler.
For example, if the entire summer is very hot, that is an abnormality. This five-element principle is very interesting; pay attention to it, and you will find it truly marvelous.
For instance, if you pick an apple or fruit from a tree, when just picked, it has a wood flavor, which is sour; if left for more than five days, it will become sweet, as it continues to change.
Four, the five colors and five flavors of medicinal materials
The Emperor said, “Qi combines to form shapes, and changes give them proper names. The movements of heaven and earth, the transformations of yin and yang, how do they affect all things?”
Qibo replied: The heavens are vast and immeasurable, the earth is great and unquantifiable; great deities, please present your principles. This begins to discuss some medicinal properties. Plants grow in five colors: green, red, yellow, white, and black. The changes in these five colors are difficult to distinguish and cannot be fully observed.
Plants, in addition to the five colors, are also divided into five flavors: sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, and salty; the beauty of these five flavors is also beyond measure, and it is impossible to taste them all.
Thus, what people see and taste differs; “desires and appetites differ, each has its own communication.” Heaven nourishes humans with five qi, and the earth nourishes humans with five flavors. This means that we exist between heaven and earth because we consume five qi—the changing seasons, spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and the growth and storage of life. Additionally, we consume five flavors, the grains and food we eat contain five flavors.
Five qi enter the nose, stored in the heart and lungs, the qi of heaven and earth enters the nose and resides in the heart and lungs. It is clear to see, and sounds can be expressed.
Five flavors enter the mouth; the food we eat, the five flavors come from the earth. The earth grows, and heaven, humans eat from heaven and earth. The five flavors enter the mouth, and all these flavors are stored in the intestines and stomach, where flavors are stored to nourish the five qi, qi harmonizes and generates, and bodily fluids are formed, allowing the spirit to arise.
Thus, in the view of TCM, humans are a combination of the qi of heaven and earth; one cannot solely rely on the earth’s qi and the five flavors without the qi of heaven. There must be breathing; without inhalation, it is insufficient; there must be earth qi to cooperate. Of course, there are many exceptions; the ancient true person? The true person does not need to eat anything; they can just sit there every day.
Five, the organ representations: heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen
The Emperor asked: What are the shapes and functions of the five organs?
Qibo said: The heart is the source of life and the transformation of the spirit; its manifestation is on the face; its fullness is in the blood vessels, being the sun among the yang, connected to the summer qi.
The heart is the breath of summer. The color of the face—heart; the heart is located in the center (the bridge of the nose), where the heart qi resides.
Its manifestation is in the face; its fullness is in the blood vessels. If you see blood vessels in the skin, this is normal; if you see many varicose veins or small blood vessels, this is abnormal.
All of our “móu needling method” is a method of needling for blood stasis and meridian or collateral diseases. We can release blood at the well points, and this needling method can also be used to release blood at areas with stasis, allowing blood to flow smoothly.
When the blood vessels are problematic, it all relates to the heart. Therefore, if you see a patient with varicose veins or blood vessel issues, we treat them with heart medications.
Connected to the summer qi, we call it connected to the summer qi because the qi of the heart is in harmony with the summer qi, indicating that the heart is protected by the seasonal qi. In summer, there should be no heart disease or death.
The lungs are the source of qi and the place of po; their manifestation is in the hair, and their fullness is in the skin, being the taiyin among the yang, connected to the autumn qi. The po, here refers to yin and yang. The heart is the source of the spirit, which is yang, and the spirit resides within this yang. The lungs, which are yang—heavenly yang, the chest is all yang, and po is yin, so yin and yang are intermingled, thus po is stored in the lungs.
Its manifestation is in the hair, and its fullness is in the skin. Therefore, the skin pores are all governed by the lung organ.
The lungs and heart are both in the upper jiao; the lungs govern qi, and the heart governs blood. Why do we say the lungs govern the skin and hair? When it comes to the skin, it is the lungs; this skin is muscle, and suddenly hair grows out. How does hair grow? Because the heart is here, and the lungs are here; the lungs govern the skin and hair, and the heart stores blood. All hair is a surplus of blood; the excess of blood.
Hair is a surplus of blood; when the blood from the heart reaches here, it meets the lung qi, and the blood qi transforms into hair, which is how hair grows.
Connected to the autumn qi, in autumn, the lungs are in charge of the withering and killing. Therefore, if you go out in autumn, you will see nature change overnight, the leaves turn yellow. If you were to use human power to turn a tree yellow, you would need a lot of manpower; yet the weather changes overnight, and the leaves change color. This speed is unmatched by human effort.
Why? Because the lungs govern dryness, and dryness is metal. The lungs themselves prefer dryness; they govern dryness and killing, so their qi is very sharp, and metal overcomes wood, thus the trees change color overnight.
Six, the function of the kidneys: hair color and bone marrow
The kidneys govern hibernation, the source of storage, and the place of essence; thus, the kidneys must store. Their manifestation is in the hair, and their fullness is in the bones, being the shaoyin among the yin, connected to the winter qi. The diaphragm is below, and the kidneys are like roots, planted underground. This diaphragm is the earth’s surface, and the kidneys are like two roots, planted underground, thus the kidneys are black.
In winter, everything is stored; many animals and plants hibernate, hiding underground! Seeds are all hidden below, so winter reveals the nature of the kidneys.
Humans consist of skin, muscles, tendons, blood vessels, and bones; the innermost part is the bones, which are the deepest, similar to the nature of the kidneys. Therefore, when there are problems with the bones, we treat the kidneys.
Why do the kidneys govern the bones? Because the kidneys can produce marrow; the marrow, once produced, is a very good nutrient fluid from the kidneys, and this marrow generates bones. Thus, bones come from marrow, and marrow comes from the kidneys. This is the process.
Our brain, why do the kidneys store will? This “will” has two interpretations: one is ambition, wanting to be president, having great aspirations—will; the other is that this will governs memory, so the kidneys store memory.
The brain is the sea of marrow; the marrow, when concentrated and rises to the head, accumulates inside, becoming like an ocean, which is also related to the kidneys.
The kidneys govern hair; as it rises, besides the brain, it also involves hair. The kidneys govern the quality and color of hair, so it is black.
Hair growth is governed by water, which nourishes wood; the liver governs hair growth. The liver, being wood, begins to grow, and many hairs emerge; originally, it was just a seed, which first sprouts and then grows hair. Thus, the kidneys govern the quality and color of hair, while the liver governs hair growth.
Therefore, when treating cancer patients with chemotherapy, hair falls out immediately, indicating damage to the liver; it is better to give it to the enemy than to oneself.
Connected to the winter qi, thus winter is the king time of the kidneys, when kidney qi is at its peak. It is not only this; winter’s nature is that the kidneys’ function is to store.
The liver is the source of the extreme, the residence of the soul. Its manifestation is in the nails, and its fullness is in the tendons. It generates blood qi, its flavor is sour, and its color is green. This is the shaoyang among the yang, connected to the spring qi.
The liver is yin, so the soul is yang; yin and yang complement each other, the liver is yin, and the soul resides in the liver.
Its manifestation is in the nails, and its fullness is in the tendons. Our tendons are generated from the liver; the liver produces many tendons, and when the tendons reach the extremities, the excess of tendons is the nails, which are the outermost part. By observing the symptoms of the nails, we can determine liver issues.
It generates blood qi; its flavor is sour, and its color is green. This green is a healthy shade of green, which is slightly yellow; this is normal.
Why do we observe this color? In winter, it is black; in autumn, it is white; in summer, it is red; in spring, it is green. This means that in spring, a person’s face may have a slight greenish hue, a little yellow, which is a normal color.
In winter, a person’s complexion should be darker and more subdued because the body needs to store, similar to farmers who quickly store rice in granaries after harvest.
Seven, the five flavors of the five organs
The spleen, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, sanjiao, and bladder are the source of storage, the residence of nourishment, known as vessels, capable of transforming waste and transferring flavors in and out. Their manifestation is in the four whites of the lips, their fullness is in the muscles, their flavor is sweet, and their color is yellow. This is the extreme yin type, connected to the earth qi.
The spleen, along with the stomach, large intestine, small intestine, sanjiao, and bladder, are the places for digesting food and accumulating nutrients.
They are the source of storage, the residence of nourishment, which refers to blood; we speak of ying and wei, where ying refers to blood, the source of blood actually comes from grains and food. These are the vessels that store food, and the vessels are the spleen, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, sanjiao, and bladder, which can transform waste and transfer flavors in and out, allowing the essence of food to be stored and the waste to be expelled.
Its manifestation is in the four whites of the lips, around the mouth, which are all governed by the spleen.
The function of the spleen is assessed by the strength of the muscles; the flavor of the spleen is sweet, and its color is yellow, which is the correct color of the spleen, connected to the earth qi.
The liver is connected to wood qi, the kidneys to water qi, the spleen to earth qi, and the heart to fire qi; these are all different.
We have sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, and salty; the five flavors directly enter the five organs. Both excess and deficiency are harmful; when balanced, it is beneficial for the organs. If there is too much sourness, it does not harm the liver, but if there is too much sourness in the liver, it will affect the spleen because wood overcomes earth, which will affect the earth qi. Therefore, if there is too much sourness in the earth, it is also not good.
The salty flavor enters the kidneys; we add some sea salt or green salt, but if you eat too salty, it will harm the kidneys and bones. The main harm is to the heart; the water content in the blood is governed by the kidneys, and if this water decreases, the blood will become thicker, affecting circulation.
If you consume too much bitterness, it will affect the lungs. Similarly, if you eat too much spicy food, it is good for the lungs in moderation; for example, garlic is white, and slightly spicy, which is just right for the lungs! Eating a few cloves is fine, but if you eat too much, it will harm the liver.
In fact, when it comes to food, it is not much. Eating 20 dumplings with one clove of garlic will not harm much because it is food, but if you make a very concentrated spicy sauce and eat that, that is excess. It is essential to balance the five flavors.
All eleven organs depend on the gallbladder. Our liver, heart, spleen, lungs, kidneys, gallbladder, small intestine, stomach, large intestine, sanjiao, and bladder, the balance among these eleven organs is crucial, with the gallbladder being the most important.
Thus, the pulse at the renying point indicates the condition of the body. If it is strong, the disease is in the shaoyang; if it is twice as strong, the disease is in the taiyang; if it is three times as strong, the disease is in the yangming; if it is four times as strong, it is a serious condition. The pulse at the cun point indicates the condition of the body; if it is strong, the disease is in the jueyin; if it is twice as strong, the disease is in the shaoyin; if it is three times as strong, the disease is in the taiyin; if it is four times as strong, it is a serious condition. If the renying and cun pulses are both four times as strong, it indicates a serious condition; if the pulse is weak, it cannot reach the essence of heaven and earth, leading to death.
The renying pulse, located on the stomach channel, governs the throat and abdomen, which includes the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, bladder, and gallbladder. The left renying pulse governs the organs: liver, heart, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.
The normal renying pulse is slightly larger on the right side than on the left; if it is larger, the disease is in the shaoyang; if it is more than twice the normal size, the disease is in the taiyang; if it is more than three times, the disease is in the yangming; if it is more than four times, it is a serious condition.
In the third difficulty of the Nanjing, this chapter discusses the serious condition of the pulse. The cun pulse is yang, and the chi pulse is yin; if the pulse is overflowing, it indicates excess; this is due to the yin overpowering the yang, which should not happen. Yang is in the chest, the lungs, and the heart.
For example, the lungs prefer dryness, and the heart is fire. If cold water suddenly enters, this water is yin and cold, which should be underground; this water entering the lungs accumulates inside, leading to an overflow of yin over yang, which is not good.
If the pulse is covered, it indicates the opposite; the yang pulse descends and covers the yin pulse. The yang should be in its place, but if it descends to the yin position, it is a covered pulse. For example, in the large intestine, we say that the chi pulse is the lower jiao; the small intestine is fire, but because the spleen is in the middle, the heart is fire, and the small intestine is fire, the two fires balance with the earth.
The earth cannot be excessive; it must rely on wood to overcome the earth. If fire generates earth, and wood overcomes earth, the spleen governs dampness and fluids. If the dampness is heavy, it will accumulate in the small intestine, leading to excessive dampness and dryness, which is a covered pulse.
If the covered pulse is very strong, exceeding four times, for example, if the normal pulse is four to five beats per breath, five beats is standard; if it reaches nine beats, six is one time, seven is two times, eight is three times, and nine is four times, this indicates a serious condition.
Thus, when you feel the pulse of a patient, if it beats very fast, you should adjust your breathing to be even, and with each breath, if the pulse beats nine or ten times, it indicates a serious condition.
03Written at the endToday, we mainly introduced“Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches Qi; Seasonal Qi and Five Element Qi; Astronomy – The Five Numbers; Medicinal Materials – The Five Colors and Five Flavors; Organ Representations – Heart, Lungs, Liver, Kidneys, Spleen; Functions of the Kidneys: Hair Color and Bone Marrow; The Five Flavors of the Five Organs“, the specific content is organized based on Teacher Ni Haixia’s course on the Huangdi Neijing.In the next article, we will introduce “The Tenth Chapter: The Generation of the Five Organs”.That concludes today’s sharing.Light it upLook again, and encourage friends together, thank you.
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