A Brief Discussion on the Origin of the Names of the Twelve Meridians

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The records regarding the names of the twelve meridians are generally based on the “Ling Shu: Jing Mai” chapter. Besides “mai” or “jing” as its basic terms, the additional components can be divided into three parts: hands (arms) and feet, yin and yang, and organs, such as “Shou Tai Yin Fei Jing” (Hand Tai Yin Lung Meridian) and “Zu Yang Ming Wei Jing” (Foot Yang Ming Stomach Meridian). In earlier literature like “Zu Bi Shi Yi Mai” (Eleven Meridians of the Feet and Arms) and “Yin Yang Shi Yi Mai” (Eleven Meridians of Yin and Yang), only the first two parts (hands and feet, yin and yang) were mentioned, while the latter part (organs) was added later. Therefore, it can be said that there is a certain origin between the former and the latter in the formation of the names of the meridians. It is necessary to explore the origin of the names of the twelve meridians, their interrelationships, and their subsequent evolution, which will aid in the theoretical teaching of the twelve meridians and help students memorize them.

1. Humans correspond with heaven and earth, all possessing three yin, three yang, and six qi. Humans are born from the qi of heaven and earth, “humans are born from the qi of heaven and earth, and the laws of the four seasons are established,” and “the union of heaven and earth’s qi is called man” (from “Su Wen: Bao Ming Quan Xing Lun”). Humans are products of the natural world and are inevitably influenced by natural changes. Regarding the understanding of the natural changes of heaven and earth, “Su Wen: Tian Yuan Ji Da Lun” states: “Cold, heat, dryness, dampness, wind, and fire are the yin and yang of heaven, and the three yin and three yang are offered up to them. Wood, fire, earth, metal, water, and fire are the yin and yang of the earth,” indicating that the formation of the qi of heaven and earth is through the movement and change of yin and yang qi. According to the theory of yin and yang, there is always a cycle of growth and decline, advancement and retreat, and circulation between yin and yang, where yin gives rise to yang and yang gives rise to yin. Thus, the operation of the three yin and three yang proceeds in the order of one yin (Jue Yin), two yin (Shao Yin), three yin (Tai Yin), one yang (Shao Yang), two yang (Yang Ming), and three yang (Tai Yang), repeating endlessly. It is precisely the orderly changes of yin and yang that produce the four seasons of spring, summer, late summer, autumn, and winter, as well as the six climatic changes of wind, heat, fire, dampness, dryness, and cold. Since humans correspond with the qi of heaven and earth, their movement patterns must be in harmony with the changes of the natural world. “The six laws establish the yin and yang of the various meridians and correspond to the twelve months… The twelve meridians are the means by which the five organs and six bowels respond to the heavenly way” (from “Ling Shu: Jing Bie”); “The six qi are divided and governed, presiding over heaven and earth… The great records of heaven and earth are the correspondence between humans and spirits” (from “Su Wen: Zhi Zhen Yao Da Lun”); and again, “Ling Shu: Jing Shui” states: “The twelve meridians correspond externally to the twelve meridian waters and internally to the five organs and six bowels… All these five organs and six bowels and twelve meridian waters have external sources and internal endowments, all of which are interconnected internally and externally, like a loop without end, and so too are the meridians of humans. Therefore, heaven is yang, earth is yin, above the waist is heaven, and below the waist is earth… Thus, humans correspond with heaven and earth.” It can be seen that the human body, “above the waist” and “below the waist,” has the six qi of three yin and three yang, just like heaven and earth.

2. Based on the positions of the five organs above and below the waist, the yin and yang attributes are first determined, and then the names are given based on hands and feet. “Su Wen: Jin Kui Zhen Yan Lun” states: “The back is yang, the heart is the yang among yang; the back is yang, the lung is the yin among yang. The abdomen is yin, the kidney is the yin among yin; the abdomen is yin, the liver is the yang among yin; the abdomen is yin, the spleen is the utmost yin.”; “Ling Shu: Yin Yang Xi Ri Yue” states: “The heart is the sun among yang, the lung is the lesser yin among yang, the liver is the lesser yang among yin, the spleen is the utmost yin among yin, and the kidney is the utmost yin among yin.” From this, it can be seen that the positions of the five organs and their yin and yang attributes indicate that the five organs are divided into yin and yang, with the heart and pericardium (the pericardium of the heart) and the lung belonging to yang, while the liver, spleen, and kidney belong to yin. Since “those above the waist are yang, and those below the waist are yin” (from “Ling Shu: Yin Yang Xi Ri Yue”), the hands above the waist can represent yang, while the feet below the waist can represent yin. By linking this to hands and feet, the heart, pericardium, and lung, all belonging to yang, should be interconnected, while the liver, spleen, and kidney, all belonging to yin, should also be interconnected. Since the TCM theory of organ representation is centered around the five organs, the corresponding relationships with the six bowels should be consistent. Since “the lung corresponds to the large intestine… the heart corresponds to the small intestine… the liver corresponds to the gallbladder… the spleen corresponds to the stomach… the kidney corresponds to the San Jiao and bladder” (from “Ling Shu: Ben Zang”, “Ling Shu: Ben Shu”), it follows that the small intestine, San Jiao, and large intestine, which correspond to the heart, pericardium, and lung, should all belong to yang; while the gallbladder, stomach, and bladder, which correspond to the liver, spleen, and kidney, should all belong to yin. Therefore, the small intestine, San Jiao, and large intestine, being yang, are linked to the hands, while the gallbladder, stomach, and bladder, being yin, are linked to the feet.3. By analogy with the three yin and three yang of nature, the three yin and three yang of the human organs are named. According to “Su Wen: Tian Yuan Ji Da Lun”: “In the year of Zi and Wu, the lesser yin is seen above; in the year of Chou and Wei, the tai yin is seen above; in the year of Yin and Shen, the lesser yang is seen above; in the year of Mao and You, the yang ming is seen above; in the year of Chen and Xu, the tai yang is seen above; in the year of Si and Hai, the jue yin is seen above… The jue yin corresponds to wind qi; the lesser yin corresponds to heat qi; the tai yin corresponds to damp qi; the lesser yang corresponds to fire qi; the yang ming corresponds to dry qi; the tai yang corresponds to cold qi.” In the “Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen: Yun Qi Qi Pian” it is concluded that “Si and Hai jue yin correspond to wind wood, Zi and Wu lesser yin correspond to lord fire, Chou and Wei tai yin correspond to damp earth, Yin and Shen lesser yang correspond to fire, Mao and You yang ming correspond to dry metal, Chen and Xu tai yang correspond to cold water.” Based on the yin and yang attributes of the organs, yin corresponds to the organs while yang corresponds to the bowels, thus forming three organs and three bowels (these three organs and three bowels do not have a corresponding relationship). Furthermore, the corresponding relationships can form three bowels and three organs, totaling six organs and six bowels. Therefore, according to the correspondence, yin wood corresponds to the liver, forming the Zu Jue Yin Gan (Foot Jue Yin Liver); lord fire corresponds to the heart, forming the Shou Shao Yin Xin (Hand Shao Yin Heart); yin earth corresponds to the spleen, forming the Zu Tai Yin Pi (Foot Tai Yin Spleen); fire corresponds to the San Jiao, forming the Shou Shao Yang San Jiao (Hand Shao Yang San Jiao); yang metal corresponds to the large intestine, forming the Shou Yang Ming Da Chang (Hand Yang Ming Large Intestine); and yang water corresponds to the bladder, forming the Zu Tai Yang Pang Guang (Foot Tai Yang Bladder). Also, in “Su Wen: Liu Wei Zhi Da Lun”: “Above the lesser yang, fire qi predominates, and the jue yin is seen in the middle; above the yang ming, dry qi predominates, and the tai yin is seen in the middle; above the tai yang, cold qi predominates, and the lesser yin is seen in the middle; above the jue yin, wind qi predominates, and the lesser yang is seen in the middle; above the lesser yin, heat qi predominates, and the tai yang is seen in the middle; above the tai yin, damp qi predominates, and the yang ming is seen in the middle.” Also, in “Su Wen: Xue Qi Xing Zhi”: “The foot tai yang and lesser yin are interrelated, the lesser yang and jue yin are interrelated, the yang ming and tai yin are interrelated, which is the yin and yang of the foot. The hand tai yang and lesser yin are interrelated, the lesser yang and heart are interrelated, the yang ming and tai yin are interrelated, which is the yin and yang of the hand.” Since the liver and gallbladder are interrelated, the heart and small intestine are interrelated, the spleen and stomach are interrelated, the San Jiao and pericardium are interrelated, the large intestine and lung are interrelated, and the bladder and kidney are interrelated. Therefore, the jue yin liver corresponds to the lesser yang (gallbladder), the lesser yin heart corresponds to the tai yang (small intestine), the tai yin spleen corresponds to the yang ming (stomach), the lesser yang San Jiao corresponds to the jue yin (pericardium), the yang ming large intestine corresponds to the tai yin (lung), and the tai yang bladder corresponds to the lesser yin (kidney). Thus, it forms the Zu Shao Yang Dan (Foot Shao Yang Gallbladder), Shou Tai Yang Xiao Chang (Hand Tai Yang Small Intestine), Zu Yang Ming Wei (Foot Yang Ming Stomach), Shou Jue Yin Xin Bao (Hand Jue Yin Pericardium), Shou Tai Yin Fei (Hand Tai Yin Lung), and Zu Shao Yin Shen (Foot Shao Yin Kidney). A simplified table is as follows.

4. Conclusion. The great heaven and earth, and the small human body, all possess the qi of three yin and three yang. “Above the waist is heaven, below the waist is earth,” and in heaven, the three yin and three yang correspond to each other, with jue yin and shaoyang being interrelated, tai yin and yang ming being interrelated, and shaoyin and tai yang being interrelated. The heart, pericardium, and lung above the waist correspond to the small intestine, San Jiao, and large intestine, respectively, and are linked to the hands to indicate their distinction from those below the waist. This forms the Shou Shao Yin Xin (Hand Shao Yin Heart), Shou Jue Yin Xin Bao (Hand Jue Yin Pericardium), Shou Tai Yin Fei (Hand Tai Yin Lung), and the corresponding meridians are the Shou Tai Yang Xiao Chang (Hand Tai Yang Small Intestine), Shou Shao Yang San Jiao (Hand Shao Yang San Jiao), and Shou Yang Ming Da Chang (Hand Yang Ming Large Intestine), totaling three yin and three yang, six meridian qi to correspond to heaven; similarly, the three yin and three yang of the earth also correspond to each other. The liver, spleen, and kidney below the waist correspond to the gallbladder, stomach, and bladder, respectively, and are linked to the feet to indicate their distinction from those above the waist. This forms the Zu Jue Yin Gan (Foot Jue Yin Liver), Zu Tai Yin Pi (Foot Tai Yin Spleen), Zu Shao Yin Shen (Foot Shao Yin Kidney), and the corresponding meridians are the Zu Shao Yang Dan (Foot Shao Yang Gallbladder), Zu Yang Ming Wei (Foot Yang Ming Stomach), and Zu Tai Yang Pang Guang (Foot Tai Yang Bladder), totaling three yin and three yang, six meridian qi to correspond to earth. Thus, the small heaven and earth of the human body, each with three yin and three yang, combine to form the twelve meridian qi.

The content of this article is for reference only, and non-professional doctors should not attempt acupuncture or medication.