There are a total of five organs and six bowels in the human body. The five organs are: Heart (Xin), Liver (Gan), Spleen (Pi), Lung (Fei), and Kidney (Shen); the six bowels refer to the Gallbladder (Dan), Stomach (Wei), Large Intestine (Da Chang), Small Intestine (Xiao Chang), San Jiao (Triple Burner), and Bladder (Pang Guang).
The primary function of the five organs is to store essence and qi; the main physiological function of the six bowels is to receive, digest, and separate the clear from the turbid, transforming essence and expelling waste from the body without retention.
The Relationship Between the Five Organs and Health Preservation
For any issue related to tendons, regulating the Liver (Gan) is essential.
For any issue related to bones, regulating the Kidney (Shen) is essential.
For any issue related to muscles, regulating the Spleen and Stomach (Pi Wei) is essential.
For any issue related to blood vessels, regulating the Heart (Xin) is essential.
For any issue related to skin and hair, regulating the Lung (Fei) is essential.
Functions of the Five Organs
1. Heart (Xin): The Heart is the residence of the spirit, the master of blood, and the root of the pulse. It belongs to the Fire element;
Physiological functions: governs blood vessels; governs consciousness; the Heart opens to the tongue, connects with the pulse, manifests on the face, expresses joy in emotions, and sweat in fluids. The Heart is interiorly related to the Small Intestine (Xiao Chang).
2. Lung (Fei): The Lung is the place of the corporeal soul, the master of qi, and belongs to the Metal element;
Physiological functions: governs qi, controls respiration; governs the dispersing and descending of qi; regulates the water pathways; harmonizes the hundred vessels; assists the Heart in regulating the circulation of qi and blood; the Lung connects to the throat, manifests on the skin, expresses through hair, opens to the nose, expresses worry in emotions, and mucus in fluids. The Lung is interiorly related to the Large Intestine (Da Chang).
3. Spleen (Pi): The Spleen is the source of the transformation of qi and blood, the foundation of postnatal life, and stores intention, belonging to the Earth element.
Physiological functions: governs transportation and transformation; governs the elevation of clear qi; governs blood; opens to the mouth, connects with flesh, governs the four limbs, manifests on the lips, expresses thought in emotions, and saliva in fluids; the Spleen is interiorly related to the Stomach (Wei).
4. Liver (Gan): The Liver is the place of the ethereal soul, the storehouse of blood, and the root of tendons, belonging to the Wood element, and governs the upward and active movement.
Physiological functions: governs the smooth flow of qi; stores blood; opens to the eyes, connects with tendons, manifests on the nails, expresses anger in emotions, and tears in fluids; the Liver is interiorly related to the Gallbladder (Dan).
5. Kidney (Shen): The Kidney is the foundation of pre-natal essence, stores will, and the waist is the organ of the Kidney, belonging to the Water element;
Physiological functions: stores essence, governs growth, development, and reproduction; governs water; governs the reception of qi; connects with bones, governs the production of marrow, manifests on hair, opens to the ears and the two lower yin (anus and perineum), expresses fear in emotions, and saliva in fluids; the Kidney is interiorly related to the Bladder (Pang Guang).
Interrelationships of the Five Organs
Interrelationships of the Five Organs: The Liver generates the Heart, the Heart generates the Spleen, the Spleen generates the Lung, the Lung generates the Kidney, and the Kidney generates the Liver.
Mutual Restraint of the Five Organs: The Liver restrains the Spleen, the Spleen restrains the Kidney, the Kidney restrains the Heart, the Heart restrains the Lung, and the Lung restrains the Liver.
The Relationship Between the Five Organs and the Five Spirits
The Five Spirits: Ethereal Soul (Hun), Spirit (Shen), Intention (Yi), Corporeal Soul (Po), Will (Zhi).
The Five Organs store: the Liver stores the Ethereal Soul, the Heart stores the Spirit, the Spleen stores Intention, the Lung stores the Corporeal Soul, and the Kidney stores Will (as stated in the “Su Wen: On the Five Qi”).
The Five Organs also generate the Five Emotions: the Heart corresponds to joy, the Liver corresponds to anger, the Spleen corresponds to thought, the Lung corresponds to worry, and the Kidney corresponds to fear. These emotions further develop into the Seven Emotions: joy, anger, sadness, thought, worry, fear, and shock.
The Relationship Between the Five Organs and the Five Fluids
The Five Fluids: tears, sweat, saliva, mucus, and spittle.
The “Su Wen: On the Five Qi” states, “The Five Organs transform into the Five Fluids: the Heart corresponds to sweat, the Lung corresponds to mucus, the Liver corresponds to tears, the Spleen corresponds to saliva, and the Kidney corresponds to spittle, which are known as the Five Fluids.
The Relationship Between the Five Organs and the Five Orifices
The Five Orifices: eyes, tongue, mouth, nose, and ears.
The Liver opens to the eyes, the Heart opens to the tongue, the Spleen opens to the mouth, the Lung opens to the nose, and the Kidney opens to the ears.
The Relationship Between the Five Organs and the Five Tastes
The Liver corresponds to sour (affecting tendons), the Heart corresponds to bitter (affecting blood), the Spleen corresponds to sweet (affecting flesh), the Lung corresponds to spicy (affecting qi), and the Kidney corresponds to salty (affecting bones).
Emotional Restraint
Great anger injures the Liver, great joy injures the Heart, excessive thinking injures the Spleen, excessive worry injures the Lung, excessive fear injures the Kidney; anger causes qi to rise, joy causes qi to relax, sadness causes qi to dissipate, fear causes qi to descend, cold causes qi to contract, heat causes qi to leak, shock causes qi to become chaotic, overwork causes qi to deplete, thinking causes qi to stagnate; joy overcomes sadness, sadness overcomes anger, anger overcomes thought, thought overcomes fear, and fear overcomes joy.
Prolonged viewing injures blood (Heart), prolonged lying injures qi (Lung), prolonged sitting injures flesh (Spleen), prolonged standing injures bones (Kidney), and prolonged walking injures tendons (Liver).
The Relationship Between the Six Bowels and Health Preservation
1. Gallbladder (Dan): known as the official of uprightness and decision.
Physiological functions: stores and excretes bile, the Gallbladder governs decision-making.
2. Stomach (Wei): known as the official of storage, when Stomach fire is excessive, hunger is quick, and toothache corresponds to the Stomach meridian, the Neiting point;
Physiological functions: receives and digests food and fluids, the Stomach descends to harmonize.
3. Small Intestine (Xiao Chang): the official of receiving and storing, it collects essence;
Physiological functions: governs receiving and transforming substances, separates the clear from the turbid, “the Small Intestine governs fluids”.
4. Large Intestine (Da Chang): the official of transmission, it expels waste, toothache corresponds to the Large Intestine meridian, the Hegu point and the Jaw point.
Physiological functions: transforms waste, the Large Intestine governs fluids.
5. Bladder (Pang Guang): the official of the region, governs qi transformation.
Physiological functions: stores and excretes urine, relying on the qi transformation function of the Kidney.
6. San Jiao (Triple Burner): the official of communication and regulation, it regulates the water pathways, overseeing the five organs and six bowels and internal and external pathways;
Physiological functions: facilitates the flow of original qi, governs the mechanisms of qi and transformation, and serves as the pathway for the movement of fluids.