Source: This article is excerpted from “Jiu Sheng”, Author/Zhou Meisheng, published by Qingdao Publishing House
1. Basic Understanding of Ancient Meridian Theory
(1) Analysis of the Meaning of Meridians and Channels
From the “Neijing”, it is evident that the various organizational structures and information pathways that connect the human body are collectively referred to as “jing” or “mai”, and are also distinguished as jingsui, jingmai, luomai, jingjin, jingluo, and jinluo. They communicate with each other while having their own portals. As stated in the “Suwen: On Regulating the Meridians”: “The pathways of the five organs all emerge from the jingsui… to circulate qi and blood; if the blood is not harmonious, various diseases will arise, hence the importance of guarding the jingsui.” In the “Lingshu: The Twenty-Five People of Yin and Yang”, it is said, “One must be clear about the jingsui to hold it.” The “Yuban” states: “The jingsui is the great network of the five organs and six bowels.
Due to the narrow meaning of “sui” in jingsui, the terms “mai” and “jingmai” appear in the “Neijing” and are emphasized more in later generations. For example, in the “Lingshu: On Deciding Qi”: “Obstruction of qi leads to no escape, this is called mai.” In the “Yingwei Shenghui”: “Ying is within the mai, Wei is outside the mai; yin and yang meet like an endless loop.” In the “Jingbie”: “The twelve jingmai are the means by which people live, the causes of diseases, the means by which people are treated, and the origins of diseases.” In the “Hailun”: “The twelve jingmai are internally connected to the organs and externally linked to the limbs and joints.” In the “Suwen: On Pain”: “The jingmai flow continuously, circling without rest.” It is clear that the term “jingmai” has a broad meaning, encompassing all systems that have conduction, induction, communication, and connection, hence the phrases “one vein passes down” or “veins connect” do not refer solely to a specific system or merely to blood vessels and veins.
1. Meaning of Jingmai
(1) “Jing” refers to classics and standards; jingmai is the basic system of communication that exists regularly in the human body according to these standards. The human body must have a communication system that is regularly present and conforms to standards and norms to survive and reproduce. As stated in the “Zhouli: Ritual Vessels”: “…to serve as the great jing of rites.” In the “Jizong”: “There are five jing of rites.” In the “Hanshu: Biography of Sima Qian”: “Spring brings life, summer promotes growth, autumn harvests, and winter stores; this is the great jing of heavenly principles.” In the “Suwen: On True and False Separation”: “Heaven has its constellations, the earth has its rivers, and humans have their jingmai.” In the “Lingshu: On Meridians”: “The twelve jingmai connect externally to the twelve jing rivers and internally to the five organs and six bowels.” Just as the earth has rivers that flow continuously, humans must have a constant presence of body meridians. The “Suwen: On the Complete Shape of Life”: “Those who can undergo the transformations of heaven and earth’s yin and yang do not lose the four seasons; those who understand the principles of the twelve joints cannot be deceived by even the most sage.” The “Essentials of Pulse” states: “Observing it has rules, starting from yin and yang, beginning with the five elements, and having measures according to the four seasons.” All of these illustrate that “jing” is the routine and standard of the transformations of heaven and earth’s yin and yang.
(2) “Jing” refers to regularity and constancy; jingmai is the normal and constant pulse. The human body must have a coordinated and constant pulse to ensure balance and adaptability. As stated in the “Suwen: On the Three Parts and Nine Conditions”: “One must first know the jingmai to understand the disease pulse.” This compares normal physiological pulses with abnormal pathological pulses, explaining the concept of “jingmai”. What is jingmai? Like the spring string, summer flood, autumn hair, and winter stone, these are the normal jingmai corresponding to heaven and humanity. Conversely, singularly large, small, fast, or slow pulses indicate abnormal pathological conditions. One must first know the normal before recognizing the abnormal; thus, the jingmai here refers to the regular and constant physiological pulse, not the essence and substance of the jingmai itself.
(3) “Jing” refers to measurement and distance; jingmai delineates and measures the boundaries of the human body’s surface and the places through which the jingmai pass. In the “Shijing: Daya: Ling Tai”: “Jing begins at Ling Tai.” Note: “Jing means measure.” In the “Guoyu: Chu Yu”: “Jing begins at Ling Tai” notes: “Jing refers to measuring and establishing its foundation.” In the “Zhouli: Tianguan: Xu Guan”: “To govern the country is to measure the fields.” Note: “Jing refers to distance.” In the “Suiren”: “Using the land map to measure fields.” Note: “Jing means to divide boundaries.” In the “Sishi”: “To measure the fields and pastures.” Note: “Jing means boundary.” In the “Suiren”: “To measure the fields and pastures.” Note: “Jing means to divide boundaries.” This all refers to “jing” as the boundary line for dividing land. Additionally, in the “Hanshu: Five Elements”: “…returning to the land of Lu.” Note: “Jing refers to returning from within.” In the “Huainanzi: On the Original Path”: “Jing governs mountains and rivers.” Note: “Jing means to walk; ji means to connect.” In the “Lingshu: On Beginning and End”: “…jingmai is the record.” Therefore, any place passed through can be called “jing”, such as experience, which also means to have passed through. In the “Zhuangzi: Fisherman”: “I will release what I have, and manage what you have.” Note: “Jing means to manage.” Thus, jingmai and its branches are divided based on the entire body’s surface. The “Lingshu: On Pulse Measurement” measures the lengths of each jing. Therefore, the term “jingmai” also refers to the distribution range and length of each jing, and due to the places it passes through, it has different names for yin and yang, surface and interior.
(4) “Jing” refers to direct paths and usual routes; jingmai is the distribution of the connection system. Any main trunk that exists regularly and runs straight can be called jingmai. In the “Kaogongji: Craftsmen”: “North-South is jing, East-West is wei.” In terms of time, zi-wu is jing, and mao-you is wei. In the “Shiming: On Names and Arts”: “Jing means path, like a route that is always accessible and commonly used.” Thus, “jingmai” can also be explained from the distribution and direction of the connection system in the human body.
(5) “Jing” refers to governance and management; jingmai can also refer to the management of the affected pulses. In the “Zhuangzi: Fisherman”: “I will release what I have, and manage what you have.” Note: “Jing means management.” Therefore, jingmai can also be interpreted as the governance of the body’s meridians to prevent them from being disturbed by evils. This can be found in the “Suwen: On Demonstrating Calmness”, which states: “The elderly seek it in the bowels, the young seek it in the jing, and the strong seek it in the organs.” It also states: “When the sage treats diseases, he must follow the law and maintain standards, using objects for comparison, transforming them in obscurity, following above and below; there is no need to adhere strictly to jing.” The mutual relationship between the organs and jingmai illustrates that in treating diseases, besides the organs, the next focus is on managing the jingmai. However, one must also follow the laws and principles of analogy and transformation, and not be constrained by the local conditions of managing the jingmai.
2. Meaning of Luomai
(1) “Luo” means network; luomai refers to the encompassing network of pulses. Yang Xiong’s “Jie Nan”: “The vast network of heaven and earth.” Note: “This refers to encompassing.” As in the “Lingshu: On Movement and Transport”: “The meeting of the four extremities of yin and yang is the great network of qi.” In the “Lingshu: Yuban”: “The jingsui is the great network of the five organs and six bowels.” In the “Suwen: On Bi”: “…therefore it can follow the mai up and down, connecting the five organs and six bowels.” For example, the hand jueyin channel’s heart envelops and the spleen’s great network, all refer to the encompassing network of pulses.
(2) “Luo” means to entwine; luomai refers to the entwined and bound pulses. In the “Shanhaijing: Hainei Jing”: “There is water in the nine mounds that entwines it.” Note: “Luo means to entwine.” In the “Guangya: On Explanations”: “Luo means to entwine.” In the “Chuci: Invoking Souls”: “Zheng entwines.” Note: “Luo means to bind.” The human body must have many luomai entwined to form an organic whole.
(3) “Luo” refers to the appearance of intertwining and organizing; luomai refers to the pulses that form the body’s covering. In the “Houhanshu: Biography of Ma Rong”: “Fine silk intertwines.” Note: “Luo refers to the appearance of intertwining; zhen and mu are interchangeable.” The human body, composed of countless luomai, can perform the function of covering and protecting the surface of the body.
(4) “Luo” refers to the side branches of the main channels; luomai refers to the branches outside the main channels, including the luomai of the jingluo system. In the “Houhanshu: Biography of Wei Xiao”: “The land network is severed.” Note: “Luo is akin to jingluo.” In the “Guangya: On Explanations of Instruments”: “Luo is akin to jingluo.” In the “Suwen: On Rare Diseases”: “If a person has a heavy body, and a mole appears in the ninth month, the connection of the womb’s luomai is severed… the womb’s luomai is connected to the kidneys…” In the “Lingshu: On the Main Channels”: “Connecting the taiyang, entering the luo of the bladder, and binding the lower jiao.” In the “Genjie”: “The jueyin roots in the da dun, connects in the yu ying, and links in the tan zhong.” These all illustrate the mutual relationship between the main channels and side branches.
(5) “Luo” refers to the connection and maintenance; different jingmai have different luomai. In the “Lingshu: On Meridians”: “Different people have different jing, and luomai are distinct.” This clearly indicates that the human body has different jingmai, and thus each has its own side branches. Pulses have jingluo, and tendons also have jinluo. In the “Suwen: On the Six Yuan’s Correct Record”: “Tendons and luomai are tense, and joints are not beneficial…” The “Lingshu: On Evil Guests” states that the elbow, armpit, thigh, and groin are the eight voids; if evil qi lingers, it harms tendons, luomai, and joints, preventing flexion and extension. It is evident that whether jing or luo, their meanings are quite broad.
3. Meaning of Jingluo
In ancient meridian theory, besides the names of jingmai and luomai, there is also the term “jingluo” which combines both. This is often considered to refer to the unique jingluo system within the field of acupuncture theory. Through understanding jingmai and luomai, it is not difficult to see that the so-called jingluo is also shared by various jingmai and is not unique to the jingluo system.
(1) The “Lingshu: On Pulse Measurement”: “Jingmai is internal, while those that branch and cross are luo; the distinctions of luo are called sun.” This refers to the general relationship of the distribution of the human body’s meridian system. Here, the so-called “jingmai” is in contrast to the “branching and crossing” luomai. Sun luo refers to the smaller branches within the jingmai system. This relationship is applicable to blood vessels, nerves, lymphatic vessels, and the meridian system itself. In the relevant chapters of the “Neijing”, this relationship is clearly the starting point. For example, in the “Lingshu: On Evil Qi and Organ Disease Forms”: “The interconnection of the jingluo is like a loop without end.” In the “Suwen: On the Great Discussion of the Five Constants”: “When the jingluo are connected, blood and qi flow through.” In the “Juelun”: “When yang qi declines, it cannot permeate the jingluo.” In the “Lingshu: On the Twenty-Five People of Yin and Yang”: “When palpating the condensation of the jingluo, if it is blocked, it causes pain and numbness in the body.” All of these indicate that the jingluo is the general relationship of the distribution and interconnection of the human body’s meridian system, which is shared by various jingmai and not unique to the jingluo system. One cannot use the straight paths as jing and the cross paths as luo as the basis for the unique jingluo system, nor can one consider the two major systems of jingmai and luomai as the main foundation of the unique jingluo system.
(2) The “Lingshu: On Small Needle Explanation”: “The skin, flesh, tendons, and veins each have their own places, meaning each jingluo has its own master.” This indicates that different organizational structures each have their own connection systems. The skin, flesh, tendons, and veins each have their own positions, and the jingluo each have their own masters, meaning that various connection systems each have their subordinate relationships. One cannot take the phrase “the skin, flesh, tendons, and veins each have their own places” out of context and assume that “each jingluo has its own master” refers to the symptoms and treatments appearing in the entire jingluo system. This is worth discussing. Furthermore, in the “Lingshu: On Nine Needles”, treating the four seasons and eight winds with guests in the jingluo requires using sharp needles to draw blood and expel evil; if the evil lingers in the jingluo and causes sudden numbness, one should use round needles to extract the sudden qi; if the evil lingers in the jingluo and causes pain and numbness, one should use fine needles gently and leave them for a long time to nourish the right and expel the evil. Different symptoms appear in the jingluo of different systems, and thus different needle tools must be used. This also illustrates that “the skin, flesh, tendons, and veins each have their own places, and each jingluo has its own master”.
Through the analysis of the meanings of mai, jingmai, luomai, and jingluo, it is evident that the relationship between jingmai and luomai is a general relationship of the distribution of various connection systems in the human body. The basic meanings of jingmai, luomai, and jingluo indicate that the human body must have various regularly existing straight jingmai and side branches of luomai to ensure that various tissues and organs do not operate independently but are in a relationship of dependence and restriction. This can support, cover, and delineate boundaries. Therefore, this relationship of jingluo is broad. The phenomenon of sensation and transmission that occurs under the stimulation of acupuncture and moxibustion, and the desire to obtain corroboration of the ancient meridian system from this, belongs to a narrow definition of this relationship, and the two should not be conflated.
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