IIntroduction: The five organs (wǔ zàng) and six bowels (liù fǔ) hidden within our bodies each have their own characteristics and functions. When it comes to their roles, how do we determine their importance? Let’s listen to what the five organs and six bowels have to say; this story will help us understand them better. (Editor/Anne)
One day, a TCM enthusiast named Xiao Ming was about to eat hawthorn rolls when he suddenly heard a commotion in his abdomen. It turned out that the five organs (heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys) and six bowels (stomach, large intestine, small intestine, bladder, gallbladder, san jiao) were arguing. The cause was that Xiao Ming had overeaten due to his greed.
The stomach could not bear the burden and complained, “Every day, my master stuffs me with so much food, regardless of whether it is sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, or salty, I have to digest it all. It’s too exhausting!”
The small intestine said, “Stomach brother, stop complaining. You get to taste delicious food and enjoy the flavors. But I only receive what you have digested; I have to chew slowly and extract the nutritious essence to send to the spleen. Have I ever tasted fresh food? Is it easy for me?” Saying this, he even choked up.
At this moment, the large intestine spoke up: “Brother, you should be grateful; the dregs you leave after extracting the essence are all given to me.”
The bladder said, “You all have it better than me; I only store the waste water after your digestion. I am soaked in water every day, boo hoo.”
At this time, they all looked towards the five organs. Although the five organs did not speak, the six bowels felt that they always received the best and appeared superior, which was quite displeasing.
After listening for a while, the five organs knew they could not remain silent. The heart, as the representative, spoke up: “We know you all work hard, but everyone has different roles. Our responsibilities are more important, so naturally, we receive better treatment.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the six bowels expressed their dissatisfaction: “What? We do so much hard work to provide you with good food and drink; are we not important?”
The five organs retorted, “What can you provide us?”
Xiao Ming felt he had to intervene, so he cleared his throat and said, “Everyone, stop arguing! How about we listen to Teacher Wang Xuzhi’s lecture on the organs and bowels and see what he has to say?”
Everyone agreed, held their breath, and perked up their ears to listen to Teacher Wang’s lecture:
“Whether it is the five organs or the six bowels, they all belong to the internal organs and are equally important to the human body. Otherwise, why would they be so well protected? For the human body, the five organs and six bowels are as important as a bank’s vault, and they need to be well protected.”
Upon hearing this, the six bowels felt balanced and smiled with satisfaction.
“However, there are still differences between the five organs and the six bowels,” the teacher continued.
“The five organs are indeed more important. The five organs are like the ministry buildings, where the most precious essence of the body is hidden, such as the heart storing heart qi, the liver storing liver qi, etc. These essences are like the ministers and deputy ministers of each ministry, all elites.”
Upon hearing this, the five organs proudly raised their heads.
“However, the responsibilities of the five organs are also greater. The precious essences you store must be well guarded; you must ‘store the essence and not let it leak’; if there is any leakage or deficiency, it will cause problems.”
“What kind of problems?” the six bowels asked.
“There are many, for example, if lung qi is deficient, it will lead to coughing; if spleen qi is deficient, it will cause diarrhea, and so on.”
“What about us, the six bowels?” they all asked eagerly, wanting to know the teacher’s evaluation.
“The six bowels are like a large kitchen, responsible for producing the precious qi and blood for the five organs; since food is essential for life, even elites need to eat, right? So the five organs should be grateful for the hard work of the six bowels.”
Hearing the teacher’s affirmation, the six bowels stood taller and felt more motivated.
“The six bowels must also work diligently, always keeping things flowing, and must ‘transport and transform without storing’, without any slack. The five organs and six bowels must work together to ensure the safety of the body, as the saying goes, ‘when the five organs are in harmony, the person is safe and healthy.’”
After listening to Teacher Wang’s lecture, the five organs and six bowels clearly understood their respective responsibilities, accepted their roles, and happily went about their duties.
So, what do you think of Teacher Wang’s lecture on the organs and bowels? Wasn’t it very humorous and vivid? Let’s savor it together.
Key Insights
The Five Organs Store Essence:
The treasures hidden in the five organs are called essence (jīng qì).
If we consider the entire human body as a country, then the five organs are like the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Water Resources, and other major ministries; the essence stored in the five organs is like the ministers and deputy ministers within these ministries, the core members.
The essence residing in the spleen is called spleen qi, in the lungs it is called lung qi, and similarly for heart qi, liver qi, and kidney qi.
The Six Bowels Do Not Store:
The bowels are the channels or places for the transformation of food and water.
The functions of the stomach and intestines, and the bladder, are like a large kitchen, where the items stored are food and other substances.
The role of the bowels is “to transport and transform without storing”, meaning that the food and drink in the stomach and intestines must be in motion, with both intake and output, and should not remain stagnant.
Practical Applications
1. Children’s Colds and Coughs
Some children frequently catch colds and fevers, and as they grow up, they often cough and wheeze. Their issue is due to the weakness of the national defense minister, which is the lung qi, making it unable to perform its duties properly.
2. Unformed Stools
Some friends have been experiencing diarrhea for twenty years, and their stools have never formed. What is going on? Exactly, it is their agricultural minister, which is the spleen qi, that has problems.
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