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The Po (Corporeal Soul) is likened to a mirror. Fire has light and flame; when an object approaches, it burns. Although a mirror can reflect objects, it cannot burn them. In dreams, the body may move, but in reality, the physical body remains still and stable. Movement is the function of the Hun (Ethereal Soul), and stillness is the substance of the Po. Jing (Essence) belongs to Yin, Shen (Spirit) belongs to Yang, Hun belongs to Yang, and Po belongs to Yin. Therefore, Hun follows Shen in its comings and goings, while Po accompanies Jing in its entering and exiting, each following its own kind. That which assumes responsibility for external stimuli is called Xin (Heart). Although Shen resides in the Heart, Shen is formless and its nature is empty, whereas the Heart has form and assumes responsibility for external stimuli. As the Sovereign Ruler, it assumes responsibility for all things. What the Heart recalls is called Yi (Thought/Intent). When the Heart has initiated activity but has not yet determined its specific focus, this is Yi. What is retained by Yi is called Zhi (Will/Resolution). When Yi has decided and remains firm and unchanging, this is Zhi. Based on Zhi, one engages in repeated calculation and consideration, which is called Si (Reflection/Deliberation). When Zhi is fixed but one repeatedly weighs options, this is Si. Because of continuous reflection and distant yearning, this is called Lv (Forethought/Care). When reflection does not cease and there is distant yearning, accompanied by worry and doubt, this is Lv. Based on Lv, one handles matters, which is called Zhi (Wisdom/Intelligence). When one acts after careful consideration and handles affairs with skill, this is Zhi. These five functions each return to their respective governing Zang organs but are unified by the Heart. Thus, the other Zang organs act as ministers and attendants, while the Heart acts as the sovereign ruler.

If the Heart is subjected to fright and excessive thought, it injures Shen. When Shen is injured, one experiences fear and loss of self-control. The flesh may break down and emaciate, hair becomes brittle, complexion fades, and death occurs in Winter (Shen resides in the Heart; if the Heart is injured, Shen becomes unsettled and loses its mastery. The Heart is the mother of the Spleen; if the Heart is deficient, the Spleen also becomes thin, leading to muscle emaciation. "Hair brittle" refers to exhaustion. "Complexion fades" refers to the Heart's color being Red; Red should resemble white silk wrapping cinnabar, not ochre. Fire fears Water, hence death in Winter).

If the Pi (Spleen) is burdened with sorrow and worry without relief, it injures Yi. When Yi is injured, mental confusion arises, the four limbs cannot be moved, hair becomes brittle, complexion fades, and death occurs in Spring (Worry originally injures the Lung; here it is attributed to the Spleen because of the mother-son relationship between Earth and Metal. Worry causes Qi stagnation and lack of movement, resulting in chest oppression. The four limbs receive Qi from the Stomach, but Stomach Qi cannot reach the meridians directly; it must rely on the Spleen to distribute it. Thus, Spleen injury leads to immobility of the limbs. The Spleen's color is Yellow; Yellow should resemble yellow silk wrapping realgar, not loess soil. Earth fears Wood, hence death in Spring).

If the Gan (Liver) is moved by grief within, it injures Hun. When Hun is injured, madness and forgetfulness occur, lacking clarity, leading to improper behavior. One may experience retraction of the genitals and tendon contraction, inability to raise the costal region, hair becomes brittle, complexion fades, and death occurs in Autumn (Grief is also the emotion of the Lung, but it injures the Liver due to Metal overcoming Wood. The Liver stores Hun; when Hun is injured, one may become mad or forgetful. Lack of clarity means losing the normal state of sharp vision, leading to deviation and impropriety. The Liver governs tendons, hence genital retraction and cramping. The costal region is the domain of the Liver; Liver failure leads to immobility. The Liver's color is Green; Green should resemble the luster of dark jade, not indigo. Wood fears Metal, hence death in Autumn).

If the Fei (Lung) is affected by unbounded joy and pleasure, it injures Po. When Po is injured, madness ensues; the mad person seems indifferent to others. The skin and leather become scorched, hair brittle, complexion fades, and death occurs in Summer (Joy belongs to the Heart, but it injures the Lung because Fire overwhelms Metal. The Lung stores Po; when Po is injured, it cannot remain calm, leading to madness. "Indifferent to others" means acting as if no one else exists. The Lung governs the skin, hence the skin and leather become scorched. The Lung's color is White; White should resemble goose feathers, not salt. Metal fears Fire, hence death in Summer).

If the Shen (Kidney) is subjected to unceasing rage, it injures Zhi. When Zhi is injured, one tends to forget previous words, the waist and spine cannot bend or extend, hair becomes brittle, complexion fades, and death occurs in Late Summer (Rage is the emotion of the Liver, but it injures the Kidney due to the mother-son relationship. The Kidney stores Zhi; when Zhi is injured, one forgets previous words. The waist is the mansion of the Kidney, and the spine is the pathway of the Kidney; Kidney injury prevents bending and extending. The Kidney's color is Black; Black should resemble heavy lacquer, not earthy gray. Water fears Earth, hence death in Late Summer). If fear persists without relief, it injures Jing. When Jing is injured, bone weakness and cold extremities occur, and essence leaks spontaneously (This is also Kidney injury, specifically injuring the organ's own emotion, differing from the previous cases. Fear causes Qi to sink, thus injuring Jing. The Kidney governs bones; Jing injury leads to bone weakness. Wei refers to Yang deficiency, Jue refers to Yang decline. Loss of closure and storage function leads to spontaneous leakage of essence without sexual stimulation).

The *Jing Mai Bie Lun* chapter states: Food Qi enters the Stomach, disperses fine essence to the Liver, and permeates the tendons (Fine essence refers to the light and clear part of food. The Liver governs tendons, so the Stomach distributes essence to the Liver, thereby nourishing the tendons). Food Qi enters the Stomach, turbid Qi returns to the Heart, and permeates essence into the vessels (Turbid refers to the thick and heavy part of food. The Heart governs blood vessels, so food Qi returns to the Heart, permeating essence into the vessels). Vessel Qi flows through the meridians, meridian Qi returns to the Lung, the Lung faces all vessels, and transmits essence to the skin and hair (What permeates the vessels must flow into the meridians; meridian circulation depends on Qi. Qi is governed by the Lung, which serves as the canopy of the five Zang organs, thus becoming the gathering point of all vessels. Skin and hair are the exterior correspondence of the Lung, hence essence is transmitted). Essence from skin and vessels combines, circulating Qi in the Fu organ (The Lung governs skin, the Heart governs vessels; the Lung stores Qi, the Heart generates Blood. One Qi and one Blood nourish the body; both Sovereign and Minister reside above, circulating Qi in the Qi Fu, which is the Dan Zhong [Conception Vessel area/Pericardium]). The essence and brightness of the Fu organ remain in the four Zang organs, and Qi returns to equilibrium (Dan Zhong is the Pericardium, the Fu of the Heart. The essence received by the Quan [balance] is returned to the Ming [spirit/brightness]. Ming belongs to the Heart, the ruler of the five Zang organs. "Remain" should be read as "flow". Flowing essence to the four Zang organs brings their Qi to balance, returning to equilibrium. Equilibrium means balance; thus, "If the ruler is clear, the subordinates are secure; if the ruler is unclear, the twelve officials are in danger"). When equilibrium is achieved, the radial pulse forms at the Cun position, determining life and death (Once the Zang organs are balanced, they gather at the Qi Kou [radial artery], forming a Cun-length pulse to determine life and death).

Drinks enter the Stomach, floating and overflowing with essence, transported upward to the Spleen. The Spleen disperses essence, sending it upward to the Lung (Water drinks enter the Stomach, first transported to the Spleen, representing the Middle Jiao like a fermenting vat. The Spleen disperses essence to the Lung, resembling earthly vapor rising to form clouds and mist, representing the Upper Jiao like mist). It regulates water passages, transporting downward to the Bladder (Lung Qi circulates, water follows, regulating water passages and transporting downward to the Bladder, representing the Lower Jiao like a drainage ditch. If Qi cannot descend and transform, urination is blocked. Thus, the Bladder is the official of the capital, storing fluids; only through Qi transformation can they be excreted). Water essence distributes in four directions, the five meridians run together, conforming to the Yin-Yang of the four seasons and five Zang organs, measured by standard principles (Meridials transform Qi to move water, distributing to the four Zang organs, so the five Zang operate together. Conforming to the four seasons: upward transport resembles Spring-Summer ascent, downward transport resembles Autumn-Winter descent. The Yin-Yang of the five Zang refers to dispersing, permeating, and transmitting essence. Thus, one does not deviate from the laws and standards, making it the constant norm).

The *Wu Yun Liu Qi Da Lun* states: The Emperor asked, "How do diseases change?" Qibo replied, "When Qi is compatible, the disease is mild; when incompatible, it is severe." Compatible means mutual generation, leading to harmonious Qi and mild disease. Incompatible means mutual restriction, leading to aggressive Qi and severe disease. The Emperor asked, "What about the ruling Qi of the year?" Qibo replied, "When Qi is in excess, it controls what it overcomes and insults what it cannot overcome. When Qi is deficient, what cannot be overcome insults and attacks it, and what it overcomes lightly insults it." Ruling Qi refers to the years governed by the Five Movements and Six Qi. "What it overcomes" is that which I overcome. "What cannot be overcome" is that which overcomes me. For example, if Wood Qi is in excess, it controls what it overcomes (Earth suffers its control, dampness transforms weakly) and insults what it cannot overcome (Metal). If Wood Qi is deficient, what cannot overcome it (Metal) insults it, and what it overcomes (Earth) also insults it. Insulting invites evil backlash; insulting and receiving evil stems from a lack of awe (Relying on one's ability to overcome, insulting too severely ensures that victory invites retaliation, resulting in receiving evil oneself. E.g., Wood controls Earth; if insulted excessively, the child of Earth [Metal] exploits Wood's deficiency to avenge the mother. Like King Wu of Wu raising his entire army to fight China, Yue exploited the void and destroyed Wu. This is natural retribution in the Five Elements' cycles of victory and restoration).

The *Ling Shu · Jue Qi* chapter states: Two spirits collide, combining to form shape, existing prior to the body, this is called Jing (Two spirits colliding refers to the union of Yin and Yang, forming shape through mutual essence; Jing precedes form. The *Ben Shen* chapter says two essences colliding is called Shen. Here it speaks of two spirits, implying Shen masters Jing, and Jing serves Shen; Shen contains Jing, and Jing contains Shen. This reveals Shen's spiritual emptiness, present everywhere. Jing is born before the body, and Shen stands before Jing. Before has no beginning, after has no end. Those who understand this can discuss Shen). The Upper Jiao opens and develops, disseminating the flavors of grains, warming the skin, filling the body, moistening the hair, like mist and dew irrigation, this is called Qi (Qi belongs to Yang, originating from Heaven,亲近 the upper. Thus, it opens and disseminates in the Upper Jiao, like mist. The *Xie Ke* chapter says: Zong Qi accumulates in the chest, exits the throat, penetrates the Heart and Lungs to govern respiration. The *Ci Jie Zhen Xie Lun* says: Zhen Qi is received from Heaven, combined with Gu Qi to fill the body. The *Ying Wei Hui Hui* chapter says: Humans receive Qi from grain; grain enters the Stomach, transmits to the Lung, and all Zang-Fu receive Qi. Thus, it warms skin, fills body, moistens hair). Pores open and sweat, profuse sweating, this is called Jin (Jin is the fluid of Yang. Sweat is the emission of Jin). Grain enters, Qi fills, moist essence pours into bones, enabling flexion and extension; leaking moisture nourishes brain marrow, moistening skin, this is called Ye (Ye is the essence of Yin. Grain enters the Stomach, Qi fills and transforms into Ye, thus moistening bones. Bones receive moisture, enabling flexion and extension. Meridians flow, enabling leakage. Internally nourishing brain marrow, externally moistening skin, these are all Ye). The Middle Jiao receives Qi and extracts juice, transforming it red, this is called Xue (Water and grain must enter the Stomach; thus, the Middle Jiao receives grain, transforms fine essence into juice, then into red fluid to nourish the body, named Blood). Restraining Ying Qi, preventing evasion, this is called Mai (Restraining refers to a dike, like boundaries of roads or banks of rivers, ensuring Ying Qi has no escape but to flow within, named Mai. Mai is neither Qi nor Blood, but the conduit for moving Qi and Blood).

When Jing is depleted, there is deafness (The ear is the orifice of the Kidney; Jing depletion causes loss of ear function). When Qi is depleted, vision is unclear (Yang Qi of all Zang-Fu ascends to the eyes; Qi depletion causes loss of eye function). When Jin is depleted, pores open, and sweat gushes out (Sweat is Yang Jin. Excessive sweating depletes Jin, hence "excessive sweat leads to Yang collapse"). When Ye is depleted, joints are stiff, complexion fades, brain marrow diminishes, shins feel weak, and ears ring frequently (Ye depletion causes bone marrow dryness, leading to stiffness. Brain shrinkage, shin weakness, and fading complexion. Tinnitus indicates Kidney deficiency due to Ye depletion). When Xue is depleted, complexion is white and dull without luster (The luster of complexion is provided by Blood. Blood depletion results in withered white complexion).

My commentary: The differentiation of Zang organs is indeed subtle and profound, but pointing them out and listing them provides observable images. Ancient masters of supreme spirit could see through walls or view inside the body, utilizing this method. However, changes are infinite and cannot always be judged by standard rules; thus, image becomes spirit. Therefore, abandoning image leads to blind action, while clinging to image is like waiting for a hare by a stump.