心包络,《难经》谓其无形。然考《内经》论十二官,无心包络之名,而有膻中
之号。盖膻中乃心之窝,心藏窝中,若包裹然,则膻中固即心包络,非无形也。三
焦,《经》谓上焦如雾,(上焦,膈以上也。清阳之分,其气如雾。)中焦如沤,(中焦,
膈下脐上也。水谷之区,停留如沤。)下焦如渎,(下焦,脐以下也。便溺所出,如决
渎。)亦未言其形状。论者纷纷,皆如捕风捉影,毫无实指。惟张景岳谓即腔子,脏
腑如物,腔子如囊之括物,人但知物之为物,而不知囊之亦为一物。其说甚通。(古
谓三焦,有名无形者,盖指腔子内、脏腑外之空际言,乃三焦火气游行之处也。)予
因是而思,人之脏腑只有十,而以心为君,余为臣。三焦即腔子,(窃谓“焦”当作
“椎”,人身脊骨二十一椎,上焦乃上七椎,中焦乃中七椎,下焦乃下七椎也。“椎”别作
“焦”耳。观《灵枢·背 篇》五、七、九、十一、十四各椎俱作焦可见。)如京城,君臣所同居也。
心包络即膻中,如宫城,君所独居也。宫城在内,京城在外,内为阴,外为阳,故
三焦亦称腑,而心包络亦称脏耳。三焦既即腔子,则为有形,有形则有经脉。凡腔
子中之经脉,皆三焦之经脉,但不分地立名,难于指称。故将其与各脏腑络系
者,分属所络系之脏腑,名曰某脏某腑经脉。而以其无所击属者,名三焦经脉。
犹之九州之地皆王土,而除分封诸侯外,余为王畿。心包经脉,亦三焦经脉之络系于
膻中者所分属,为十二经也。(奇经八脉,亦即三焦经脉另立名目分出,如王畿内有公卿大夫采地也。)
The Pericardium (Xinbaoluo), according to the *Nan Jing* (Classic of Difficult Issues), is considered formless. However, examining the discussion of the "Twelve Officials" in the *Nei Jing* (Inner Canon), there is no mention of the Pericardium, but rather the title of Tanzhong (Chest Center/Shanzhong). Essentially, Tanzhong is the cavity where the Heart resides; the Heart is stored within it, as if wrapped or covered. Thus, Tanzhong is indeed the Pericardium, and it is not formless. Regarding the Sanjiao (Triple Burner), the Classics state that the Upper Jiao is like mist (Upper Jiao refers to the area above the diaphragm. It is the region for the distribution of clear Yang qi, and its qi state resembles mist.), the Middle Jiao is like fermentation/soaking (Middle Jiao refers to the area below the diaphragm and above the navel. It is the zone for water and food, where contents remain and ferment like soaking.), and the Lower Jiao is like a drainage ditch (Lower Jiao refers to the area below the navel. It is where feces and urine exit, resembling the clearing of ditches.). The shape of the Sanjiao is also not mentioned. Debaters have argued endlessly, akin to catching wind and shadows, without any concrete reference. Only Zhang Jingyue stated that the Sanjiao is essentially the body cavity (Qiangzi). The zang-fu organs are like objects inside, while the cavity is like a bag containing these objects. People only recognize the objects themselves but fail to realize that the bag itself is also an entity. His explanation is very logical. (Ancient texts stating that the Sanjiao has a name but no form likely referred to the void space inside the cavity but outside the zang-fu organs, which is the pathway for the circulation of Sanjiao fire-qi.) Based on this, I pondered that humans have only ten zang-fu organs, with the Heart as the Sovereign and the rest as ministers. The Sanjiao is the body cavity. (I privately suggest that the character "Jiao" should be read as "Zhui" (vertebrae). The human spine consists of twenty-one vertebrae: the Upper Jiao corresponds to the upper seven vertebrae, the Middle Jiao to the middle seven, and the Lower Jiao to the lower seven. The character "Zhui" was borrowed/written as "Jiao". This can be verified by observing that in the *Ling Shu · Back-Shu Chapter*, the 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 14th vertebrae are all written as "Jiao".) It is like the capital city, where the Sovereign and ministers reside together. The Pericardium is the Tanzhong, like the inner palace city, where the Sovereign resides alone. The palace city is internal, and the capital city is external; internal belongs to Yin, and external belongs to Yang. Therefore, the Sanjiao is also called a Fu organ, while the Pericardium is also called a Zang organ. Since the Sanjiao is the body cavity, it is tangible/form-bearing. If it has form, it must have meridians. All meridians within the body cavity are meridians of the Sanjiao, but because they are not named separately by specific regions, they are difficult to point to specifically. Thus, those meridians that connect with various zang-fu organs are assigned to the respective connected zang-fu organs and named as the meridians of that specific Zang or Fu. Those without specific assignment are named the meridians of the Sanjiao. This is analogous to how all lands of the Nine Provinces are the King's territory, but apart from the enfeoffed feudal lords' domains, the remainder constitutes the Royal Domain directly controlled by the king. The meridians of the Pericardium are also part of the Sanjiao meridians that connect to the Tanzhong, distributed to form the Twelve Regular Meridians. (The Eight Extraordinary Vessels are also distinct categories derived from the Sanjiao meridians, similar to how within the Royal Domain there are fiefs for dukes, marquises, counts, viscounts, and barons.)