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I. Interpretation of Shaoyin

Shaoyin is the pivot of the three Yin meridians. When a disease reaches Shaoyin, it has arrived at a critical moment. Why is this? This is closely related to the connotation of Shaoyin. Below, we intend to explore the connotation of Shaoyin from four aspects.

1. The Original Meaning of Shaoyin

The original meaning of Shaoyin is actually the original meaning of Water and Fire. According to common sense, Water and Fire are incompatible; however, in Shaoyin, Water and Fire must coexist and be compatible.

(1) The Meaning of Kan Water

First, let us study Water. In the hexagrams of the *I Ching* (Book of Changes), Water belongs to Kan, so it is commonly referred to as Kan Water. In Zheng Qin'an's *Yi Li Zhen Chuan* (True Transmission of Medical Principles), there is a poem about the Kan hexagram that captures the essence of Kan Water quite well. It is recorded below. The poem reads: "Heaven imparts, Earth conceives, only then does Water flow through; One Qi contains Three, creating the wonders of nature; From here stands the foundation of all things, Generating and transforming, bathed in the seasons."

① The Formation of Kan Water

The *I Ching* states that Qian (Heaven) and Kun (Earth) generate six children, three sons and three daughters. Who are the three sons? They are the Eldest Son Zhen (Thunder), the Middle Son Kan (Water), and the Youngest Son Gen (Mountain). Therefore, Kan Water is actually one of the six children generated by Qian and Kun. The first line of Zheng's poem, "Heaven imparts, Earth conceives, only then does Water flow through," refers to this meaning. Qian is Heaven, Kun is Earth; Qian is Father, Kun is Mother. Thus, through the union of Qian and Kun, the six children are born. So, how was this son, Kan Water, the Middle Son, born? It was born through the intersection of the middle lines of the Qian and Kun trigrams. If Qian intersects with Kun, and the middle line of Kun changes to Yang, Kan (full in the middle) is generated. If Kun intersects with Qian, and the middle line of Qian changes to Yin, Li (empty in the middle) is generated. The middle line of Qian intersects with Kun to generate Kan. Although Kun transforms into Kan, the rest of its structure remains. Thus, Kun and Kan reside together, and Earth and Water combine their virtues. The virtue of Kun is storage/concealment, and the virtue of Kan is also storage/concealment. What is stored? It is precisely the Yang Qi within Kan. The Yang Qi within Kan originates from the Pre-heaven (innate constitution), so it is called True Yang, Primordial Yang, or also Mingmen Fire (Gate of Life Fire) and Dragon Fire. Regarding this Yang Qi, we have already mentioned it when discussing Si Ni Tang (Counter-Junction Decoction) in the Taiyin chapter. This Yang Qi and this Fire should be concealed rather than flying away. What relies on for concealment? Besides the inherent concealment of Kan's virtue, it still needs to rely on the concealment of Kun's virtue. Therefore, the relationship of Earth and Water combining virtues is not only important in the Taiyin chapter but cannot be neglected in the Shaoyin chapter either.

② True Yang and Ming Fire

The Yang within the aforementioned Kan Water is also called True Yang, Primordial Yang, Dragon Fire, and Ming Fire. From these names, one can know that it is something of supreme importance in the human body. With it, there is life; without it, there is no talk of life. And such a supremely important thing has a supremely important characteristic, which is what was said above: it should be concealed rather than flying away. As the saying goes, a true master does not reveal himself; if he reveals himself, he is not a true master. Why must True Yang and Ming Fire be concealed? Because only when concealed can they warm and nourish Sheng Qi (Vital Qi), allowing Vital Qi to rise like the morning sun and be nurtured warmly, thus ensuring longevity of life. If True Yang cannot be concealed, or if True Yang is diverted for other uses, then this Vital Qi will not receive warmth and nourishment. If even Vital Qi does not receive warmth and nourishment, how can you expect life not to be fraught with crisis? Therefore, the concealment of True Yang and Ming Fire is of supreme importance to life. If concealment is lost, various critical syndromes of True Yang floating outward will occur accordingly. Looking at the Shaoyin and Jueyin chapters, a considerable amount of content discusses this very issue. Why do Shaoyin diseases present with Dai Yang Syndrome (Floating Yang Syndrome) and Ge Yang Syndrome (Rejecting Yang Syndrome)? Why do many critically ill patients experience terminal lucidity before death? This is actually a sign of True Yang floating outward. In the human body, having such True Yang and Ming Fire to warm and nourish Vital Qi allows life to continue. Since humans correspond to Heaven and Earth, in nature, on our living earth, is there a similar True Yang or Ming Fire to ensure the continuous continuation of the Earth's Vital Qi? Yes! This is the energy source everyone is familiar with, hidden in Kan Water and buried in Kun Earth. The main energy sources we use now are petroleum, coal, and natural gas. These energy sources are either hidden under the sea or deeply buried underground. This is very consistent with the concealment sites of True Yang and Ming Fire in the human body. Moreover, petroleum exists in liquid form, similar to water. Although coal has a solid structure, its color is black; since it is black, it is inseparable from Water. The reserves of petroleum, coal, and natural gas are not infinite. If mined in this manner, they will be depleted soon. When these energy sources are depleted, what energy will future humans use? On October 28, 2000, the *Reference News* published an article titled "Future Energy Sources Under the Sea." The article points out that the largest part of future clean energy may lie under the sea, existing in the form of cold ice crystals, namely methane hydrate. From the above discussion, we see that whether current or future energy sources, without exception, are stored in Kan Water and Kun Earth. How similar this is to True Yang and Ming Fire in the human body! This makes us think of a very important question. Why does our earth have life? A very important premise is that it has Vital Qi. Only with this Vital Qi is there life, including plant and animal life. Without this Vital Qi, all life would be an illusion, impossible. And the source of this Vital Qi is the aforementioned "True Yang" and "Ming Fire." It is evident that the energy sources we currently mine and utilize, deeply hidden under the sea and underground, have a specific purpose. The Vital Qi of the earth relies on it for warming and nourishing, and the premise of life on earth relies on it for guarantee. Energy is the Earth's "True Yang"; energy is the Earth's "Ming Fire." Therefore, it should be concealed. Only by being concealed can it warm and nourish the Earth's Vital Qi. Now, mining these "True Yang" and "Ming Fire" in large quantities for our daily use—what kind of process is this actually? It is actually a process where we artificially cause the Earth's "True Yang" and "Ming Fire" to float outward. Everyone can think carefully about whether this is the case. With the massive outward floating of the Earth's "True Yang" and "Ming Fire," the source of warming and nourishing the Earth's Vital Qi gradually decreases. Vital Qi diminishes day by day, and the premise of life loses its guarantee. How can the earth we live on not be fraught with crisis? Of course, it is fraught with crisis. Thus, we see that humanity's treatment of the earth is actually like a person's treatment of their own body. Although modern science does not know what "True Yang" or "Ming Fire" is, it is clear that such unlimited mining of energy is not beneficial for the future of humanity. And what about people? The *Nei Jing* (Inner Canon) long ago stated that people should be "tranquil and empty" (Tian Dan Xu Wu), because "when tranquil and empty, True Qi follows; when spirit and mind are kept inward, how can disease arise?" Actually, many people know this principle and know the benefits of "tranquility," yet they still indulge in greed and anger, allow material desires to run rampant, treat wine as water, and regard absurdity as normal. Just like smoking; few smokers do not know the harms of smoking. More interestingly are tobacco advertisements. Among all advertisements, none is not "selling one's own wares with exaggerated praise," turning one part benefit into ten. Only tobacco advertisements are different; they only tell you "Smoking is harmful to health!" Yet despite this, tobacco consumption continues to increase daily. This reminds us that the problems of individuals and humanity cannot be solved by science alone; philosophy and religion are also needed. The world should be multipolar; similarly, culture should be multipolar and diversified. From the above analysis, we see that the Earth's "True Yang" and "Ming Fire" are suffering from increasing leakage. Why is the temperature of the entire earth's surface increasing year by year? Why are glaciers melting day by day? This is actually a manifestation of the Earth's "True Yang" and "Ming Fire" floating outward. This is exactly "Dai Yang Syndrome" and "Ge Yang Syndrome." Therefore, if we view our earth through the lens of Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage) and the Six Meridians perspective, taking the pulse of the earth, then the earth has already entered the stage of Shaoyin Disease. How shall we "restore Yang" for the earth? How shall we "save against counterflow" for the earth? This is truly a major issue that all humanity should jointly contemplate!

(2) The Meaning of Li Fire

The poem reads: "Produced by Earth, formed by Heaven, called King of Fire; Yin and Yang mutually combine, hiding the Great Sovereign; Spirit and Mind enter and exit, truly without fixed form; The mechanism within lies only in concealment."

Regarding the meaning of Li Fire, we also begin with Zheng's poem.

① The Formation of Li Fire

From the opening line of Zheng's Li Hexagram poem, "Produced by Earth, formed by Heaven, called King of Fire," it is known that the formation of Li Fire is also the result of the union of Qian and Kun. Through the union of Qian and Kun, the middle line of Qian intersects with Kun, and the middle line of Kun changes to Yang, yielding the Kan Water discussed above. Conversely, the middle line of Kun intersects with Qian, and the middle line of Qian changes to Yin, forming Li Fire. Therefore, Li Fire is exactly opposite to Kan Water; it takes Qian as its substance. Earlier, we mentioned that the *I Ching* states Qian and Kun generate six children, three sons and three daughters. Kan is Water and Yin, yet is called Male; Li is Fire and Yang, yet is called Female. Why? This involves both the relationship of substance and function, and a relationship of mutual dependence, as well as deeper issues worthy of our contemplation. Yang speaks of generation and transformation; Yin speaks of concealment and storage. This is the general rule. However, in Zheng's poem, Kan Water speaks of generation and transformation, while Li Fire speaks of concealment and storage. This shares a similar subtlety with the titles of Middle Son and Middle Daughter. If the essence here can be penetrated, the profound principles of Yin and Yang are grasped. This is the formation of Li Fire.

② The Natural Functions and Characteristics of Li Fire

Earlier, when discussing Kan Water, we started from the human body. When discussing Li Fire, we reverse it and start from nature. The natural functions and characteristics of Li Fire can be summarized into at least six aspects. First, Heat Nature. Second, Illumination Nature. The heat and illumination of fire are well-known to all. Third, Dynamic Power. The dynamic nature of fire is actually the greatest factor in creating modern science. How did the entire modern industrial civilization arise? It actually began with the understanding of the dynamic nature of fire. The invention of the steam engine is the most typical example. Fourth, Cooking/Ripening Things. Raw things become cooked through the action of fire. It can be said that human rich dietary culture was created by fire. Without fire, we would have to eat raw food like other animals. Fifth, Transformation. The transformative effect of fire is obvious. Ice is solid; through the action of fire, it quickly becomes liquid, and liquid through fire can become gaseous. Those who have studied chemistry understand the transformative role of fire better; why do most chemical reactions involve heating? It is to accelerate change and promote transformation. Sixth, Only its function is seen, no form can be traced. We previously mentioned that the biggest difference between humans and other animals is the ability to actively use fire. The meaning of actively using fire has two aspects: on one hand, without fire, one can actively seek fire; now, mining petroleum and natural gas is essentially seeking fire; on the other hand, humans can actively discover the aforementioned properties of fire and utilize them. No other animals possess this ability. What changed the course of human civilization? What made society develop so rapidly? Ultimately, it is this fire. Fire plays such an important role, and when fire exerts these effects, it has a very unique feature, which is what we are discussing here: "Only its function is seen, no form can be traced." In the Five Elements, except for Fire, all other substances have a specific physical form for us to observe. For example, Wood has a very specific shape; we can make square tables or round tables from it. Metal and Earth also have this "formability and plasticity." Although Water does not have such a fixed shape, it still has a traceable form. Only Fire lacks this commonality; you can strongly feel its effect, but you cannot see its "formable and plastic" characteristics. Among the Five Elements, only Fire is formless. And in the *Laozi*, there is also a mention of formlessness, which is "The Great Image has no form." What are the functions of this formless Great Image? The *Laozi* further says: "Hold the Great Image, and the world comes to you." From this, it seems that the reason Fire can thoroughly change all of humanity, and the reason it has such an important role, is inseparable from this formless characteristic and the characteristic of the Great Image.

③ The Bodily Functions of Fire

The natural functions of Fire have been described above. As the *Nei Jing* states: "Those who speak well of Heaven must correspond to Man." Thus, we know that the functions of Fire in the human body, or Yang Qi in the human body, do not depart from the above six aspects. First, Warming the Body. Living humans have body temperature; what relies on this? It relies on the warming nature of Fire. Therefore, by observing the warmth or coldness of the body and limbs, we can know whether the Fire and Yang Qi in the human body are sufficient. Second, Illuminating Vision. Why can human eyes see this world? It relies on this Fire and this Yang Qi. We only know that the Liver opens into the Eyes, and the Eyes see when nourished by Blood; this is not enough. We should more clearly understand that the Liver has Yin as substance and Yang as function. Vision depends even more on this Southern Bright Li Fire. As people age, their eyes become dim and prone to various obstructions; this is due to the deficiency and decline of Yang Fire. Third, Bodily Functional Activities. What does human energy rely on? Mainly this Yang Fire. This is very similar to the dynamic effect of Fire. When one suffers from Shaoyin Disease, why is there only a desire to sleep? Why does one not want to move at all? Why does the pumping power of the heart gradually weaken? It is because Fire is gradually declining. Fourth, the Stomach's function of rotting and ripening food corresponds well with Fire's cooking function. Thus, we know the Stomach relies on Fire for rotting and ripening. If Stomach Fire is insufficient, the food eaten cannot be rotted and ripened, and what is excreted is still the same stuff. If Stomach Fire is too excessive, one will digest food quickly and feel hungry easily, never knowing satiety regardless of how much one eats. Fifth, a person's life is in constant change; in modern terms, this is called metabolism. Whether change or metabolism, what does it rely on? Still Fire. This is consistent with the transformative function of Fire in nature. Sixth, as mentioned above, "Only its function is seen, no form can be traced" is the most important and unique aspect of Fire. What does this most important and unique aspect correspond to in the human body? Obviously, it corresponds to Shen Ming (Spirit and Mind). The function of Shen Ming can be said to be the most important in the human body; it is everywhere and used everywhere. Thus, the *Su Wen: Ling Lan Mi Dian Lun* states: "The Heart is the Official of the Monarch, from whom Shen Ming emerges." If the function of Shen Ming were lost, what would the situation be? This is as Zhang Zhongjing said in the preface to *Shang Han Za Bing Lun*: "The body perishes, Shen Ming vanishes, turning into a strange object, hidden deep in the springs, vainly weeping." The function of Shen Ming is so important; one can say that with it there is life, without it there is no life. But what shape does Shen Ming have? What does it look like? This is difficult to describe clearly. Thus, the *Zhong Yong* (Doctrine of the Mean) says: "Look at it, and you do not see it; listen to it, and you do not hear it; it embodies all things and leaves nothing out, causing all people in the world to purify themselves." And the *Shi Jing* (Book of Odes) says: "When the Spirit arrives, it cannot be measured; how much less can it be abandoned?" Is this referring to Spirit? Among the Five Elements, Fire is only seen in its function, with no form to trace. In the human body, Shen Ming is governed by the Heart. What is the difference between the Heart and the other four Zang organs? As mentioned earlier, apart from the Heart, the characters for all other Zang organs contain the "flesh" radical (月/肉). Having flesh means having a traceable form and visible appearance. Thus, the Liver, Spleen, Lung, and Kidney each have a specific shape. Only the Heart lacks the flesh radical; without flesh, naturally, it has no traceable form and no visible appearance. From the characteristics of Fire in the Five Elements, from the character construction of the Heart among the Five Zang organs, and from the characteristics of Shen Ming, we should have a relatively profound understanding of the foundation upon which Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is built and the basic concepts of TCM. Although TCM is a medicine concerning humans, why does the *Nei Jing* emphasize that those practicing TCM must discuss Heaven and Earth? Because if you do not discuss Heaven and Earth, you cannot understand humans. If you cannot understand humans, how can you practice TCM well?

(3) Named Together as Shaoyin

Above we discussed Kan Water and Li Fire. Where do Kan Water and Li Fire belong in the human body? They both belong to Shaoyin. Water and Fire are originally incompatible, but in the human body, not only must they be compatible, but they also share the same name. Why is this? Let us discuss this issue below.

① Water and Fire are the Male and Female of Blood and Qi

Water and Fire sharing the name Shaoyin emphasizes, on one hand, the importance of Water and Fire in the human body, and on the other hand, emphasizes that these two things must cooperate well. Water and Fire must depend on each other and cannot separate; if they separate, problems will arise. Why? The *Su Wen: Yin Yang Ying Xiang Da Lun* states very clearly: What are Water and Fire? Water and Fire are Yin and Yang. What are Yin and Yang? Yin and Yang are Male and Female. Therefore, Water and Fire in the human body are Yin and Yang in the human body, and Male and Female in the human body. A male and female living in the same house—what is this? Of course, husband and wife. Husband and wife must depend on each other, with the husband leading and the wife following. In the past, wives took their husband's surname upon entering the family. Therefore, the meaning of Water and Fire sharing the name Shaoyin is very profound. Yin and Yang, Male and Female, Water and Fire should be harmonious and interdependent. Earlier, when discussing Taiyin, we cited a passage from the *Xi Ci* (Commentary on the Appended Phrases) of the *I Ching*: "Heaven and Earth mingle, and all things become pure; Males and females join essence, and all things are born."