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The relationship between pain/itching and the Heart leads us to consider that although pain, itching, and all other unpleasant sensory experiences bring much discomfort and suffering to our mind and body, even making us restless, we should realize that pain and itching are not necessarily bad things. Why is this so? Because if the body has even a slight ailment, or if the Four Elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Wind) are slightly imbalanced, you will feel pain or itching and discomfort, and be able to perceive it. This shows that the Shen Ming (Spiritual Consciousness, governed by the Heart) is not dim, but very clear! It indicates that the "Monarch" (the Heart) is a wise ruler who can discern the finest details. It perceives even the slightest movement in the world; it reflects even the slightest abnormality in the body through pain and itching. By exposing contradictions early, they can be resolved early, thus preventing major disasters. Therefore, from this perspective, pain and itching become good things. They reflect that the Monarch is spiritual and perceptive. Think about it: if the situation were not as described above—if the body had ailments, even serious ones, yet you felt no pain or itching and had no sensation at all—would that be good? This would only indicate that your Monarch is not wise, but a foolish ruler. The Heart governs pain and itching; if you do not feel pain or itching when you should, what else could the ruler be but a fool? Just like Pakistan's former President Sharif, who was unaware of a coup coming right to his door. Could such a ruler be considered wise? If he were wise, he would detect any slight movement and neutralize it immediately, leaving no room for a coup. Many diseases today are like this; before being diagnosed, these diseases often have no significant sensations, neither painful nor itchy. Yet once diagnosed, they are already late-stage cancer or uremia. Why can such severe diseases go undetected? Because you have encountered a foolish ruler. Your Monarch is not wise and cannot discern the finest details. The result, as stated in *Su Wen: Ling Lan Mi Dian Lun* ("Secrets of the Spiritual Palace of the Ruler"): "If the Ruler is not wise, the Twelve Officials are in danger; the channels become blocked and obstructed, the form suffers greatly. Using this for health preservation brings disaster; using this to rule the world brings great peril to the clan. Beware, beware!" The Heart governs Shen Ming. If the Spirit is wise, there is nothing it does not see or inspect. Only then can the "Advisory Official" discussed in the Taiyin chapter truly function. Thus, as *Su Wen: Ling Lan Mi Dian Lun* states: "If the Ruler is wise, the subordinates are secure. Using this for health preservation ensures longevity, without danger throughout life; using this to rule the world leads to great prosperity." Why? Because with any slight change, the organism detects it and makes corresponding adjustments. Our organism faces abnormal cell differentiation every day, yet why does it not form tumors? Because as soon as differentiation becomes abnormal, it is detected, and the organism adjusts and handles it. The same applies to all other diseases. As long as our "Ruler" is wise, problems can be detected early and prevented from becoming major issues. Look at this: "The Ruler of Officials, from whom Shen Ming arises." "All pain, itching, and sores belong to the Heart." Are such questions important? Indeed, they are. If we understand this problem clearly and address it step by step, many major ailments of the organism, especially tumors, can be prevented. Therefore, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is not lacking in research topics; it depends on whether one delves deep enough and makes connections.

(3) Pain
Above, we discussed the intrinsic relationship between pain and the Heart and extended upon it. In fact, if we pay attention to the characters and common usage, this relationship is obvious. What words are often used together with "pain"? Heartache (Xin Tong), distress (Tong Xin), and suffering (Tong Ku). The first two terms clearly point out the relationship between pain and the Heart. The meaning of the latter is similar. Bitterness is the flavor of the South and belongs to the Heart. This tells us that we should not underestimate common sayings or ordinary words among the people. These often contain profound medical principles and philosophy. Looking at books like *Zhou Yi*, *Laozi*, and those of Confucius, most are very ordinary and commonplace words. Yet, from this ordinariness, extremely profound truths emerge. This is the work of masters, the work of sages! Another word often used with pain is "teng" (aching). Have you thought about this ubiquitous term? Why are "teng" and "tong" often used together? Why is "teng" called "tong" and "tong" called "teng"? The phonetic component of "teng" is "Dong" (Winter), and the Qi of Winter is Cold. What is the connection between pain/aching and Cold? There is an article in *Su Wen* specifically discussing pain, called "Ju Tong Lun" (Discourse on Listing Pain). It lists more than ten examples of pain, hence the name. Among these examples, except for one, all discuss pain caused by Cold Qi. Additionally, *Su Wen: Bi Lun* states: "Pain is due to excessive Cold; because there is Cold, there is pain." This shows that *Su Wen* has a clear understanding of pain: "Because there is Cold, there is pain." From this, we know why pain is expressed as "teng": expressing it as "teng" means expressing its nature as Cold. Furthermore, the character formation of "tong" is worth studying. Its phonetic component is "Yong". What does "Yong" mean? Yong means road/path. Adding "Yong" inside the disease radical "Bing" indicates a problem with the road. What is the problem? Roads are for walking and traffic. If there is a problem with the road, it is naturally blocked. Blockage leads to pain. This is consistent with the TCM principle: "Where there is blockage, there is pain; where there is pain, there is blockage." Thus, the character "tong" and the word "tengtong" completely reveal the cause and mechanism of pain. You just don't understand and seek methods outside the body. Pain is a common manifestation of many diseases and is the biggest problem diseases bring to people. For many diseases, especially late-stage cancer, the pain is so severe that many patients even wish to end their lives via euthanasia. This shows that pain relief is indeed a very important and urgent task for the medical field. I believe the content discussed above should help solve this problem.

We have finished discussing the Heart.

B. Kidney

(1) The Highest Good is Like Water
Regarding the "Dao" of the Kidney, we still start with the character. The ancient character for Kidney consists of "?" on top and "Yue" (Moon/Flesh) on the bottom. What does "?" mean? "?" was anciently written as "Xian" (Virtuous/Worthy), and Xian means Good. The meaning of Yue has been discussed multiple times previously; it represents the combination of Water and Moon, the essence of Water. Thus, speaking of Yue is also speaking of Water. Therefore, combining the top and bottom of the Kidney character perfectly verifies a sentence from *Laozi*: "The highest good is like water." Goodness is above, Water is below; Laozi's spirit is fully contained within.

(2) The Kidney is the Official of Strength and Vigor, from whom Ingenuity Arises
*Su Wen: Ling Lan Mi Dian Lun* states: "The Kidney is the Official of Strength and Vigor, from whom Ingenuity Arises." I have pondered this official role for many years, and only recently have I begun to clarify my understanding. To understand its function, we must start with the characters. First is "Zuo Qiang" (Make Strong/Act Strong). "Zuo" is relatively clear, meaning action or function. The key here is the meaning of "Qiang". What is "Qiang"? It has two layers of meaning here. The first layer is the original meaning: a grain beetle. As *Yu Pian* states: "A worm in rice." And *Er Ya: Shi Chong* states: "Qiang is the name of an insect." So, the primary original meaning of Qiang refers to the beetle in rice. Everyone has seen this beetle; what organ in the human body does it resemble? It resembles the male genitalia. This thing is called "Qiang". Why? Because the Kidney governs the two Yin openings. From this first layer of meaning, the connection between the Kidney and the external genitals/genitalia is clearly established. Since the Kidney is the Official of Strength and Vigor, it is naturally related to reproduction. Think about it: among all the ingenuities in the world, is there anything greater than reproduction and procreation? Such a great ingenuity is called Creation (Zao Hua). Wang Bing explained: "Describing creation, hence called ingenuity." The second layer is the extended meaning: strong, firm, rigid. Which part of the human body has such properties? Only bones! The strongest, hardest thing in the body, capable of bearing force and gravity, is none other than bone. So, the meanings of Qiang are: first, genitalia; second, bone. The Kidney governs bone and the external genitals. Therefore, the Kidney being the Official of Strength and Vigor is most appropriate. The Kidney governs Water, and Water is supremely soft. Why does it instead act strongly? This principle is profound. We see in *Laozi, Chapter 43*: "The softest thing in the world gallops over the hardest thing in the world." And *Laozi, Chapter 78*: "Nothing in the world is softer and weaker than water, yet for attacking the hard and strong, nothing can surpass it, because nothing can replace it. The weak overcomes the strong, the soft overcomes the hard. All under heaven knows this, but no one can practice it." The Kidney governs Water and Bone. Water and Bone seem unrelated, yet in the human body, they are linked. Thus, the supremely soft and the supremely hard in the body are actually gathered in the Kidney. Both supremely soft and supremely hard, combined into rigidity and flexibility, how could ingenuity not arise? Therefore, in this official role of the Kidney, the concept of *Laozi*—"The softest thing in the world gallops over the hardest thing in the world"—is truly embodied. Who says medicine and Dao are not from the same source? Medicine and Dao are indeed from the same source. Speaking deeply, ingenuity is human reproductive ability, the creative function of humans. Speaking superficially, it refers to skills and craftsmanship. Can the deep aspect exist without rigidity and flexibility? The function of our genitalia best embodies this rigidity and flexibility. Can the superficial aspect, skills and craftsmanship, exist without rigidity and flexibility? It similarly requires the combination of rigidity and flexibility. Thus, summarizing the functional characteristics of the entire Kidney yields this phrase: "The Official of Strength and Vigor, from whom Ingenuity Arises."

(3) The Kidney Governs Hibernation, is the Root of Sealing and Storage, and the Residence of Jing (Essence)
Next is what *Su Wen: Liu Jie Zang Xiang Lun* states: "The Kidney governs hibernation, is the root of sealing and storage, and the residence of Jing." Kidney governs hibernation (Zhe). What is hibernation? Hibernation is sealing and storage. What is sealed and stored? As mentioned earlier, it is the sealing and storage of Yang Qi. Combining this with the discussion of Kan Water (Water in the Trigram Kan), the meaning of Kidney sealing and storage becomes clearer. The Kidney is a Water Organ, belonging to Kan. What is the image of Kan? It is one Yang enclosed between two Yins. Therefore, what is sealed between the two Yins is Yang. So, what is the "Residence of Jing"? Jing actually refers to the sealed state of Yang. The place where Yang is sealed is where Jing resides. Thus, linking "Root of Sealing and Storage" with "Residence of Jing" clarifies the meaning of Jing further. Doctors in China nowadays love using hormones. It is necessary to discuss this here. The effect of hormones is indeed incredible; they are effective for many diseases. For example, when nephritis patients use hormones, swelling subsides, and proteinuria disappears; when asthma patients use hormones, asthma stops quickly; some high-fever patients do not break fever with other treatments, but once given hormones, the fever drops rapidly. The Nobel Prize in Medicine in the 1950s was awarded for discovering the many clinical effects of hormones. Why do hormones have such significant effects? How should we think about this from a TCM perspective? Combining with what we have discussed here, we should know that the action point of hormones is in the Kidney; they mainly release the Yang Qi sealed and stored by the Kidney. The Yang Qi sealed and stored in the Kidney is Jing! This is formidable stuff, like an atomic bomb. Is the energy of an atomic bomb large? So, it can do many things and have "miraculous effects" on many diseases. However, everyone should be clear: this Yang, this Jing, sealed and stored by the Kidney, is used to warm and nourish Sheng Qi (Vital Qi) and sustain Life. Now, if you mobilize it for other uses, although the immediate efficacy may be magical, after prolonged use, the sealed and stored Yang Qi decreases, and Jing decreases. Consequently, the source of Vital Qi diminishes, and the substance sustaining Life is depleted. Therefore, the results of overusing hormones are foreseeable. The West is now very clear about the dangers of hormone abuse, so its use is extremely cautious, reserved only for absolute necessity. However, doctors in China, especially grassroots doctors, are still heavily reliant on them; even a common cold with fever warrants hormones, let alone others. Quack doctors kill without knives; this applies not only to TCM but also to Western medicine. Hormones act on the Kidney; abusing them inevitably damages the Kidney. What of the Kidney is damaged? Obviously, the governing of hibernation and the sealing/storage are damaged. If governing hibernation fails and sealing/storage fails, where is the "Residence of Jing"? So, the remedy is to work on the Kidney. However, prevention is better than cure. This is an issue the medical community should jointly advocate.

(4) All Cold and Contraction/Bending Belong to the Kidney
Above, we mainly discussed the normal physiological functions of the Kidney; next, we discuss pathogenesis. The pathogenesis of the Kidney is: "All Cold and Contraction/Bending belong to the Kidney." Earlier, we said the main cause of pain is Cold. Here, it states all Cold belongs to the Kidney; this is the first point. Second, earlier we mentioned that the more direct factor of pain is "blockage". Why is there "blockage"? Because of contraction/bending. When meridians contract/bend, and blood vessels contract/bend, becoming smaller, blockage easily occurs. Here, contraction/bending is also attributed to the Kidney. This provides a clearer line of reasoning. What is pain related to? It is closely related to the Kidney! One could say its cause is in the Kidney, and its effect/result is in the Heart. From the discussion of Shaoyin, we see the cause and effect of pain clearly. This is another profound topic, which can be approached in conjunction with modern issues. Should pain be treated by addressing the cause or the effect? To cure it thoroughly, both cause and effect must be treated. However, in some cases, the cause is difficult to remove or identify immediately, so one must focus on the effect. Therefore, analgesia, especially potent analgesia, probably needs to focus on the Heart. This concerns the Kidney issue.

Earlier, when discussing "All pain, itching, and sores belong to the Heart," we mentioned that the Heart's role is indeed very important, as stated in *Su Wen: Ling Lan Mi Dian Lun*. When the organism develops a disease and functional abnormalities occur, the organism should detect it early and adjust/clear it promptly. This is a natural process of the human body. In fact, why do many diseases, like colds and diarrhea, have self-healing properties? Precisely for this reason. When a person gets sick, the first step is to sense it. This produces manifestations and syndromes. This is essentially an identification process. After identification, self-adjustment occurs; if adjustment succeeds, the disease heals without treatment. Actually, is it really untreated? No! How can it heal without treatment? It is just that this "treatment" is not external treatment by others, but self-treatment. This self-treatment mechanism still completes itself by regulating Yin and Yang, following "Cold is treated with Heat, Heat is treated with Cold," "Examining Yin and Yang to distinguish soft and hard, treating Yin for Yang diseases, treating Yang for Yin diseases, stabilizing Blood and Qi, each staying in its place, draining excess Blood, drawing up deficient Qi." Not only do we use this method to treat diseases, but the organism itself is truly a master at it. If your Fire is too excessive, it activates the Water system to "treat Heat with Cold"; if your Fire is insufficient, it activates another system to "treat Cold with Heat." Therefore, the organism actually has a very perfect system to respond to and solve these problems. Only when the system's response capacity declines or encounters obstacles, to the point of inability to self-treat, does disease leave room for external or other treatment. And the external or other treatments we adopt are merely imitations of the organism's own methods. TCM speaks of "Superior physicians treat disease before it arises." What does "treating disease before it arises" mean? I think one meaning is to constantly regulate the organism, helping it restore its self-treatment ability. The human self-treatment system is very complex, including how to identify, how to respond, and how to handle. The leader of the identification system is the Heart, as discussed above. Under normal circumstances, the identification system should be sensitive, detecting even slight abnormalities. Only when this system fails, becomes paralyzed, and the organism presents abnormalities that it cannot identify, does this lead to major disasters. When I was in the countryside, I often heard farmers say a local saying, roughly meaning: a rotten wall can withstand wind and rain. In the countryside, we often see dilapidated houses, leaving only a broken wall standing there, enduring sun, wind, and rain. Yet, after decades, this broken wall remains exactly as it was, standing motionless. But some good-looking houses, with seemingly solid walls, collapse at the first sign of wind and rain.