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According to the *Chapter on the Generation of the Five Zang Organs*: All vessels belong to the eyes; (Vessels are the pathways for blood; prolonged gazing damages blood, indicating that all vessels belong to the eyes.) All marrow belongs to the brain; (The brain is the sea of marrow, hence all marrow belongs to it.) All sinews belong to the joints; (Sinews with firm and knotted Qi connect between bone and joints. Prolonged walking damages sinews, indicating that all sinews belong to the joints.) All blood belongs to the Heart; (Blood resides within vessels and belongs to the Heart. Blood and Qi constitute human Spirit. Since Spirit is governed by the Heart, it is said that all blood belongs to the Heart.) All Qi belongs to the Lung. (This is because the Lung governs Qi.) Therefore, when a person lies down to sleep, blood returns to the Liver; (The Liver stores blood, while the Heart circulates it. When active, blood moves through the meridians; when quiet, blood returns to the Liver. Why? Because the Liver governs the Sea of Blood.) The Liver receives blood and enables vision; (This describes its function. The eye is the external opening of the Liver, so receiving blood enables vision.) The feet receive blood and enable walking; (Qi movement facilitates blood flow, so receiving blood enables walking.) The palms receive blood and enable grasping; (To perform the function of holding.) The fingers receive blood and enabling picking up; (To perform the function of grasping objects. Blood and Qi constitute human Spirit, thus parts receiving blood can operate flexibly.)

According to the *Chapter on the Distinctions among the Five Zang Organs*: The Brain, Marrow, Bones, Vessels, Gallbladder, and Uterus (in women) are generated by Earth Qi. They store Yin and correspond to Earth, thus they store essence without excreting turbidity, named the Extraordinary Fu Organs (Qi Heng Zhi Fu). (Although Brain, Marrow, Bones, and Vessels are named Fu Organs, they do not form exterior-interior relationships with the Shen Zang. The Gallbladder combines with the Liver but differs from the Six Fu Organs in transmission and excretion. The Uterus has functions of receiving and discharging; receiving involves accepting essence, discharging involves transforming into physical form, where discharge signifies transformation reaching its peak to generate life. However, its receiving and discharging functions differ from the Six Fu Organs; it stores without excreting, its nature is extraordinary and constant, hence named the Extraordinary Fu Organs.) As for the Stomach, Large Intestine, Small Intestine, San Jiao (Triple Burner), and Bladder, these five are generated by Heaven Qi. Their nature corresponds to Heaven, thus they transmit transformed substances without storing essence, receiving turbid Qi from the Five Zang Organs, named the Transmitting and Transforming Fu Organs. These cannot retain contents for long but quickly transport and excrete them. The Po Gate (anus) also serves as an envoy for the Five Zang Organs; water and grain residues cannot be stored for long. (The Po Gate is the anus. Since the Lung governs Po and connects to the Large Intestine, it is named thus.) It is said that the Five Zang Organs store essence and Qi without excreting, thus their state is "full" (Man) but not "solid" (Shi). (Fullness refers to essence; solidity refers to food and drink. Since they only store essence, they are full but not solid.) The Six Fu Organs transmit transformed substances without storing essence, thus their state is "solid" but not "full". (Because they do not store essence but accept food and drink.) This is why, after food enters the mouth, the Stomach becomes solid and the intestines empty (because food has not yet descended). After swallowing, the intestines become solid and the Stomach empty (because food and drink have descended). Thus, it is said that the Six Fu Organs are solid but not full, while the Five Zang Organs are full but not solid.

Why does the Qi Kou (Cunkou pulse) alone serve as the master of the Five Zang Organs? (Qi Kou refers to the Cunkou position, also called the Mai Kou. Through Cunkou, one can observe the flourishing or decline of Qi, hence named Qi Kou; by palpating the pulse's movement, it is named Mai Kou.) The Stomach is the Sea of Water and Grain, the great source of the Six Fu Organs. (Humans have four seas; the Sea of Water and Grain is one of them. It accepts water and grain to nourish the four extremities, thus being the source of transformation, it is called the great source of the Six Fu Organs.) When the Five Flavors enter the mouth, they are stored in the Stomach to nourish the Qi of the Five Zang Organs. The Qi Kou also belongs to the Taiyin Meridian. (The pulse movement observed at the Qi Kou is where the Qi of the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian travels, hence it is said that Qi Kou also belongs to Taiyin.) Therefore, the Qi and flavor of the Five Zang and Six Fu Organs all originate from the Stomach and manifest at the Qi Kou. Thus, the Five Qi entering through the nose are stored in the Heart and Lung; if the Heart or Lung are diseased, the nose will become obstructed. (This clarifies why the Qi Kou pulse alone masters the Five Zang Organs. The Qi Kou is the Cunkou pulse on the right hand, specifically the Taiyuan acupoint of the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian. The *Ling Shu* calls it Mai Kou because pulse Qi converges here. It is named Cunkou because this location is the Taiyuan acupoint, only one cun away from Yuji. The left hand's Cun position is referred to as Yingchong in various chapters of the *Nei Jing*. Pulse movement, Qi fluctuation, and life and death are manifested at the Qi Kou but fundamentally rooted in the Spleen and Stomach. The Stomach belongs to the Foot-Yangming Meridian; the Spleen belongs to the Foot-Taiyin Meridian. Foot-Yangming is the pioneer of the Six Fu Organs; Foot-Taiyin is the root of the Five Zang Organs. The Stomach governs reception; all water and grain rely on it as a market, serving as the great source of the Six Fu Organs. The Five Flavors enter the mouth, are stored in the Stomach, and rely on the Spleen for transformation, thereby nourishing the Qi of all Five Zang Organs. Thus, the Spleen belongs to the Foot-Taiyin Meridian; the Lung belongs to the Hand-Taiyin Meridian. Their Qi naturally flows mutually. Grain enters the Stomach, Qi transmits to the Lung, and Lung Qi moves to the Qi Kou, hence it is said to manifest at the Qi Kou. The *Yu Ji Zhen Zang Lun* states: The Five Zang Organs all derive Qi from the Stomach; the Stomach is the root of the Five Zang Organs. Zang Qi cannot reach the Hand-Taiyin Meridian on its own but must rely on Stomach Qi to do so. Mentioning the Stomach implies the Spleen. The Five Flavors enter the mouth and go to the Fu Organs; the Five Qi enter the nose and go to the Zang Organs. Among the Five Zang Organs, only the Heart and Lung reside above the diaphragm to receive these Five Qi. Thus, if the Heart or Lung are diseased, the nose becomes obstructed. Given this, how can a diseased Spleen distinguish the Five Flavors?)