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*Suwen: Linglan Midian Lun* (Complete Text)

The Yellow Emperor asked, saying: I wish to hear about the mutual assistance and the hierarchy of dignity among the twelve zang-fu organs. (Zang means storage. The six zang and six fu organs are collectively called twelve. Speaking separately, yang is called fu, and yin is called zang; speaking together, all can be called zang, just like a warehouse "storage" used for storing items. As stated in the *Xuanming Wuqi Pian*, "the heart stores the shen, the lungs store the po," etc., this is the meaning. Mutual assistance refers to the role of assisting ministers. Dignity and baseness refer to the distinction between ruler and minister, superior and inferior. Zang is pronounced with the departing tone.) Qibo replied, saying: Your question is indeed thorough. Please allow me to explain it fully. The heart is the official of the sovereign, from which mental clarity and consciousness emerge. (The heart is the sovereign of the entire body, endowing emptiness and spirit while containing creative power, possessing one principle to respond to myriad events. The zang-fu organs and hundred bones obey its commands alone, and intelligence and wisdom all stem from it; therefore, it is said that mental clarity emerges from the heart. The lungs are the official of the prime minister, from which governance and regulation emerge. (The lungs and heart both reside above the diaphragm, at a high position near the sovereign, akin to a chancellor assisting the ruler, hence called the official of the prime minister. The lungs govern qi; when qi is harmonious, the nutritive and defensive qi and the zang-fu organs are all properly regulated, hence it is said that governance and regulation emerge from the lungs. Jie means restraint. Xiang is pronounced with the departing tone.) The liver is the official of the general, from which strategic planning and deliberation emerge. (The liver belongs to wind-wood, with a nature that is active and urgent, thus it is called the official of the general. Wood governs growth and generation, thus strategic planning emerges from it.) The gallbladder is the official of integrity and justice, from which decision-making emerges. (The gallbladder possesses the qi of firmness and decisiveness, thus it is called the official of integrity and justice, and decision-making emerges from it. The gallbladder attaches to the liver, and they are interior-exteriorly related. Although the liver's qi may be strong, without the gallbladder there is no decisiveness. When the liver and gallbladder assist each other, courage is formed. Thus, the *Qibing Lun* states: "The liver is the general within, but decisions depend on the gallbladder.") The Danzhong (Chest Center) is the official of the inner messenger, from which joy and delight emerge. (Danzhong is located in the upper jiao, also known as the Upper Qi Sea, where the zong qi accumulates. It mainly executes the orders of the sovereign and prime minister and distributes qi transformation, thus it is called the official of the inner messenger. The *Xingzhen Pian* states: "Those with much yang have much joy; those with much yin have much anger." Danzhong is the residence of the two yang organs, thus joy and delight emerge from it. According to the exterior-interior relationships of the twelve meridians, there is the pericardium meridian but no separate Danzhong acupoint. The position of the pericardium is exactly above the diaphragm, serving as the guard of the heart. The *Zhang Lun* states: "Danzhong is the palace city of the heart master." This perfectly fits the meaning of the pericardium as an inner messenger. I suppose it refers to this? Dan is pronounced Tangtanqie.) The spleen and stomach are the officials of the granary, from which the flavors emerge. (The spleen governs transportation and transformation, the stomach governs reception and digestion, jointly managing water and grain, thus both are called officials of the granary. The five flavors enter the stomach and are distributed by the spleen, hence it is said that the flavors emerge from it. The *Cifa Lun* states: "The spleen is the official of remonstrance, from which comprehensive knowledge emerges." See Yunqi Lei, Chapter 43.) The large intestine is the official of transmission, from which the transformation and excretion of waste emerge. (The large intestine resides below the small intestine, primarily responsible for discharging waste, thus it is the transmission channel for the transformation of the intestines and stomach.) The small intestine is the official of reception and containment, from which the transformation of substances emerges. (The small intestine resides below the stomach, receiving and containing the water and grain from the stomach, thereby separating the clear from the turbid. Fluids seep from here into the anterior orifice, and waste returns from here to the posterior orifice. The spleen transforms and ascends, the small intestine transforms and descends, hence it is said that the transformation of substances emerges from it.) The kidneys are the officials of strength and exertion, from which skill and dexterity emerge. (Ji is synonymous with ji (skill). The kidneys belong to water and store essence. Essence is the有形 (tangible) foundation. When essence is abundant and form is strong, actions are powerful, thus it is called the official of strength and exertion. Water can generate all things, and essence is subtle and unfathomable, thus skill and dexterity emerge from it.) The Sanjiao (Triple Burner) is the official of drainage and irrigation, from which the pathways of water emerge. (Jue means to open/unblock. Du means waterway. If the upper jiao is not treated, water floods the plateau of the head; if the middle jiao is not treated, water stagnates in the middle epigastrium; if the lower jiao is not treated, the two bowels become chaotic. When the qi of the sanjiao is regulated, the collaterals are unblocked and the waterways are smooth, thus it is called the official of drainage and irrigation.) The bladder is the official of the provincial capital, where fluids are stored, and through qi transformation, they can be discharged. (The bladder is located at the lowest position, where the fluids of the three jiao converge, making it a place like a provincial capital, thus it is called the official of the provincial capital, where fluids are stored. The bladder has a lower opening but no upper opening. What enters is water, and the transformation of water relies on qi. There is entry through transformation, and then there is exit; this is what is meant by "through qi transformation, it can be discharged." The *Yingwe Shenghui Pian* states: "Water and grain descend together to form the lower jiao, filtering and separating juices, circulating through the lower jiao and seeping into the bladder." This is precisely what is meant. However, the origin of qi transformation lies between the dantian, named the Lower Qi Sea, where the Tianyi Yuanqi is generated. When yuan qi is sufficient, transportation and transformation are normal, and waterways are naturally smooth, thus qi is the mother of water. Understanding the principle that "only through qi transformation can it be discharged" means half of the methods for treating water diseases have been grasped. The great significance of qi transformation is also seen in the *Sanjiao Baoluo Mingmen Bian* and the notes on the Bladder diagram.) All these twelve officials must not lose their proper functions. (If they lose their functions, qi will not assist each other, leading to disaster.) Therefore, if the sovereign is clear-minded, the subordinates are peaceful; using this for health preservation leads to longevity, and one remains safe throughout life. Using this to govern the world leads to great prosperity. (When the heart master is clear-minded, the twelve officials are all at peace, hence there is no danger. Extending the way of health preservation to regulating the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world, there is none who does not achieve great prosperity.) If the sovereign is unclear-minded, the twelve officials are in peril, the channels of command are blocked and uncommunicated, the physical form suffers greatly. Using this for health preservation leads to calamity; using this to govern the world leads to great danger for the ancestral temple. Beware! Beware! (When the heart is unclear-minded, shen has no master, and the way of mutual assistance among the zang-fu organs is blocked and uncommunicated. Thus, from the sovereign downwards, none fail in their duties, so the twelve zang-fu organs are all in peril and cannot avoid calamity. How much more so for the world? Repeating "beware" emphasizes strongly that the heart sovereign must not be unclear-minded.) The highest dao is subtle, changes are infinite, who knows its source? (The greatness of the highest dao, its source is very subtle; when it changes, it becomes unfathomable. People can see the many but cannot see the few. How can those who know the source discuss this with others?! It is truly distressing. Those who are anxious and uncertain, who knows the key? Among those who are deeply concerned and prudent, who is the good physician? (Jiong means distressed/poor. Qiuqiu describes a look of anxiety and lack of scrutiny. Minmin means deep concern. "Those who are anxious and uncertain, who knows the key?" means that when the twelve officials lose harmony, spirit and vitality gradually diminish, and people look around anxiously without understanding the cause; this is indeed distressing. However, regarding the cause of this situation, who truly knows the key? "Among those who are deeply concerned and prudent, who is the good physician?" means that among those who worry about others' worries and sympathize with others' dangers, who knows how to act as a wise and good physician? This greatly emphasizes that few people understand the dao. The *Qi Jiao Da Bian* writes "Xiao zhe qiuqiu," with a slightly different meaning, see Yunqi Lei, Chapter 11. Qiu is pronounced Qu.) The state of huyang (indistinctness/vagueness) arises from hair's breadth measurements. (Huyang is the beginning of the formless. Hair's breadth is the initial stage of the formed. This is the manifestation of the highest dao being subtle.) Hair's breadth measurements originate from measurement standards. Multiplying by thousands and tens of thousands can make them larger; expanding and deducing them, the forms take shape. (Hair's breadth is the origin of measurement. Multiplying by thousands and tens of thousands implies continuous accumulation, leading to more and more forms and systems. This metaphorically states that the great must come from the small, and the manifest must begin with the subtle. Thus, although changes are numerous, the principle is one. Therefore, if one can know the One, there is nothing one does not know; if one cannot know the One, there is nothing one can know. This serves to show that human safety and danger, good fortune and misfortune, also originate solely from the heart sovereign.) The Yellow Emperor said: Excellent. I have heard of the path of refined light, the enterprise of the Great Sage, and the clarification of the great dao. Unless I fast and purify myself and choose an auspicious day, I dare not accept it. The Yellow Emperor then chose an auspicious day and favorable omens, and stored [this text] in the Chamber of Linglan to transmit and preserve it. (Purifying the heart is called fasting; distancing oneself from desires is called abstinence. This is to deeply revere the great dao and show people its extreme value.)