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(From *Suwen: Mai Yao Jing Wei Lun*)

The Five Zang Organs are the guardians within. (Each of the Five Zang Organs stores essence; if stored without loss, spirit and vitality remain solid, hence they are called the guardians within.) If there is fullness in the center with organ distension, excessive qi leading to damage of fear (kidney injury), and a voice sounding as if coming from inside a room, this indicates dampness in the middle qi. (Center refers to the chest and abdomen. Organ refers to the zang-fu. Fullness/distension refers to bloating and urgency. Excessive qi refers to panting. Damage of fear refers to kidney injury. Voice sounding as if from a room refers to turbid and unclear speech. These are all signs of counterflow of water qi, thus constituting a middle qi dampness syndrome, representing the loss of guardianship by the Spleen, Lung, and Kidney.) If speech is faint and one can only speak again after a whole day, this indicates depletion of qi. (Qi deficiency is severe, so the voice cannot continue; this is the loss of guardianship by the Lung.) If one does not gather clothes and blankets properly, speaks indiscriminately about good and bad, and shows no avoidance of intimacy or distance, this indicates disorder of the Shen (Spirit). (Shen is about to escape, hence the confusion; this is the loss of guardianship by the Heart.) If the granaries cannot be stored, it is because the gates lack control. (Control means constraint. The pylorus, ileocecal valve, and anus are all gates of the granaries; if the gates cannot hold firm, the intestines and stomach cannot store, resulting in uncontrolled diarrhea and incontinence; this is the loss of guardianship by the Spleen. 'Control' is pronounced with the level tone.) If water springs do not stop, it is because the Bladder cannot store. (The Bladder and Kidney are exterior-interior pairs, responsible for storing fluids; when water springs do not stop, i.e., urinary incontinence, this is the loss of guardianship by the Kidney.) Those who maintain guardianship live; those who lose guardianship die. (If the Five Zang Organs maintain guardianship, the aforementioned diseases will not occur, so one lives; if guardianship is lost, spirit departs and death ensues.)

The Five Zang Organs are the strength of the body. (The following discusses the failure of form and qi to maintain themselves, which internally corresponds to the Five Zang Organs. When zang qi is abundant, the body is strong; thus, the Five Zang Organs are the foundation of bodily strength.) The head is the mansion of clarity and intelligence. If the head droops and cannot be lifted, and the eyes are sunken and devoid of luster, the spirit and vitality are about to be depleted. (The essence and qi of the Five Zang and Six Fu Organs all ascend to the head to facilitate the functions of the seven orifices; thus, the head is the mansion of clarity and intelligence. Drooping head means inability to lift the head. Sunken eyes mean hollow orbits without light. Loss of strength in zang qi leads to such depletion of spirit.) The back is the mansion of the chest. If the back is curved and shoulders sag, the mansion is about to collapse. (The back is where the shu points of the organs are located, hence it is called the mansion of the chest. Curved back and sagging shoulders also indicate loss of strength in zang qi.) The waist is the mansion of the Kidney. If turning and shaking the waist is impossible, the Kidney is about to become exhausted. (This is the loss of strength by the Kidney.) The knees are the mansion of the sinews. If flexion and extension are impossible, and walking requires stooping and leaning on others, the sinews are about to become exhausted. (Although sinews are primarily governed by the Liver, it is the sinews at the knees that connect joints and support the body; thus, the knee is the mansion of the sinews. Such exhaustion of sinews indicates loss of strength in the meridians. 'Stooping' is pronounced 'lv'.) The bones are the mansion of marrow. If one cannot stand for long, and trembles while walking, the bones are about to become exhausted. (Marrow fills the bones, hence bones are the mansion of marrow. Empty marrow leads to weak and powerless bones; this is the loss of strength by the Kidney.) Those who maintain strength live; those who lose strength die. (Strong zang qi leads to strong righteous qi, hence life. Loss of strength leads to exhaustion of qi, hence death.)