\r足少阴肾脏图\pj-j22.bmp\r
肾有两枚。重一斤一两。状如石。而附着于脊之十四椎。当胃下两旁。
北方黑色。入通于肾。开窍于二阴。藏精于肾。故病在 。其味咸。其类水。其畜彘。
其应四时。上为辰星。是以知病之在骨也。其音羽。其数六。其臭腐。其液唾。其色黑。
北方生寒。寒生水。水生咸。咸生肾。肾生骨髓。骨髓生肝。肾生耳。其在天为寒。在
地为
为咸。在志为恐。恐伤肾。思胜恐。寒伤血。湿胜寒。咸伤血。甘胜咸。肾者。作强之官。
伎巧出焉。
肾者。主蛰。封藏之本。精之处也。其华在发。其充在骨。为阴中之少阴。通于冬气。
肾之合骨也。其荣发也。其主脾也。〔内经〕
脏各有一。肾独有两者何也。然。两者非皆肾也。其左者为肾。右者为命门。命门者。
谓精神之所舍。原气之所系也。男子以藏精。女子以系胞。故知肾有二也。
程可久曰。北方常配二物。故易惟坎加习。于物为龟为蛇。于方为朔为北。于太玄为玄
为冥。
滑氏曰。肾虽有左右命门之分。其气相通。实皆肾也。合而观之。谓之五脏五腑可也。
六脏六腑亦可也。
七节之旁。中有小心。
心为火。肾为相火。故曰小心。七节自尾 数上。又心胞络为肾之配。
肾气通于耳。耳和则知五音矣。
肾气虚。则梦见舟船溺人。得其时。则梦伏水中。若有所畏恐。
肾色黑。欲如重漆色。不欲如炭色。
肾气绝。即骨枯。少阴者。冬脉也。伏行而温于骨髓。骨髓不温。则肉不着骨。骨肉不
相亲
左肾则为男。先生右肾则为女。丹溪曰。钱仲阳云肾有补无泻。又曰。主闭脏者肾也。施疏
泄者肝也。二脏皆有火。而其系上属于心。心者君火也。为物所感。则易动。心动则相火翕
然而随。虽不交会。亦暗流而疏泄矣。又曰。火有二。曰君火。曰相火。以名而言。形质相
生。配于五脏。故谓之君。以位而言。守位禀命。故谓之相。人有此生而恒于动者。以相火
助之也。见于天者。出于龙雷。则木之气。出于海。则水之气。具于人者。寄于肝肾。肝属
木而肾属水。人非此火不能以有生。天之火出于木而本于地。故雷非蛰。海非附于地。则不
能鸣。不能飞。不能波也。鸣也、飞也、波也。动而主火者也。肝肾之阴。悉具相火。人而同
乎天也。
王节斋曰。古方滋补药。皆兼补右尺命门相火。（如八味丸之类）不知左肾原虚。右肾原
王。
庶得水火相平也。
Figure of the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian
There are two kidneys, weighing one jin and one liang. They resemble stones and are attached to the fourteenth thoracic vertebra of the spine, located on both sides below the stomach.
The North corresponds to black; its qi internally connects with the Kidneys (Shen, 肾), opens into the two orifices (the urethra and anus), and stores essence (Jing, 精). Therefore, diseases manifest in the bones (Gu, 骨). Its flavor is salty (Xian, 咸), its category is Water (Shui, 水), its associated animal is the pig.
It corresponds to the four seasons, specifically winter; in the heavens, it corresponds to Chen Xing (Mercury); thus, one can know that the disease is in the bones. Its musical note is Yu (羽), its number is six, its odor is putrid, its fluid is saliva (Tuo, 唾), and its color is black.
The North generates Cold (Han, 寒); Cold generates Water; Water generates the salty flavor; the salty flavor generates the Kidneys; the Kidneys generate Marrow (Sui, 髓); Marrow generates the Liver; the Kidneys open into the ears. In Heaven it is Cold; in Earth it is Salty; in emotions it is Fear (Kong, 恐). Fear injures the Kidneys; Thought (Si, 思) overcomes Fear. Cold injures Blood (Xue, 血); Dampness (Shi, 湿) overcomes Cold; Salty injures Blood; Sweet (Gan, 甘) overcomes Salty. The Kidney is the official of strength and vigor (Zuo Qiang Zhi Guan, 作强之官); skill and dexterity arise from it.
The Kidney governs hibernation (Zhe, 蛰) and is the root of sealing and storing (Feng Cang, 封藏); it is the residence of Essence. Its luster manifests in the hair (Fa, 发), and it nourishes the bones. It is the Lesser Yin within the Yin, connecting with the Qi of Winter.
The Kidney harmonizes with the bones; its luster is in the hair; its controlling organ is the Spleen (Pi, 脾). [From *Neijing*]
Each zang organ has one, why does the Kidney have two? The answer is: these two are not both Kidneys. The left one is the Kidney; the right one is the Mingmen (Gate of Life, 命门). The Mingmen is where spirit (Shen, 神) resides and where original Qi (Yuan Qi, 原气) is tied. In men, it stores essence; in women, it connects to the uterus (Bao Gong, 胞宫). Thus, we know there are two Kidneys.
Cheng Kejiu said: The North often pairs with two things. Hence, in the *I Ching*, Kan hexagram overlays Xi Kan; in objects, it is the turtle and the snake; in directions, it is Shuo and North; in *Tai Xuan*, it is Xuan and Ming.
Master Hua (Hua Shou) said: Although the Kidney has a distinction between left and right Mingmen, their Qi communicates, and essentially they are both Kidneys. Viewed together, calling them five zang and five fu organs is acceptable; calling them six zang and six fu organs is also acceptable.
Beside the seventh vertebra, in the middle lies the "Small Heart" (Xiao Xin, 小心).
The Heart belongs to Fire; the Kidney belongs to Ministerial Fire (Xiang Huo, 相火); hence it is called the Small Heart. Counting upwards from the coccyx, it is the seventh segment. Additionally, the Pericardium (Xin Bao Luo, 心包络) is the partner of the Kidney.
Kidney Qi connects to the ears; when the ears are harmonious, one can discern the five tones.
When Kidney Qi is deficient, one dreams of boats capsizing and people drowning; if influenced by the appropriate seasonal Qi, one dreams of lying submerged in water, as if filled with fear and dread.
The normal color of the Kidney should be black like heavy lacquer, not black like charcoal.
When Kidney Qi is exhausted, the bones become withered. The Shaoyin pulse is the winter pulse; it runs deep and warms the marrow. If the marrow is not warm, flesh cannot adhere to bone, and bone and flesh lose their intimacy.
If the left kidney forms first, the child is male; if the right kidney forms first, the child is female. Zhu Danxi said: Qian Zhongyang stated that the Kidney has only tonification methods and no purgative methods. He also said: The organ governing closure and storage is the Kidney; the organ governing drainage and dispersion is the Liver. Both organs contain Fire, and their meridians ascend to connect with the Heart. The Heart is Sovereign Fire (Jun Huo, 君火); it is easily moved by external stimuli. When the Heart moves, Ministerial Fire follows swiftly. Even without sexual intercourse, leakage may occur secretly. He further said: There are two types of Fire: Sovereign Fire and Ministerial Fire. Named by form and substance, they correspond to the five zang organs, hence called Sovereign; named by position, they guard their place and receive orders, hence called Minister. Humans exist and remain active constantly because of the assistance of Ministerial Fire. Manifesting in nature, arising from dragon thunder, it is the Qi of Wood; arising from the sea, it is the Qi of Water. In humans, it resides in the Liver and Kidney. The Liver belongs to Wood and the Kidney to Water; without this fire, humans could not survive. Heavenly fire arises from Wood and originates from Earth; thus, without thunder hibernating and the sea adhering to the earth, there would be no sound, flight, or waves. Sound, flight, and waves are movements governed by Fire. The Yin of the Liver and Kidney both possess Ministerial Fire; humanity is identical to Heaven.
Wang Jiezhai said: Ancient tonic prescriptions all simultaneously tonify the Ministerial Fire of the Mingmen at the right chi position (such as Ba Wei Wan / Eight-Ingredient Pill). They fail to realize that the left Kidney is originally deficient, and the right Kidney is originally... [text incomplete], so as to achieve a balance between Water and Fire.