或有问于生生子曰∶《灵兰秘典篇》问十二经贵贱相使，何独遗手心主也？生生子曰∶无所遗也，
以膻中该言尔。“膻中者，臣使之官，喜乐出焉。”《灵枢·胀论篇》曰∶“胸腹者，脏腑之郭也。膻中
者，心主之宫城
也。”《素问·遗篇》曰∶膻中在胸两乳间，为气海，手厥阴包络之所居，此作相火位，故言臣使，
主其喜乐。
有以十二经问属手足者何以故？生生子曰∶阴阳上下配合之义也。手经之脉起于手，足经之脉起
于足。手经主持于上，足经主持于下。手足经者，所以纪上下也，犹《易》之本乎天者亲上，本乎地
者亲下也。《素问》运气篇曰∶心、肺、心包络皆膈上，属手经，肝、脾、肾在下，属足经。手同手
经，足同足经，手足经脏腑阴阳相配皆然，乃一合也。或曰∶脏腑既以阴阳配合表里，何无夫妻之义
？予曰∶夫妻配合，是以相克言阴阳，此以手足同类言阴阳，乃自然之势，不可紊者。如手太阴肺，
金也，里也，阴也，手经也，故以手阳明大肠金配。手少阴心，火也，里也，阴也，手经也，故以手
太阳小肠火配。足太阴脾，土也，阴也，里也，足经也，故以足阳明胃土配。足厥阴肝，木也，阴也，
里也，足经也，故以足少阳胆木配。足少阴肾，水也，阴也，里也，足经也，故以足太阳膀胱水配。此
五脏五腑五行正配合也。手厥阴心包络，火也，手少阳三焦，亦火也。二经虽无特形，皆属相火。一为
气父，表也；一为血母，里也。亦是以类配也。手以手配，足
以足配，阴以阳配，火以火配，水以水配，金以金配，木以木配，土以土配，皆自然之势，不得不然者
（观此配合，则知上下手足阴阳皆有定偶，手配手之阴阳，足配足之阴阳，则手经之三焦，必不配足经
之右肾明矣）。
有人向生生子问道：“《灵兰秘典论》中询问十二经脉的贵贱与相互使役关系，为什么唯独遗漏了手厥阴心包络（手心主）呢？”生生子回答说：“并没有遗漏，是因为用‘膻中’这一概念来涵盖它罢了。‘膻中，是臣使之官，主管喜乐情绪的发出。’《灵枢·胀论篇》说：‘胸腹，是脏腑的外郭。膻中，是心主的宫城。’《素问·遗篇》说：膻中位于胸部两乳之间，为气海，是手厥阴心包络所居住的地方，这里作为相火的居所，所以称为臣使，主管喜乐。”
有人以十二经脉分属手经和足经为由提问，这是什么原因？生生子回答说：“这是阴阳上下配合的道理。手经的脉气起始于手部，足经的脉气起始于足部。手经主持人体上部，足经主持人体下部。手足经脉的区别，是用来记录上下部位的，就像《易经》所说：源于天的事物亲近上方，源于地的事物亲近下方。《素问·运气篇》说：心、肺、心包络都在横膈膜以上，属于手经；肝、脾、肾在下方，属于足经。手经配手经，足经配足经，手足经脉所属脏腑的阴阳配合都是如此，这是一种契合。有人问：脏腑既然已经按照阴阳表里进行了配合，为什么没有夫妻配对的意义呢？我说：夫妻配合，是从相克的角度谈论阴阳；这里是从手足同类角度谈论阴阳，这是自然的趋势，不可紊乱。例如手太阴肺经，属金，为里，为阴，为手经，所以用手阳明大肠经（金）来配合。手少阴心经，属火，为里，为阴，为手经，所以用手太阳小肠经（火）来配合。足太阴脾经，属土，为阴，为里，为足经，所以用足阳明胃经（土）来配合。足厥阴肝经，属木，为阴，为里，为足经，所以用足少阳胆经（木）来配合。足少阴肾经，属水，为阴，为里，为足经，所以用足太阳膀胱经（水）来配合。这是五脏五腑五行正配的关系。手厥阴心包络属火，手少阳三焦也属火。这两条经脉虽然没有特定的实体形态，都归属于相火。一个是气的父亲，属表；一个是血的母亲，属里。这也是按类别进行配合。手配手，足配足，阴配阳，火配火，水配水，金配金，木配木，土配土，都是自然的趋势，不得不如此（通过观察这种配合，就知道上下手足的阴阳都有固定的配偶，手经配手经的阴阳，足经配足经的阴阳，那么手经的三焦，必然不配足经的右肾，这是很明显的）。”
Someone asked Shengshengzi: "In the *Linglan Midian Lun* (Treatise on the Secret Canon of Spiritual Orchids), the nobility and mutual service of the twelve meridians are discussed, yet why is the Hand Jueyin Pericardium (Hand Heart Master) omitted?" Shengshengzi replied: "It is not omitted; it is encompassed by the mention of 'Shanzhong' (Chest Center/Pericardium). 'Shanzhong is the official of the minister envoy, from which joy and pleasure emerge.' The *Lingshu · Zhang Lun* (Spiritual Pivot · Treatise on Distension) states: 'The chest and abdomen are the outer walls of the zang-fu organs. Shanzhong is the palace city of the Heart Master.' The *Suwen · Yi Pian* (Basic Questions · Lost Chapters) states: Shanzhong is located between the two breasts in the chest, serving as the Sea of Qi, the residence of the Hand Jueyin Pericardium Meridian. This is the seat of Ministerial Fire (Xiang Huo), hence referred to as the minister envoy, governing joy and pleasure.
Someone asked regarding the classification of the twelve meridians into Hand and Foot categories: what is the reason? Shengshengzi replied: "This is the principle of Yin-Yang coordination between upper and lower parts. The meridians of the Hand start at the hands, and those of the Foot start at the feet. The Hand meridians govern the upper body, while the Foot meridians govern the lower body. The distinction between Hand and Foot meridians serves to record the upper and lower regions, similar to the statement in the *I Ching* (Book of Changes): that which originates from Heaven tends toward the upper, and that which originates from Earth tends toward the lower. The *Suwen · Yunqi Pian* (Basic Questions · Treatise on Five Movements and Six Qi) states: The Heart, Lung, and Pericardium are all above the diaphragm and belong to the Hand meridians; the Liver, Spleen, and Kidney are below and belong to the Foot meridians. Hand meridians pair with Hand meridians, and Foot meridians pair with Foot meridians. The Yin-Yang coordination of the zang-fu organs within the Hand and Foot meridians follows this pattern, constituting a single harmony. Someone asked: Since the zang-fu organs are already coordinated by Yin-Yang and exterior-interior relationships, why is there no concept of husband-wife pairing? I say: Husband-wife pairing discusses Yin-Yang through the lens of mutual overcoming (Ke); here, Yin-Yang is discussed based on the similarity of Hand and Foot categories. This is a natural tendency that must not be disrupted. For example, the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian belongs to Metal, is Interior, is Yin, and is a Hand meridian; thus, it is paired with the Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian (Metal). The Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian belongs to Fire, is Interior, is Yin, and is a Hand meridian; thus, it is paired with the Hand Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian (Fire). The Foot Taiyin Spleen Meridian belongs to Earth, is Yin, is Interior, and is a Foot meridian; thus, it is paired with the Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian (Earth). The Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian belongs to Wood, is Yin, is Interior, and is a Foot meridian; thus, it is paired with the Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian (Wood). The Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian belongs to Water, is Yin, is Interior, and is a Foot meridian; thus, it is paired with the Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian (Water). This constitutes the correct coordination of the Five Zang and Five Fu organs according to the Five Elements. The Hand Jueyin Pericardium Meridian belongs to Fire, and the Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao (Triple Burner) Meridian also belongs to Fire. Although these two meridians lack specific physical forms, both are classified as Ministerial Fire. One is the Father of Qi, belonging to the Exterior; the other is the Mother of Blood, belonging to the Interior. This is also a pairing by category. Hands pair with Hands, Feet pair with Feet, Yin pairs with Yang, Fire pairs with Fire, Water pairs with Water, Metal pairs with Metal, Wood pairs with Wood, and Earth pairs with Earth. All are natural tendencies, inevitably so. (Observing this coordination reveals that the Yin-Yang of the upper and lower extremities have fixed counterparts: Hand meridians pair with the Yin-Yang of the Hands, and Foot meridians pair with the Yin-Yang of the Feet. Therefore, it is clear that the Sanjiao of the Hand meridians does not pair with the Right Kidney of the Foot meridians.)"