Introduction
There are five phases in nature, as well as in human experience. Each is associated with a color, odor, emotion, weather condition, spirit, inner power, etc. Each drives the actions of a yīn and yáng pair of organs. The yīn organs are solid (e.g. kidneys); their functions are to produce, transform, regulate, and store. The yáng organs are hollow (e.g. bladder); their functions are to receive, break down, absorb, transport, and excrete. There are some organs (e.g. brain, uterus), called the Curious Organs, which resemble yáng in form, but yīn in function; these hold a special place outside five phase terminology, and are discussed more fully in Daoist alchemical and meditation texts.
Each organ has an associated acupuncture meridian on the body’s surface, through which one may access and alter that organ’s qì. The organs themselves are simply condensed qì of a certain type. Each meridian “pervades” its respective organ, and sends out a connecting vessel (lùo = thread + joining separate objects) that “wraps” its paired organ. Specific acupuncture points are needled for the desired harmonizing effect. The current term for “acupuncture points” is xuéwèi, a composite of cave/hole + person standing in assigned position, but in older texts one can find other terms: xuédào and xuéqì…the entry and exit points for dào and qì to access one’s body. Xué in ancient times were caves located by divination where the energies of Heaven and Earth were in greatest harmony - auspicious sites in the landscape used to bury the dead, where their passage would be easier.
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WATER
Shǔi (2-21) streams flowing together. Water.
Water flows, refreshes, cools, and cleanses. It can accommodate any shape, and can store energy within. It symbolizes the current of our lives. It is also the deep unknown. From it, all things are able to emerge and begin anew. Water is essential to all transformative processes. Cold slows water down, and can even freeze it. These concepts are applied both physically and emotionally (e.g. frozen in fear). Water’s season is winter; its direction is North.
Organs: kidneys & bladder. Meridian abbreviations are KI and BL.
Associated structures: inner ear, head and pubic hair, bones, teeth, marrow (including brain and spinal cord), anus, urethra, cervix, ovaries, testes.
Fluids: cerebrospinal fluid, sexual fluids.
Functions: The kidneys store jīng, and are the residence of yuányīn and yuányáng. They rule anything and everything relating to water in the body. They rule the general flow of life (birth, development, and maturation). The kidneys are also responsible for “grasping the qì” – the ability to concentrate breath toward the abdomen. If the kidneys are deficient, shallow breathing can result. The bladder is the reservoir for the kidneys, and represents the ability to tap into and mobilize the body’s first and most plentiful substance.
Emotion: kǒng (51-19) work + hand holding an object + heart. Commonly translated as fear, dread, or the verb to terrify. There are many other characters for fear, as there are for all the emotions. The ones presented here are only those used in the modern medical literature, but it’s worth looking at the others. Each pictograph suggests a different aspect of the complex emotions to which we give a single English label.
Dé: zhì (32-9) arrowlike mouth (knowledge) + mouth with words in it (speak). Wisdom.
Shén: zhì (31-20) a plant growing (develops from) + heart. Will, aspiration, ambition.
Líng*: chǎo kǒng líng. This is the Chinese for cho-ku-rei, the first symbol in reiki. The symbol itself is basically a spiral. Reiki symbols, as with ancient Daoist talismans, are used to direct qì in a certain way.
Chǎo (35-36) person leaning forward with foot (walk, move, leave, depart) + sword with mouth (convene, summon). Common usage = surpass, exceed.
Kǒng (51-15) hole/cave + carpenter’s square (work). Common usage = empty, merely, sky. In this case, a harmonious location where spiritual work can commence.
Líng (161-8) raindrops falling through a cloud + three mouths + shamans working.
This first reiki symbol is used to summon and focus healing energy for the patient. Looking at the etymologies, the combination of chǎo-kǒng-líng gives the sense of preparing to move forward with healing work by summoning spirit to a special place.
All of the above suggests that the water phase is about being able to begin and sustain the flow of life, and all its transformations. Wisdom comes from the capacity for reflection and the ability to see below the surface. Will comes from the capacity for focus, endurance, and concentration. (The kidneys concentrate water.) The bladder, as a yáng organ and emissary for its partner, receives requests for and expresses the potential stored in the kidneys. As the Neijing Suwen says, “The transformations of qì then give out their power.” It is noteworthy that the bladder meridian is the longest in the body, having points used to assess and treat all the organs.
Examples of water imbalance in veterinary medicine: excessive urinating and drinking (diabetes, Cushing’s disease, kidney failure), animals born as “poor doers.”
*A note on Líng:
The choice to associate the reiki symbols with the five phases as their líng aspect is a personal one. (The essence of each symbol really does correlate nicely to each phase.) I’ve seen no reference anywhere else to this association. And I’ve been instructed that only the first four symbols are true Usui symbols derived from Quán Zhēn (Complete Realization) Taoism. The fifth (also a Japanese word) is in common usage though by many reiki masters, and the meaning correlates beautifully to the metal element. According to Lonny Jarrett (Nourishing Destiny), shén is the yang spirit of the fire element, and líng is its yin spirit. Since this shén also resides in all the other organs, it makes sense that each organ would have a líng spirit as well. Since líng may have been removed from the medical literature, it seems fitting to somehow begin its reintroduction.
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WOOD
Mù (77-1) pictograph of a tree. Tree, wood.
The nature of the wood element is to grow upward, and to spread outward. From the treetops, one can see very far. Wood is also flexible, and can bend rather than break in the wind. It is well rooted. Its leaves receive light and turn it into energy for growth and the bearing of seeds or fruits. It cannot grow in a natural fashion if constrained (literally: tree in a box). Wind is the weather condition associated with wood, and can make its branches and leaves move wildly. Its season is spring; its direction is East.
*outer vision (yin: tree’s vantage) and acting on that vision (yang: taking outward action), as opposed to metal, which is inner vision (yin: mirror) and acting on that vision (yang: retain water/mineral true self while letting go of that which is no longer pertinent to the true self), which is why meditation techniques emphasize breathing.
Organs: liver & gall bladder. Meridian abbreviations are LV or LR, and GB.
Associated structures: eyes (especially the iris), nails, ligaments, tendons, the small muscles around joints, external genitalia, peripheral nerves.
Body fluids: nutrified blood, tears.
Functions: The liver stores blood, and provides the ability to see (both physically and intuitively). It rules all aspects of coursing and spreading – the smooth and even flow of virtually all body substances (and emotions). It smoothes things so they’re neither stagnant nor overly agitated. It also regulates menstruation. The gall bladder temporarily holds and then excretes bile produced by the liver. The liver stores our internal plans/visions, while its yáng emissary (gall bladder) acts on those visions.
Emotion: nù (54-4) woman & right hand (slave) + heart. A slave’s heart. Generally translated as rage or fury. In the Western literature, translated as anger.
Dé: rén (10-2) person + two. The pictograph is a person standing beside two lines, one above the other. Benevolence (the ability to stand harmoniously and calmly in the face of apparent extremes). Wood enables us to see beyond duality so we can move freely.
Shén: hún (1-67) vapors rising + ghost/spirit. Ethereal soul. Hún originally referred to the light of the moon. Like moonlight, it is the yīn partner to waking awareness (shén), arising only during dreaming or trance to connect with other souls and travel to distant realms. After death, the hún is said to exit the top of the head at GV-20, and return to the root (běn - see later). Hún, like shén, depends on adequate blood to feel nourished and at home. If the liver lacks blood, there will be excessive and turbulent dreaming.
Líng: xìng pǐ. This is the Chinese for sei-heki, the second symbol in reiki. The symbol itself has a similar shape to the gall bladder meridian as it courses the head area, and is used for mental/emotional harmonizing.
Xìng (70-61) heart + plant rising from ground (grow, bear, produce). That which the heart produces. Common usage = nature, disposition.
Pǐ (50-63) lie flat on a plank bed (lie down, illness) + rules mouthed to criminals (law). Common usage = habit, addiction, quirk, propensity.
The combined Japanese term sei-heki is translated as “disposition” or “proclivity.” Xìngpǐ can be seen as “natural propensities.” To be effective in one’s spiritual activities, it is important to be able to use one’s vision to distinguish between what is our true natural dynamic (which must be honored), and what has just become habit through repetition or outside pressures. Then our inner nature is what really “lays down the law” and becomes our guide for action. The second symbol ensures that a reiki treatment will be unique and individualized, since there is not one single way for all patients.
Examples of wood imbalance in veterinary medicine: seizures (internal wind), mood swings, abnormal heat cycle, grumbly tummy, “dry eye” and red itchy eyes, territorial aggression.
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FIRE
Hǔo (82-1) pictograph of rising flames. Fire, flame.
The nature of fire is warming and illuminating. It is the critical warming aspect of all life, and its luminous rays bring enlightenment and awareness, guiding all the other elements. It is also the “warmth” of our relationships with others. Fire can get out of control, though, and consume everything if not calmed down by water. Its season is summer; its direction is South. Its associated weather condition is heat.
Organs: heart & small intestine. Meridian abbreviations are HT and SI.
(The pericardium and triple heater are also typically grouped with fire, but they will be discussed in a separate section.)
Associated structures: tongue, arteries, external ear.
Body fluids: oxygenated blood, sweat.
Functions: The heart is said to be the emperor of the body, who brings all good things simply by being, and radiating enlightenment from within. It is the embodiment of wúwèi. This is achieved by being empty, unified, and still:
“Look at this window; it is nothing but a hole in the wall,
but because of it the whole room is full of light.
So when the faculties are empty, the heart is full of light.
Being full of light it becomes an influence
by which others are secretly transformed…
The Tao gathers in emptiness alone.
Emptiness is the fasting of the heart.”
- Chuang Tzu (~300 B.C.)
The heart also rules blood, and stores shén. It is responsible for our ability to be present in the moment, and for memory. This image of the heart is much more passive than our Western image of the continuously beating pump. (The active aspect of the heart will be covered later with the pericardium.) It is notable that the heart, pericardium, and triple heater are the only organs whose characters don’t contain the pictograph for flesh. They have “a name but no form” (wúxíng = without form, or no-form). There is reference, though, to the physical heart; its shape is described as a closed lotus flower.
The small intestine, as the yang emissary of the heart, is responsible for sorting out which messages are appropriate for assimilation into the sacred chambers of the heart, and for reflecting the heart’s truths clearly to the outside world. Communication problems are thus part of fire pathology. Physically, the small intestine receives ripened food from the stomach, separates out what is appropriate, and sends this on to the spleen to be absorbed; the rest is sent on to the large intestine for further processing.
Emotion: xǐ (69-109) stick & celebratory serving dish (drum) + mouth. Happiness, to like. Also interpreted as the pleasure derived from eating. This is the character for “joy” presented in the medical literature. Each organ’s associated emotion can damage it; seeing the character explains how this type of joy could injure the heart. The ancients warn against over-indulging in sensual pleasures, as this can damage the shén.
Dé: lǐ (70-86) revelations + wood curved into a cup shape + ceremonial serving dish. Common usage = rite, ceremony, propriety, decorum, gift. The ability to invoke enlightenment by being receptive in a sacred way (i.e. mindfulness and attentive listening).
Shén: shén (15-100) revelation + extend. The shén of the heart is shén itself, and is the source of the shén of all the other organs.
Líng: běn zhě shì zhèng niàn. This is the Chinese for hon-sha-ze-sho-nen, the third symbol in reiki. The symbol itself is simply a linearly arranged composite of all the above characters. It is used to connect to the recipient during a reiki session.
Běn (77-50) tree with a line emphasizing base. Stem, root, basis, origin, principal, capital, book, edition, original, personal, own.
Zhě (76-24) sun just rising (clear, white, pure, blank) + ancient pictograph of grain or sugarcane stalks. Person, thing.
Shì (88-51) right under the light of day. Correct, right, to be.
Zhèng (88-43) foot with protruding toes (stop, arrive, limit) + line. Stop at the line. Proper, right, straight, just, fair, rectify, main, correct.
Niàn (44-12) union with additional stroke suggesting contact (now, current, recent) + heart. Keep current in the heart. Think of, miss, remember, study.
All five words together suggest that the recipient’s original/basic/root self is the correct and only thing to keep current in one’s heart during reiki.
Examples of fire imbalance in veterinary medicine: heart muscle disease, inattentiveness (difficulty paying attention during training), chaotic behavior in relationships with other dogs and people, hives.
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EARTH
Tǔ (70-1) pictograph of object rising through the earth. Soil, earth, dirt, land, ground, uncultured. This is the character used when discussing the earth aspect of the five phases.
The earth is the very ground we walk on. It is the support for our path and everything we do. Soil absorbs and filters, taking in and distilling whatever is given to it. And it holds nourishment for the plants that send their roots deep within. If the ground is too dry and hard, nothing can penetrate; if it’s too wet and soggy, nothing is supported. Quicksand literally sucks things in. Mud slows things down. The earth also houses caves and dwellings, and it provides the underlying shape of the landscape. The season of earth is late summer (or in some texts the last 18 days of the four main seasons); its direction is Center; its weather condition is dampness.
Organs: spleen & stomach. Meridian abbreviations are SP and ST.
Associated structures: eyelids, mouth, lips, gums, muscles, collagen, fat.
Body fluids: chyme, chyle, saliva.
Functions: The spleen/stomach network is responsible for transforming food and drink into qì, blood, flesh, and body fluids (i.e. transforming not-self into self). The stomach receives a meal, then grinds and ferments this material to release its essence, which is then absorbed by the spleen to become qì, blood, and fluids in the other organs (the small intestine is part of this process as described above). Along the same lines, the spleen is responsible for extracting the meaning from words, and giving meaning to one’s words. The spleen is also responsible for holding the blood within its vessels, just as the earth holds in rivers and streams. A weak spleen may result in bleeding. Similarly, the spleen is said to hold organs in place, avoiding prolapse. The spleen is also the source of strong and well-developed muscles.
Emotion: sī (143-7) head + heart. Think, contemplate, long for, think of. Excessive thought and worry can injure the earth element.
Dé: xìn (68-79) person + word/speak. Person standing by his word. Common usage = trust, letter. Can also be viewed as our alignment between who we are and what we say (speaking our truth in an upright manner)…integrity.
Shén: yì (68-95) sound from the heart. Common usage = meaning, idea, intention.
Líng: dà guāng míng. This is the Chinese for dai-ko-myo, the fourth symbol in reiki. The symbol itself is simply a linear arrangement of the three individual characters. Reiki practitioners call it the “empowerment” symbol, but “understanding” also fits.
Dà (39-1) pictograph of a standing person. Big, large, great, grand.
Guāng (11-42) pictograph for fire over the pictograph for legs (a person carrying fire). Light (noun), smooth, glossy, merely, completely, purely. (Could also be interpreted as one’s own personal light.)
Míng (80-2) sun + moon (originally window + moon). Light (adjective), bright, clear, evident, to understand, to know.
Dà guāng míng = great light of understanding, or, grand pure understanding. One might think this should pertain more to the fire element, with the reference to light, but revelation and understanding are two different things. To really understand something requires assimilation into oneself, letting it become transformed into a part of your being (which is exactly what the spleen does). Not everything is appropriate for inclusion though, and those who try to assimilate everything without listening to the heart get bogged down with extraneous unusable stuff that just clogs up the works. Another way to look at dà guāng míng is to understand one’s grand personal light. If one fully allows one’s own light to pervade their being, they have “pervaded the one,” and can then understand the light of others. This is truly empowering.
Examples of earth imbalance in veterinary medicine: diarrhea, muscle atrophy, vomiting, prolapse, bleeding, chronic anal sac problems, appetite problems.
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METAL
Jīn (44-3) union & contact (now, currently, this, current) + nuggets in the earth. Gold, metals, money.
From Nourishing Destiny (Lonny Jarrett): “In nature, the earth absorbs the heavenly yáng (shén), which radiates down as sunlight and then condenses within the earth to form minerals and gemstones. Minerals represent the condensation within the earth of heaven’s spiritual light, which is evidenced in their radiant brilliance and intrinsic worth. Minerals, as condensed yáng, represent the most essential rarified qì as it exists materially on earth, compared with air that represents the qì of heaven, which is significantly less substantial.” The lungs absorb air (heavenly qì) while the large intestine absorbs minerals (earthly qì). The metal element then, represents the ability to find value in both what is material and what is not-material at the same time. This is why the metal element is most involved in the letting go of things (death) while knowing that something unsubstantial continues on even though it can’t be seen. The metal element/phase is notoriously the most difficult for people to grasp; it can only be inspired (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun).
The nature of metal is constancy regardless of form…that is, the same piece of metal can be remolded into a myriad different things again and again without losing its essential nature. Metal is also shiny, but can rust if not cared for, losing its reflective qualities. Depending on how it is shaped, metal can be very smooth, or sharp enough to cut through anything. Gemstones are brilliant and clear, but can be fractured – losing their value to those who place such guidelines on worth. (Autumn was traditionally the time of year when merchants calibrated their scales.) Metal’s season is fall; its direction is West; its weather condition is dryness.
The metal element reminds me of what the fox says in The Little Prince: “L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.” That which is essential is invisible to the eyes.
Organs: lungs & large instestine. Meridian abbreviations are LU and LI.
Associated structures: sclera, skin, pores, body hair, lymph vessels, veins, nose, throat.
Body fluids: lymph, mucus.
Functions: The lungs rule qì, bringing qì in with each breath and disseminating it to the rest of the body. They are the interface for inner and outer qì. They are also the upper source of water, liquefying vapor and circulating it throughout. The lungs direct movement in two ways: descending & liquefying (inhalation), and disseminating & circulating (exhalation). The throat is the door of the lungs and home of the vocal cords. The large intestines absorb water and minerals, retaining what is precious while releasing the final remainder of ingested material form back to the earth for recycling.
Emotion: āi (126-4) mouth + pictograph of a cloak showing sleeves and flowing lower part (clothing, dress, coating, covering). Grieve, mourn, sorrow, grief, sorrowful, lamentable.
Dé: yì (45-51) sheep + hand holding a lance (the pronoun “I”). Common usage = dignified, justice, proper, meaning. Jarrett translates as righteousness; Diebschlag translates as reverence. If you look at the way the pictograph for sheep is used in other composites though, you can get a very interesting translation: water + sheep = ocean; air + sheep = oxygen; sheep + heart = worry; words + sheep = details/minutia; sheep + wings = soar/glide. Sheep takes on the sense of something vast, plentiful, everywhere. If you apply this to yì, it could also mean the I AM (the vast, limitless, and everywhere “I”).
Shén: pò (76-20) sun just rising (white, pale, clear, pure) + ghost/spirit. Corporeal soul. The pictograph for white in this case is said to refer to the bones. In religious Daoism, there are three hún spirits, and seven pò spirits, which some equate to seven emotions (fear, anger, joy, worry, grief, anxiety and fright). The pò are said to consist of our instinctive reactions to things, and exit the body via the anus at death to return to earth.
Líng: lùo. This is the Chinese for raku, the fifth symbol in reiki. It is not considered an Usui symbol, but is considered a reiki symbol. No one I ask seems to know where it came from, or even what its kanji character is. The symbol itself is the shape of a lightning bolt. Reiki practitioners use it at the end of an attunement. Its use is described by Diane Stein (Essential Reiki) as “banking the fire” – activating the Hara (described later), and also as separating and cleansing the auras of teacher and student afterward.
Lùo (10-78) multiple sprouts (grass) + water + pursue but speak at odds (separate, each, every). Common usage = to fall, to decline, fallen, to leave out, to omit, to drop.
I can’t be certain that this is the correct character, but among the three raku characters listed in the Japanese dictionary, this makes the most sense based on usage and meaning. Looking at the character, it suggests new growth derived from individual flow. We can gain insight and help from those around us, but ultimately true growth requires an independent capacity.
Examples of metal imbalance in veterinary medicine: asthma, difficulty breathing, panting, lung problems that arise after a death in the family (grief weakening the lungs), watery diarrhea, fatigue, dull coat, coughing.
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LIGHTNING
Shǎn (78-27) person standing in a doorway. Glimpse, flash.
Diàn (15-109) extending down from raincloud. (Usually appears with shǎn.)
Shǎndiàn = lightning.
There is no sixth element in TCM. Most texts simply lump the pericardium and triple heater under either the fire or water element. Neither option seems particularly appropriate though, so they are presented here in their own category. If they did have an “element” assigned to them, I would call it Lightning, as this reflects their functions, while giving them a quality of impermanence suggestive of the fact that they’re not quite fixtures in the environment the way the other elements are. Nor are they fixtures in the body. They are said to have a name (míng) but no form (wúxíng). Xíng means form or shape. Here we have another wú word, which means that while they can readily take shape, their shape is without habit or restraint, and can accommodate the dé of things…they are like the sage, able to respond without expectation. The fact that they have names means that there is sufficient consistency of form to warrant a calling word.
The nature of lightning is that it occurs suddenly, as a flash of light extending from the clouds down toward earth. Unlike regular fire, which is quelled by water, lightning appears only when there is water vapor in the sky (clouds). Lightning is attracted by metal. And above all, it can ignite things. This is the exact nature of what the Chinese call mìngmén, and what the Japanese call the hara. Mìngmén is described as immaterial fire, fueled by immaterial water. It is also called the “small fire” (as opposed to the “big fire” of the heart); another name is “small heart.” It is the ultimate point of origin of all qì in the body, and is master of all the acupuncture meridians. The Nan Jing says “The igniting spark between the kidneys (shènjiàn: light appearing between the kidneys like the sun through a doorway + dòngqì: moving/acting qì) is the origin of the various processes of human life, the base of the body’s five solid and six hollow organs, the root of the twelve channel pathways, the door of breath, and the source of the triple burner.” The breath here is not everyday common respiration, but the “true breath” achieved during meditation. This is the breath of “opening and closing” which converts běn-qì (root/basic/origin-qì) into yuán-qì (source-qì). Běn-qì precedes physical manifestation; yuán-qì is the first manifested qì. Meditative breath assists in creating the space for emergence to occur. Death is when běn-qì leaves the body, and the hún disperses, returning to the root.
Mìngmén is described as the gorge of mysterious origination, and the root (běn) of Heaven and Earth. It is generated first, and only then the heart and shén. It is the where and the when of emergence in the body.
When discussing the unique qì of mìngmén, the ancient meditation text, Tao Tsang, uses the fire radical, rather than that for grain, within the air pictograph. It also illustrates an intimate association between this qì and míng (sun+moon). The Nan Jing, a later text, states that the qì “piles up” to create shén, and shén then comes down to the abdomen to become míng. The Nan Jing also says it is the fire of the pericardium and triple heater (not the heart fire) which generates earth. This is why the source (yuán) points on all the yīn meridians are related to the earth element.
The physical location of mìngmén is not entirely agreed upon; some texts locate it as “the greasy membrane between the kidneys” – the root of the mesentery. This lies below the acupuncture point called mìngmén, GV-4 (Governing Vessel), between the second and third lumbar vertebrae. From this location, the triple heater disseminates yuán-qì to all the meridians and organs. Although mìngmén lies between the kidneys near the spine, its condition is palpated at the belly, below the navel.
Organs: pericardium & triple heater.
Pericardium: xīnbāo, xīnzhǔ. Abbreviations are PC and MH (Master of the Heart).
Xīn (83-1) pictograph of a heart with three beats. Heart, mind, feelings, center, middle.
Bāo (18-2) pictograph of person bent over something (to envelop) + pictograph of a snake/dragon, or a fetus/embryo. Wrap, include, contain, surround, bundle, package, packet, pregnant. Xīnbāo is literally Heart (adjective) Wrapper (noun).
Zhǔ (6-2) pictograph of a lamp and a flame. Flame, master, owner, primary, main, advocate. Xīnzhǔ is translated as Heart (adjective) Master (noun).
Triple Heater: sānjiāo. Meridian abbreviation is TH (or TB for Triple Burner).
Sān (1-19) three lines suggesting heaven, earth, and humanity. Three.
Jiāo (162-26) short-tailed bird + fire. “Bird roasted.” Charred, anxious.
“Short-tailed bird” commonly refers to a dove or pigeon, but in this context it refers to a phoenix rising from the flames. Jiāo represents death and rebirth, and refers to the process of transformation and purification. Sānjiāo is translated as “triple heater,” “triple warmer,” or “triple burner” in medical texts.
The other meridians of the five elements, once entering the body from the surface, go toward individual organs. The internal pathways of the PC/TH meridians are unique. From inside the chest, they go through the diaphragm; then they intertwine, spiraling through the abdomen, becoming one. Both the pericardium and triple heater are associated with the body’s membranes, and serve the process of emergence.
Functions: There’s a lot more available literature in English on the triple heater than on the pericardium. Many texts don’t even recognize the pericardium as a distinct organ (they talk about the five yīn and six yáng organs, and assign the pericardium meridian to mìngmén or the heart). Other texts say there is no organ for the pericardium to permeate; it is an empty space. What information is available in English usually suggests that the pericardium is responsible for protecting the heart, and for carrying out the heart’s commands (since the emperor can’t leave his central position of wúwèi). For this reason, some argue that xīnzhǔ should be translated “heart as master” instead of “master of the heart” – the pericardium simply being a functional extension. Its direct relation to something as prime as míngmèn, however, suggests otherwise.
Tàijí (39-33 with 1-14) is the yīn-yáng symbol representing two snakes or dragons devouring each other. In Chinese mythology, the dragon was said to create the clouds and cause rain to fall to earth. These “big rains” were the great origin of qì, before anything divided (recall The Great One Gives Birth to the Waters). The bāo character of xīnbāo suggests that the pericardium is able to enfold the dragon, creating a space for this process to occur. (Recall that the dào gathers in emptiness according to Chuang Tzu.) A Daoist text, the Huai Nan Zi (122 BC) says, “The child of wúxíng is light. The grandchild of wúxíng is (material) water.” With this in mind, it may be that the pericardium harbors immaterial water, which then fuels the immaterial fire of míngmèn; these are then followed by the creation of water, the first material substance that assists all physical transformation. The pericardium’s “most respectable” position is recognized by the Nan Jing, which states that xīnzhǔ is the master of the five yīn organs, while sānjiāo is the most superior of the six yáng organs. Xīnzhǔ’s respectability (superiority) issues forth from míngmèn to master the body’s landscape.
The triple heater sprouts from míngmèn, and is the messenger for yuán-qì. It is responsible for keeping the body’s waterways open and regulated, but in a more general sense, for keeping all pathways in the body (and the mind) unobstructed. It is involved in all physiological movements, setting everything in motion. It also differentiates the flesh: “[When] thinking about the Triple Warmer’s unusual doings, then you can understand the yīn organs and yáng organs are the same, or you can distinguish the differences between them. Dividing these makes twelve [six yīn and six yáng organs]. [The twelve] meet together, and become the three warmers.” - from Li Ting’s Yixue Rumen.
There are multiple references to the triple heater as a network of “greasy membranes” which serve to connect various areas and “spark” various actions in the body. This spark does not travel along the membrane, but appears spontaneously along its course. In the modern literature, the triple heater is seen to represent all membranes and fascia. These connective tissues play a large role in embryonic development, both in ancient and modern medicine.
One of the unique features of membranes is that they are pliable, and can accommodate their shape to the “dé of things.” Another unique feature is that they are excellent conductors. These features both correlate to the concepts of wúxíng and míngmèn.
The three burners are the Upper (above the stomach and dispersing through the chest), Middle (epigastric area), and Lower (beneath the umbilicus). Each burner supplies qì for the functions of those areas. The three burners are not to be confused with the three cinnabar fields (dān-tián), important centers in Daoist meditation practices. The three fields are the Upper (inside the head between the eyebrows), Middle (in the heart), and Lower (in the abdomen = míngmèn). A full discussion of the cinnabar fields is beyond the scope of this work, but they are fascinating. The adept was said to use breath and visualization to activate these fields, which “represent the primordial forces of the universe from which the body was first conceived and shaped. These three Ones are found in everyone, but since normal people never take the trouble to nourish and visualize them, they gradually lose their strength and die” (Taoist Meditation and Longevity Techniques, Livia Kohn). During a reiki attunement, these three fields are gently blown upon by the teacher.
If the Lightning “element” were assigned a season, direction, emotion, dé, shén, and líng:
Season: equinox and solstice (the transition points between the four seasons).
Direction: the point of transition from one direction to another; that moment of stillness.
Emotion: jiāo (162-26) short-tailed bird + fire. “Bird roasted.” Anxiety.
Dé: chéng (15-147) hand placed respectfully over a seal. Common usage = receive, accept, undertake. Since PC/TH have so much to do with bringing the mysterious into physical form, and accepting primordial energies into the body, this seems appropriate. When combined with rèn (identify, recognize), the two together mean “acknowledge,” which is also appropriate. Cellular membranes have “gates” imbedded within them. These gates are typically activated (opened or closed) either by recognition of molecules or by electrical shifts along the membrane (initiated by recognition of molecules somewhere upstream). This exemplifies the concept of acknowledgement, which is important physically as well as spiritually. Acknowledgement is the starting point of personal transformation. It is the beginning of one’s path toward being a zhēnrén.
Shén: chuāng (144-6) hole + window with lattices. Common usage = window. This supports the concept of the PC/TH being the windows through which no-form enters all the various areas and organs of the body.
Líng: líng. Just as the shén of the heart is shén itself, the líng of the pericardium may be líng itself, and the source of the líng of all the other organs. Since líng is rain summoned by spiritual work, and the pericardium is able to envelop or wrap the dragon, who makes rain, it fits that of all the organs in the body, the pericardium should be most closely related to the concept of líng in its purest form. (When doing reiki, the qì is said to come out of the hand at PC-8 near the center of the palm.) The fifth symbol, raku, along with meditative breath, creates the conditions for lightning to strike, and líng is the result.
In terms of yīn organs “storing” and yáng organs “transporting,” the pericardium represents the ability to envelop no-form, giving it shape (and thus form), and the triple heater represents the spontaneous and synchronistic activity of no-form throughout form. The heart, then, is the foremost place of unity between form and no-form. The PC/TH membranes are the interface…the site of initiation and passage.
Another interesting facet of the PC/TH is presented by the Nan Jing, which says the triple heater and master of the heart are associated with the surface (biǎo) and the lining (lǐ). Biǎo (fur + clothing) is translated as surface, outside, outer garment, and appearance. In medical terms, it is considered to be the skin and hair. Lǐ (hamlet/village + clothing) is translated as lining, or inside; in the body it is the fascia and membranes. This suggests that the skin is the province of the triple heater rather than the lungs, which explains why hives are commonly treated by addressing the fire element, rather than metal.
Examples of lightning imbalance in veterinary medicine: cardiac arrhythmias, connective tissue disorders, cell membrane disorders.
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Transformation
In the last few decades, scientists have shown that biological systems can transform chemical elements according to need. What was once thought immutable really isn’t. Louis Kervran, a French scientist, has been the foremost figure in this research. He has shown that humans are able to change Nitrogen to Carbon and Oxygen, Sodium to Potassium, Sodium to Magnesium, Iron to Manganese and vice versa. Chickens can change Potassium to Calcium. Rats can change Calcium to Magnesium. Plants can change Phosphorus to Magnesium, and Manganese to Iron. Most of these changes occur with the movement of an atom of Hydrogen or Oxygen, the most abundant source of which is, of course, water. The Dao De Jing says, “Under heaven, nothing is more soft and yielding than water. Yet for attacking the solid and strong, nothing is better. It has no equal. The weak can overcome the strong.” So the concept of jīng (transformative capacity) as part of the water element is quite appropriate. Water is the substance most similar to Dào, and is necessary for all transformations.
