灵枢经·本神 The Root of the Spirit

Huangdi asked Qibo, saying: 'In all the methods of needling, one must first take the spirit (shen) as the root. Blood, the vessels, nutritive qi, defensive qi, and essence-spirit — these are what the five viscera store. When these overflow in excess and depart from the viscera, so that the essence is lost, the ethereal and corporeal souls (hun and po) go flying off, the will and intent become confused and disordered, and wisdom and deliberation depart from the body — what is the cause of this? Is it the fault of Heaven, or the transgression of man? And what, precisely, are meant by virtue (de), qi, life (sheng), essence (jing), spirit (shen), the ethereal soul (hun), the corporeal soul (po), the heart-mind (xin), intent (yi), the will (zhi), reflection (si), wisdom (zhi), and deliberation (lü)? I ask to hear the explanation of these matters.'

Qibo answered: 'What Heaven bestows in me is virtue; what Earth bestows in me is qi. When virtue flows down and qi presses close together, life is thereby generated. Thus that from which life comes is called essence; the mutual interaction of the two essences is called spirit; that which follows the spirit in its coming and going is called the ethereal soul (hun); that which moves in and out together with the essence is called the corporeal soul (po); that by which one takes charge of and responds to external things is called the heart-mind; that which the heart-mind holds in recollection is called intent; that which intent retains and preserves is called the will; that which, arising from the will, undergoes deliberate change is called reflection; that which, arising from reflection, reaches far into distant aspiration is called deliberation; and that by which, arising from deliberation, one manages and deals with external affairs is called wisdom.'

Hence, the way in which the wise nourish life is always to follow the four seasons and accommodate themselves to cold and heat, to harmonize joy and anger and dwell in a settled and peaceful abode, and to moderate yin and yang and regulate firmness and softness. When one does this, deviant evils will not arrive, and one will enjoy long life and lasting vision.

Hence, one who is fearful, apprehensive, and given to excessive reflection and deliberation injures the spirit; when the spirit is injured, fear and dread arise, flowing unchecked and unceasing. One whose inner being is stirred by grief and sorrow becomes exhausted and cut off, and thereby loses their life. One who indulges excessively in joy and pleasure causes the spirit to become scattered and dissipated, no longer stored within. One who is beset by worry and anxiety causes the qi to become blocked and obstructed, no longer flowing freely. One who is given to violent rage becomes confused and disordered, beyond governing. One who is overcome by fear and dread causes the spirit to become agitated and unsettled, no longer able to be gathered in.

In the heart, fearfulness, apprehension, and excessive reflection and deliberation injure the spirit; when the spirit is injured, fear and dread arise and the person loses command of themselves. The rounded muscles waste and the flesh falls away, the body hair withers, and the complexion fades — such a person will die in winter.

In the spleen, when worry and anxiety go unresolved, this injures the intent; when the intent is injured, there is oppressive confusion and disorder, the four limbs cannot be lifted, the body hair withers, and the complexion fades — such a person will die in spring.

In the liver, when grief and sorrow stir the interior, this injures the ethereal soul (hun); when the hun is injured, there is manic forgetfulness and lack of clarity, and when there is no clarity, one loses proper self-command — one's genitals will contract and the sinews will cramp, the ribs on both sides cannot be lifted, the body hair withers, and the complexion fades — such a person will die in autumn.

In the lung, when joy and pleasure are indulged without limit, this injures the corporeal soul (po); when the po is injured, there is mania, and one in this manic state no longer recognizes other people; the skin becomes scorched and dry, the body hair withers, and the complexion fades — such a person will die in summer.

In the kidney, when violent rage does not cease, this injures the will; when the will is injured, one is prone to forgetting one's own previous words, the lower back and spine can no longer bend forward or back, flex or extend, the body hair withers, and the complexion fades — such a person will die in late summer.

When fear and dread go unresolved, this injures the essence; when the essence is injured, the bones ache, and there is wilting weakness and reversal, with essence spontaneously leaking downward from time to time. This is why the five viscera, whose governing function is to store the essence, must not be injured — for when injured, they lose their proper guard and yin becomes deficient; when yin is deficient there is no qi, and when there is no qi, death follows.

Hence, one who practices needling must observe and examine the patient's condition and bearing, so as to discern the presence or loss of the essence, spirit, ethereal soul, and corporeal soul, and the meaning of what has been gained or lost. If all five of these have already been injured, needling cannot treat the condition.

The liver stores the blood, and the blood houses the ethereal soul (hun); when the liver qi is deficient, one is fearful, and when it is in excess, one is prone to anger.

The spleen stores the nutritive qi, and the nutritive qi houses the intent; when the spleen qi is deficient, the four limbs cannot be used and the five viscera are unsettled, and when it is in excess, there is abdominal distension and difficulty in menstruation and urination.

The heart stores the vessels, and the vessels house the spirit; when the heart qi is deficient, one is prone to sorrow, and when it is in excess, one laughs without ceasing.

The lung stores the qi, and the qi houses the corporeal soul (po); when the lung qi is deficient, the nose becomes congested and functions poorly, with shortness of breath, and when it is in excess, there is panting and wheezing, fullness in the chest, and labored breathing with the head tilted back.

The kidney stores the essence, and the essence houses the will; when the kidney qi is deficient, there is reversal, and when it is in excess, there is distension. When the five viscera are unsettled in this way, one must carefully examine the disease patterns of the five viscera, so as to discern the deficiency or excess of their qi, and treat them with careful attention and regulation.