XIN AND SHEN AS ELUCIDATED IN THE HUANGDI NEIJING Ilene Martino Bellerue, L.Ac., Dipl. Ac.

116 Pages·2009·1.1 MB·English

XIN AND SHEN
AS ELUCIDATED IN THE HUANGDI NEIJING

Ilene Martino Bellerue, L.Ac., Dipl. Ac.

CAPSTONE PROJECT
Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Class of 2008
Oregon College of Oriental Medicine

September 16, 2009

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction: Approaching the Huangdi Neijing 3
II. Neijing Cosmology and the TCM Concepts of
Heart and Shen: An Exploration 5
0 to 1: From Wuji to Taiji 12
1: Heaven 13
2: Earth and Yin-Yang Theory – Coupling 15
3: Heaven, Human, and Earth – The Vertical Axis 20
4: Four Directions and Four Seasons – The Horizontal Axis 27
5: Center, The Five Phases – A Circle of Community 35
6: Six Qi and the Rhythms of Heaven – The Hexagram 45
7: Seven Stars and Seven Emotions – The Light of Awareness 52
8: The Eight Winds and Guiding Principles – The Bagua 67
9: Nine Palaces – The Rule of Nine 74
III. The Heart and Shen in Diagnosis and Treatment 80
A. Diagnosis 81
B. Treatment 85
IV. Concluding Remarks 95
REFERENCES 97
APPENDICES
I. From Wuji to Taiji 100
II. Neidan Practice 101
III. The He Map 102
IV. The Luo Scroll 103
V. Zang Number Correspondences 104
VI. Five Phase Dynamics 105
VII. Chinese Calendar 106
VIII. Gua Development 107
IX. Body Clock 112
X. 28 Constellations 114
XI. Earlier and Later Heaven Bagua Arrangements 115
XII. Nine Palaces 116
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I. Introduction: Approaching the Huangdi Neijing

To read, study, and comprehend the vast and profound knowledge and wisdom
contained within the text of the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine,
the Huangdi Neijing, has traditionally been a calling for the serious and
dedicated practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCMa). The Neijing
unquestionably remains the ultimate written source of instruction for TCM
doctors. However, in modern times, it is likely to be consulted more often by
academics, scholars, and historians than by TCM practitioners. Here in the
United States, TCM students are not required to read it through even once to
gain their masters or doctoral degrees.

Certainly, non-Chinese speakers and those who lack Chinese acculturation face
greater challenges in fathoming the text than their counterparts. Yet, even
modern Chinese TCM students typically find it difficult to understand, getting
lost in the text’s archaic language, symbolic representation and structure, and
profound yet unembellished concepts, which often entirely elude the uninitiated
reader. A foundational level of training in an authentic lineage of Qi Gong,
Daoist practice, medical and/or martial arts is definitely a helpful prerequisite to
navigating the meaning of the text for Chinese and non-Chinese speakers alike.
Following the age-old edict of our TCM profession, I chose to read, research,
and study the entire text of the Neijing as part of this DAOM capstone project.
Though I am an American and a non-Chinese speaker, a solid background in Qi
Gong, Daoist practice and TCM training has benefited me in my Neijing study.

a The acronym TCM is used here to connote the broadest literal meaning of the multitude of styles of Chinese
medical practice in use today, worldwide, which derive from the venerable and authentic roots of classical
Chinese Medicine. In the context of this paper, TCM does not refer exclusively to a People’s Republic of China
post-revolutionary version of Chinese medicine, edited to conform to the political will of the times. Many
scholars and TCM doctors posit that classical Chinese medicine was edited to eliminate, obfuscate, and/or
minimize some of its core classical concepts, particularly those related to the integration of the physical,
emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of the human experience. While classical Chinese Medicine may be a
superior literal description for the medical orientation encouraged in this paper, TCM is the term employed
here. This choice of terminology displays my personal hope that neither the Marxist materialist dialectic, nor
our modern scientific bias, will eclipse the ancient science and art of Chinese Medicine contained within the
Neijing. Indeed, my hope is that a healthy resurgence of rigorous academic research into the unique holistic
concepts of the Neijing and other classical texts will occur now and into the future, so that the genuine
principles of Chinese Medicine will be preserved to inform, illuminate, and guide the evolution of TCM training
and practice in modern times.

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Every available English translation of the two parts of the Neijing, the Suwen
(Simple Questions) and the Lingshu (Spiritual Axis, or Divine Pivot), has been
consulted in this effort, as pouring over passages of the text in their differing
translations often sheds light upon the intention and meaning of an otherwise
incomprehensible passage. The English translation of some passages may seem
ordinary and self-evident, but there are typically deeper layers of expression
cloaked in: 1) the many possible meanings contained within one Chinese
character, or combination of characters, and the differences between classical
and modern language definitions and usages; 2) numerical representations; 3)
symbolic speech or terminology; and 4) meaning which is purposely imposed
through context, by placement within the text and/or through the compositional
structure of the text. This is the general rule rather than the exception in the
Neijing. Commentaries and annotations from translators specialized in various
disciplines lend a variety of helpful perspectives, but navigating the source text
is an exercise that ought not be missed in the process.

The specific topics of Xin, the Heart, and Shen, the Spirit, (also translated as
Mind) were researched throughout the entire text of the Neijing, and all
references to them catalogued for further inquiry and comparison. Next,
selective excerpts and analyses of this material have been organized and
presented with the intention of offering up some of the flavor, depth, and
clinical insight the Neijing delivers on these topics. Even the most novice
exploration of these topics yields enough information to fill an entire book, if
not multiple volumes. This presentation is not meant to be exhaustive, and
cannot even begin to be thought of as complete, due to the immensity of the
subject matter, as well as the age and profundity of the source text.

I believe the reader will gain more understanding from this academic endeavor if
I take the time to initiate them into the contextual cosmology of the Neijing, at
least in a basic way, so this is introduced in Part II. The sections numbered 0
through 9 are organized together in numerical order, to offer an elementary
explanation of some essential cosmological principles inherent within the
Neijing, with a brief analysis of the respectively relevant core concepts of Heart
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and Shen included in each section. In Part III, select Neijing references to the
Heart and Shen in diagnosis and treatment are discussed.

There are many direct quotes excerpted from the Neijing in this paper, with the
intention of emphasizing the language, expressive tone, and contextual
methods typical of the source text. The unfortunate reality is that mistakes,
omissions, bias, and lack of conceptual and linguistic parallels in the English
language make a competent translation difficult to achieve. Dr. Maoshing Ni’s
translation of the Suwen has some helpful and clarifying commentary added into
the translation, rather than appended in a separate commentary section, so
some of its passages read differently than other English versions. There are
some misspelled pinyin words in passages quoted from Dr. Nguyen Van Nghi’s
Lingshu translation, which are noted and corrected herein. Excerpts from Dr.
Maoshing Ni’s Suwen translation, Dr. Nguyen Van Nghi’s translation of Lingshu
Chapters 1 through 48, and several additional Neijing translations are included,
to offer a breadth of samples.

Terms referring to formal TCM concepts, such as Heart or Shen, are capitalized,
as are terms with symbolic significance in ancient Chinese cosmology and
philosophy, such as Heaven and Earth. While Pinyin is the modern romanization
standard used in this paper, the prior Wade-Giles system pervades the older
literature, so rather than make changes to every reference, the reader is asked
for flexibility in understanding foundational terms referred to in both systems,
i.e., Dao and Tao, Qi and Chi. Additionally, some translations group Chinese
words together, which is the format generally adopted in this paper, but some
reference texts, and excerpts from those texts, show them separated, i.e.,
Huangdi Neijing, Suwen, or Qibo, versus Huang Di Nei Jing, Su Wen, or Qi Bo,
and no differences in meaning are implied in this regard.
II. Neijing Cosmology and the TCM Concepts of Heart and Shen: An
Exploration
All of the foundational concepts of TCM ultimately derive from the ancient “Yi
science” expounded in the Yijing, or Book of Changes. The major schools of
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thought in Chinese culture, Daoism, Confucianism, Mohism, and others, all
originated from the Yijing, carving individual paths out of the common origin
and touchstone of Yi science.1 There are two main parts to the Book of Changes,
the Yijing (original text) and the Yi Zhuan (the commentaries). Historians date
the earliest written versions of the Yijing to the end of the Western Zhou
Dynasty (1046-771 BC), and the Yi Zhuan to the time from the Spring and
Autumn Period (722-476 BC) to the middle of the Warring States Period (475-
221 BC). 1(p2-3) The Huangdi Neijing, in the written form used in most modern
translations, followed shortly thereafter, dated to the time between the Warring
States Period and the Han Dynasty (475-206 BC). 1(p4) In ancient literature with
great cultural significance such as this, a lengthy oral history, multiple authors
and versions of texts, amendments and commentaries have all, undoubtedly,
preceded the texts we use today.2

The actual origin of the Yijing predates these written versions. There were three
Yijing texts in ancient times: 1) the Zhou Yi, attributed to the ancient Emperor
Fu Xi, consisted of the sixty-four hexagrams with no verbal explanation, and is
the version still in use today; 2) the Lian Shan Yi, or Xia Yi, attributed to the
ancient Emperor Shen Nong, contained eight trigrams and sixty-four hexagrams,
and is no longer in existence today; and 3) the Gui Zang Yi, a version attributed
to the Emperor Huang Di (the same Yellow Emperor as in the Huangdi Neijing),
with the first trigram designated as Kun (Earth), which is also no longer extant.
1(p81-91) The time of these emperors is too ancient to be verifiable, but historians
call it the period of Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and generally date it to
the period of China’s greatest antiquity, before 2100 BC.

Two foundational diagrams included in the Yijing are the ancient He Map (He Tu)
and Luo Scroll (Luo Shu). These are both digital drawings of numbers one
through nine, represented by white and black dots, arranged by the directions
of the compass in symbolically significant patterns. The digital arrangements of
both are seen to exhibit the cycles of the sun, moon, and earth, the waxing and
waning of Yin and Yang, the transformation of heat and cold through the
seasons, as related to the cardinal directions, and much more. 1(p91) The He Map is
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said to have been presented to Fu Xi, as an image on the back of a dragon-horse
(mythical animal) who came out of the He River to present it to him. Fu Xi
governed his country according to it. The Eight Trigrams (Bagua) are also
attributed to Fu Xi. It is stated in the Yijing itself that the Eight Trigrams of Fu Xi
came from the He Map and the Luo Scroll. 1(p82) The Luo Scroll was delivered to Da
Yu (Yu the Great), of the Xia Dynasty (2100-1600 BC), in a similar way: a divine
tortoise came out of the Luo River and the picture on its back became the Luo
Scroll. The invention of the wheel, agriculture, ancient Chinese flood control
methods, and Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine are among the many feats
attributed to these illustrious emperors and sages, including Fu Xi, Shen Nong,
Huang Di and Da Yu. Ancient scholars commonly attributed their works and
compilations to them, as well. 1(p11)

The seminal images of the He Map, the Luo Scroll, the Bagua, and the sixty-four
hexagrams of the Yijing are of exceedingly ancient origins. Yi science and
philosophy are based upon them, and their influence and applications form the
bedrock of TCM concepts, preserved and revealed to us in the Huangdi Neijing.

The Neijing’s concepts and its compositional structure are thoroughly imbued
with Yi science and philosophy, and it expanded upon many of the Yi theories,
making it:

…a masterpiece in medicine, summarizing the results of the medical
research before the Han Dynasty. Many of the theories borrowed by the
Emperor’s Canon of Medicine [Neijing] were further improved by it, thus
making it not only a medical classic but also a scientific work on biology,
anthropology, philosophy and logic, as brilliant as [the] Book of Changes.
1(p4)
The Yijing’s symbolic system of lines (Yao), −−−− −−−− the broken line which
represents Yin, and  the unbroken line which represents Yang, was further
elaborated into Yin-Yang theory in the Neijing. The structure of the text of the
Yijing is based upon the symbolic imagery of the lines, arranged in bigrams,
trigrams and hexagrams, to represent material things, processes and concepts,
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including images of nature and natural processes, man-made objects, human
beings, and human concepts and perceptions. This tradition of representational
imagery is called Xiang. 1(p23-25)

The Neijing adopted the same type of representational imagery system as the
hexagram is to the Yijing and developed it further into the theory of Zang Xiang,
which belongs to TCM alone. Zang refers to the five Zang (Yin organs), and
Xiang refers to external representations of them in nature. The essence of Zang
Xiang theory is that the Zang can be understood, diagnosed and treated through
a system of corresponding images that represent real phenomena in nature. The
correspondences possess analogous attributes to a specific Zang, or analogous
systemic roles paralleling its roles and functions. The correspondences are
energetic extensions of the qualities and properties of each Zang. We may better
understand the nature of a particular Zang by studying the attributes of its
correspondences, and vice-versa. Xin (the Zang of the Heart) corresponds to the
season of summer, the flavor of bitter, the climate of heat, and so forth.

The theory of Zang Xiang extends further by unifying these external organ
correspondences to the five Shen (Wu Shen), which reside within the five Zang
organs, and the state of a Zang may be examined through its Shen, and vice
versa. Zang Xiang theory also examines the state of health and disease through
the concepts expressed in the Yijing’s trigrams and hexagrams, even though the
symbols, as such, do not appear in the Neijing text. For example, the trigrams
and hexagrams of Qian-Creative, and Kun-Receptive, are understood as images
of Heaven and Earth, which may be used to represent the condition of Yin and
Yang; the trigrams of Kan-Water, or Li-Fire, and the hexagrams of Jiji-After
Completion, and Weiji-Before Completion, may be used to express Heart and
Kidney Zang relationships. 1(p25-27)

The theory of Qi Hua (the production, circulation and functions of Qi, or Vital
Force), originated in the Yijing. The content and positions of the lines in the
trigrams and hexagrams of the Yijing symbolically represent the Qi Hua of Yin
and Yang, with more detail and precision than the more basic Taiji symbol. The
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theory of Qi Hua is further developed in the Neijing to explain the
correspondences and relationships between time, astronomy, geography, and
health and disease. It is used to track the potentials for growth, development,
flourishing and decline in life, with the image of the Qi Hua in nature reflecting
and affecting the Qi Hua of the human being. Yin-Yang, Qi Hua, and Zang Xiang
theories, together, comprise the foundation for all TCM physiology, pathology,
diagnosis and treatment theories elaborated in the Neijing. 1(p27-29)

The “setting” of the Neijing is the universal macrocosm of nature, whose
principles operate on Earth and within the life of every human being. It is the
same type of setting seen in classical Chinese landscape paintings, with nature
represented as immense, and human beings represented as incredibly small
within it. A quote from Chapter 25 of the Suwen, The Preservation of Health
(Bao Ming Quan Xing Lun), describes this macrocosm-microcosm relationship
between nature and human health:

Every individual's life is intimately connected with nature. How people
accommodate and adapt to the seasons and the laws of nature will
determine how well they draw from the origin or spring of their lives.
When one understands the usefulness of the 10,000 things in the
universe, one will be able to effectively utilize them for the preservation
of health. The universe is comprised of yin and yang. The human being
has the 12 channels. Nature exhibits hot and cold seasons; the human
being has deficiency and excess. When one can manage the polarity
changes of the universe, assimilate the knowledge of the 12 channels,
and obey the rhythms of the four seasons, one will have clarity and not
be confused by any disorder. Grasping the shifts of the eight winds and
the transformation of the five elements, and understanding these in the
context of a patient's health, you will gain insight into the truth. You
could even disregard the obvious manifestations of the patient and
attain, through the aforementioned, a transpiercing vision. 3

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The Yijing text is a systematic description of natural phenomena, which is also
the conceptual basis used to define the art and practice of medicine in the
Neijing. Yi science and philosophy is a rational, logical, and straightforward
system, which may be analytically applied to further understanding in any field
or endeavor. It may also be used as a developmental tool for growth and
awareness. This is not confined to its popularized uses for predicting trends and
answering life questions. Its precision of natural science and mathematical
systematization, combined with its simple and unembellished philosophy of
application, has earned it the deserved reputation of an “enlightened”
cosmology, one with the potential to provide perception of reality beyond three
dimensions, and into a fourth dimension of omniscience.4 The Neijing’s wisdom
on the nature of the human experience, health, disease, and healing
interventions, is an extension of this. This is the essence of the “transpiercing
vision” described in the Suwen passage quoted above. To pretend that this can
be fully expressed in words would be to demonstrate the ignorance of its actual
value and intent.

Chapter 1 of the Suwen defines “Immortals”, “Achieved Beings”, “Sages”, and
“Naturalists” as four categories of people who have advanced levels of internal
self-development. The “Superior” or “Sage” physician is often referred to in the
Neijing, as the exemplary doctor who furthers the expansion of his/her self-
development, through study, contemplation, and specific disciplines of external
and internal practices, and thereby serves patients through offering superior
medical care. 3(p3-4) The Neijing places tremendous value upon this cultivation and
development of human potential, and recommends that doctors dedicate
themselves to the Way (Dao). Yi science and philosophy are at the root of
ancient Daoist Philosophy and self-cultivation methodologies. While later
schools of thought introduced religious dogmas, figureheads, and External Elixir
Alchemies into a variety of Daoist sects, the more ancient forms of Daoism,
predating and thriving at the time of the Neijing, employed direct methods of
self-cultivation based upon Yi science and philosophy.

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