EXPLANATIONS AND COMMENTARIES
I - Zhang Shi explains:
“ 1 - Fright injures the kidney. Untreated, fright and fear disturb the jing of the kidney organ.
The kidney controls the bones. This is why injured jing brings with it latent pains in the bones which, in a chronic state, ends up in the syndrome called “atrophic impotence”
(wei Jue) with intermittent spermatorrhea which is difficult to treat because:
_ the jing of fire is the shen
_ and the jing of water is the Chi. 231.
2 - While the previous paragraph explains the treatment of Chi (will) of the kidney, this one defines the treatment of the jing of the same organ.
The hun, po and Chi originate from heart-kidney and from the jing-shen (jing-Mental);
this is why Paragraph 2 of this chapter states: “Fear, reflection (si) and preoccupation (Lu) injure the shen.” The shen is produced by the jing, and the jing returns to the shen.
3 - When the cereals penetrate into the stomach, they are transformed into liquid substances and into the 5 sapors circulating according to the appropriate direction:
_ sour sapor goes to the liver _ bitter sapor, to the heart _ sweet sapor, to the spleen _ spicy sapor, to the lung _ salty sapor, to the kidney.
It is in this way that the 5 organs receive the jing of the cereals.
4 - The shen energy is created by the jing. For this reason, the jing of the 5 organs must not be injured at the risk of causing a syndrome of Emptiness of yin (yin Xie) responsible for the exhaustion of the shen whose prognosis is extremely serious. In this way, “Those who utilize the needles must study the state of the patient to determine the presence of jing, shen, hun, po, yi...”
because acupuncture is strictly prohibited in their absence.
`5 - Wu Shi declared: “Uncontrolled fright injures jing”. here, the word “jing” designates the innate, a priori jing. In contrast, the jing conserved in the 5 organs is the jing coming from the cereals (acquired).
shen comes from jing. This is why the text specifies: “Emptiness of yin is synonymous with the absence of shen energy.”
II - Ma Shi comments:
“ 1 - This paragraph concerns the Wu shen (5 mental energies):
_ jing-shen (essence/Mental) _ hun (vegetative soul) _ po (sensitive soul) _ yi (thought)
_ Chi (will).
Disturbance of the Wu shen causes that of the 5 organs; the disease is extremely serious, and the prognosis is fatal.
The Wu shen of the 5 organs are:
_ the mental (shen) received by the heart _ thought (yi), by the spleen
_ the vegetative soul (hun), by the liver _ the sensitive soul (po), by the lung _ jing and will (jing Chi), by the kidney.
This is why the text states: “Fear, reflection and worry (Zhu yi si lu) injure the shen of the heart organ. The injured shen causes emptiness of the heart. The heart being in emptiness, the kidney invades it and oppresses it.” (Figure 23)
232.
Figure 23
Wu shen (5 mental energies) and Wu xing (5 movements).
Disorders of the Chi of the kidney provoke fright and increasing growth of fright is the origin of muscular melting (hypotony and laxity), hence the change in xing (bodily form) and complexion. By what manner? By the action of the kidney (water) which destroys fire (shen).
2 - Unchecked anxiety and grief blocks the circulation of the spleen and injures the yi (thought) and injured yi is the origin of disorders of movement of the limbs (inability to lift them). In the chronic state, the xing (bodily form) and complexion become altered.
Death occurs in the spring.
By what manner? By the destructive action of wood on earth.
3 - Sadness and lamentations injure the hun (vegetative soul) of the liver organ. Perturbed
hun is the origin of insanity, easy forgetfulness and spermatorrhea; spatial orientation is incorrect (vertigo) and the patient presents moreover with retraction of the genitals, muscular spasms and bilateral hypochondralgia preventing the movement of the body, and, if long enough, a total loss of the “vital source” with alteration of xing (bodily form) and complexion.
Death occurs in autumn.
By what manner? By the destructive action of metal on wood.
4 - Excess joy injures the po (sensitive soul) of the lung organ. When po is injured, the shen disintegrates without recourse, inducing the appearance of Kuang (yang madness) and, as a result of the latter, yi (thought) becomes lost.
The loss of yi comes, therefore, from the insufficient energy of the “mother” (heart-shen);
the skin becomes dried out and desquamates with change in xing (bodily form) and complexion.
Death occurs in summer.
By what manner? By the destructive action of fire on metal. 233.
5 - Excessive and repeated anger injures the Chi (will) of the kidney organ. When Chi is injured, the subject is in a dazed state with mental apathy and aphasia (1) and complains moreover of lumbalgia and spinal pain preventing flexion and extension.
Likewise, uncontrolled fright dislocates the shen and injures the jing. Injured jing is the origin of bone pain or atrophic impotence (wei Jue) or spermatorrhea. In the long run, the xing (bodily form) and complexion become altered.
Death occurs at the end of summer.
By what manner? By the destructive action of earth on water.
6 - The 5 organs have their own energy and their own jing (essence), and all are equipped with the ability to store their jing. If they are injured, the yin energy is found in a state of emptiness because the 5 organs being yin and in emptiness are devoid of energy.
This is why the acupuncturist must carefully examine the state of the patient to determine the energetic potential of the jing and shen, hun and po, and Chi and yi. If disturbance of the Chi (will) of the 5 organs becomes expressed by an alteration of xing (bodily form) and complexion, death is near and acupuncture is ineffective.
It is stated in Chapter 11 (“Special Study on the 5 Organs“) of the Suwen: “Do not treat incurable diseases since the treatment is ineffective.” For our part, we think that when acupuncture is inadvisable, phytotherapy must be wisely employed.”
III - N.V.N.:
1 - In the chronic state, fright injures the jing (essence). The injured jing is the origin of latent arthralgias with weakness of the limbs and spermatorrhea.
The 5 organs receive jing qi (energy of the vital essence). Their function must not be disturbed.
jing is yin. It is the material basis of the yang energy originating from the activities of the 5 organs. In the event of disturbances, the “jing” energy becomes lost and can no longer
1. According to the original text: forgetfulness of language.
defend the interior, hence the emptiness of yin.
Loss of jing and emptiness of yin are two provocative factors of deficiency of nutritive matter, that is to say of the degradation of energetic metabolism. This is while the problem of the change in xing (bodily form) and complexion comes up, ending in death.
2 - This paragraph underscores the importance of the notion: “The 5 organs are the 5 receivers of the jing”, namely:
_ the liver receives Xue (blood) _ the heart, Mai (vessels)
_ the spleen, ying (nutritive energy)
_ the lung, qi (energy) 234.
_ the kidney, jing (essences).
The jing (essence) of the 5 organs creates the shen (mental), and the shen of the 5 organs are:
_ shen (mental)
_ hun (vegetative soul) _ po (sensitive soul) _ yi (thought) _ Chi (will)
which include all mental activities of energetic mutation (metabolism).
In all, jing (essence) is a material, nutritive substance. Man has need of this “substance”
for his physical and mental activities. Such is the theory according to which: “The posterior (acquired) data maintain the anterior (innate) data”. But the nutritive substance (jing) requires the support of the energetic metabolism to subsist; this is the theory according to which “The anterior (innate) data maintain the posterior (acquired) data.”
These theories are fundamental to the complete comprehension of the mechanism of human physiology in Oriental medicine.
In this paragraph, Qi Bo emphasizes the protection of the jing because “its loss is the origin of emptiness of yin” , meaning the disappearance of the energy, and the disappearance of the energy is death. This phrase stresses the importance of the reciprocal relationship of the jing (essence) and qi (energy).
3 - As a consequence, the acupuncturist must carefully examine and analyze the mental activities of the patient, that is to say, the jing-shen (essence and mental) and hun-po (vegetative and sensitive souls), in the goal of evaluating the manifestations of the 5 organs in relation to the psycho-affective states. When these states are jointly perturbed, the disease is extremely serious.