Guest guest Posted September 27, 2002 Report Share Posted September 27, 2002 Giovanni Maciocia mentions the Six elements in Foundations of Chinese Medicine. " Some of the earliest references to the Elements do not call them 'elements' at all but either 'seats of government' (Fu) or 'ability, talent, material' (cai), and there were at one point six rather than five. They were in fact called the '5 abilities' or the '6 seats of government'. A book from the Warring States period says: 'Heaven send the Five Abilities and the people use them'. And it also says: 'The 6 Seats of Government ... are Water, Fire, Metal, Wood, Earth and Grain'. Thus 'Grain' was considered to be the 6th 'element'. " (pg. 16) He quotes as a source Gu He Dao 1979 History of (Zhong Guo Yi Xue Shi Lue). Shanxi People's Publishing House, Taiyuan p 29. Mbanu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 27, 2002 Report Share Posted September 27, 2002 Okay, so we have a basis for the concept of six elements, but what of this " primordial water " that was mentioned earlier? -al. walmart_hurts wrote: > > Giovanni Maciocia mentions the Six elements in Foundations of Chinese > Medicine. > > " Some of the earliest references to the Elements do not call > them 'elements' at all but either 'seats of government' (Fu) > or 'ability, talent, material' (cai), and there were at one point six > rather than five. They were in fact called the '5 abilities' or > the '6 seats of government'. A book from the Warring States period > says: 'Heaven send the Five Abilities and the people use them'. And > it also says: 'The 6 Seats of Government ... are Water, Fire, Metal, > Wood, Earth and Grain'. Thus 'Grain' was considered to be the > 6th 'element'. " (pg. 16) > > He quotes as a source Gu He Dao 1979 History of > (Zhong Guo Yi Xue Shi Lue). Shanxi People's Publishing House, Taiyuan > p 29. > > Mbanu > > > > Post message: Chinese Traditional Medicine > Subscribe: Chinese Traditional Medicine- > Un: Chinese Traditional Medicine- > List owner: Chinese Traditional Medicine-owner > > Shortcut URL to this page: > /community/Chinese Traditional Medicine > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2002 Report Share Posted September 28, 2002 Dear Mbanu, Personally I think Maciocia's translation and conclusions on this information leaves much to be desired. As he states earlier in that chapter; " xing " , of the " wuxing " , refers to movement, not element. And the Seats of Government, from my studies of the Huangdi Neijing are related as much to the organs and meridians as to the elements. From the NeiJing: Lungs: Office of the Prime Minister Large Intestine: Office of Transmitting and Conducting Spleen & Stomach: Office of the Grainery Heart: Emperor (of the Seat of Life <shen>) Small Intestine: Office of Receiving Plenty Urinary Bladder: Office of the Island Capitol Kidneys: Office of Creation of Strength Pericardium: Office of Official Envoy (bodyguards, external affairs) Triple Burner: Office of Irrigation Ditch Gall Bladder: Office of Internal Rectitude Liver: Office of Army General In the classics there were originally 6 fu and 5 zang organs. The triple burner was, as well as the urinary bladder, always paired with the kidneys, the yang aspect of the kidneys, sometimes refered to as mingmen. Only later did they add on the Pericardium and paired it with the Triple burner. The Pericardium's original name was Tan Zhong, and later Xin Bao <the heart wrapper> was chosen as the generally accepted name. Functionally the xinbao is the expression of the heart. Since the heart itself is no-thing, the unspeakable, the void, it in itself is transcendent of all, and no pathogen can touch it without causing physical death (and even then, is the heart really dead or injured?). The xinbao carries out the heart's commands, it allows for the exiting and entering of shenming <spirit-mind's brightness> through the qiao <orfice or portal> of the xinbao. A quote (I'm not sure which classic it's from, probably the Neijing): " Mingmen below rides astride the kidney's right and there is a thread connecting and convoluting to the urinary bladder, above it becomes xinbao. And the imperial fire can then connect to yuan qi <original qi>. Illness, life and death depend on it. " This sounds like a hint to the relationship between sanjiao <triple burner> and xinbao, don't you think? The triple burner's primary function is in water metabolism and qi. The triple burner refers to the qihua <qi transformation> which takes place in the body. And the routes through which yuan qi <original qi> takes place in the body. The Triple burner's pulse is felt on the left hand on the proximal position, the same location as the yang aspect of the kidneys. There is not pulse for the pericardium. Warm regards, Blaise Chinese Traditional Medicine, " walmart_hurts " <jcc@c...> wrote: > Giovanni Maciocia mentions the Six elements in Foundations of Chinese > Medicine. > > " Some of the earliest references to the Elements do not call > them 'elements' at all but either 'seats of government' (Fu) > or 'ability, talent, material' (cai), and there were at one point six > rather than five. They were in fact called the '5 abilities' or > the '6 seats of government'. A book from the Warring States period > says: 'Heaven send the Five Abilities and the people use them'. And > it also says: 'The 6 Seats of Government ... are Water, Fire, Metal, > Wood, Earth and Grain'. Thus 'Grain' was considered to be the > 6th 'element'. " (pg. 16) > > He quotes as a source Gu He Dao 1979 History of > (Zhong Guo Yi Xue Shi Lue). Shanxi People's Publishing House, Taiyuan > p 29. > > Mbanu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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