TCMCRI

TCM Classics
Research Institute

Hung D Ni Jng Summaries

Summary of Chapter 8 of the S Wn

Lng Ln M Din Ln The Confidential Collections in the Royal Library
about the Functions of the Twelve Viscera

Paragraph 1
Hung D asks: "I would like you to tell me the mutual relations between the twelve Zng-F
in the human body and their principal and subordinate status in functions."

Xn

is
represents

assists

Fi

responsible for

is
governs
regulates

Gn

Consciousness of
ones being

sets

is

Wu [2]: Shn,
ideology, and thought

Intelligence, wisdom,
spiritual transformation

Prime Minister
Various vessels

Jng Lu

Q of body

is
its

Dn

Sovereign

General

Courageous & smart

Emotion = Anger (intention to survive)

Vision

Ideas in the future

Judge (unbiased)
for its

Power of discernment
is

Soldier

2005 Copyright Kris Oosting, all rights reserved. For Personal Use Only.

has

Courage

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TCM Classics
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Hung D Ni Jng Summaries

is

Xn Bo

Butler, Court jester

Joyfullness of the heart
through it

transmits

is

Officer of Granary

in charge of

D Chng

Xio Chng

Brings bad news in

light/funny way

Digesting, absorbing, spreading and

storing the essence of food

responsible for

receives

Transportation
of all turbidity

Food

from

Wi
extracts and absorbs

distributes
throughout

Body
separates
absorbs

Pure from Turbid

Essence

2005 Copyright Kris Oosting, all rights reserved. For Personal Use Only.

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TCM Classics
Research Institute

Hung D Ni Jng Summaries

stores

Shn

mobilizes
aids

Sn Jio

Png Gung

transformation &
transport of

Vitality
Four extremities
Memory, willpower, coordination

Water and fluids throughout body

transformes

Jn-Y

into

Water
moistens

By catalization of Q

Fi

Paragraph 2
Wu [2, p56] writes that the principle of health-preserving is subtle and hard to comprehend.
Only by painstaking pondering during study one can maybe understand it.
Then he writes about any tiny substance in nature that, when accumulated, forms the human
body.
Maoshing Ni [4, p35] however, writes: "The principles of healing and medicine in general are
difficult to grasp because many changes occur in illness, and the healing process must adapt
to that." which is more or less the same as what Wu [2] writes.
But the [4] continues with: "It becomes difficult to know the root. The origin of illness can be
so small and vague, in fact, so elusive, but the illness can still become substantial over time."
Which is different than Wu's [2] line of the 'tiny substance'.

2005 Copyright Kris Oosting, all rights reserved. For Personal Use Only.

TCMCRI

TCM Classics
Research Institute

Hung D Ni Jng Summaries

Paragraph 3
Hung D is happy and wants to preserve this information for future generations. Well, it
looks that he was successful.

Bibliography
[1] Wiseman, N. and Feng, Ye, A practical dictionary of Chinese Medicine, paradigm
publications, 1998.
[2] Nelson, Liansheng Wu and Andrew, Qi Wu, Yellow Emperor's Canon Internal Medicine,
China Science & Technology Press, 1999.
[3] Unschuld, P., Huang Di Nei Jing, nature, knowledge, imagery in an ancient Chinese
medical text, University of California Press, 2003.
[4] Maoshing Ni, The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine, Shambala, 1995.

2005 Copyright Kris Oosting, all rights reserved. For Personal Use Only.