Chinese Medicine Series 11: Complete Compendium of Zhang Jingyue [pt 6]

Chinese Medicine Series 11: Complete Compendium of Zhang Jingyue [pt 6]

The following is an excerpt from Chapter 13, ‘Sovereign Fire and Ministerial Fire’ 君火相火論十三 from The Complete Compendium of [Zhang] Jingyue Vol.1-3, ‘Eight Principles, Ten Questions and Mingmen Theory’ translated by Allen Tsaur.

至若五運之分各職其一，惟於火字獨言君相，而他則不及者何也？蓋兩間生氣總曰元氣，元氣惟陽為主，陽氣惟火而已。第火之為用，其道最微， 請以火象證之。如輕清而光熖於上者，火之明也，重實而溫蓄於下者火之位也。明卽位之神，無明則神用無由以著。位卽明之本，無位則光熖何從以生？故君火之變化於無窮總賴此相火之栽根於有地，雖分之則一而二， 而總之則二而一者也。此君火相火之辨。凡其為生化為盛衰，為本末重輕攸係從可知矣。人生所賴者惟此，故内經特以為言。
As for the division of the five movements, each [movement] has one official post. Only the fire is said to occupy [two official posts], the sovereign and the minister. Why do others not also have [the two posts]? For the vital qi between [the heavens and earth], it is as a whole called the original qi. The original qi regards the yang as ts governor, and the yang qi is simply the fire. Nonetheless, the function of fire is of the most subtle Dao. Please
allow me to demonstrate it with the appearances of fire. That which is light and clear with the brilliant radiance above, it is the brightness of fire. That which is heavy and solid with warmth amassed in the below, it is the position of fire. This brightness is precisely the spirit of the [fire’s] position; when this brightness is absent, without their source, the functions of the spirit cannot be carried out. [On the other hand], this position is precisely the root of the [fire’s] brightness; in the absence of this position, where can the brilliant radiance be engendered? Thus, for the sovereign fire to transmute and transform inexhaustibly, it all depends on the grown root of the ministerial fire in the soil. Although the one [fire] is divided into to two entities, altogether, the two entities unite into one [fire]. This is the distinction between the sovereign fire and the ministerial fire. From their engenderment and transformation, exuberance and debilitation, root and branch, one can understand the relative importance of their involvement. For the human life, it depends only on this. Therefore, the Neijing specifically speaks about it.

然在内經則但表其大義，原無分屬之條，惟刺禁論曰：七節之傍中有小心。此固隱然有相火所居之，故後世諸家咸謂相火寄在命門是固然矣。然以予之見，則見君相之義無藏不有，又何以辨之？蓋總言大體則相火當在命門，謂根荄在下為枝葉之本也，析言職守則臟腑各有君相，謂志意所出無不從乎形質也。
Nevertheless, the Neijing only expresses the general concept and originally lacks specific lines about [the ministerial fire]. Only the “Discourse on the Needling Contradictions” states, “To the sides of the seventh joint, there are the little hearts.” As this undoubtedly hints where the ministerial fire resides, various masters of the later generations all say that the ministerial fire attaches itself to the mingmen. This is admittedly so. Yet, from my own opinion, there is the manifestation of both the sovereign and minister in all zang-viscera without exception. Then, how can this be demonstrated? Generally speaking, the ministerial fire should be located in the mingmen. It is the so-called source and root located below, acting as the foundation of the branches and leaves. From the perspective of their posts and duties, each zang-viscera and fu-bowels possesses their own sovereign and minister; thus, it is said, “Without exception, all wills and ideations emerge from the physical form.”

Post-Scriptum: The final work contains numerous, and in-depth footnotes to explain medicinal and cultural concepts otherwise unknown to most readers.
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