Table of Contents
Dedication: To Ernie and his Brother Lee 11
Introduction 17
Natural Healing Versus Synthetic Medicine 17
Three Level Paradigms 18
Universal Resonance 21
The Horizontal and Vertical Axes of the Five Phase Cross 23
Acupuncture and Daoist Cosmogony 24
The Four Levels of Polarization 24
The Constructive Interference Patterns of the Five Phases 26
The Five Stages of Polarization 27
The Thematic Context of the Dàodéjīng 30
Part I: The Evolution of Destiny through the Will and Wisdom of the Kidney 34
The Three Levels of Healing and the Mandate of Heaven 34
Foundations of Healing in Political Archetypes and Philosophy 34
The Three Levels of Healing in Ancient Times 34
Etymology and Meaning of the Word “Mìng” 36
Philosophical Foundation for Early Political Ideas 37
The Shāng Dynasty and Divination 38
The Zhōu Dynasty and the Mandate of Heaven 41
Early Philosophy 43
Confucianism 43
Daoism 45
The Mandate 48
Fate 54
General 54
Life Expectancy 57
Karma 62
The Retribution of Heaven 62
The Split between Destiny and Nature (Mìng and Xìng) 70
Pre and Postnatal Transitions 70
Two Halves of a Tally 70
Xìng and Mìng in Relation to the Heart and Kidney 76
Hún and Pò and the Horizontal Axis of the Five Phase Cross 78
Spontaneity 81
Transforming the Yin and Yang Wills to Wisdom 85
The Role of the Kidneys 85
Will 87
Yang Will: The Will That Can be Willed 88
Yin Will: The Will that Cannot be Willed 93
Turning the Will Within 93
The Yin Will and Destiny 101
Wisdom 109
Conclusion 119
The Importance of Mìng 命 in Healing 119
Towards a Systematic Definition of Mìng 119
The Separation of Body and Mind 120
Xìng, Fire, and the Heart 121
The Yin and Yang Wills 122
Part II: The Shén/Spirit of the Heart 124
Definition 124
Etymology 127
The Separation of Heaven and Earth and Birth of the Human Soul 131
Shén/Spirit in the Early Medical Classics 137
Formation of the Shén/Spirit 140
Structure and Function 140
The Three Treasures 142
Demons and Spirits of the Body/Mind 144
The Material Perspective 145
Jīng/Essence, Qì, and Blood 145
Refining Shén/Spirit from Jīng/Essence and Qì 149
Jīng Shén (Spirit Essence) 151
The Spiritual Perspective 154
The Ancestors 154
From Gods to Spirit 156
The Divine, Immortal Soul 159
Shén míng 神明 162
The Human Perspective 163
Xīn: Heart/Mind 163
Xìng/Inborn Nature 182
Consciousness 188
Control 188
Yin and Yang: Waking and Sleep 188
Injury to the Shén/Spirit 190
Methods of Cultivation 194
Part III: Five Phase Psycho-Spiritual Templates 203
Introduction 203
The Soil Phase 205
The Soil Phase and the Five Phase Cross 205
The Spirit and Virtue of Soil 207
Yì/Intention: Yang 207
Xìn/Accountability: Yin 208
The Water Phase 212
The Water Phase and the Five Phase Cross 212
Bladder 213
Kidney 215
The Spirit and Virtue of Water 216
Zhì/Will: Yang 216
General Characteristics 216
The Yin Will 217
The Yang Will 218
Zhì/Wisdom: Yin 218
The Fire Phase 219
The Fire Phase and the Five Phase Cross 219
The Yang Small Intestine 219
The Yin Heart 220
The Small Intestine Official 220
The Heart Official 221
The Pericardium Official 221
The Triple Heater Official 222
The Four Fires 223
Lǐ/Appropriateness: Balance 225
Shén/Spirit: Deficient or Excess 226
Deficient 226
Excess 226
The Metal Phase 227
The Metal Phase and the Five Phase Cross 227
The Spirit and Virtue of Metal 229
Yì/Righteousness: Yang 229
Pò/Instinct: Yin 230
The Wood Phase 232
The Wood Phase and the Five Phase Cross 232
The Spirit and Virtue of Wood 233
Hún/Perspective: Yang 234
Rén/Humanity: Yin 234
Vision 235
Part IV: Psycho-Emotional Alchemy 240
The Functional Categories of the Five Phases 240
General Overview 240
The Three Functional Categories 241
General 241
The Central Soil Phase 242
The Vertical and Horizontal Axes of the Five Phase Cross 243
Defining the Issues 252
General Perspective 252
The Five Phase Perspective 254
Five Phase Transformation in the Yìjīng 257
The Jī/Pivot 257
The Tally 259
Substance and Function in the Yin-Yang Paradigm 263
Yin-Yang Trigram Transformation in the Soil Phase 265
Yin-Yang Trigram Transformation in the Water and Fire Phases 267
Yin-Yang Trigram Transformation in the Metal and Wood Phases 268
Yin-Yang Variations within Each of the Five Phases 271
Yin-Yang Symmetry and Asymmetry within the Metal and Wood Phases 300
Hexagram Correlations of the Five Phases 313
Organizing the Major Functions of the Five Phases 341
Functional Overview 341
Functional Inversions 343
Functional Inversions and Destiny 344
Major Functions of the Soil Phase 346
Major Functions of the Water Phase 346
Major Functions of the Fire Phase 347
Major Functions of the Metal Phase 347
Major Functions of the Wood Phase 348
Action and Non-Action in the Major Functions 349
General Integration of the Five Major Functions 351
Integration of the Five Major Functions of the Soil Phase 352
Integration of the Five Major Functions of the Water Phase 353
Integration of the Five Major Functions of the Fire Phase 354
Integration of the Five Major Functions of the Metal Phase 355
Integration of the Five Major Functions of the Wood Phase 356
Organizing the Five Phase Psycho-Emotional Functions 359
Soil Phase Psycho-Emotional Functions 359
The Alchemical Principle 359
The Virtue/Empowerment: Faith 361
Faith and Belief 363
Reframing the Soil Phase Temperament 364
Physiological Correspondences 365
Water Phase Psycho-Emotional Functions 371
The Alchemical Principle 371
The Virtue/Empowerment: Wisdom/Gratitude 372
Reframing the Water Phase Temperament 373
Physiological Correspondences 374
Fire Phase Psycho-Emotional Functions 380
The Alchemical Principle 380
The Virtue/Empowerment: Appropriateness/Happiness 381
Reframing the Fire Phase Temperament 382
Physiological Correspondences 383
Metal Phase Psycho-Emotional Functions 390
The Alchemical Principle 390
The Virtue/Empowerment: Conscience and Doing the Right Thing 390
Grief, Loss, and Judgment 393
Reframing the Metal Phase Temperament 400
Physiological Correspondences 406
Wood Phase Psycho-Emotional Functions 414
The Alchemical Principle 414
The Virtue/Empowerment: Humanity/Freedom 415
Reframing the Wood Phase Temperament 416
Physiological Correspondences 417
Appendix 427
Basic Pronunciation 427
Summary of Physical Disorders 428
Important Names 432
People 432
Texts 433
Index 435
Bibliography 440
Chinese References 440
English References 440
Endnotes 448
