The importance of the Spleen in studying Classical Chinese Medicine
I’ve been trying to find a way to make my Year of Sagely Living posts interesting to folks who are not specifically following my progress in that area. To that end, I have created a Year of Sagely Living page of the website where you can see more regular “updates” of my progress, as well as easily access all of the information about the project. When important insights come from that activity, I will expand them into full blog posts here on the main blog. My first insight of enough interest to generate a post involves the symbolism of the Spleen organ system.
脾 Pi - Spleen : Lessons learned from Yin Earth
Earthly Branch Si - The Snake : Lesson - You can take in a lot more than you think, but don’t overdo it
The Spleen is associated with the 6th Earthly Branch 巳 - Si. This is one of the few earthly branches that actually is a picture of the animal that came to be associated with it - the Snake. However, I should note that many people also posit that it is a picture of an infant. The oracle bone figures look more like snakes than babies to me, and as a picture of a snake is how I learned it, but certainly you may disagree.
The snake is a fascinating animal that both attracts and repulses most people. There are many characteristics of the snake that relate to the Spleen in structure and function. I’d like to just mention one that has been particularly helpful to me this week. As the title of this section suggests, I’m interested in the ability of a snake to consume prey much larger than itself.
Now, on the one hand, the Spleen really doesn’t like to be asked to do too much at once - as anyone can attest after a big Thanksgiving dinner. So, perhaps it’s not a perfect symbolic match. On the other hand, the function of the Spleen is to take whatever has been consumed and release the pure essence of that sustenance at a reasonable rate to the rest of the body. Often, even with big meals, we surprise ourselves with our ability to take it in and use it with some effectiveness. As a student, I am consistently asked to shove more information into my head than I think is possible. However, by approaching things deliberately and with confidence, I consistently surprise myself. No jaw dislocation required.
Phase element Earth - the Center : Lesson - Having a solid substrate allows for great transformation
The Spleen is the Yin Earth organ of the body, and as such serves as the stable substrate through which all of the activity of the body takes place. One of our professors mentions how people talk about the Spleen in an inappropriately “active” way. In fact, it is the organ that exemplifies that Wu-Wei principle of getting everything done while doing nothing. It is the rich humus that nourishes everything, yet serves as only a medium for that nourishment - not an active partner in it. Sure, mycobacteria and various little critters serve a vital function in keeping plants healthy, but these are not part of the Spleen principle. The Spleen Earth serves as a healthy place for these organisms to do their work, simply that - and that is more than enough.
Creating a super stable life management system for myself has been vital in my success. Still, it is always a work in progress. Unfortunately instability in my system was one of the keys behind why I was not so productive this week. I thought my system was more or less functional, and that I could work out any kinks quickly and simply. I was wrong. Several scheduling issues emerged that required my immediate attention. I had not fully “cleared my mental inbox” during my last Weekly Review (leaving many projects in an implicit mental stage, cluttering my mind). Most importantly, I had not settled my finances and finished budgeting. Thus, about 80% of my time this week was devoted to rectifying those situations. By the end of this weekend, all of that work will be done and it will serve me for the rest of the term. It will be the medium through which I am able to do all of the other work I do.
Clock pair/hexagram pair with the Triple Burner : Keep a balance between Yin and Yang
Around the organ clock, we can find many interesting relationships among the organ systems. The relationship between Spleen and Triple Burner is particularly interesting because these organs are united by their hexagram relationship and their actual position around the clock. When two organs are directly across the organ clock, we call them clock pairs and as I’ve mentioned before, we were taught to think of them as being able to “take one another’s shift” so they share some type of functionality. Hexagram relationships are more subtle and difficult for me to understand. Here is a diagram I drew during my first 
year at NCNM showing the hexagram relationships around the organ clock. The drawing is, admittedly, a little shaky. :)
The Spleen is associated with Hexagram 1 - 
Qian 乾, often translated as force, heaven, the creative and, sometimes, simply as Yang. It is made of six Yang lines, and is the most Yang hexagram of the Yijing. Funny considering what I just said about Earth and the Spleen! That’s the way of Chinese medicine philosophy sometimes. The hexagram of the Triple Burner is #2 - Kun 坤, often translated as
the receptive, Earth and sometimes, simply as Yin. It is made of 6 Yin lines and is the most Yin hexagram of the Yijing. Unlike the Spleen, this makes a lot of sense for the mysterious and seemingly immaterial Triple Burner organ system.
It’s easy to see the relationship between these two hexagrams - they are opposites and create the dynamic Yin-Yang tension that characterizes the fundamental state of the entire Universe. I’ll briefly explore the Triple Burner-Spleen relationship, but certainly there is much more to say about the shared symbolism of these two important organ systems.
The Spleen and Triple Burner are both responsible for aspects of fluid metabolism, in a way they help to keep a balance between wet and dry in the body. Another organ with a relationship with wet-dry balance is the Lung, which is united to the Spleen in its 6 conformation assignment as Tai Yin. Wet and dry are two obvious manifestations of Yin and Yang, respectively. Another Yin/Yang symbol within Spleen and Triple Burner is the relationship between being in the world and being removed from it. The Triple Burner is the mysterious organ system of deep darkness and in-between-ness. The Spleen is more straightforward, and engaged in the vital business of getting things done in the world, despite it’s passivity that I discussed before.
Extending these analogies, I found myself considering the vital importance of balancing two categories of intellectual activity. First, the more “Yang” activities of memorization, reading and listening to lectures, and studying explicitly for tests. On the other hand, the more “Yin” activities of contemplation, creative thinking, and experiencing Chinese medicine principles as they operate in nature. When I don’t achieve a balance between these two types of activity, pandemonium results.
I was experiencing strange digestive and mental symptoms all this week, and found myself really perplexed by it until I thought of Spleen. It is often said that student life harms the Spleen and Heart the most. The Heart because of the incessant use of the mind, which is related with the Heart in Chinese Medicine. The Spleen because of its association with pensiveness/overthinking and worry. When we find ourselves thinking something to death or being obsessively concerned with some event - our Spleen suffers. This was certainly happening to me and I definitely noticed. As a solution, I have decided to look at my schedule again and find a way to incorporate more straightforward “study” (memorization, reading and rewriting notes, etc) with more contemplative creativity. Although the latter may not help me on tests, it will definitely help me as a practitioner and help keep my Spleen from suffering overmuch.
Archetype : The Great Yu - Channel things away instead of damming them up
One of the archetypes we learn about being related to the Spleen is the Chinese folk hero the Great Yu. It is said that he was able to stem the great flood when his father failed. His father’s strategy was to create huge earthen dams to hold back the floodwater, which inevitably broke. Yu took a different perspective, creating great ditches to lead the water away to the ocean. We are often taught in Chinese medicine school that the Spleen does something similar in water metabolism of the body - guiding dampness away from the body at a steady clip, instead of trying to create barriers to keep it away from vital organs and processes.
I learned this Spleen lesson gradually through the week. A number of projects dumped on to my lap and it was only listening to David Allen’s Getting Things Done Fast on audiobook that jolted me into healthy Spleen mode. One of the things that Mr. Allen recommends is to look at every project/action you have in front of you and figure out whether it actually BELONGS to you. Many times we take on projects that are not properly or best left with us. Delegate! Delegate! Delegate! Lead the floodwaters away. :)
There’s plenty more to say about all of these symbols, as usual - I’ve only just scratched the surface of the surface. Noone knows this stuff like Heiner Fruehauf, my esteemed teacher. Be sure to visit his website at Classicalchinesemedicine.org if you’re interested in learning this kind of information in more depth from someone who actually knows what they’re talking about! Also be sure to visit the Year of Sagely Living page and consider joining us in our quest to be the best human beings we can be.
Eric
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Tags: academics, balance, Character, chinese-medicine, classical-chinese-medicine, etymology, habits, hexagram, Learning, Organ systems, snake, spleen, study, studying, symbolism, Year of Sagely Living
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10 Responses to “The importance of the Spleen in studying Classical Chinese Medicine”
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Eric,
What a great post. You are already living so sagely. Your post is intersting to me on so many levels: the most is your discussion of the San Jiao. Why? Dr. Hammer has been teaching these very concepts regarding the relationship between the SJ and Spleen. He learned them from Van Buren. I have not seen these statements made in any other context, and it encourages me to see them in the format that you present.
I love the YSL page concept too.
For the record, my month has not fared well either. I have been attending a major event for the Shadhili-Darqawi order, embroiled in a controversy, and being on duty 24 hours while my wife is out-of-town, so my plans have been seriously disrupted (though all for relatively good ends).
Thanks! But I’ve got a LOOOONG way to go. :)
The relationship of the Spleen and Triple Burner is clear once you get the organ clock set up. I have to confess that I’m not 100% sure how Heiner sets the hexagrams around the clock - I have been meaning to ask, I’m sure he told us and I just forgot. So cool that more than one person is talking about this. Hehe.
I’m glad you’re doing things that are satisfying you in some way, regardless of the YSL. I think all we can do is just keep on going!
Eric
Hmm.
I don’t really see the relationship with heaven.
Spleen’s relationship to earth I think is quite clear - it receives all and nourishes all.
Heaven I don’t get. Could you say more - or was this just a traditional piece of knowledge that you were given?
Well, think more of Yang - the pure Yang that we sometimes call heaven. At school, we have always discussed it like this: because the Spleen is involved in such heavy work, such wet, Yin work - it needs to resonate with the pure energy of Heaven. Like the snake that lives in water it must have a core process to help it stay dry enough to continue its work.
Particularly because of the Yin earth nature, this gives us a way to understand how the Spleen doesn’t just bog down into sogginess. Similar to the way that we think of the Imperial fire of the Heart reaching down and warming the Kidney water so it doesn’t become a stagnant pond. Similar to the way that we associate the purity of metal with the LI - despite its dirty work it maintains balance.
It also helps us look at the Spleen in a multi-dimensional way. Regardless of whether we understand it immediately, this piece of symbolic information can help us come into a more nuanced relationship with the organ system which might help us work through difficult cases. I know this type of information has helped Heiner immeasurably in his clinical work.
Thanks for your comments, Evan.
Eric
Is your notion that heaven = the creative transforming aspect of spleen? That aspect of the spleen which turns the rotted and ripened from the stomach into qi?
If so I think this could make sense. Would this make all transformations a manifestation of heaven?
If by heaven, you mean Yang - then sure. It’s all part of the same Yang concept. But, I want to make clear that these symbols aren’t meant to be translated one-for-one into data points. I think you know that, but I can see how it could be construed that way. The symbol field associated with each organ system helps us to understand the multi-dimensional aspects of the human body. Some symbols seem more “solid” and we can understand them very easily. Others are more subtle and seem to serve more as a way for us to avoid becoming “locked in” to one way of seeing a particular part of human experience.
In this case, seeing Qian as a manifestation of Yang and as the transformation and transportation function of the Spleen works. But other interpretations are both available and useful.
Thanks again for your participation,
Eric
“The symbol field associated with each organ system helps us to understand the multi-dimensional aspects of the human body. ”
Amin to that, my brother! That is what is missing in most discussions.
Eric,
I agree with Abdallah that this is a great post! I can tell you put a lot of time and energy into it; perhaps you were able to utilize the most yang part of the day (from 9am to 11am), when the warmth and light is only increasing and yet not yet at the climax (which already has a touch of the inevitable descent of yang). During this time of day it does not take much to get things done; things pretty much get done without us doing anything. Perhaps you were able to eat a great breakfast (though you did mention your struggles this week) and therefore, having digested so well, you were able to utilize that digestive, transformative and creative power of the spleen for purposes of thought and contemplation (the “Yi” spirit).
This is becuase of the strength of your spleen obviously, for as an Earthly organ, Heaven works through it and emerges from it. Earth, as we’ve learned, does not move; wind or Wood moves. So why is the Spleen Yin Earth associated with Qian, the Creative, the Active Yang force of Heaven? It is because Yin Earth is purely receptive, and the Spleen, sitting in the low-lying field of dampness (Yin Earth) responds absolutely perfectly to warm dryness (Qian could also be pronounce “Gan” as in “Gan Jiang” the Dry Yellow Earth baking in the sun). This pure Yin Earth recieves Heaven and what happens between the interplay of Heaven and Earth? Life. What happens between the interplay of Yin and Yang? Qi. So, it is because Qi emerges, life emerges, from and within the Earthly woven fabric of the Spleen (Due to the transformation that occurs within the Spleen) that it corresponds to the most Yang hexagram, hexagram 1, which is pure movement, pure wind, pure Qi, pure light. Yang can only manifest through the material world of Yin. Thus Da Yu, Yu the Great, moved with the movement of water through following its pattern, through recognizing how to essentially move with it without doing anything; yet his father (Gun),who symbolically represents the Triple Burner, though he is often said to have failed, in some respects actually merged with the Yin principle of darkness and mystery (but that is another story).
At any rate, as we move into spring and the Earthly realm manifests, I’m sure you’re productivity in this great project will come more easily. Thank you for the insightful entry!
Michael
Thanks Michael.
I like that part about earth receiving heaven resulting in life and qi.
Great post. Don’t know much about Chinese Medicine but it sounds very interesting. Will need to get into this a little deeper to be able to take part in this conversation.