《灵兰秘典论》云∶心者，君主之官也，神明出焉。肺者，相傅之官，治节出焉。肝者
，将军之官，谋虑出焉。胆者，中正之官，决断出焉。膻中者，臣使之官，喜乐出焉。脾胃
者，仓廪之官，五味出焉。大肠者，传道之官，变化出焉。小肠者，受盛之官，化物出焉。
肾者，作强之官，伎巧出焉。三焦者，决渎之官，水道出焉。膀胱者，州都之官，津液藏焉
，气化则能出矣。按∶此以脾胃合为一官，恐错简耳。《刺法补遗篇》云∶脾者，谏议之官
，知周出焉；胃者，仓廪之官，五味出焉。采此补入，方足十二官之数。
心，火脏，身之主，神明之舍也。小篆尝言，心字篆文只是一倒火字耳。盖心，火也；
不欲炎上，故颠倒之，以见调燮之妙也。祝无功曰∶庖氏一画，直竖之则为 ，左右倚之则
为为HT ，缩之则为 ，曲之则 ， 圆而神，一 HT 方以直，世间
字变化浩繁，未有能外一 HT 架构之者。独心字欲动欲流，圆妙不居，出之乎一
HT之外，更索一字与作对不得。正以心者，新也。神明之官，变化而日新也。心主血脉
，血脉日新，新新不停，则为平人，否则病矣。(其合脉也，其荣色也，开窍于舌)
肝，木脏，魂所藏也。肝者，干也，以其体状有枝干也。又位于东方，而主生气。时医
昧其理，反云肝无补法，宜凉、宜伐，只泥木克土之一说，而不知后天八卦配河图之象。三
八为木，居东，即后天震巽之位，巽上坤下则为观，《易》曰∶观，天之神道，而四时不忒
。上坤下震则为复，《易》曰∶复，其见天地之心乎，为义大矣哉!(其合筋也，其荣爪也，
开窍于目)
《灵兰秘典论》中说：心，是君主之官，人的精神意识思维活动由此产生。肺，是相傅之官，治理和调节功能由此产生。肝，是将军之官，谋略思虑由此产生。胆，是中正之官，决断能力由此产生。膻中（心包络），是臣使之官，喜乐情绪由此产生。脾胃，是仓廪之官，五味营养由此化生。大肠，是传道之官，传导糟粕变化由此产生。小肠，是受盛之官，化物泌别清浊由此产生。肾，是作强之官，技巧精力由此产生。三焦，是决渎之官，水道通调由此产生。膀胱，是州都之官，津液贮藏于此，经过气化作用才能排出。按语：此处将脾胃合为一个官职，恐怕是竹简错乱所致。《刺法补遗篇》说：脾，是谏议之官，智慧周遍由此产生；胃，是仓廪之官，五味营养由此化生。采纳此说补充进去，才凑足十二官的数量。
心，属火脏，是身体的主宰，也是精神意识的居所。小篆字体中，“心”字的字形只是一个倒置的“火”字罢了。因为心属火，但不希望火势炎上，所以将其颠倒，以显示调和燮理的妙处。祝无功说：庖氏（指造字者或特定书法家）的一笔，竖直放置就是“丨”，左右倚靠就是“丿”、“㇏”，缩短它就像“亅”，弯曲它就像“乚”。圆融而神妙，一横一竖方直，世间汉字变化繁多，没有能超出这一基本架构的。唯独“心”字欲动欲流，圆妙不居，出于这一基本架构之外，再找不到一个字能与它相对。正因为“心”意味着“新”。作为神明之官，变化而日日更新。心主司血脉，血脉日日更新，新陈代谢不停，这就是健康人，否则就会生病。（其外合于脉，其华在面，开窍于舌）
肝，属木脏，是魂的藏所。肝，意为干，因为其形体有枝干。又位于东方，主管生发之气。当代医生不明其理，反而说肝无补法，适宜用凉药、攻伐药，只拘泥于“木克土”这一种说法，而不知道后天八卦与河图配属的象数原理。“三”和“八”数为木，位居东方，即后天八卦中震卦、巽卦的位置。巽卦在上，坤卦在下组成观卦，《易经》说：观卦，体现天的神妙之道，四季运行没有差错。坤卦在上，震卦在下组成复卦，《易经》说：复卦，这不就是见到天地之心了吗？其中的义理太伟大了！（其外合于筋，其华在爪，开窍于目）
The *Ling Shu: Mi Dian Lun* (Spiritual Pivot: Secret Canon of the Court) states: The Heart is the official of the Sovereign, from which Shen (Spirit/Mind) emerges. The Lung is the official of the Chancellor, from which regulation and governance emerge. The Liver is the official of the General, from which strategy and deliberation emerge. The Gallbladder is the official of Integrity, from which decision-making emerges. The Danzhong (Pericardium) is the official of the Envoy, from which joy and pleasure emerge. The Spleen and Stomach are the officials of the Granary, from which the flavors emerge. The Large Intestine is the official of Transmission, from which transformation and excretion emerge. The Small Intestine is the official of Reception, from which separation of pure and turbid emerges. The Kidney is the official of Strength, from which skill and dexterity emerge. The Sanjiao (Triple Burner) is the official of Ditches, from which water pathways emerge. The Bladder is the official of the Capital City, where Jin Ye (Body Fluids) are stored; only through Qi Hua (Qi Transformation) can they be discharged. Note: Here, the Spleen and Stomach are combined into one office, which is likely due to bamboo slip dislocation. The *Ci Fa Bu Yi Pian* (Supplement to the Needling Methods Chapter) states: The Spleen is the official of Remonstrance, from which comprehensive wisdom emerges; the Stomach is the official of the Granary, from which the flavors emerge. Adopting this to supplement brings the number of offices to twelve.
The Heart belongs to Fire and is the Zang Organ of Fire. It is the master of the body and the residence of Shen (Spirit). In small seal script, the character for "Heart" (Xin) is merely an inverted character for "Fire" (Huo). Because the Heart belongs to Fire but does not wish for the flames to blaze upward, it is inverted to demonstrate the subtlety of harmonization and adjustment. Zhu Wugong stated: A single stroke by the calligrapher, when placed vertically, becomes "Shu"; leaning left or right, it becomes "Pie" or "Na"; shortened, it resembles "Gou"; curved, it resembles "Zhe". Round and divine, horizontal and vertical, the changes in Chinese characters are myriad, yet none escape this basic structural framework. Only the character "Heart" appears dynamic and flowing, round and mysterious, existing outside this basic framework. No other character can serve as its pair. Precisely because "Heart" implies "Newness". As the official of Shen (Spirit), it changes and renews itself daily. The Heart governs the Blood Vessels; if the vessels renew themselves daily without cessation, one is a healthy person; otherwise, disease occurs. (It corresponds to the vessels, its luster manifests in the face, and it opens into the tongue.)
The Liver belongs to Wood and is the Zang Organ of Wood, where Hun (Ethereal Soul) resides. "Liver" (Gan) means trunk or branch, referring to its physical structure with branches. It is located in the East and governs the vitalizing energy (Sheng Qi). Contemporary physicians, ignorant of these principles, claim that the Liver has no need for tonification and should instead be cooled or purged. They cling solely to the theory that "Wood overacts on Earth," failing to understand the symbolic correspondences between the Later Heaven Bagua (Eight Trigrams) and Hetu (River Map). The numbers three and eight belong to Wood, positioned in the East, corresponding to the positions of Zhen and Xun trigrams in the Later Heaven arrangement. When Xun is above and Kun below, it forms the Guan (Contemplation) hexagram. The *I Ching* says: "Guan reflects the divine way of Heaven, and the four seasons do not err." When Kun is above and Zhen below, it forms the Fu (Return) hexagram. The *I Ching* says: "Fu, does this not reveal the heart of Heaven and Earth?" The significance is profound! (It corresponds to the tendons, its luster manifests in the nails, and it opens into the eyes.)