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All lessons   Module 6: Points   Lesson 2

Module 6   Lesson 2   Te Ding Xue

Point categories, in depth

What does each point category promise, and why does a point that falls into three categories get priority?

After this lesson you know, for each category, the points, the logic and the classical source: Yuan and Luo with the fifteen Luo pictures from the Ling Shu, Back-Shu and Front-Mu for each organ, Xi-Cleft and Hui, the points of the Four Seas, the Windows of Heaven, the Heavenly Stars, the Ghost points and the command points. No location, no needling technique.

FiveShu Yuan Luo Back-Shu Front-Mu Hui Sea HeavenWindow HeavenStar Com-mand Open-ing LU-9 LI-4 LU-7 PC-6 ST-36 BL-40 GB-34 CV-12 LR-13 BL-17 BL-11 ST-9 334243322222 number: categories per point; Five Shu: one of the Five Shu points (lesson 1), lower He-Sea included
Own diagram. Categories after Maciocia ch. 51 (pp. 845 to 866) and module 1, lessons 14 to 16; the Heavenly Stars, the Seas and the Windows of Heaven are textbook knowledge. The fifth command point is not in the grid (see step 2). Schematic.

Know by heart

  • Yuan. Access to the Original Qi, which reaches the Yuan points via the Triple Burner (Nan Jing 66); a disease of the Zang shows itself at the Yuan points (Ling Shu 1). On Yin channels the Yuan point is also the Shu-Stream point.
  • Luo. Connects with the partner; Ling Shu 10 gives each Luo vessel a full and an empty picture. Fifteen: twelve plus Ren (CV-15), Du (GV-1) and the Great Luo of the Spleen (SP-21). Yuan of the channel that fell ill first plus Luo of its partner: the host and guest combination (textbook knowledge).
  • Back-Shu and Front-Mu. The back for the Zang and chronic deficiency, the abdomen for the Fu and acute excess; Nan Jing 67: Yin disease moves to the Yang, Yang disease to the Yin. Both become tender when their organ is diseased. mnemonic: back: chronic and empty; front: acute and full.
  • Xi and Hui. Xi-Cleft: acute pain, on Yin channels also bleeding. Hui: gathering place of a tissue or substance (the eight from module 1, lesson 15); Nan Jing 45: for Heat inside.
  • Four Seas (Ling Shu 33). Qi: CV-17, with ST-9, GV-14 and GV-15. Blood: BL-11, ST-37, ST-39. Water and Grain: ST-30, ST-36. Marrow: GV-20, GV-16. mnemonic: Qi in the chest, Blood on back and shin, food in belly and leg, Marrow in the head.
  • Windows of Heaven (Ling Shu 21). Five: ST-9, LI-18, TE-16, BL-10, LU-3; for rebellious Qi and sudden complaints of the head and sense organs. mnemonic: the neck is the window between body and head.
  • The masters' lists. Twelve Heavenly Stars of Ma Dan Yang: much-used distal points. Thirteen Ghost points of Sun Si Miao: severe mental disturbance, psychiatry first. Command points: ST-36 abdomen, BL-40 back, LU-7 head and neck, LI-4 face, plus a fifth.

The rest of this lesson is reference.

Point categories in depth: What does each point category promise, and why does a point that falls into three categories get priority?
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Three practice questions from this lesson

According to Nan Jing 66, the Original Qi reaches the Yuan points via ...
  1. the Luo vessel to its partner
  2. the Triple Burner
  3. the Chong Mai

Answer: the Triple Burner. The Original Qi between the Kidneys goes via the Triple Burner to the twelve Yuan points. The Luo vessel runs from the Luo point to the partner.

Which point is the source point of the Heart in Ling Shu 1?
  1. HT-5
  2. PC-7
  3. HT-7

Answer: PC-7. In Ling Shu 1, PC-7 (Daling) is listed under the Heart; HT-7 came later (textbook knowledge).

How many Luo vessels are there, and which three are added to the twelve?
  1. Eight, one per Extraordinary Vessel
  2. Twelve: one per channel, no extra ones
  3. Fifteen: plus CV-15, GV-1 and SP-21

Answer: Fifteen: plus CV-15, GV-1 and SP-21. Ling Shu 10 describes fifteen Luo vessels: the twelve plus those of the Ren (CV-15), the Du (GV-1) and the Great Luo of the Spleen (SP-21).

The rest of this lesson

In the course you get the step-by-step explanation, 17 case-based practice questions, 21 spaced-repetition flashcards, the pitfalls and the bridge to physiology with evidence grades. This lesson belongs to module 6: Points.

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