Why Measure Three Cun at the Qi Mouth? Cun, Guan, and Chi Represent Three Sources of Qi

“Qiheng” says that the method of Qiheng “begins from Taiyin” and unfolds the front, middle, and rear regions of the Hand Taiyin Qi Mouth into nine fields.

More importantly, it does not begin by saying which zang belongs to Cun or which zang belongs to Guan. It first explains that the three regions represent three different sources of qi transformation:

Human breathing receives the yin and yang of Heavenly qi… this is the Cun of qi, called the front, called Cun;

food, drink, and dwelling receive the Earthly qi of the myriad things, transforming Nourishing and Defensive qi and blood… this is the middle, called Guan;

the Bao-network and Sanjiao distribute qi to the Five Zang and Six Fu, while the vessels connect with Chong, Ren, Du, and Qiao… this is the rear, called Chi.

Cun: observing exchange between the human being and Heavenly qi

Cun first connects with breathing and gathering qi. This echoes the “Tongtian” statements that “Heavenly qi enters and leaves the human being” and that “the Five Qi enter through the nose.”

Cun is therefore not merely an organ position. It is also an observational level at which externally inhaled clear qi becomes manifest within the hundred-vessel system.

Guan: observing Earthly qi and the transformation of water and grain

Guan connects with food, drink, residence, the Earthly qi of the myriad things, and the generation of Nourishing-Defensive qi and blood.

This means states produced by Middle-Jiao food transformation are observed at Hou positions in the Guan region.

Chi: observing the Bao-network, Sanjiao, and fundamental distribution

Chi connects with the Bao-network, Sanjiao, and Chong-Ren-Du-Qiao, clearly placing it closer to the level of life’s roots and whole-body distribution of qi.

Cun-Guan-Chi can therefore first be understood as:

Heavenly-qi exchange layer → Earthly-qi transformation layer → Bao-network/Sanjiao root layer.

This adds a dimension beyond “one region, one zang”

This reading does not deny later zang-fu position systems. It simply reminds us that in the Mirror Classic’s own text, the three regions first also carry the meaning of source-levels.

This helps explain why each region is again divided into nine fields: within the same source-level, the front-rear, high-low, and deep-shallow dimensions must still be observed.

The next article distinguishes Qi Mouth, Cun Mouth, and Pulse Mouth precisely, so that these three names are not collapsed into one thing.