Explaining the Six Qi: Temporal Governance, Transformation, and Rise and Decline of Channel Qi

The Six Qi should not be understood as simply attaching the labels Wind, Heat, Summerheat, Dampness, Dryness, and Cold to the six channels. Chen Dingsan’s more important observation is that within each six-channel unit there are two Hand/Foot channels related through governing qi and transforming qi, and which aspect appears during illness depends on the relative flourishing or decline of Yin and Yang and on deficiency or excess of the root qi.

Foot Shaoyin belongs fundamentally to Water, yet when Yang is abundant it may transform toward Sovereign Fire; when Yang is deficient it may follow Taiyang Cold. Foot Shaoyang belongs fundamentally to Wood, yet when Yang is abundant it may transform toward Ministerial Fire; when Yang is deficient it may follow Jueyin Wind. Foot Yangming belongs fundamentally to Earth, yet its manifestation can move between Dryness and Dampness.

The six channels are therefore a dynamic system capable of conditional transformation rather than a fixed one-channel/one-qi correspondence.

The “governing” and “transforming” relations here are, in this reading, one expression of the root–manifestation–central-qi structure. On the three conjugate axes—Water/Fire, Dryness/Dampness, and Wind/Ministerial Fire—they describe the directions in which a single axis may transform.

Original Passage from Exploring the Sources of Medicine

“In terms of heavenly qi-transformation: in Jueyin, Taiyin, and Taiyang, the Foot channels govern and the Hand channels transform; in Shaoyang, Yangming, and Shaoyin, the Hand channels govern and the Foot channels transform. In terms of acquired human affairs, the standard is the relative flourishing and decline of Yin and Yang in the body. Heaven has Six Qi: first Jueyin Wind-Wood, second Shaoyin Sovereign-Fire, third Shaoyang Ministerial-Fire, fourth Taiyin Dampness-Earth, fifth Yangming Dryness-Metal, sixth Taiyang Cold-Water. … There are twelve channels governed by the Six Qi. … When the human Six Qi are not diseased, these disease manifestations do not appear. When a channel becomes diseased, it may show its governing qi, its root qi, a governing qi manifesting the qi of transformation, or a transforming qi manifesting the governing qi; all are judged according to the flourishing or decline of the channel qi.”

“Foot Shaoyin is Water. The qi of Water is Cold. When Foot Shaoyin disease has abundant Yang, Foot Shaoyin transforms toward Sovereign Fire; when Yang is deficient, it does not follow Fire but follows the Cold transformation of Taiyang. Foot Shaoyang is Wood. The qi of Wood is Wind. When Shaoyang disease has abundant Yang, Foot Shaoyang transforms toward Ministerial Fire; when Yang is deficient, it does not follow Fire but follows the Wind transformation of Jueyin. Foot Yangming is Earth. The qi of Earth is Dampness. When Yangming disease has abundant Yang, Foot Yangming transforms toward Dryness-Metal; when Yang is deficient, it does not follow Dryness but follows the Dampness transformation of Taiyin. When the governing qi is abundant, the transforming qi follows it; when the transforming qi is abundant, the governing qi follows it. In all cases, the process does not depart from deficiency or excess of the root qi.”