The first part of this book is a discussion of the heart master. It makes clear, classical distinctions between aspects of the heart which have been variously translated as heart governor, heart protector, heart constrictor & pericardium. Xin zhu is discussed as the heart as master & contrasted with the heart as a void. Xin bao luo is presented as the enveloping & connecting aspect of the heart, and tan zhong as the central temple within the chest. Tan zhong is also discussed as a sea of qi and gathering place of ancestral qi, & as the place of transmission for elation & joy. The classical connections between the hand xin zhu (heart master) meridian & the hand shao yin (heart) meridian are also clarified. The second part of the book shows the developing concept of the triple heater as seen in the Nei jing, The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic, the Nan jing, The Classic of Difficulties, & later commentators. It is considered both as a separate fu and as the unifying totality of the zangfu. Its fire-water polarity is discussed in
Depth: as water through its links with the kidneys & bladder, & as a fire minister with the Gate of Destiny, ming men and xin bao luo. The upper, middle & lower heaters are examined, with particular reference to Lingshu chapter 18, which presents them as responsible for respiration, digestion & elimination respectively. Their connections with ancestral (zong), nutritive (ying) & defensive (wei) qi are also shown. An index is given for all Chinese characters & main concepts.