obfuscated or suddenly depleted, we lose consciousness.
Insight indicates our capacity of self-knowledge and self-recognition. We are subjected to many
different emotional stimuli, perceptions, feelings and sensations and all of these are perceived
and recognized by the Mind. With regard to emotions, in particular, only the Mind (and therefore
the Heart) can "feel" them. Of course emotions definitely affect all the other organs too, but it is
only the Mind that actually recognizes and feels them. For example, anger affects the Liver, but
the Liver cannot feel it because it does not store the Mind. Only the Heart can feel it because it
stores the Mind which is responsible for insight. It is for this reason that all emotions eventually
affect the Heart (in addition to other specific organs), and it is in this sense that the Heart is the
"emperor" of all the other organs.
Cognition indicates the activity of the Mind in perceiving and conceiving in reaction to stimuli.
Sleep is dependent on the state of the Mind. If the Mind is calm and balanced, a person sleeps
well. If the Mind is restless, the person sleeps badly.
Intelligence also depends on the Heart and the Mind. A strong Heart and Mind will make a
person intelligent and bright. A weak Heart and Mind will render a person slow and dull. It
should be remembered, however, that the Essence, and therefore heredity, plays a role in
determining a person's intelligence.
Wisdom derives from a strong Heart and a healthy Mind. As the Mind is responsible for knowing
and perceiving, it also gives us the sagacity to apply this knowledge critically and wisely.
Ideas are another function of the Mind. The Heart and Mind are responsible for our ideas, our
projects and the dreams which give our lives purpose.
Thus if the Heart is strong and the Mind healthy, a person can think clearly, memory is good, the
state of consciousness and insight are sharp, the cognition is clear, sleep is sound, intelligence is
bright, ideas flow easily and he or she acts wisely. If the Heart is affected and the Mind weak or
disturbed, a person is unable to think clearly, memory is poor, the consciousness is clouded,
insight is poor, sleep is restless, intelligence is lacking, ideas are muddled and he or she acts
unwisely.
Most of the above functions of the Mind are attributed to the brain in Western medicine. During
the course of development of Chinese medicine too there have been doctors who attributed
mental functions to the brain rather than the Heart: in particular, Sun Si Miao of the Tang
dynasty, Zhao You Qin of the Yuan dynasty, Li Shi Zhen of the Ming dynasty and especially
Wang Qing Ren of the Qing dynasty.
As the Heart controls all mental activities of the Mind and is responsible for insight and