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Heart holds the office of sovereign; the bright spirit arises from it

心者，君主之官也，神明出焉 〔心者，君主之官也，神明出焉〕 xīn zhě, jūn zhǔ zhī guān yě, shén míng chū yān

From Plain Questions (素问 sù wèn, líng lán mì diǎn lùn). The heart is to the body as the sovereign is to the nation; it is the seat of the spirit. The Inner Classic (内经 nèi jīng) describes the functions of the internal organs by analogy to government. Just as the sovereign leads the nation and embodies its consciousness, so the heart is considered to be the seat of consciousness in the body. By a similar metaphor, it is sometimes referred to as the palace. See heart stores the spirit.

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