One Mind

The Earth element and the Spleen and Stomach are in charge of transformation, transmutation and creativity. These organs work in concert: the Spleen goes upwards and retains, and the Stomach descends and eliminates. When this shifting and transforming process loses its sense of proportion and balance, it is said to lose its harmony. When this shifting and transforming process becomes dramatically chaotic, confused or paralyzed, the Earth loses any ability to provide nourishment and clarity and instead becomes a source of radical turbulence and unrest.

One Mind is not for a simple Earth disharmony, but rather addresses a radical disorientation of Yin and Yang where extreme disharmony exists in more than one direction: the person is both too Hot and too Cold, excessive and deficient. The formula addresses the knots, blockages, obtunded sensations and chaotic processes that occur when the Spleen and Stomach become contorted and are pulled in seemingly multiple different directions. On the physical level, this chaotic ascending/descending process is intimately linked to the process of digestion and means that food becomes a burden and a source of discomfort rather than the basis for nourishment. On the psychological level, this chaotic disruption of the Spleen-Stomach’s balance of retention and letting go affects the Spirit dimension of the Spleen, which is known as the “Consciousness of Potentials” (Yi or “Heart Mind”). In this situation, the Spleen-Stomach is unable to undergo a normal process of consideration, deliberation and decision on what is likely, possible or conceivable. Instead of creative potential and clear intentions, a person feels split and cannot make up their mind. He or she is confused or literally feels torn between options: absolutely opposing ideas or possibilities are both attractive and revolting. One Mind is our version of a Han Dynasty formula that combines contradictory herbs to “shake-up” and re-organize a tangled and befuddled Spleen-Stomach. It restores the Earth’s capacity to transform, transmute and be creative.

PHYSICAL INDICATIONS

One Mind is the fundamental formula for addressing the chaotic situation where the Spleen and Stomach are Hot and Cold simultaneously and all of their processes seem out of control and pulling in the wrong direction. The Spleen-Stomach has Damp-Heat and Deficiency-Cold at the same time. Digestion is disrupted. Is it because of Heat or Cold? Is it because the Spleen-Stomach is too weak to receive? Too Cold to transform? Too Damp to let go, or just too Hot and overactive? One Mind is for the situation when all or almost all of these disharmonies are happening simultaneously and the Yin-Yang valence of the Earth reaches pandemonium. The original pattern complex of the formula describes feeling distention, fullness, knottedness or tightness in the center of the chest (what the original formula calls the ‘Heart’ or ‘Epigastrium’). There is a “clumping” sensation and a sense of no room in the digestive system.

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND TRANSFORMATIONAL INDICATIONS

One Mind is an ideal formula for a person who is caught in contradictory options that are both appealing and loathsome at the same time. The formula addresses a person who is unable to distinguish the Clear Yang from the Turbid Yin in their life. Mutually contrary options both allure and repel. The process of shifting – what should be held on to and what should be disavowed – becomes chaotic. Any single path, option or decision is both appealing and repulsive. A person feels a clump in their chest and cleavage in their Consciousness of Potentials (Yi) – or alternatively translated Heart Mind. Instead of a clear Consciousness of Potentials a person becomes a bundle of knotted and impossible preferences that only cause discomfort and confusion.

The psychological understanding of One Mind begins with Sun Si-miao’s commentaries in Supplemental Wings to the Thousand Ducat Formulas (Qian-jin Yi-fang, 682 A.D.). In this book, the greatest scholar of the Tang Dynasty claims that the ingredients of this formula are ideally suited to help a person “overcome their own self.” One Mind is for a person that can no longer creatively transmute life’s options and is deeply stuck or torn between options. For example, the conflict generated within a person when they are deciding whether to remain with or leave either a partner, a work situation or a stable life environment for a new situation or opportunity often gives rise to such a pattern. Both directions can seem absolutely valuable and attractive, and at the same time, awful and impossible. This formula opens and clears the “Heart Mind” so that a person can separate the valuable supportive, nourishing Yang elements in their life from the turbid obstructive Yin aspects, or at least decide and then live comfortably with whatever option is chosen. One Mind allows for focus and a meditative center of gravity, fosters decisive and warm movement, transforms cloudy Dampness and cools chaotic and exaggerated activity. It gives a person space to clarify and begin to unify their consciousness. It allows options to be considered deliberately and not reacted to as if each were both necessary and impossible. This formula lets a person contemplate and then deliberately absorb their choice comfortably. It does not short circuit any process – it makes the Earth’s and Spleen-Stomach’s process of absorbing and discarding more comfortable, orderly and deliberate. One Mind ultimately allows a person to move forward towards a healthy give-and-take exchange with themselves, their close relationships, their community and their work situation. Ultimately, One Mind allows for a unified self-awareness and self-relationship.

Because of the complex mixture of Hot-Cold and Excess-Deficiency that One Mind addresses, the signs and patterns of the person can vary tremendously. Not being able to see the exact pattern can be a sign for the use of this formula. Not infrequently, this formula is valuable when a person has had a previous tendency towards one type of disharmony and another entirely different disharmony is superimposed. For psychological or actual emotional conflict – being caught between possibilities that are equally attractive and repulsive – is itself enough of an indication. Practitioners should note that it is not necessary for the physical and psychological patterns to both exist in a person before this formula is suitable. In fact, it is not common for both dimensions to exist simultaneously.

ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT

One Mind (Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang) is based on Zhang Zhong-Jing’s “Pinellia Decoction to Drain the Epigastrium (Heart),” which was first recorded in Discussion of Cold-induced Disharmonies (Shang-han lun, 220 A.D.). Two additional herbs have been added to reflect the most common presentations seen today.

ABOUT THE HERBS

White Asian ginseng root and rhizome is the crucial herb to promote self-reflection and meditative self-awareness. Its stability promotes clarity of intention and focus. This older understanding of the herb can also be found in modern literate sources. The Divine Husbandman’s Classic of the Materia Medica (c. 150 A.D.) states that Ginseng “opens the Heart Mind” (Kai xin). Sun Si-miao describes Ginseng as being important for supporting a person “to know themselves.” The modern Selected Commentaries on Ancient Formulas (Gu-fang Xuan-zhu, Hubei, 1983) speaks of Ginseng as “adjusting the Consciousness of Possibilities (Yi).” It is sweet, slightly bitter and slightly warm, and enters the Spleen meridian.

Licorice cured Pinellia rhizome is a critical herb to remove turbid Yin from the Spleen-Stomach. On a physical level, it is important for occasional nausea and vomiting. On a psychological plane, it is a key ingredient to eliminate confusion and mental turbidness. It fosters clear lines. It enters the Spleen and Stomach meridians, and is acrid and warm.

Ginger rhizome is a dynamic, hot, moving herb that warms the Spleen-Stomach and allows its outwardly movement to push the turbid Yin and make room for the Clear Yang. Ginger rhizome helps reduce any physical or psychological stagnation due to a Cold stuck Spleen-Stomach. Sun Si-Miao in the Supplemental Wings to the Thousand Ducat Formulas mentions that matching Ginger with Coptis can be the key for people who “cannot overcome themselves.” It is acrid and hot, and enters the Spleen and Stomach meridians.

Chinese skullcap root is a cold herb that drains Damp Heat in the Stomach and Intestines and is helpful for occasional diarrhea. It reinforces Coptis rhizome’s actions. It is bitter and cold, and enters the Intestines, Heart and Lung meridians.

Red jujube fruit reinforces the White Asian ginseng root and rhizome in this formula and moderates some of the stronger herbs of the formula. It is sweet and neutral, and enters the Spleen and Stomach meridians.

Saussurea root is a new addition to the original formula. It is intended to reinforce the Qi- moving dimension of the formula. This herb is especially suitable because it opens the Spleen- Stomach to new directions psychologically and addresses distention, stagnation and occasional nausea or vomiting. Furthermore, the Golden Mirror (Yi-zong Jin-jian, 1742 A.D.) states that Saussurea root is a critical herb to “scatter accumulated dread . . . and stagnant thoughts.” It is acrid, bitter and warm, and enters the Spleen, Stomach and Large Intestine meridians.

Dry fried bitter orange immature fruit has been added to “Pinellia Decoction to Drain the Epigastrium.” It is meant to reinforce the original formula’s ability to address stagnant Qi and focal distention on both the physical and psychological level. Specifically, Dry fried bitter orange immature fruit has been adopted because of Wang Ang’s suggestion in his Analytic Collection of Formulas (Yi-fang Ji-jie, 1682 A.D.) that Dry fried bitter orange immature fruit is a crucial herb for worry, excessive thought and fear that collects in the chest. It is also helpful for a feeling of being engulfed and smothered by confusion. It is bitter and slightly cold, and enters the Spleen and Stomach meridians.

Honey fried Chinese licorice root and rhizome stabilizes the rest of the formula by reinforcing the Ginseng and moderating the other ingredients. It is sweet and warm, and enters the Spleen meridian.

Coptis rhizome is an extremely cold herb that in One Mind combines with the extremely hot, dry Ginger rhizome to regulate a Spleen-Stomach that has lost all sense of direction and is behaving chaotically. Coptis rhizome quiets the overactivity of the Spleen, allows things to be eliminated or absorbed and makes rebellious Stomach Qi descend. It is bitter and cold, and enters the Stomach, Intestine and Heart meridians.