Why does Buddhism and Daoism differ in regards to the heart?

[Phoenix3]

In many spiritual paths, qian (or the equivalent) is at the top of the head, and kun (or the equivalent) is at the perineum. Thus, the centre of the body is considered to be the heart. In Buddhism for example, the heart chakra represents the meeting of masculine and feminine/yin and yang, implying it is at the centre.

 

In Daoism however, the heart is not the centre of the body. The spleen instead is considered the centre, with the heart being related to the element ‘fire’ (not fire and water, or meeting of yin and yang like the Buddhists think the heart to represent), which therefore means they think the heart is in the ‘South’ position (upper position) of the body (in Daoism, Fire equals the direction South).

Edited July 19, 2018 by Phoenix3

[vonkrankenhaus]

That's designations of the organs in Wu Xing.

 

So, is your question really  - "why are the organs designated or "classified" the way they are in Wu Xing?"

 

Or are you looking for any/all relevant understandings about the Heart in Daoism?

 

In Chinese medicine?

 

None of these are really or were really about specifically the physical  "organs" as in modern anatomy.

 

 

 

 

-VonKranknehaus

[Phoenix3]

In qigong and everywhere throughout Daoism, the heart is considered to be what houses fire. But in Buddhism, it represents the unity of masculine and feminine. This is a clear difference and I wonder why.

[vonkrankenhaus]

Heart is considered the seat of the Shen.

 

Fire in Wu Xing also has YinYang, as in 10 Stems.

 

Seen as the Heart(Yin)/Small Intestine(Yang) polarity.

 

But even this is not strictly about the anatomical "organs" of modern science.

 

In any event, even in Daoism, yes, the Heart/Fire in Wu Xing also has YinYang.

 

 

 

 

-VonKrankenhaus

[Phoenix3]

29 minutes ago, vonkrankenhaus said:

Heart is considered the seat of the Shen.

 

I’ve heard lots of different information. Some say the shen resides in the niwan/upper dantian, some say it resides in the heart. I don’t know.

 

31 minutes ago, vonkrankenhaus said:

Fire in Wu Xing also has YinYang, as in 10 Stems.

 

Do you mind explaining this please? 10 what? 

[vonkrankenhaus]

16 minutes ago, Phoenix3 said:

I’ve heard lots of different information. Some say the shen resides in the niwan/upper dantian, some say it resides in the heart. I don’t know.

 

 

Appears at a point inside the Heart and is the seat of.

 

In cultivation, and in development of human functioning and consciousness,  the Shen rises from its seat.

 

And takes its place on the other side of the neck, the "umbilicus" connecting the "new" ("infant") Head (Fetus) with the Body (Placenta) in preparation for birth in the all-light world of "Spirit". 

 

I think this is not known or misunderstood by many, however, so I don't know if it is in any books like this or not.

 

Read the book:

https://www.amazon.com/Slow-Death-Days-Radiation-Sickness/dp/1942993544

 

In it, a man is described disintegrating after radiation exposure. The last thing left intact, even after his DNA became un-readable, was his Heart. This is the origin place, the pulse,  and seat of the Shen in the human being.

 

In terms of 10 Stems of Wu Xing ("5 Phases") this is basically just the YinYang of each "Phase" - like the Liang I and Szu Hsiang divisions of YinYang in the TaiJiTu.

 

We see this in "medicine" by noting the complimentary/antagonistic pairs of organs and meridians as the "12 Branches".

 

 

 

 

-VonKrankenhaus