Dongui Bogam_07_The Human Body to a Nation

[人身猶一國]
[The Human Body Can Be Compared to a Nation]

抱朴子曰, 一人之身, 一國之象也. 胸腹之位, 猶宮室也. 四肢之別, 猶郊境也. 骨節之分, 猶百官也. 神猶君也. 血猶臣也, 氣猶民也. 知治身則能治國矣. 夫愛其民, 所以安其國. 惜其氣, 所以全其身. 民散則國亡, 氣竭則身死. 
It is said in the Baopuzi (抱朴子): "The body of a human being is like a nation. The chest and abdomen are the royal palaces, and the four limbs are the boundaries at the outskirts of the country. Joints imply how the tasks of all the officials are divided. The spirit is the king, blood is the servant, and qi is the civilians; this is why one can control the country if one knows how to control the body. The body becomes healthy if qi is taken care of well, just as the country is peaceful if the civilians are taken care of well; the body cannot maintain its life if qi is depleted, just as the country cannot exist if civilians scatter. 

死者不可生也. 亡者不可全也. 是以至人消未起之患, 治未病之疾, 醫之於無事之前, 不追於旣逝之後. 夫人難養而易危, 氣難淸而易濁. 故能審威德, 所以保社稷. 割嗜慾, 所以固血氣. 然後眞一存焉. 三一守焉. 百病却焉. 年壽延焉.
A dead person cannot be brought back to life, and a perished country cannot rebuild itself once it perishes.  Therefore, a wise person should settle problems before they erupt, treat illnesses before they occur, subdue arguments, and not pursue arguments once they have already broken out. It is difficult to nurture the life of a person while it is easy to put it into danger; it is difficult to clear one's qi while it is easy to cloud one's qi. Therefore, preserving one's blood and gi is possible only when the person does not waver over one's emotions; just as preserving the government is possible only when the throne remains under dignity and virtue. Only after this does genuine gi remain intact and save the spirit, blood, and gi. Also, only then is the person able to overcome the diseases and live long. 

素問曰, 心者, 君主之官, 神明出焉. 肺者, 相傳之官, 治節出焉. 肝者, 將軍之官, 謀慮出焉. 膽者, 中正之官, 決斷出焉. 膻中者, 臣使之官, 喜樂出焉. 脾胃者, 倉廩之官, 五味出焉. 大腸者, 傳導之官, 變化出焉. 小腸者, 受盛之官, 化物出焉. 腎者, 作强之官, 伎巧出焉. 三焦者, 決瀆之官, 水道出焉. 膀胱者, 州都之官, 津液藏焉, 氣化則能出矣. 
It is said in the Basic Questions (素問): "The heart is the organ equivalent to the king where the bright spirit is emitted. The lungs are the organ equivalent to the prime minister where the rules of regulation are emitted. The liver is equivalent to the general where schemes and considerations are emitted. The gallbladder is equivalent to unbiased neutrality where resolution is emitted. The chest center is equivalent to the office where happiness and joy are emitted. The spleen and stomach are equivalent to the storage where the five tastes are emitted. The large intestine is equivalent to the messenger where transformation is emitted. The small intestine receives and stores and thus changes the food. The kidneys are organs of great power where technical skills are emitted. The triple energizers are equivalent to the gully where the way of water flow is emitted. The bladder is the organ where water is gathered and fluid and humor are stored; the fluid and humor can be emitted by the force of the transformation of qi. 

凡此十二官者, 不得相失也. 故主明則下安, 以此養生則壽, 沒世不殆, 以爲天下則大昌. 主不明則十二官危, 使道閉塞而不通, 形乃大傷, 以此養生則殃, 以爲天下者其宗大危, 戒之戒之.
The twelve organs are all necessary. Therefore, civilians can live peacefully when the king is bright; if one nurtures one's life with a bright mind, one will live long and one's life will not be in danger. Also, the country will prosper if the ruler is bright. If the ruler is not bright, the twelve organs would be in danger, the ways would be blocked and unable to flow through, and the shape would be harmed greatly. If one nurtures life with a dark mind, disaster will come, and the country will be in danger if the ruler does not control it with a bright mind. Therefore, one must beware all the time."