Classica Sinica Medica

專精 简体 专精

zhuān jīng

The concentrated essence · zhuan jing

Also rendered: The concentrated essence (plain, and it keeps the undivided sense of 專) · The heart's gathered essence (exact, and it names the organ the text names)

Physiology

Reviewed · 2026-10-18

At a glance

Pinyin
zhuān jīng
Simplified
专精
Literal
專 zhuān — single, undivided, bent on one thing; 精 jīng — the refined essence of grain, and so the refined essence of the body. The heart as the one place where the five viscera's essence is gathered and not divided.
Shuowen
《說文》：精，擇也，從米，青聲，謂擇米之精者。專，主也，一也。「專精」本篇1見，即「夫心者，五藏之專精也」；「精」字11見、「專」字1見。心為五藏之專精，謂五藏之精皆專主於心，非謂心別有一精而五藏無與。

In brief

The heart as the single place where the essence of the five viscera is gathered undivided. The chapter’s opening anatomy reads: 夫心者，五藏之專精也；目者，其竅也；華色者，其榮也 — the heart is the concentrated essence of the five viscera, the eye is its orifice, the bloom of the face is its glory. 專 is not ‘special’ but ‘undivided’: the five essences are not five separate stores but one essence gathered at the heart, which then goes out at the eye and shows on the face. This is what lets the whole chapter argue about tears from the heart: what leaves the eye is what the heart holds.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The name 五藏之專精
五藏之精專主於心
The essence of the five viscera has its single master in the heart.
五藏之專精 — 素問·解精微論
2
The heart it names 夫心者
心為五藏之專精所在
The heart is where the concentrated essence of the five viscera lies.
夫心者，五藏之專精也 — 素問·解精微論
3
Its orifice 目者，其竅也
心之竅在目，精華由此出
The heart's orifice is the eye, through which its essence-flower issues.
目者，其竅也 — 素問·解精微論
4
Its glory 華色者，其榮也
面色之華，心精之外榮
The lustre of the face is the outward glory of the heart's essence.
華色者，其榮也 — 素問·解精微論
5
At peace 則氣和於目
有德則氣和而見於目
With virtue the qi is harmonious and shows in the eyes.
則氣和於目 — 素問·解精微論
6
Not at peace 憂知於色
有亡則憂形而見於色
With loss, grief takes form and shows in the complexion.
憂知於色 — 素問·解精微論

Occurrences in the classics

Passages where the term does real work, with the original, pinyin and English on the same line.

Display
1 passages
素問·解精微論 Read in context →
夫心者，五藏之專精也；目者，其竅也；華色者，其榮也。 夫心者，五藏之专精也；目者，其窍也；华色者，其荣也。
Fú xīn zhě, wǔ zàng zhī zhuān jīng yě; mù zhě, qí qiào yě; huá sè zhě, qí róng yě.
The heart is the concentrated essence of the five viscera; the eye is its orifice; the bloom on the face is its glory.
「專精」本篇1見，即「夫心者，五藏之專精也」；「精」字11見、「專」字1見。此句與「目者，其竅也」「華色者，其榮也」三句並列，一主、一竅、一榮，而全篇涕泣之論由此發端。

Compounds built on this term

五藏之專精
wǔ zàng zhī zhuān jīng
the concentrated essence of the five viscera
本篇本文
專精於心
zhuān jīng yú xīn
the essence gathered in the heart
釋義
心藏神
xīn cáng shén
the heart stores the spirit
與此互參
五藏之精
wǔ zàng zhī jīng
the essence of the five viscera
所專者

How it has been translated

Every rendering below is a decision about which reader is being addressed. There is no neutral option.

This sitethe concentrated essencethe five essences gathered at the heart
Literalsingle essenceexact, and it loses the five viscera
Clinicalthe heart as the seat of the essencesclear, and it is longer than a headword

Entry status

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2026-10-18

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Reading path

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