Classica Sinica Medica

水宗

shuǐ zōng

The source of water · shui zong

Also rendered: The source of water (plain, and it keeps 宗 as source) · The ancestral water (literal, and it suggests descent rather than origin)

Physiology

Reviewed · 2026-10-18

At a glance

Pinyin
shuǐ zōng
Simplified
水宗
Literal
水 shuǐ — water; 宗 zōng — the ancestral temple, and so the source from which a line descends. The source of the water that becomes tears.
Shuowen
《說文》：水，準也，北方之行，象眾水並流，中有微陽之氣。宗，尊祖廟也，從宀從示，引申為所本。「水宗」本篇1見，即「水宗者，積水也」；「水」字12見、「宗」字2見（另見「宗精」）。水宗即水之本，下三句遞訓：水宗為積水，積水為至陰，至陰為腎之精。

In brief

The source of water, defined by a chain of three identifications: 水宗者，積水也。積水者，至陰也。至陰者，腎之精也 — the source of water is gathered water; gathered water is utmost yin; utmost yin is the essence of the kidney. The argument runs downward, from the visible tear to the kidney: water is not made at the eye, it is gathered, held and released. And it is held — 宗精之水所以不出者，是精持之也 — the water of the source essence does not come out because the essence holds it, supports it and wraps it.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The name 水宗者
水之本源
The source of water.
水宗者，積水也 — 素問·解精微論
2
Gathered water 積水也
水所積聚，非一時所生
Water gathered and pooled, not formed in a moment.
積水者，至陰也 — 素問·解精微論
3
Utmost yin 至陰也
陰之極處，水之所歸
The extreme of yin, where water returns.
至陰者，腎之精也 — 素問·解精微論
4
The kidney's essence 腎之精也
至陰即腎精，水由此生
Utmost yin is the kidney's essence, from which water arises.
至陰者，腎之精也 — 素問·解精微論
5
Held in 是精持之也
精持其水，故不妄出
The essence holds the water, so it does not leak out at random.
是精持之也 — 素問·解精微論
6
Wrapped 輔之裹之
精輔助而包裹之
The essence supports it and wraps it round.
輔之裹之 — 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 →
水宗者，積水也。積水者，至陰也。至陰者，腎之精也。 水宗者，积水也。积水者，至阴也。至阴者，肾之精也。
Shuǐ zōng zhě, jī shuǐ yě. Jī shuǐ zhě, zhì yīn yě. Zhì yīn zhě, shèn zhī jīng yě.
The source of water is gathered water; gathered water is utmost yin; utmost yin is the essence of the kidney.
「水宗」本篇1見，即「水宗者，積水也」；「水」字12見、「宗」字2見。三句遞訓，一句一轉：水宗→積水→至陰→腎之精，而「水」字12見之中，此三句最為吃緊。

Compounds built on this term

水宗
shuǐ zōng
the source of water
本篇本文
積水
jī shuǐ
gathered water
水宗之訓
宗精
zōng jīng
the source essence
下句「宗精之水」
腎之精
shèn zhī jīng
the essence of the kidney
至陰之訓

How it has been translated

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

This sitethe source of waterwater traced back to the kidney's essence
Literalwater's ancestorexact for 宗, and odd in English
Clinicalthe renal source of tearsclear, and it anticipates the conclusion

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-10-18

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Reading path

Guided routes through the corpus, each built on a handful of chapters and their key terms.

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