MENTAL MODEL · M2378

Fifteen Collaterals / Shi Wu Luo

TechnicalHigh supportTraditional Chinese Medicine

Included

Updated 2026-08-01

Loading revision record…

INTRODUCTION

English translation pending.

CORE DEFINITION

The collateral system in Chinese medicine consists of one diverging collateral from each of the twelve primary channels, plus the collateral of the ren channel at Pingyi, the collateral of the du channel at Changqiang, and the great collateral of the spleen at Dabao, fifteen in total. They function as a buffering network: when qi and blood in the primary channels are full the surplus overflows into the collaterals, and when the primary channels are depleted the collaterals flow back to supplement them. They are also where chronic illness settles, following the principle that prolonged illness enters the collaterals.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Buffer the Flow: place overflow capacity between a main channel and the load it carries - Locate the Bypass: use the collaterals to find where surplus or deficit actually sits - Treat Chronic Cases: check the collateral layer when a problem has persisted for a long time

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

A single conduit sized for average demand cannot absorb peaks or cover shortfalls, so a secondary network connected to it smooths both: surplus spills into the buffer and deficits draw from it, levelling the load on the primary path. The same connectivity makes the buffer a place where slow-moving problems collect, since material that lingers in smaller channels is harder to clear than flow in the main trunk. That is why prolonged illness is treated through the collateral layer rather than through the primary channels alone.

MINIMUM ACTION

In progress 0/1

Practice this model in one real situation:

Understand the primary channels first as the main routes for qi and blood. 2. Use the fifteen collaterals to locate the buffer nodes where overflow and backflow occur. 3. For chronic pain or long-standing illness, treat the collateral layer by clearing and transforming stasis. 4. Design redundant bypasses in information systems to prevent single-point blockage. 5. Remember that finer sub-collaterals continue to divide beneath the fifteen.

Check to track your progress (stored locally)

Learning progress0%

account_treeGenealogyexpand_more

menu_bookReferencesexpand_more

Source support: Explicit

link
baike.baidu.comhttps://baike.baidu.com/view/776584.htmlZH · Explicit
verified

RELATED MODELS