Translating "關原", acupuncture point REN-4
The reasoning for translating "關原" as "Primary Barrier Gate" from Chinese into English. This is the original name of acupuncture point REN-4 (Ren 4).
Explanation of the point name
There are a few translation options here. Before, I had 'Barrier Gate to the Sources,' but there is a problem with that. Translating it as such would be similar to TB-5 外關 'Barrier Gate to the Outside' and P-6 內關 'Barrier Gate to the Inside.' However, the order of the two characters is the other way around there, with 關 as the second character, rather than the first. So, that translation, and variations of it, are probably not correct.
To figure out the right meaning, I referred to my I Ching translation, where 原 is in hexagram 8:
原筮元永貞
'The primary oracle of the first day will always persist.'
It's nice that the character 元 is there too, as these need to be distinguishable from each other. I have 'primary' there for 原, and that makes sense here too. The primary barrier gate could refer to the birth canal, the first and main barrier gate that a person passes through when getting into the world. This points affects it.
1st character
Meaning
This is a barrier gate, one that has a bar that hinges at one point at the side, blocks when the bar is horizontal, and opens with the bar moving diagonally to the side, until vertical.
When the point name is about a psychological function that is made more accessible or less, a translation with 'barrier gate' makes sense. When the name is about a bone resembling a bar, that has a joint at one side where the point is located near to, a translation with 'joint' makes more sense.
Point names with 關
For consistency in the translations, it is necessary to be aware of how the character is translated elsewhere. These are the point names it is in.
ST-7 | 下關 | Underneath the Joint |
ST-22 | 關門 | Barrier Gate |
ST-31 | 髀關 | Thigh Joint |
BL-26 | 關元兪 | Bar's Beginning Increase |
BL-46 | 膈關 | Diaphragm Barrier |
KI-18 | 石關 | Stone Barrier |
P-6 | 內關 | Barrier Gate to the Inside |
TB-1 | 關衝 | Through the Barrier Gate |
TB-5 | 外關 | Barrier Gate to the Outside |
GB-3 | 上關 | Above the Joint |
GB-33 | 膝陽關 | Knee Yang Joint |
LIV-7 | 膝關 | Knee Joint |
REN-4 | 關原 | Primary Barrier Gate |
DU-3 | 腰陽關 | Waist's Yang Bar |
2nd character
No other point names with this character.
Nearby points
Sometimes the names of consecutive points on a meridian are related. Being aware of nearby points can help to translate consistently in such a situation.
REN-1 | 會陰 | Meeting of Yin |
REN-2 | 曲骨 | Curved Bone |
REN-3 | 中極 | Balanced Fully |
REN-4 | 關原 | Primary Barrier Gate |
REN-5 | 石門 | Stone Gate |
REN-6 | 氣海 | Sea of Qi |
REN-7 | 陰交 | Yin in Interaction |