Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan: A Simple Guide to a Heart-Calming, Yin-Nourishing Herbal Formula
Hongji Medical- Dec 29, 2024
- 6 min read
Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan, or "Heavenly Emperor’s Heart-Nourishing Pill," is a cherished Chinese herbal formula with roots in legend and literature, even appearing in Dream of Red Mansions.
Named after the Buddhist guardian king Vaisravana, who reportedly shared it with the monk Daoxuan in the Tang Dynasty, this formula was formalized in the Ming Dynasty’s Secret Anatomy of Health. Renowned for nourishing yin, clearing heat, and calming the mind, it’s a go-to for heart and kidney imbalances causing restlessness or insomnia.
The Legend Behind Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan
In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the monk Daoxuan practiced extreme asceticism, standing or walking for 90 days without sleep.
After 21 such grueling sessions, he fell ill from exhaustion. Legend says Vaisravana appeared in a dream, gifting him a formula to restore his heart and mind.
Daoxuan recovered, shared the recipe, and it became known as “Heavenly Emperor’s Heart-Nourishing Pill,” recorded in the Southern Song’s Fozu Tongji and later detailed by Ming physician Hong Ji.
What’s in Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan?
This formula blends herbs to nourish yin, calm the heart, and clear heat:
Rehmannia (Sheng Di Huang): Cools heat, nourishes yin, and enriches blood.
Asparagus Root (Tian Dong): Sweet and cold, it moistens yin and relieves heart heat.
Ophiopogon (Mai Dong): Nourishes heart yin and clears deficiency heat.
Figwort (Xuan Shen): Clears heat and replenishes yin for fatigue.
Angelica Root (Dang Gui): Nourishes blood and supports new blood formation.
Salvia Root (Dan Shen): Calms the mind, eases palpitations, and treats insomnia.
Ginseng (Ren Shen): Boosts qi and calms the spirit.
Poria (Fu Ling): Strengthens the spleen and soothes the heart.
Sour Jujube Seed (Suan Zao Ren): Nourishes the heart and treats insomnia.
Polygala (Yuan Zhi): Calms palpitations and improves sleep.
Cypress Seed (Bai Zi Ren): Moistens kidneys and boosts heart qi.
Older recipes used toxic cinnabar for extra calming, but modern versions omit it for safety. The herbs are typically formed into pills or boiled as a decoction, taken with warm water.
How Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan Works
Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan targets yin and blood deficiency in the heart and kidneys, which causes internal heat and restlessness.
In TCM, the heart is the “monarch” organ, housing the spirit. When yin and blood are low—often from overthinking or stress—the heart loses nourishment, leading to:
Insomnia, palpitations, or irregular heartbeat
Fatigue, forgetfulness, or irritability
Night sweats, hot hands and feet, or nocturnal emissions
Mouth sores, red tongue with little coating, rapid thin pulse
Its actions include:
Nourishing Yin and Blood: Rehmannia, angelica, and asparagus restore heart and kidney yin.
Clearing Heat: Figwort and ophiopogon cool internal fire.
Calming the Mind: Salvia, jujube, and polygala ease restlessness and improve sleep.
Boosting Qi: Ginseng and poria strengthen heart and spleen for energy.
Modern Uses
Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan is used for:
Mental Health: Treats insomnia, anxiety, and schizophrenia from yin deficiency.
Heart Conditions: Eases palpitations in coronary heart disease or neurosis.
Menopausal Symptoms: Soothes hot flashes and irritability.
Other Issues: Helps hyperthyroidism, recurrent mouth sores, or neurasthenia.
Customizations:
Severe Insomnia: Add dragon bone or magnetite for deeper calming.
Palpitations: Include longan fruit or evening primrose to nourish the heart.
Nocturnal Emissions: Use golden cherry or gorgon fruit to stabilize kidneys.
It’s similar to Guipi Tang or Suanzaoren Tang but uniquely emphasizes yin nourishment.
Dietary and Lifestyle Support
To boost the formula’s effects:
Lily and Lotus Seed Soup: Nourishes yin and calms the mind.
Goji Berry Tea: Supports blood and yin.
Tremella Porridge: Moistens yin and clears heat.
Stress Reduction: Meditation or gentle yoga soothes the heart.
Avoid Stimulants: Skip spicy foods or caffeine to prevent heat buildup.
Things to Keep in Mind
Not for Weak Digestion: Avoid if you have poor appetite or loose stools, as yin-nourishing herbs can burden the spleen.
Short-Term Use: Don’t overuse to prevent digestive strain.
Professional Guidance: Consult a TCM practitioner, especially for pregnancy or chronic conditions.
Side Effects: Stop if bloating or discomfort occurs and seek advice.
Why Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan Matters
Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan is a TCM treasure, blending rehmannia, salvia, and jujube to nourish yin, calm the heart, and clear heat. From ancient monastic legends to modern clinics, it soothes insomnia, palpitations, and stress with elegance.
Paired with calming foods and expert guidance, this formula restores balance to the heart and mind, proving the enduring wisdom of Chinese herbal medicine.
Chinese Name | 天王補心丹 |
Phonetic | Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan |
English Name | Celestial Emperor Heart-Supplementing Elixir |
Classification | Sedative and tranquilizing formulas |
Source | 《Corrections and Annotations to Fine Formulas for Women》Jiao Zhu Fu Ren Liang Fang《校注婦人良方》 |
Combination | Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Ren Shen) 5 qian (15g), Poria (Fu Ling) 5 qian (15g), Scrophulariae Radix (Xuan Shen) 5 qian (15g), Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Dan Shen) 5 qian (15g), Platycodonis Radix (Jie Geng) 5 qian (15g), Polygalae Radix (Yuan Zhi) 5 qian (15g), Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Dang Gui) 1 liang (30g), Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus (Wu Wei Zi) 1 liang (30g), Ophiopogonis Radix (Mai Men Dong) 1 liang (30g), Asparagi Radix (Tian Men Dong) 1 liang (30g), Platycladi Semen (Bai Zi Ren) 1 liang (30g), Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (Suan Zao Ren dry-fried) 1 liang (30g), Rehmanniae Radix (Sheng Di) 4 liang (120g) |
Method | Grind the ingredients into a fine powder and shape into pills using honey and coat the pills with 5-15g of zhu sha that has been ground with water. One dose is approximately 6-10g taken with warm water or with a longan decoction. It can also be prepared as a decoction. |
Action | Enriches yin and clears heat, nourishes blood and calms the mind. |
Indication | Deficiency of yin and insufficiency of blood have lead to the disturbance of the mind. Symptoms include palpitations, vexation, insomnia, mental fatigue, forgetfulness, nocturnal emission, feverish feeling in palms and soles, aphtha, a sore mouth and tongue, and dry stool. The tongue is red with scanty coating, and the pulse is thin and rapid. |
Pathogenesis | This pattern is caused by excessive heart fire consuming yin-blood. Excessive heart fire disturbs the heart spirit, while insufficiency of yin-blood leads to a lack of nourishment of the heart spirit. The pattern is manifest by insomnia, profuse dreaming, palpitations, and vexation. The red tongue and thin and rapid pulse also indicates that the pathomechanism is excessive heart fire and deficiency of yin-blood. The therapeutic method is to drain excessive fire and supplement yin-blood to calm the mind. |
Application | 1. Essential pattern differentiation Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan is applicable to patterns of heart and kidney deficiency, deficiency of yin, shortage of blood, and deficiency-fire disturbing the interior mainly caused by excessive grief and thinking that consumes yin-blood. Deficiency of yin and shortage of blood fail to nourish the heart. This clinical pattern is marked by palpitations, insomnia, mental fatigue and forgetfulness, feverish feeling in the palms and soles, vexation, nocturnal emissions, aphtha and tongue sores, red tongue, thin, rapid pulse. 2. Modern applications This formula may be used in the following biomedically defined disorders when the patient shows signs of deficiency of yin and blood of the heart and kidney: insomnia, palpitations, recurrent oral ulcer due to neurasthenia, coronary heart disease, schizophrenia, and hyperthyroidism. 3. Cautions and contraindications This formula should be cautiously applied to patients who have spleen and stomach deficiency marked by long-term poor appetite and loose stool because it contains many medicinals that enrich yin. |
Additonal formulae | 1. Bai Zi Yang Xin Wan (Platycladi Heart-Nourishing Pill 柏子養心丸) [Source]《A Compilation of Benevolent Formulas》Ti Ren Hui Bian《體仁彙編》 [Ingredients] Bai zi ren 4 liang (120g), gou qi zi 3 liang (90g), mai men dong 1 liang (30g), dang gui 1 liang (30g), shi chang pu 1 liang (30g), fu shen 1 liang (30g), xuan shen 2 liang (60g), shu di huáng 2 liang (60g), gan cao 5 qian (15g) [Preparation and Administration] Grind the ingredients into powder and form into pills with the size of a phoenix tree seed using honey. 40-50 pills (9g) are taken as one dose. [Actions] Nourishes the heart, calms the mind, enriches yin, and supplements the kidney. [Applicable Patterns] Deficiency of yin-blood and disharmony of the heart and kidney. Symptoms include: unclear mind, palpitations, profuse dreaming, forgetfulness, night sweat, a red tongue and scanty coating, and a thin, rapid pulse. 2. Kong Sheng Zhen Zhong Dan (Confucius Pillow Elixir 孔聖枕中丹) [Source]《Important Formulas Worth a Thousand Gold Pieces for Emergency》Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang《備急千金要方》 [Ingredients] Gui jia, long gu, shi chang pu, yuan zhi all in equal dosage rations [Preparation and Administration] Grind them into powder, taken 3g by warm yellow rice wine at once. [Actions] Supplements the kidney, calms the heart, improves intelligence, and calms the mind. [Applicable Patterns] Yin deficiency of the heart and kidney. Symptoms include: insomnia, forgetfulness, unstable mood, dizziness, a red tongue, a thin, white coating, and a thin, wiry pulse. |
Remark | Ginseng (Panax ginseng) is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II. Its trade is allowed but subject to licensing controls. |
