Jing Qi Shen

Jing Qi Shen (精氣神) are three Chinese terms commonly used in Taoism related studies. They refer to the processes noted in the human body by Taoists that they say are related to spiritual and physical health. cite book|last=Huang|first=Jane|title=The Primordial Breath, Vol. 1|publisher=Original Books, Inc|date=1987|isbn=0-944558-00-3] Jing (精) means an essence, qi (氣) breath energy and shen (神) a divine or human spirit.cite book|last=Huang|first=Jane|title=The Primordial Breath, Vol. 1|publisher=Original Books, Inc|date=1987|isbn=0-944558-00-3]

They are often referenced in traditional Chinese medicine [cite book|last=Porkert|first=Manfred|title=The Theoretical Foundations of Chinese Medicine|publisher= MIT Press |date=1974|isbn=0262160587] and the tai chi classics [cite book|last=Wu|first=Kung-tsao|title=Wu Family T'ai Chi Ch'uan (吳家太極拳)|publisher=Chien-ch’uan T’ai-chi Ch’uan Association|date=1980, 2006|isbn=0-9780499-0-X ] . Other references are in the Neijing Suwen and in Huangdi Neijing by the Yellow Emperor in the times of Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors [Gao (1990).] .

ignificance Of Jing Qi Shen

Jing Qi Shen correspond to the "Sanbao", or " Sanyuan" i.e. the Three Treasures or the Three Jewels although not in the same context as the translated extract from Chapter 67 of Tao Te Ching [Waley (1958), p. 225.] , and metaphysically correspond to the Three Pure Ones, the Daoist Trinity in

*Yu Ching (玉清元始天尊) reigns over Shen
*Shang Ching (上清靈寶天尊) reigns over Qi
*Tai Ching (太清道德天尊) reigns over Jing

An excerpt from the Tiantang Yiuchi describes all of the "Yuanling" 原靈 (or Yuanren 原人), who descended to the realms of the living, were originally pure. But through many cycles of deaths, mixing with earth, (reincarnation) and the ways of the (living) world, most had lost their purity, became cluttered and never find their ways back to heaven.

Glossary

*"Xiu" (修), to correct, to better and to improve.
*"Xingming Shuangxiu" (性命雙修), is to correct or better both the fundamental nature (性) and the live(命) of one’s being. Note the Chinese characters xingming (性命) is commonly read and understood as one’s life. The "Xingming" in this term distinguishes "Xing" from "Ming", in that "Xing" (性) is the original man, the "Yuanling" (原靈) whilst "Ming" (命) denotes the life or the duration for which the "Xing" would occupy within the lifespan of the individual.

Notes

References

* Gao, Sizhong. “《 黃 帝 素 問 直 解 》” (科 學 技 術 文 獻 出 版 社 1 9 8 0 年 版) .
*Waley, Arthur. "The Way and Its Power: A Study of the Tao Te Ching and Its Place in Chinese Thought" (Grove Press, 1958). ISBN 0802150853
*Creel, Herrlee G.. "What Is Taoism?: and Other Studies in Chinese Cultural History” (Chicago University of Chicago Press 1982). ISBN 0-226-12047-3.
*Maspero, Henri. "Taoism and Chinese religion” (University of Massachusetts Press 1981). ISBN 0-87023-308-4
*Robinet, Isabelle. "Taoism: Growth of a Religion" (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1997 [original French 1992] ). ISBN 0-8047-2839-9
* [http://219.76.217.108/2001/meditation/M2001L01.htm Embryonic Purity of Jing Qi Shen in Chinese]

Text References

1. Descriptions of Death in terms of Jing Qi Shen 道祖【內修篇】第三章：『…若未經鍛煉之人，壽緣有定，正如樹木，枝幹枯，根必萎。壽數既盡，雖天地亦不能挽回人之終也。神先出，氣即絕，精始散者，三者 精氣神一散，永無復合。皮囊既脫，三者散漫於天地之間，如是則不離六道 輪迴而已。倘在生時，將三者鍛煉，死後皮囊雖脫，而三者不散，結聚如一，聚散能自如。若鍛煉湛深，此三者更能入石 穿透物質，亦能飛形 飛行自在，入水而不溺，入火而不焚；此之謂神，此之謂仙聖，此無他，三清能否聚耳。世人不覺，不明其真理，便以為鬼神之說；倘明此玄理，見怪不怪也。今以一事論之，水在火中，水沸之時，蒸氣上昇，遇冷又成為水。此理如一者，今譬之於人：氣乃水之精英，水本不能上昇者，但經火之鍛煉，便化為氣，氣在虛無縹緲之間，正如人之皮囊雖脫，而其精神仍在天地間也，是理至顯至明。』Reference Link at [http://219.76.217.108/2006/Medit2006/M2006L05.htm (Chinese only)]

2. States of Jing Qi Shen 所有元素、化合物皆有 "三態" －「固態、液態和氣態」。萬物必有先天之因由，才有後天的物理。人身的精氣神也是一樣 ── 精可化氣，氣可生神，神可凝氣，氣可還精，精氣神可以互化。這裏所指之精氣神，乃屬先天的層次，可以匹配身中靈性，供養靈性在身中的延續，甚至影響靈性的狀態，而後天的 "精血" 是不能在體溫下作三態循還互化的。…Reference Link at [http://219.76.217.108/2002/Medit2002/M2002L05.htm (Chinese only)]

3. Heart and Quietness in Jing Qi Shen "性"、"心" 與 "精氣" 三者互相影響，所影響之內容在 【黃帝陰符經】就有這樣的描述：『天地萬物之盜，萬物人之盜，人萬物之盜，三盜既宜，三才 既安。』天與地即指人之"靈性"與 "五官百骸"；萬物喻人身之"精氣"；而人好比"心"。盜者盜奪也，取而未問，用而不還。宇宙之內，任何運作皆以能量推動；天地如是，人身亦然。人的靈性、思想與心念，與及四肢百骸的運作，全賴精氣維持。是故靈性、百骸與心智皆能耗用身中精氣，而且沒有互相協調的機制，隨時有爭奪 的情況。但身體又賴人心來管理調治，精氣才能長養，人心若是忙於事緣，機巧不停，不停損耗精氣，不知葆命養性，破壞性命和諧，違義背道，反受「精氣著於外緣」所盜，以致身體衰敗，百病叢生。煉心之道在於看得開、放得下，攝心歸性 歸一 ，棄妄歸真。 呂純陽師尊之【百句章】有云：『無念方能靜，靜中氣自平，氣平息乃住，息住自歸根，歸根見本性，見性始為真…』這裏雖然短短三十字，甚多修者卻辦不到，以為無念是心的問題，與氣無關，其實有莫大的關係：人的通病就是對事物妄執，心意多多，我見多多，認為多多，引致欲靜時"氣突"、氣憤不平；氣尚且不平，息如何能住，又如何能歸根見本性？是故修心者入靜之時要將心放開，將心氣放下，氣沉"丹田"，保持氣平息和，無令氣突，如此漸入冥杳之境。最重要者，就是偶有任何念頭迴繞，或是覺有任何景象，也不加禁制，不作回應，念過不起追思；蓋止念也是起念，能令氣突。…Reference Link at [http://219.76.217.108/2002/Medit2002/M2002L03.htm (Chinese only)]

ee also

* Taoism
* Tao
* Xiuzhen
* Chinese Holy Grail
* Neidan
* Chinese folk religion
* Chinese mythology

External links

* [http://www.eng.taoism.org.hk/religious-activities&rituals/inner-alchemy/pg4-10-2.asp A Base explanation on JingQishen from Daoist Association Information]
* [http://www.taoist.org.cn/xiuchi/neidan1/ndxwenda.htm Definition of Inner Unity from Chinese Taoist page Q&A 内丹學]
* [http://www.taoism.org.hk/religious-activites&rituals/outer-alchemy/default.htm Definition of External Alchemy 外丹]