Beyond Ch'i:   Body Energy Frequencies in Traditional Chinese Alchemy

Ch'i Character

(Continued)

Another part of the analogy with oxygen is that the ch'i is absorbed into the body and utilized by it. After being used it remains as ch'i, though it is now "stale" and must be exhaled and returned to nature to be replenished by the Tao. This is analagous to the relationship between oxygen and carbon dioxide. This is a large part of why Taoist adepts tended to live away from cities in mountains and alongside rivers where the ch'i was purer and stronger.

Traditionally, the cultivation of the specific frequency of the ch'i is ch'i gung. It is a fairly recent development, especially in the People's Republic of China, that ch'i gung/qigong has become a generic term for all internal cultivation.

The next frequency is that of the shen. Here we must address the differences between Chinese and Western anatomical tradition. Shen is generally translated as "spirit." In the West, we have inherited a medical system that follows the Catholic church's decision in the Middle Ages to separate the healing of the soul from that of the physical body. Historically, the Chinese viewed spirit and body as unified. Since Chinese medicine did not dissect the body, its understanding of bodily processes and organs were based on function rather than structure. Therefore, they saw spirit as infused throughout the body. The shen was associated with the organ of the heart. This ties into the Western folk tradition of describing bravery and matters of the spirit as being heartfelt.

The Chinese understanding of shen/spirit includes physical aspects of the nervous system, visual and auditory acuity, and eye-hand coordination. It also includes what in the West are considered "psychic" functions, such as intuition or telepathy. The ching is stored in the organs, the ch'i circulates throughout the body, and the shen extends beyond the physical body. How far it extends and the clarity of the perceptions are the result of cultivated training. The reports of martial artists being able to telepathically perceive their opponent's intention before the opponent physically initiates a technique are manifestations of shen. So too are advanced practitioners able to use their shen to disrupt the technique of their opponents.

The specific cultivation of the shen is shen gung. Some Korean systems recognize the frequency, pronouncing the written Chinese character as shim and the specific exercises as shim kung. Japanese systems tend to pronounce the written character as shin, generally translated as the "mind." The Japanese advanced level of attainment known as mu shin ("no mind") is the result of training to the point where the body performs a technique without conscious directed thought. This blending of the mind and body follows the approach of Zen.

Beyond this is a more difficult frequency to translate. Generally called shu, it is loosely translated as "emptiness." Overall, the best analogy is that of the West's "Great White Light." It is a quality of having the ability to attract goodness to you. It is more than the body/spirit. It is less that the totality of the Tao.

In our next issue, join us as we continue on our exiting exploration of the body energy frequencies in traditional Chinese alchemy.