In the Daoist tradition that forms the foundation of the traditional Oriental healing and health-promoting arts, there are said to be Three Treasures that constitute our life. These are Jing, Qi (pronounced “chee”) and Shen. The ultimate goal of all of the Oriental healing and health-promoting arts is to cultivate, balance and expand the Three Treasures. At the highest level of the Oriental healing arts, the practitioner is attempting to harmonize all aspects of one’s being. This is accomplished by focusing one’s attention on the Three Treasures. Although there are no exact English translations for Jing, Qi and Shen, they are generally translated as essence, vitality and spirit. Jing means the essence of the body and is associated with body fluids, the hormonal system, the food we eat, and our physical strength. Daoists believe that the air we breathe, when combined with Jing, is the source of Qi. This is a natural occurrence but can be magnified through physical exercise and internal practices such as Qigong and Taijiquan. Adequate Qi can be further refined into Shen—mental energy and spirituality. While all people naturally complete this process, Daoists seek to open and maintain channels of energy circulation (meridians), empower dormant centers in the body, and store energy.
The Daoist master Sung Jin Park compared the Three Treasures to a burning candle: “Jing is like the wax and wick, which are the substantial parts of the candle. They are made of material, which is essentially condensed energy. The flame of the lit candle is likened to Qi, for this is the energetic activity of the candle, which eventually results in the burning out of the candle. The radiance given off by the flaming candle is Shen. The larger the candle and the better the quality of the wax and wick, the steadier will be its flame and the longer the candle will last. The steadier the flame, the steadier the emitted light; the greater the flame, the greater the light.”
“Of the Three Treasures, only Qi has received some recognition in the West so far, but the other two are equally wondrous. Jing has been called the “superior ultimate” treasure, even though in a healthy, glowing body, the quantity is small. Jing existed before the body existed, and enters the body tissues and becomes the root of our body. When we keep Jing within our body, our body can be vigorous. If a person cares for the cavity of Jing, and does not hurt it recklessly, it is very easy to enjoy a life of great longevity. Without Jing energy, we cannot live.
Qi is the invisible life force that enables the body to think and perform voluntary movement. It can be seen in the movement of energy in the cosmos and in all other movements and changes. Coming from heaven into the body through the nose (yang gate) and mouth (yin gate), it circulates through the 12 meridians to nourish and preserve the inner organs.
Shen energy is similar to the English meaning of the words ‘mind’ and ‘spirit.’ It is developed by the combination of Jing and Qi. When these two treasures are in balance, the mind is strong, the spirit is great, the emotions are under control and the body is strong and healthy. But it is very difficult to expect a sound mind to be cultivated without sound Jing and Qi. A sound mind lives in a sound body. When cultivated, Shen will bring peace of mind. When we develop Jing, we get a large amount of Qi automatically. When we have a large amount of Qi, we will also have strong Shen, and we will become bright and glowing as a holy man.”
The Daoist master Sung Jin Park compared the Three Treasures to a burning candle. Jing is like the wax and wick, which are the substantial parts of the candle. They are made of material, which is essentially condensed energy. The flame of the lit candle is likened to qi, for this is the energetic activity of the candle, which eventually results in the burning out of the candle. The radiance given off by the flaming candle is shen. The larger the candle and the better the quality of the wax and wick, the steadier will be its flame and the longer the candle will last. The steadier the flame, the steadier the emitted light; the greater the flame, the greater the light.
“There are three treasures in the human body. These are known as jing, qi and shen. Of these three, only qi has received some recognition in the West so far. Qi is but one of the Three Treasures–the other two are equally wondrous. Jing has been called the “superior ultimate” treasure, even though even in a healthy, glowing body, the quantity is small. Jing existed before the body existed, and this jing enters the body tissues and becomes the root of our body. When we keep jing within our body, our body can be vigorous. If a person cares for the cavity of jing, and does not hurt it recklessly, it is very easy to enjoy a life of great longevity. Without jing energy, we cannot live.
Qi is the invisible life force that enables the body to think and perform voluntary movement. The power of qi can be seen in the power that enables a person to move and live. It can be seen in the movement of energy in the cosmos and in all other movements and changes. Coming from heaven into the body through the nose (yang gate) and mouth (yin gate), it circulates through the 12 meridians to nourish and preserve the inner organs.
Shen energy is similar to the English meaning of the words “mind” and “spirit.” It is developed by the combination of jing and qi energy. When these two treasures are in balance, the mind is strong, the spirit is great, the emotions are under control and the body is strong and healthy. But it is very difficult to expect a sound mind to be cultivated without sound jing and qi. An old proverb says that “a sound mind lives in a sound body.” When cultivated, shen will bring peace of mind. When we develop jing, we get a large amount of qi automatically. When we have a large amount of qi, we will also have strong shen, and we will become bright and glowing as a holy man.”