Qi, Chi, ( Ki, Japanese)

[Guest guest]

In a previous article about marketing SSRI's to Japan,

the author wrote about it using the word Ki (Chi). he/she

obviously knew very little about it.

 

Chi can mean many things, which in a spiritual/religious

sense, some say almost impossible to define.

 

 

Qi, Chi, ( Ki,In Japanese)

 

The perplexing problem is to give even a tentative

translation for ki. It may be relatively easy to give

a linguistic or analogical explanation. To render ki

into a single foreign word is almost impossible.

 

If a person knows the Japanese language, we can begin

to explain ki by referring to its many compounds and

convey a general sense of the term. If not, we are

forced to come up with a foreign equivalent. Since we

lack a precise equivalent, the translation will depend

on the emphasis we place on the diverse dimensions of

ki. That is, we can stress the spiritual aspect

(spirit, soul, ethos), the affective aspect (sense,

intuition, feeling), or the psycho-physiological

aspect (breathing, breath). If we understand ki as

primarily spiritual, we can speak of spirit in

English, esprit in French and Geist in German. If we

approach it from the affective side, it would be

something like feeling, or intention in English and

Stimming in German. If the psycho-physiological aspect

is emphasized it would be close to the Greek psyche or

English ether.

 

(Or)

Chinese (Pin Yin) transliteration of the character

which means energy, vitality, and breath

 

(Or)

the energy of the " life force "

 

(Or)

(Also known as prana, qi or ki) The name given to the

energy, essential to life. According to both Ayurvedic

Medicine and Traditional (includes

acupuncture) good health is dependent on the unimpeded

flow of chi in the energy system of the body.