Jing, Qi, Shen and the Six Stages

[Guest guest]

While pondering the question posted on color, I thought to myself of

perhaps applying the Six stages (liu jing) to the six aspects of Qi,

Jing and Shen. However my understanding of the Six Stages is not the

best, and I would appreciate it if anyone more knowlegable of the Six

Stages would check to make sure my reasoning is correct.

 

The associations I came up with were:

 

Yin Jing = Jue Yin

Yin Qi = Tai Yin

Yin Shen = Shao Yin

Yang Shen = Shao Yang

Yang Qi = Yang Ming

Yang Jing = Tai Yang

 

Jing is the densest form of energy in the body, it is often

considered the most Yin. Yet, when activated for use, I suspect that

like burning fat, it flares up very hot and bright. This is why I

thought of associating Jing with Jue Yin and Tai Yang.

 

Qi is typically considered more neutral in nature, yet one can still

tell the difference betweem active circulating qi, and nonactive

stored qi. I thus thought of associating Qi with Tai Yin and Yang

Ming.

 

Shen is the least dense form of energy in the body, and as such is

considered more Yang in nature. Yet what is the significant

difference between Yin and Yang Shen? It seems slight. Therefore, I

associated Shen with Shao Yin and Shao Yang.

 

I do not know the answer to what the difference is between Yin Shen

and Yang Shen yet, so my correlation may stop right here. The sum of

what I have discovered so far as the relationship between Yin and

Yang Shen is in a citation within an online dictionary of Daoist

Concepts which stated:

 

" The negative spirit (Yin Shen), [is] visible to the practiser when

he closes his eyes [...] and is the negative spiritual breath which

can see others but is invisible to them, cannot speak to them and can

not pick up objects, and is therefore, mortal in the end. The

positive spirit (Yang Shen) [...] is visible to others, can speak to

them, can pick up objects and has the same features of the

practiser's own body. It takes form when it gathers in one place, or

becomes pure vitality when it scatters to fill the great emptiness

which will be its boundless body. "

(http://www.eskimo.com/~yijing/yi_g_o.html)

 

This, of course is of limited usefulness. Can anyone recommend any

English sources which speak on the difference between Yin Shen and

Yang Shen?

 

Mbanu

[Guest guest]

> Is it the six-channel patterns (liu jing xing zheng) commonly

> called the six stages, which first mentioned in the " su wen " and

> later expanded upon in the " shang han lun " that describes the

> movement of of cold damage into the body?

>

> Michael

 

I believe so. I was under the impression that the Six Stages was a

system of division in and of itself, not solely related to channel

patterns. Was I mistaken? Here is how I got my reasoning:

 

I was thinking along the lines of the divisions that one gets when

one applies the Yin and Yang distinctions to the San Cai divisions of

Heaven, Man and Earth.

 

The San Cai divisions are somewhat similar to the Yin and Yang

divisions, but also include the " Man " aspect, which (if I understand

correctly) would be a sort of " neutral " made from dynamic balance of

Heaven and Earth.(Heaven and Earth seem to roughly correlate with the

abstract concepts of Yang and Yin.) For a visualization, I like to

think of the " Man " aspect as being the line which divides Yin and

Yang within the Taiji symbol.

 

By combining the two systems, one would get (if I understand my

degrees of severity correctly) Jue Yin, Tai Yin, Shao Yin, as Yin

Earth, Yin Man and Yin Heaven, and Shao Yang, Yang Ming, Tai Yang as

Yang Earth, Yang Man and Yang Heaven.

 

Am I misunderstanding the roots of the Six Stages? Like I said, my

grasp of their significance is not the best, and I may be applying

them incorrectly?

 

Mbanu

[Guest guest]

> Yin Jing = Jue Yin

> Yin Qi = Tai Yin

> Yin Shen = Shao Yin

> Yang Shen = Shao Yang

> Yang Qi = Yang Ming

> Yang Jing = Tai Yang

>

 

My reasoning still seems correct, but the more I think about it, the

more I think that I may have my stages mixed up. Can anyone recommend

some good references on the Six Stages?

 

Mbanu