Is Chi the same as spirit?
- Thread starter shesulsa
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I would agree with p above.. imHo I believe that soul is not a part even of this realm and is not generally accessible by us.. you can give birth to a precious child and who is most certainly endowed with a beautiful soul.. an incandescent beacon for positives (you would see there is a marked difference between the shining soul of a child and the darkened soul of most adults) ..likewise you could kill someone.. and but in NEITHER case are you ever actually accessing a soul.. you are merely acting as a signalman changing points on its railroad tracks.. so no.. imHo the soul is immutably connected elsewhere and is not an entity to be drawn down..
This is completely unlike the energy both ambient and internal that we can freely invoke and which is instantly translated as potential then most usually kinetic energy within ourselves as part of our ki practices.. actually those who can retain ki as potential energy and not expend it kinetically are certainly the most adept..
sorry that is nothing but a kooky opinion.. it is all I got
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna
This is completely unlike the energy both ambient and internal that we can freely invoke and which is instantly translated as potential then most usually kinetic energy within ourselves as part of our ki practices.. actually those who can retain ki as potential energy and not expend it kinetically are certainly the most adept..
sorry that is nothing but a kooky opinion.. it is all I got
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna
CuongNhuka
Senior Master
The abouve are right. The soul is a more heaven based, metaphysical concept. ki (or what ever you want to call) is inside your body at every moment of your life. At death your soul either goes into heaven or is reincarnated in someone else. Depending on what you believe. Ki goes back to were it comes from. And who knows how many places it is beleived to come from.
There is how ever a small faction of Taoism that is mixed Confusism and Shinto that believes that the ki is the energy derived from the soul. Something to think about.
There is how ever a small faction of Taoism that is mixed Confusism and Shinto that believes that the ki is the energy derived from the soul. Something to think about.
Brother John
Senior Master
No, I don't think they are the same.shesulsa said:
In the oriental cultures, from my experience and in my understanding (limited), I don't think that there's a great difference made between "Mind" and "Spirit". In most of the literature I've read on "Chi" and/or "Ki", it's controlled by the mind or spirit, but is a seperate energy all it's own.
They relate to one another however. I think most would agree that someone with a 'disturbed' spirit wouldn't be adroit at manipulating their "Chi" or their mind either one.
Also: Something interesting to note...
Most all cultures around the world, the oriental and the occidental both, have words that mean both "Soul" or "Spirit" AND "breath"! Very interesting to note.
In the Hebrew/Christian faith: the Ruach ha Qodesh (spelled differently by different people, this one chosen arbitrarily) means both "Holy Spirit" AND "The Breath of God".
In the Greek we have "Pneuma"...simply.....spirit AND/OR breath. Also the word "Spirit" means both the sould/mind and the breath...as in our word "aSPIRation"....putting "spirit" as the base word for the word meaning to breath.
I mention this because another common thread throughout all of the Chi/Ki literature and instruction that I've gotten is that the "Breath" is vital in the cultivation and manipulation of Chi/Ki. Something to think about??
Enjoy!
Your Brother
John
CuongNhuka said:
My personal belief is that the soul is a distinct and discreet aspect of a life that coordinates with mind and body, also distinct and discreet units.
I feel that ki is a facet of our existence that is made up of the combined energies of body, mind and soul and can, to some degree, be harnessed and directed. I'm not sure that I believe some of the claims that practitioners of ki based systems maintain; but, I believe it can be used and directed.
With all that in mind, ki and soul are not the same; but, they are interrelated.
CuongNhuka
Senior Master
OnlyAnEgg said:
I agree. All I said was that there is a sect of Taoism that believes the two are almost one and same. But they are the execption, not the rule.
Kensai
Black Belt
shesulsa said:
Not in my opinion. I see chi as many things, but not the spirit or soul.
To me it exists on several levels. Perhaps at the most basic, it is to do with breathing, controlling of energy, focus of mind. That in itself still doesn't explain chi, but it perhaps does relate to chi. Some scientists have attempted to explain it purely as a bio-electrical energy, but I still don't agree with that. Perhaps in part, but not fully. It's almost like trying to explain the inexplicable in my view, like plaitting fog.
I don't think/believe it to be the spirit though. That said, trying to define concepts such as the "spirit", or the "soul" is difficult if not next to impossible in itself. I also suspect it will vary from person to person...
Xue Sheng said:
This is my thinking too. However, I recently read this:
"It was known that every living creature has it's own energy, it's own life source, much like the western notion of the soul. The monks called this energy Chi. Could each monk learn to harness this Chi within him and release it at will? The monks discovered that a light blow, delivered by the fingertips with the eneregy of Chi, could be more devastating than a blow with great muscular strength."
(italicized bold mine)
I have always thought of Chi as biophysical electricity/energy...and the soul as something more spiritual.
Explorer
Blue Belt
In my mind qi is like a mechanical force of/in nature. Spirit is our transcendant part. So I see them as seperate.
It's interesting to note that abdominal breathing ... exercising the stomach area as we are taught in qigong or singing ... results in a hormone / neural transmitter cascade that improves the body's immune system and more.
If you do a search for "Gut Brain" you'll find a series of articles that are most interesting. Gut brain is distinct from the central nervous system. It even has its own memory.
It's interesting to note that abdominal breathing ... exercising the stomach area as we are taught in qigong or singing ... results in a hormone / neural transmitter cascade that improves the body's immune system and more.
If you do a search for "Gut Brain" you'll find a series of articles that are most interesting. Gut brain is distinct from the central nervous system. It even has its own memory.
CuongNhuka
Senior Master
Xue Sheng said:
You know I don't remember. I cann't even remember were I heard about it. I wish I could help. Nuts.
PeaceWarrior
Green Belt
Heres my take on it, in my humble opinion:
Spirit is your true nature given to you by God, it was created by God to commune with Him. The Soul is distinct from the spirit, from the soul comes our emotional being, our individual persona as is shaped by our life experiences (hence "that person has a troubled soul"). Ki or Chi would be the bio-mechanical energy inherent in all of our tissues, which can be developed to be very strong and also manifests itself as an etheric field or aura that surrounds the body. Chi is separate from soul, soul is separate from spirit, but they are all within the same sphere. Imagine this: Draw a big circle that represents spirit, in that circle another that represents soul, inside that circle would be chi. They are all distinct but intimately related. someone with a strong spirit would neccesarily have a strong Ki, because they are intimately connected, though on a different plane. If someone has a troubled spirit it would disrupt thier ki and the result would be imbalance, or an unhealthy individual
I hope this makes sense to somebody, because even as I type it, it doesnt make sense to me.
LOL
Spirit is your true nature given to you by God, it was created by God to commune with Him. The Soul is distinct from the spirit, from the soul comes our emotional being, our individual persona as is shaped by our life experiences (hence "that person has a troubled soul"). Ki or Chi would be the bio-mechanical energy inherent in all of our tissues, which can be developed to be very strong and also manifests itself as an etheric field or aura that surrounds the body. Chi is separate from soul, soul is separate from spirit, but they are all within the same sphere. Imagine this: Draw a big circle that represents spirit, in that circle another that represents soul, inside that circle would be chi. They are all distinct but intimately related. someone with a strong spirit would neccesarily have a strong Ki, because they are intimately connected, though on a different plane. If someone has a troubled spirit it would disrupt thier ki and the result would be imbalance, or an unhealthy individual
I hope this makes sense to somebody, because even as I type it, it doesnt make sense to me.
LOL
bushidomartialarts
Senior Master
my (admittedly not expert) understanding is that chi is somewhat external. it's an energy we bring into ourselves, draw on, manipulate. much like air. that would be different from the traditional christian understanding of soul/spirit.
different from my personal understanding of soul/spirit? not so much.
different from my personal understanding of soul/spirit? not so much.
SaiyanPrince
White Belt
Here are some verses from the Bible wich have the word spirit in it.
Genisis 1:2
The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spiritof God was moving over the face of the waters.
Genisis 2:7
Then the Lord God fromed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breathe or spirit of life, and man became a living bieng.
Genisis 1:2
The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spiritof God was moving over the face of the waters.
Genisis 2:7
Then the Lord God fromed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breathe or spirit of life, and man became a living bieng.
bydand
Senior Master
:idunno: Kind of lost in the translation I think.
My thoughts are simple on this. There is a difference between Chi/Ki/Qi and Spirit. My take is that Spirit can be either the outward expression of enthusiasm for the event or person, or it can be that "inner" self, proscribed in one form or another in just about any religion. Chi would be the energy felt inside of each, that can be focused toward another. Not in the knock 'em down fashion, but in the intent you can feel toward yourself from someone else, either good or bad.
Just my ideas, not asking anybody to agree. It is just the way I use to define the two for myself.
My thoughts are simple on this. There is a difference between Chi/Ki/Qi and Spirit. My take is that Spirit can be either the outward expression of enthusiasm for the event or person, or it can be that "inner" self, proscribed in one form or another in just about any religion. Chi would be the energy felt inside of each, that can be focused toward another. Not in the knock 'em down fashion, but in the intent you can feel toward yourself from someone else, either good or bad.
Just my ideas, not asking anybody to agree. It is just the way I use to define the two for myself.
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