What's the difference between soul and spirit?

Status
Not open for further replies.

_Simon_

Senior Master
Joined
Jan 3, 2018
Messages
4,397
Reaction score
2,901
Location
Australia
I don't study the Chinese internal arts so can't offer from that perspective, but from my understanding, Spirit is universal, nonlinear and is primary, one's actual identity beyond and prior to physicality. Soul can refer to particular karmic variations, manifested in a particular way but not separate from Spirit. Like a karmic computer chip, with certain patterns in place and manifests as what you believe is your consciousness. But too many people get too caught up with 'soul' definitions but it becomes all too conceptual, reinforces their own agendas usually, and just separates and complicates things too much.
 
OP
Shia

Shia

White Belt
Joined
Jan 16, 2018
Messages
17
Reaction score
0
Location
On the mouintain
Hi Simon. I saw you are new looking quickly through the main page. I agree with you. But what is Spirit then? They electronical parts? Initially it makes sense...
 

_Simon_

Senior Master
Joined
Jan 3, 2018
Messages
4,397
Reaction score
2,901
Location
Australia
Hi Simon. I saw you are new looking quickly through the main page. I agree with you. But what is Spirit then? They electronical parts? Initially it makes sense...
Spirit is ineffable, not definable as it's nonlinear. It's what you are directly, without a 'me' and a 'that'. The mind deals with specifics and concrete labels and descriptions and can't actually comprehend it, you can't think about what's beyond mind hehe. It's known via realising identity with it, which requires dropping of all mental labels etc. And what people call soul is like a computer chip, just symbolic, not an actual electrical thing. But like an energetic database or imprint I guess that's carried through eons, but not really relevant. It's far too complicated and you can't trace it's origin nor all the trillions of variables. Present 'karma' is all you have to deal with so to speak. Not sure if I made any sense haha :)
 

mograph

Master of Arts
Joined
Apr 10, 2008
Messages
1,802
Reaction score
990
If you're talking about shen, it refers to "spirit" in the sense of being spirited.
If you have good shen you are functioning well, you are alert, energetic, lively, brisk, enthusiastic, focused, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to take on the day with vigor. It is the result of good yi and good qi.

Definition of SPIRIT
 
OP
Shia

Shia

White Belt
Joined
Jan 16, 2018
Messages
17
Reaction score
0
Location
On the mouintain
Shen is located in the middle Dan Tian. Says wiki. Do you agree?

Shen is Qi: The idea of a life energy is present in many of the world’s cultures and ancient traditions. It is often linked to breath –as in the Chinese concept qi, the Indian prana, the Greek pneuma, the Hebrew ruach, and our word spirit, from the Latin spiritus –also used in the word inspiration.

Doyou agree with the first or last?

What is 'yi'?

Thank you
 

Xue Sheng

All weight is underside
Joined
Jan 8, 2006
Messages
34,271
Reaction score
9,382
Location
North American Tectonic Plate
Shen is located in the middle Dan Tian. Says wiki. Do you agree?

Shen is Qi: The idea of a life energy is present in many of the world’s cultures and ancient traditions. It is often linked to breath –as in the Chinese concept qi, the Indian prana, the Greek pneuma, the Hebrew ruach, and our word spirit, from the Latin spiritus –also used in the word inspiration.

Doyou agree with the first or last?

What is 'yi'?

Thank you

Shen is not Qi.
Shen is mind
yi is thought
 
OP
Shia

Shia

White Belt
Joined
Jan 16, 2018
Messages
17
Reaction score
0
Location
On the mouintain
Shen is not Qi.
Shen is mind
yi is thought
Thank you.

Question: In the Chakra system then IMO what equals yi is third eye chakra (intuition and insight) and maybe the throat chakra (truthfullness). Howcome Shen is mind when its not crown chakra or upper Dan Tian? Maybe surely a stupid question.

But i'm thankful.
 

Xue Sheng

All weight is underside
Joined
Jan 8, 2006
Messages
34,271
Reaction score
9,382
Location
North American Tectonic Plate
There is an upper, middle and lower dantian
Shen translates as spirit which causes westerners all sorts of confusion. To the Chinese it s mind
Yi is thought comes from Shen (mind)
Yi controls qi (energy)
qi controls li (muscles)

YI is not equivalent to the third eye in the chakra system, the upper dantian is equivalent to that
 

mograph

Master of Arts
Joined
Apr 10, 2008
Messages
1,802
Reaction score
990
Yi is the aspect of thought/mind that is directed intention, yes?

(By the way, my definition of shen came from one of my Master's oldest students -- a gentleman from Hong Kong.)
 

mograph

Master of Arts
Joined
Apr 10, 2008
Messages
1,802
Reaction score
990
Bah -- back too late to edit.
Anyway, given that Chinese is heavily context-dependent, I meant to say that the interpretation I described is in the martial arts context, not the religious context. It's one of many meanings listed here.
 

mograph

Master of Arts
Joined
Apr 10, 2008
Messages
1,802
Reaction score
990
Spirit is what you show at a tournament, poor souls are the ones that lose. :D

Pilate: (chuckles) The little wascal has spiwit!
Centurion: Has what, sir?
Pilate: Spiwit!
Centurion: Yes, he did, sir!
Pilate: (looks puzzled) No no, spiwit, er... bwavado, a touch of... dewwing-do.
Centurion: Oh! Er, about eleven, sir.
Pilate: (looks even more confused, shrugs it off) So... you dare to waid us?
Brian: To what, sir?
Pilate: Stwike him, Centuwion, vewy woughly! (the Centurion backhands Brian's face again)
Brian: Ahh! (grabs his cheek in pain)
Centurion: Oh, and, er, throw him to the floor, sir?
Pilate: ... what?
Centurion: Thwow him to the floor again, sir?
Pilate: Oh yes, thwow him to the floor, please. (the Centurion nods to the two guards, who grab Brian's arms; as he is already on the floor, they don't have far to throw him)
Brian: Ahh!
 

Xue Sheng

All weight is underside
Joined
Jan 8, 2006
Messages
34,271
Reaction score
9,382
Location
North American Tectonic Plate
Pilate: (chuckles) The little wascal has spiwit!
Centurion: Has what, sir?
Pilate: Spiwit!
Centurion: Yes, he did, sir!
Pilate: (looks puzzled) No no, spiwit, er... bwavado, a touch of... dewwing-do.
Centurion: Oh! Er, about eleven, sir.
Pilate: (looks even more confused, shrugs it off) So... you dare to waid us?
Brian: To what, sir?
Pilate: Stwike him, Centuwion, vewy woughly! (the Centurion backhands Brian's face again)
Brian: Ahh! (grabs his cheek in pain)
Centurion: Oh, and, er, throw him to the floor, sir?
Pilate: ... what?
Centurion: Thwow him to the floor again, sir?
Pilate: Oh yes, thwow him to the floor, please. (the Centurion nods to the two guards, who grab Brian's arms; as he is already on the floor, they don't have far to throw him)
Brian: Ahh!

Always look on the bright side of life :D
 

Encho

Green Belt
Joined
Sep 22, 2017
Messages
165
Reaction score
44
Dear op spirit is shen soul is hun.
The shen lives in upper Dan tian hence why you lead to the top, why you focus on the tip of your nose. Xin means heart different from shen.

You will never accomplish anything if you cannot retain your jing. You should read jadecloudalchemists post on here he seems to know a thing or two
 

Tiger86

Yellow Belt
Joined
Jan 21, 2018
Messages
21
Reaction score
0
Dear op spirit is shen soul is hun.
The shen lives in upper Dan tian hence why you lead to the top, why you focus on the tip of your nose. Xin means heart different from shen.

You will never accomplish anything if you cannot retain your jing. You should read jadecloudalchemists post on here he seems to know a thing or two

Words are alway stolen from me. I found out. Two days later i see this. But i'm an intelligent strong virtuous man. I ride until i can't.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest Discussions

Top