SHEN FOR PRACTITIONERS
神 SHEN
拐点
TURNING POINT : BREAKING TRADITION
This is a page of Chan and Dao, but it should be made clear that we do not cast our heads aloft looking for answers from clouds of cosmic consciousness, nor do we offhand believe what is taken to be old knowledge as certain knowledge. Yet we have found often that hidden behind ancient ideas there are sometimes germs of truth and that is the case when we study Qi from the Chinese standpoint.
Clinical evidence supports in subtle ways many claims, but old interpretations and models are often blanketed with customary rose-colored glasses. Those that doubt the efficiency of the models are invited before examining this page to look first at The Union: Physical/Mental Aspects of 六神, Liù shén. and thus see what really lies behind many extraordinary claims and how the organs of Qi interact with Shen and furthermore how that becomes a useful tool.
Shi 礻 and Shen 申
Within the character Shen, 神, the first part of the character Shi, 礻, consists of two horizontal lines in the superior part which indicates "that which is above" and therefore "the heavens." The three vertical components represent all that is attached to the Heavens, namely for our purposes upon earth, the sun, the moon and the stars, the changes of which reveal, to the person who is aware, the Truth of the Gods. Thus, shi simply declares, “the sun, moon, and stars reveal the truth of the gods”.
The second part of the character, 申, shen, represents hands girding the body as spirit, extending the state to the ninth earthly branch, which symbolizes creative energy and curiosity, and also the time of the year between August 6 and September 6.
We can symbolically recall that during this phase, crops are ready to harvest, as are natural talents and abilities.
So Shen as the combination as 神 of the two characters is, in terms of ancient Chinese thought, the readiness to reveal the truth of the gods, the affluence of Heaven to those prepared to harvest natural talent and abilities.
The combination of the two parts is also phonetic, but the idea indicates that Shen of the heart (which is pure mind of the right hemisphere) is a subtle catalyst of Qi, becoming a quality without form or name which can be extended as positive life-support action to all sentient creatures used to help and guard all living creatures.
It is effectively, in terms of physiology, the force that unites the feminine principle's natural programs of Dao with their masculine principle expression, thus producing potential natural union with the motivational Zeal for cognitive balance and harmony.
Shen in a more specific body-oriented sense is a "spiritual body force" and this force is able to generate collectively the union of all the aspects of changing the natural processes of the feminine principle of the right hemisphere from the readiness “TO DO” into “DOING”.
This Shen pattern is not complex conceptually. It generates the basic criteria for the maintenance of a balanced Life Force of Survival of the individual, the tribe, all offspring and the environment (including all life) that supports these.
Pure Mind Shen 心神 (right hemisphere feminine principle) To Do
Transforming Shen, 化神, the transforming force
Hun,魂 (left-hemisphere masculine principle) Shen Expression Doing
Transforming Rexin, 热心, the transforming Zeal.
Po, 魄 (Cognitive Consciousness) of action Readiness
There are specific Contemplations for the renovation of Transforming Shen, 化神, and for the renovation of Transforming Rexin, 热心, which are essential for the SHEN-HUN information flow and the elimination of Identity symptoms favoring the opening of the HUN-PO information flow.
六神 liù shén
We must remember that Shen is also manifested through the concept 六神 liù shén, which represents the energizing five vital organs of the body and the Gall bladder.
heart 心, xīn
liver 肝, gān
lungs 肺, fèi
spleen, 脾, pí
kidneys 腎, shèn
gall bladder, 膽, dǎn
The Chinese of ancient times provided an allegorical representation of Lui shen which is often useful.
THE EMPEROR AND HIS MINISTERS
Within the Five Shen system in early china terms we find Shen to be something like the spirit of the Heart, as Emperor, with aspects of his power – like Ministers – residing as the spirits of the other organs.
Shen, 心神 : Emperor of the Heart
This emperor is the force of Pure Mind right-hemisphere function.
When these secondary spirits function as faithful emissaries of the Heart’s Shen, communication between the energy of our organs is balanced and harmonious, resulting in a happy well-functioning “Body Politic.”
As the Emperor of the Five Shen, the heart is associated with the overall quality of our natural awareness in terms of Natural Function of the Life Force, Natural Essence of the Sensory system and Natural clear comprehension of Undifferentiated Form.
Hun,魂
The Minister of the Power of the Liver
Hun is the aspect of subtle consciousness that continues to exist after death for a while, but which actually is the subliminal consciousness of the Masculine Principle Expression.
As Hun is liberated then Po, the physical or cognitive aspects of consciousness begin to meld with Hun. We then manifest behaviour which is consistent with the Life Force, manifesting as the Chinese say “Heaven on Earth.”
Po, 魄:
The Minister of Cognitive Consciousness through the Lungs
Cognitive Consciousness generates cognitive life animation. We can even consider it the dark part of the moon.
Cognitive Consciousness administered by Po is associated with the Lungs, and is the aspect of consciousness that dissolves with the elements of the body at the time of death.
It tends to be associated with Identity and with our immediate or more dense desires when not in balance and harmony with Hun, which expresses natural commitments.
Yi, 意: The Minister of the Intellect of the Spleen
The spirit of the Spleen System is Yi, or the force of intellect.
Yi includes our capacity to use our conceptual mind to exercise discernment and to form intentions.
An unbalanced Yi, 意,can manifest as discursiveness or unconscious internal chatter: a kind of over-thinking or “pensiveness” that damages the Spleen. We might consider this as an agitated mind.
A healthy Yi manifests as spirit-infused intelligence and understanding.
Zhi, 志: The Kidney’s Ministry over the Will to Act
The Shen of the Kidney System is Zhi, 志, named as the Will to Act. Zhi is the minister in charge of the force of intention and the effort required to accomplish things. This includes the effort and perseverance needed to succeed in our spiritual practice.
According to Daoism, the highest use of personal will is to align ourselves with the “will of Heaven,” i.e., with the Dao.
The Union of SHEN - HUN - PO - YI - ZHI
SHEN - HUN - PO - YI - ZHI are all energy emanations of the Transforming SHEN ,化神, and their energy is re-integrated with that of Transforming SHEN, 化神.
heart 心, xīn - Shen Energy, the force of the Feminine Principle
liver 肝, gān - Hun Energy, the force of the Masculine Principle Consciousness
lungs 肺, fèi - Po Energy, the force of Cognitive Consciousness
spleen, 脾, pí - Yi Energy, the force of Cognitive intellect
kidneys 腎, shèn - Zhi Energy, the force of the will to act or cognitive motivation
gall bladder, 膽, dǎn - Energy for the force of decision-making that generates final important life critical intentions
The error should not be made that these organs have any other function than a generating force. They do not command nor form contents of mind, the shape or form of identity itself, the contents or the path of intellect, the ether form, the direction of volition, or the path of decision-making.
THE 化神 HUA SHEN TRANSFORMING FORCE
The term Shen, as spirit, then more accurately describes the motivating force that transforms feminine principle programs into actual execution parameters.
The Lui Shen, of Shen, Po, Yi, Hun, Zhi and the Gall Bladder are members of correct life force functioning within cognition when the system is operating perfectly.
Shen itself is then a regulator of Lui Shen and the impedes the ignorance of the holistic whole by identity which generates false understanding of intentions and actions, false ideas about the consequences of those actions, and false clinging to the fruit, the consequences.
Without even progressing further in our understanding of Shen, 神, it can be seen that the practitioner must correctly develop that Shen within himself together with the Lui Shen of others, before he or she can adequately treat any apparent illness.
The imbalance within the practitioner is the most common factor in failure of treatment.
Within the practitioner himself, it is evident that influence of his own imbalance of Lui Shen can debilitate his master Shen functioning and the connection between the Masculine principle and the Feminine principle will lose its force. He will then fall under the full influence of his own Samsaric identity and his practice will be defeated.
Knowing this to be the case, and the fact that quality reduction in physical and mental health can be specifically traced to dysfunction of the mind; the presence of Identity; the clinging to false intellect and words; false understanding of the life force; weakness of will, which is natural determination and perseverance and, finally, weakness in decision- making, which begins an inevitable cycle of natural dysfunction,
1. How can it be applied to the practitioner? By first examining his or her personal deficiencies.
2. How can it be applied to the client? By understanding and introspection.
3. How can higher efficiency in practice be achieved? By appropriate meditations of the practitioner for the renovation of the energy conection between the Masculine Principle energy, which is Hun, 魂 and Cognitive energy which is Po, 魄.
4. How can the person who comes for help be helped mentally?
By clear explanations of De, the correct relation of his personal cognitive behaviour in relation his or her external world.
Nei dan, 内丹
Unifying the five shen is the essence of Daoist meditation or nei dan, 内丹.
The Taoist model of five Shen which we use here, is to cultivate each shen and unify them into one master Shen, simultaneously unifying with the Dao, applying the dense or physical to support the subtle, refining our energy revealing the path to our true nature.
You can see then that qigong, tai chi chuan, correct nutrition and correct breathing are perfect supporting tools.
Thus it can be said that Transformation Shen acts to transform the Truth of Dao, the natural programs of the VITAL ESSENCE into a final EXPRESSION of that Life Force truth for cognition.
Then, the preparation for ACTIONS, both physical and mental after the final intention has been directed, will all be generated naturally.
In order then when the mental factors are considered the gall bladder takes it place defending natural judgement.
Now the question that we cannot leave simply up in the air is how the gall bladder is involved in Decisions, the Kidneys in Will, the Spleen in Intellect, the lungs in Cognitive Consciousness, the Liver in Masculine Principle functioning and how the pure mind is involved in the Feminine principle operation.
Once that is established it will be easier to understand how their union generates a healthy transforming 神 SHEN.
In a subpage we make a further examination of these physical/mental aspects of 六神 liù shén.