What is Jing?

[Mark CH]

Dear Wahnam Family

There is lots of confusion about the term Jing. I have heard and read about the following:

1. Jing as in one of the three internal harmonies. The microscopic essence.
2. Jing stored in the kidneys. Prenatal and postnatal Jing.

Is there these two types of Jing?

Are these interrelated?

I have done much research on these and before I answer/comment I would like to hear what others have to say.

Best wishes
Mark

[Andrew]

Isn't it pre-natal chi that is stored in the kidneys?

[Mark CH]

Dear Andrew Siheng

Thank you for your question and I think that the answer to your question here is that it may be a matter of semantics. What some people refer to as "pre-natal chi" is 'pre-natal jing".


Following on from Andrew's question I want to give my understanding on the word Jing.
“Jing” is a tricky word, and is often misunderstood. A common misunderstanding of “jing” by people is that it mean “sperm”. This misunderstanding is due to the fact that English and Chinese are different languages and the translation.

In kungfu we often hear Sifu mention the phrase "triple cultivation". This is the cultivation of jing, qi and shen, which can be translated as “physical”, “energy” and “spirit”. When someone practices all three, then this is very high level kungfu. Most kungfu practitioners today only practice at the physical level, and they exchange blows in sparring.

“Jing” here means “physical”. Being physical can be infinitesimally small or at the normal level of the body. We can say that the “sub-atomic particle” refers to the infinitesimally small. Eastern philosophers believe that the smallest particle, so small that one cannot divide is further, is called “jing”. It is so small that we cannot see it with our naked eyes.

“Jing” can also refer to the physical body, which we can see. Hence, in kungfu if we just perform kungfu sets, we are training “jing”.

Pre-natal jing is stored in the kidney, which is also the first organ to develop. This pre-natal jing could roughly be called the DNA of the person. We cannot change this pre-natal jing. This is what is passed down from your parents.

The consolation is that we use only a small proportion of this prenatal jing. If one can increase his IQ from 100 to 115, he becomes a gifted person. But he can tremendously improve his post-natal jing. Practicing qigong is an excellent way to do so.

Here we are talking about jing as “physical”, like when we mention jing, qi, shen in triple cultivation. But in internal arts, jing can be translated as “essence”.

Sifu has given me a very popular saying in kungfu which reads: “nei lian jing shen qi, wai lian ken gu be”, which means “internally train essence, spirit and energy, and externally train muscles, bones and skin”. So if you train breathing and meditation, you train internally; if you hit a sandbag or stretch your legs, you train externally.

Thus from all this above, jing can be translated as “physical” and as “essence”. As mentioned earlier, English and Chinese are different languages and there are many words in Chinese that cannot be translated into English without loosing their meaning or causing difficulty. Jing is one of them.

Sometimes jing is translated as “essence” and sometimes as “elegance”. This is depending on situations in order to bring out its best meaning. When you practice Horse-Riding Stance to develop internal force, you involve jing, which translated here as “essence”. When you change techniques, either externally or internally, you also involve jing, and here the translation is “elegance”.

It is also important to remember that here we are talking about jing in isolation. Both qi and shen are also involved, including in triple cultivation and in internal training.

There is only one form of “jing”, but it can manifest very differently. Besides being microscopic essence and jing stored in the kidneys, there are also many other different manifestations of jing. Triple cultivation and internal training are some of these manifestations.

The microscopic essence and the one stored in the kidneys are interrelated. They are physical, though they are too small to be seen with the naked eyes, or even too small to be seen by a powerful microscope.

Jing is different from qi and shen. Jing is physical; it has form. But unless it is manifested in its macro level, it is too small to be seen. Qi is energy, it has no form, though you may see its manifestations, like a person full of vitality. Shen is spirit, and it also has no form but you may also see its manifestations, like a person of high spirit.

One final thing, I always thought that once your post-natal jing is used up, you then use your pre-natal jing, and once used the body dies. However, as jing is physical, the physical body remains although there is no life in a person. In Chinese terms, when a person dies, it is referred to as "duan qi", which literally means "broken energy", i.e. the energy flow is broken. Nevertheless, the shen, or spirit, lives on.

Best wishes as always
Mark

[George]

Is jing both a product and source of qi?

[Andrea]

Thank you for the clear explanation Mark Sisook.

"Jing" is definitely a difficult term to understand. It is also a good reminder that a translation often can not give the full meaning of expressions and words.

Best regards
Andrea

[Anton S.]

How do Jingle Bells relate to Jing?

I always appreciated the precise definitions of my TCM Teacher Prof. Greten.

This is my translation of his definition of Jing (which can be found, published in German here: https://www.dgtcm.de/wp-content/uplo...05/Glossar.pdf)

Jing is a complex term in Chinese Medicine. It is understood as "structural potential" (according to Prof. Porkert). It is an unformed working preparedness (energetic potential) that rises from the yin (structure) and is able to create qi of organ systems on one hand and to nourish the yin of the organs on the other. In Heidelberg Model of Chinese medicine, it´s functions are similar to the cell nucleus in cell biology.

please ignore the confusing side note:
side note: jing has two other meanings. Jing is also used to describe point categories in the antic points (Jing - Well points) and an emotion that harms the heart (something like fright, different from fear that harms the kidney)

Best regards,
Anton

[Mark CH]

How do Jingle Bells relate to Jing?

I always appreciated the precise definitions of my TCM Teacher Prof. Greten.

This is my translation of his definition of Jing (which can be found, published in German here: https://www.dgtcm.de/wp-content/uplo...05/Glossar.pdf)



Best regards,
Anton

Thanks Anton

[Mark CH]

Thank you for the clear explanation Mark Sisook.

"Jing" is definitely a difficult term to understand. It is also a good reminder that a translation often can not give the full meaning of expressions and words.

Best regards
Andrea

You are very welcome Andrea

[Mark CH]

Is jing both a product and source of qi?

George to answer question whether jing is a product and source of qi, the answer can be both yes and no.

It is yes if we mean that everything, from a tadpole to a mountain to the Universe, is a universal spread of qi or energy.

And it is no if we take jing as physical and qi as non-physical.

At this point I laugh as I come to be more confused or more interested as I read more about jing. It's all wonderful learning.

Best wishes
Mark

[George]

At this point I laugh as I come to be more confused or more interested as I read more about jing. It's all wonderful learning.

A quote from a book I am currently enjoying:

An individual's Qi and Essence are mutually dependent. Qi emerges out of Essence, since Prenatal Essence is the root of life. But Qi helps transform food into Postnatal Essence, thereby maintaining and expanding that life. In relation to each other, Essence is Yin and Qi is Yang.

[Mark CH]

Wonderful George

Awesome book too