Re: Talk some shen into me
Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2022 4:40 am
Well yes, Shen in one formula may be serving a different function and may even be a different thing or another aspect of the thing.
Jing -> qi -> Shen describes the process of cultivating the three jewels by turning the wheel and pulling the plow. It refers to Shen as spiritual energy and is mainly about the intensity of the energy and the practitioner being more aware of and able to control the state of it.
The three internal harmonies are described differently by different teachers, but I've only seen two variants of the main idea.
Xin - yi - qi - jin
Or
Shen - yi - qi - jin
Personally I think the three is just an example of Chinese superstition and the flow is really
Shen - xin - yi - qi - jin
This is what I call how an impulse becomes an action.
Shen must be simulated and aroused and focused - the raw energy itself must be present and awareness directed in some way. There is an intensity achieved through alchemy, but then a disposition is given "the Shen is like a cat about to catch a rat".
Xin steers the nature of the action, to heal, kill, protect, maim, etc
Yi produces the map of the movement
Qi follows the map to energize the body
Jin is produced when the body moves
I understand it as somewhat analogous to four worlds of Qabbalah. Pieces of the process exist in each of the worlds and can be interacted with.
At a certain level the interaction gets a bit strange though...
You have to consider that we're working with a human body here. Most of the Shen related stuff, to my way of thinking, is directly related to the endocrine system and conditioned responses.
For example the teacher demonstrating attacking Shen with Shen.
So let's say you train with a skilled master for a period of time.
In this time, he displays a depth of understanding of physical movement far beyond your comprehension and the ability to deliver as much pain as he likes whenever he likes with no warning or visible effort.
Now let's say he asks you to demonstrate a technique in front of a crowded auditorium. He shows you the attack and you practice and have it down.
So you demo a couple things, it's going well, you get pushed way back, okay no big deal, let's go in for another shitty rush...
Then all of a sudden teacher gets a look on his face like he's going to rip your soul out and feed it to your dog and changes his posture into an attack stance aimed at you.
Are you going to
1. Continue with the demo attack as planned, YOLO
2. Lose all will to fight
3. Collapse into a fetal ball and shit yourself
Military training tries to strengthen it, you learn how to deal with intense aggression directly while keeping your calm and your wits about you.
But in all of this, it's conditioned physical responses for better or worse. Outside information causing different emotion regulating hormones to be released.
To prepare you to face conflict and prevail, or to train you to react dramatically to make the teacher look good.
In either case, you can definitely cultivate your Shen into whatever condition you like. It's good to be careful with who you trust with it.
Jing -> qi -> Shen describes the process of cultivating the three jewels by turning the wheel and pulling the plow. It refers to Shen as spiritual energy and is mainly about the intensity of the energy and the practitioner being more aware of and able to control the state of it.
The three internal harmonies are described differently by different teachers, but I've only seen two variants of the main idea.
Xin - yi - qi - jin
Or
Shen - yi - qi - jin
Personally I think the three is just an example of Chinese superstition and the flow is really
Shen - xin - yi - qi - jin
This is what I call how an impulse becomes an action.
Shen must be simulated and aroused and focused - the raw energy itself must be present and awareness directed in some way. There is an intensity achieved through alchemy, but then a disposition is given "the Shen is like a cat about to catch a rat".
Xin steers the nature of the action, to heal, kill, protect, maim, etc
Yi produces the map of the movement
Qi follows the map to energize the body
Jin is produced when the body moves
I understand it as somewhat analogous to four worlds of Qabbalah. Pieces of the process exist in each of the worlds and can be interacted with.
At a certain level the interaction gets a bit strange though...
You have to consider that we're working with a human body here. Most of the Shen related stuff, to my way of thinking, is directly related to the endocrine system and conditioned responses.
For example the teacher demonstrating attacking Shen with Shen.
So let's say you train with a skilled master for a period of time.
In this time, he displays a depth of understanding of physical movement far beyond your comprehension and the ability to deliver as much pain as he likes whenever he likes with no warning or visible effort.
Now let's say he asks you to demonstrate a technique in front of a crowded auditorium. He shows you the attack and you practice and have it down.
So you demo a couple things, it's going well, you get pushed way back, okay no big deal, let's go in for another shitty rush...
Then all of a sudden teacher gets a look on his face like he's going to rip your soul out and feed it to your dog and changes his posture into an attack stance aimed at you.
Are you going to
1. Continue with the demo attack as planned, YOLO
2. Lose all will to fight
3. Collapse into a fetal ball and shit yourself
Military training tries to strengthen it, you learn how to deal with intense aggression directly while keeping your calm and your wits about you.
But in all of this, it's conditioned physical responses for better or worse. Outside information causing different emotion regulating hormones to be released.
To prepare you to face conflict and prevail, or to train you to react dramatically to make the teacher look good.
In either case, you can definitely cultivate your Shen into whatever condition you like. It's good to be careful with who you trust with it.