Satya Ram

Exactly. Appreciate the expansion above. This thread relates to Shen as spirit, that which can be manifested beyond the limits of the physical being. Hence the reference i made to Shen being impersonal and i also gave one or two examples of how Shen can be passed on. The greater the Shen, the wider its influence, and also, the stronger the passage of potential growth and expansion from one generation to the next. This can be seen clearly among spiritual and martial traditions as well as in family situations. On the individual level, Shen is that which moves one to seek out and develop the best possible level in each phase of one's life so that what can be left behind, although intangible, yet palpably becomes a legacy of worth for the benefit of others. My limits of understanding the spiritual aspects of Shen.

A person showing a red glow on the face is not an indication of good health, nor is it a sign of permanent vitality. There are uncountable Chinese men all over Asia with glowing red faces from consuming Chinese herbal concoctions and drinking snakes' blood and eating turtle soup... they may have replenished their Jing, but what matters is how they then direct this increased Jing. Many men with glowing faces indulge in this sort of nutritious intake simply to ensure their sexual health is kept at a satisfactory level. How this determines Shen is quite doubtful. Surely if a person routinely indulges in sexual activities and then after each robust session gather up herbs and stuff simply to keep up the stamina, or for basic health maintenance, cannot be said to have Shen because it (Shen) is a sacred spirit, right? It requires a life of dedicated virtuous conduct and discipline, and cultivating the proper paths in order to ensure that immortality can be gained in the form of... Shen! Shen is the spirit of a person which lives on - either in his or her children, if he or she has been a good parent, or in the case of great Masters, in their elite students. Ask any Taoist teacher what they feel when they think of a Shifu who has helped groom them to be the kind of teachers they are - they often shed tears with grateful memory, and respond with words of admiration, respect, fondness and inspiration that is remembered with great affection... what is that? That is Shen. Same with children who are filial to their parents -when they pass away, these children visit their parents' graves often, as a mark of devotion and piety. This is the Shen of the parents passed on to the next generation. Yet there are some parents who die and get forgotten - why? Because there is no Shen there. Of course yuen fen plays a part too... You can try to put a finger on Shen, but if you think you can, then you have missed its essence. This is common sense and common knowledge... nothing mythical at all. If you are ethnically Chinese, then you will understand completely what i am saying.

What has good blood circulation to do with Shen? Upon death, blood stops circulating, but Shen, the universal great Vital Force, does not die since it is not some energy like Chi and Jing that can be apprehended and developed. However, its Vital Force can get passed on by those who are great practitioners, or is simply given up by those who have not cultivated to a high level. Unlike bodily essences, Shen is impersonal, and cannot be 'owned'. When a high cultivator passes away, his or her Shen remains and is available to anyone among his/her circle who are willing to succumb to it - these willing ones are considered the filial 'sons and daughters' of the lineage. They feel the Shen of the master, but those who are not filial will not be able to feel it. An example is the legendary Chen Zhen (fictional character?) succumbing greatly to the Shen of his dead Master, Huo Yuanjia. One does not say Hou Yuanjia left his chi or his jing behind... one says he left behind his Shen. This is why i mentioned that Shen is signless. To think that such a force can be cultivated is a travesty. Just like one cannot cultivate the Sun, but can feel the effects and benefits of the Sun's warmth and light. Is this warmth and light graspable? Everyone benefits the same from the Sun, yet not everyone becomes equally appreciative of it. Most people simply take it for granted... they have not learnt what it means to be filial to the Sun.

Clever, but no cigar. Vitality is not a thing. Not even a 'sign' - its signless.

Shen is Vitality. Yes?

Humble greetings to all bums! Namaste... looking forward to share and exchange insights into spiritual cultivation. Wishing everyone happiness.