Consciousness and Qi

[Shad282]

Well the thing i don't grasp about the concept of the Chi.. is what chi is?

after reading different books, up to articles and views, even studies... Chi is everything.. we are bathing in it ... everything is made out of chi and chi is the result of us existing....a wall. table, water, book, pc...etc 

on the other hand.. the concept of oneness.. we are all one.. since we are all made of chi.. same source same thing.. we are all one but different physical manifestation...

 

now it comes to the taoism and other beliefs... that there are different kind of chi? also there is a negative chi in the body causing illness... or overflow of chi? lack of it? even tho we are bathing in chi everywhere in the air..

 

i mean it seems like are we just judging the chi and giving it names? 

are we just manifesting an artificial chi that we call it bad and other that is good.. the other that is yin and the other that is yang ? and some use color to imagine the energy like teal or white to heal?

 

But where is the concept of oneness? are we creating an illusion of separation based on our mind and feelings?  or maybe manifesting a chi out of the chi that exist to serve a purpose?

 

"The chi flows where the mind goes" it is true that when i focus on my hands, arms, legs..etc i feel vibration and energy.. but isn't that i m just being aware of the energy and not the energy is going there ? 

because a body can't exist if there was no chi in the first place. 

so is consciousness give a physical reality for the chi? could be that the yin and yang represent the consciousness and chi ?

 

I have done qigong before.. from the beginning up to one finger zen .. i could feel that if i move my hands i can feel that it is like being in water very dense.. and i guess it was chi all other place and my hand is going through that it like a  jelly water... like bathing in chi energy.

 

With metta of Love and compassion <33333 

[Marblehead]

Just a couple brief comments:

 

I have never associated Chi with consciousness or oneness.

 

Chi is energy.  It is the non-dual aspect of energy.  I view Yin and Yang as the polarities of this energy - positive and negative - duality.

 

I also view Chi from two perspectives; the energy of the universe and our personal energy which I sometimes refer to as our life force or our life energy.

 

And yes, there are many who practice their personal energy and also those who merge their personal energy with universal Chi.  I will not speak for any of them though and I don't speak about "practices".

[RiverSnake]

I once heard a master describe chi as "Cosmic Electricity".

Edited May 11, 2016 by OldChi

[Shad282]

I once heard a master describe chi as "Cosmic Electricity".

yeah so many descriptions... earth energy and cosmic energy and personal energy... i mean isn't all one energy since it is the same that makes everything exist ? 

[Marblehead]

yeah so many descriptions... earth energy and cosmic energy and personal energy... i mean isn't all one energy since it is the same that makes everything exist ? 

Yes, it is all one energy.  It is the polarity (Yin/Yang) of this energy that effects us in different ways.

[allinone]

If all is chi then it can be this guess:

 

As long you can't guide xx level chi you are subject to being guided by xx.

That points to hierarchy, leadership, lower and higher castes. In other words there are levels.

 

look what you do and what control you have and compare it with animals and plants and rocks.

Edited May 12, 2016 by allinone

[Marblehead]

If all is chi then it can be this guess:

 

As long you can't guide xx level chi you are subject to being guided by xx.

That points to hierarchy, leadership, lower and higher castes. In other words there are levels.

 

look what you do and what control you have and compare it with animals and plants and rocks.

That's actually a good post and good advice.  I often speak of "harmony".  And directly that is the harmony between Yin and Yang.  If we learn how to harmonize these polarities of energy we can alter our self in many different ways.  (I just got too close to speaking about "practices".)  I'll stop.

[Nikolai1]

Everyday things can be invested with the numinous force when we project our belief and consciosness onto them.  Thus the old bone of a saint can heal and transform the atmosphere of a Church if that is the mindset of the churchgoers.  This is called idolatry but is a common and perhaps unavoidable spiritual process.

 

Those who locate chi within the body and manipulate it here and there are doing the same thing.  It is idolatry.  But it is only because the original chi energy is no illusion that it can be concentrated and felt in the body by the idolatrous practitioner.

 

Your question is another rendering of the essential question: how do the finite and the infinite interact.

[Shad282]

That's actually a good post and good advice.  I often speak of "harmony".  And directly that is the harmony between Yin and Yang.  If we learn how to harmonize these polarities of energy we can alter our self in many different ways.  (I just got too close to speaking about "practices".)  I'll stop.

is it not allowed to speak about practices ?

also can you provide an explanation about the yin and yang ? feel the difference? i mean i can feel the energy sparkling on my hand and vibrating .. i know this is energy/chi.. but how does the yin feels and compared to yang in terms of sensation?

 

 and does anyone have a link or something to all types of chi.. and how the sensation or hierarchy of them .. etc. a guide/map or something

[Shad282]

Everyday things can be invested with the numinous force when we project our belief and consciosness onto them.  Thus the old bone of a saint can heal and transform the atmosphere of a Church if that is the mindset of the churchgoers.  This is called idolatry but is a common and perhaps unavoidable spiritual process.

 

Those who locate chi within the body and manipulate it here and there are doing the same thing.  It is idolatry.  But it is only because the original chi energy is no illusion that it can be concentrated and felt in the body by the idolatrous practitioner.

 

Your question is another rendering of the essential question: how do the finite and the infinite interact.

So are you saying that it is all is in the mind? 

and that the chi exist and can be felt but the manipulation of it and other practices,  types and levels of it are just an illusion due to a belief ?

what about healings are they just placebo effect but on the level of beliefs? 

but i have seen that a skeptical person .. and a practitioner that projects chi into the hand of the skeptical... and he will feel it on his hand or get healed (if that is the purpose).. even tho he is skeptical and a non idolatry.

Edited May 12, 2016 by Shad282

[Nikolai1]

So are you saying that it is all is in the mind? 

and that the chi exist and can be felt but the manipulation of it and other practices,  types and levels of it are just an illusion due to a belief ?

what about healings are they just placebo effect but on the level of beliefs? 

but i have seen that a skeptical person .. and a practitioner that projects chi into the hand of the skeptical... and he will feel it on his hand or get healed (if that is the purpose).. even tho he is skeptical and a non idolatry.

No it's not all in the mind!  Bodily chi is very real and the healing is very real.

 

The problem with idolatry is not unreality, it is partiality.

 

The churchgoer so full of sweetness in the presence of the saintly relic, feels bereft when the relic moves to the next church - the church which beat them to the new roof fund.

 

The person who benefits from the chi energy healing, will next month suffer from a chi blockage or stagnation.

 

The is the problem with chi in finitude - it is dualistic.  When we no longer need to manipulate chi.  Then we are at one with it

[noonespecial]

IMHO Qi is cosmic fuel. It's the animating principle, the inner and outer fire (it is both within and without), it is the Sulpher Principal of western alchemy, it is born in stars and related to the subconscious function in man. And yes, it is extremely real. 

[Spotless]

It is interesting to be reminded of conversations about the existence of God and then remembering how many fairly firm convictions I had about my arguments but in reality - I had no clue. It did not take long to see that this was a premature conceptualizing - it was something that I could not understand at that time but that I did see the possibility of if I applied myself - however it was a very distant possible realization at that time. 

 

Upon further extrapolation - i had to ask - what is the utility of making a premature opinion on God? What was the down side of not pretending to understand "him" - and the inherent ridiculousness of even the use of words like "him" in relationship to something I was unable to wrap with my mind - which was the real God of my upbringing - though we were a Roman Catholic family (i never bought into even a small slice of it) Mind and Other were the Gods as they continue to be to this day in most of society.

 

Qi is a fluid energy - you can move it all around and presume to know what is best - or you can just play with it and enjoy it for what ever it is without having to name it and conceptualize it and pin it down with dominance and willfulness.

 

In Qi Gong no directing of Qi is necessary - the forms/movements and breathing will do all the work of directing, clearing and uplifting. You need not come to any conclusions or naming of various types of Qi and if you do not your body will more easily enjoy the freedom on its expression within you. 

 

Of course you are welcome to be "pre-cringed" and have all sorts of beliefs about Qi both "good" and "bad" and if you like tell us all about God at the same time.

 

Even with experience - great and deep experience - you will transcend what your "know" and what labels you have treasured time and again and again.

 

Obviously if you are in a learning environment such as Acupuncture and the discussion is regarding Qi and various energies then some sort of naming and discernment is required - But - the best of Acupuncturists view it as an art as well as a science - and sharp perfect lines and perfect concepts that don't wiggle simply don't exist.

[vonkrankenhaus]

Re:

-----

"Well the thing i don't grasp about the concept of the Chi.. is what chi is?"

-----

 

Qi is the relative potential of YinYang at any given point on any spectrum of energy or matter.

 

"Energy" results from polarity.

 

"Matter" is condensed "energy".

 

 

 

 

 

-VonKrankenhaus

[liminal_luke]

It is interesting to be reminded of conversations about the existence of God and then remembering how many fairly firm convictions I had about my arguments but in reality - I had no clue. It did not take long to see that this was a premature conceptualizing - it was something that I could not understand at that time but that I did see the possibility of if I applied myself - however it was a very distant possible realization at that time. 

 

Upon further extrapolation - i had to ask - what is the utility of making a premature opinion on God? What was the down side of not pretending to understand "him" - and the inherent ridiculousness of even the use of words like "him" in relationship to something I was unable to wrap with my mind - which was the real God of my upbringing - though we were a Roman Catholic family (i never bought into even a small slice of it) Mind and Other were the Gods as they continue to be to this day in most of society.

 

Qi is a fluid energy - you can move it all around and presume to know what is best - or you can just play with it and enjoy it for what ever it is without having to name it and conceptualize it and pin it down with dominance and willfulness.

 

In Qi Gong no directing of Qi is necessary - the forms/movements and breathing will do all the work of directing, clearing and uplifting. You need not come to any conclusions or naming of various types of Qi and if you do not your body will more easily enjoy the freedom on its expression within you. 

 

Of course you are welcome to be "pre-cringed" and have all sorts of beliefs about Qi both "good" and "bad" and if you like tell us all about God at the same time.

 

Even with experience - great and deep experience - you will transcend what your "know" and what labels you have treasured time and again and again.

 

Obviously if you are in a learning environment such as Acupuncture and the discussion is regarding Qi and various energies then some sort of naming and discernment is required - But - the best of Acupuncturists view it as an art as well as a science - and sharp perfect lines and perfect concepts that don't wiggle simply don't exist.

 

Beautiful.

[RiverSnake]

yeah so many descriptions... earth energy and cosmic energy and personal energy... i mean isn't all one energy since it is the same that makes everything exist ? 

 

Until you have a direct, visceral and existential understanding of Qi....all you can do is play with descriptions and analogies. Keep training so you can get that direct experience.

[Marblehead]

is it not allowed to speak about practices ?

Speaking of it is very much allowed.  It's just that I don't speak of it.

 

also can you provide an explanation about the yin and yang ? feel the difference? i mean i can feel the energy sparkling on my hand and vibrating .. i know this is energy/chi.. but how does the yin feels and compared to yang in terms of sensation?

Well, a simple example:  on your hand, Yang dominated energy would feel like a heat lamp heating your hand to near burning; Yin dominated energy would feel like a cool cream massage.