What is Qi?

[ditto]

道可道，非常道。
气非气，非常气。

[lex]

Thank you quahbkc!

Love this article and agree with it. Shall cut and circulate around my office so that everyone can ahve a basic scientific knowlegde on Qi...

[fsa]

气非气，非常气。
非常气,  常非气。

[fsa]

“Water placement is an important aspect of Liqi fengshui and it has to be done with careful consideration. For me, I have to be careful where I place my negative ionizer. Also, in this aspect about water fountain and favorable/unfavorable element for bazi, I don't subscribe to this belief. People like JY will say if water is unfavourable, will you not bathe or drink water?” - Cyril Quah.

Mixing physics with metaphysics is always a problem with people learning Feng Shui. Water can be physical water and at the same time it can be a symbol, so when we wash ourselves with water it is physical water that is doing the cleansing but when we use it as a Wuxing Jiehua (cures) then the water is a correlated symbol and it is our heart/mind (xin) that is doing the actual “cleansing” and not the water. I put the word cleansing in a bracket for the latter case to highlight that it is not a physical act either but a metaphysical/mental one.

This inability to integrate physics with metaphysics and at the same time differentiate them is reflected in the way we try to define Qi only as ions or only as intentions. JY’s comment quoted above is another case in point of how physical water is mixed up with symbolic water (or Xingshi Pai water is muddled up with Liqi Pai “water”) to argue a point and leads to further confusion in Feng Shui study.

[Cyril]

Mixing physics with metaphysics is always a problem with people learning Feng Shui.

This inability to integrate physics with metaphysics and at the same time differentiate them is reflected in the way we try to define Qi only as ions or only as intentions. JY’s comment quoted above is another case in point of how physical water is mixed up with symbolic water (or Xingshi Pai water is muddled up with Liqi Pai “water”) to argue a point and leads to further confusion in Feng Shui study.

It is not about mixing physics with metaphysics. Using the word "mix" implies physics and metaphysics are two pure separate entities. Probably our ancient masters were actually practising and applying physics but due to their lack of our modern day knowledge in the sciences, they described them in such a profound manner that makes it hard for us to fully understand them. This also happens to many modern day teachers; they just copy and quote verbatim the ancient masters without trying to help the students understand them in their own words. In the case for water, water is just water but there are also people who consider water to include virtual water (eg. roads, pathways, etc) or break it down further into various systems or schools (Xingshi Pai vs Liqi Pai) to explain them. Both are right and both are wrong, depending on how way you look at it. But by applying physics, psychology, metaphysics or even spirituality, you may be able to understand why they look at “water” differently. Applying physics is just another attempt in trying to simplify and explain the unknown and it’s about time we start doing it just like what Master Yang, Master Jiang, “Master” Shen and Master Ceng had done in the past; and that’s why they are famous today.

Explaining a simple subject in a complex way sounds impressive but explaining a complex subject in a simple way is wisdom. Like they say, once a complex subject is fully understood, it becomes worthless.

[t]

The last statement is so true.

Let us assume the magnetic force is the Qi.  I think this is how peole may had came up with the following notion: “Qi rides with the wind and is stopped at the boundary of water.”

I think Qi is the magnetic field that surrounds this planet.  The mgnetic field has two directions (call it Yin & Yang, Positive ion & Negative ion or anything that has  the characteristics with only two elements).  The magnetic foerce travels through the air, which the human eyes cannot see.

People at that time probably though there is no way to stop Qi (the magnetic force) in the air, but could some how temporary idle Qi.  Earth and water are probably the only two elements that could slow down the Qi, probably because the masses are beyond what the human’s eyes could see or measure (will at least at that time).

Earth does not move on its own.  It could be store but not easily be move.  Water, however, constatnly moves.  Thus, when the ocean or lake waves back and forward, people in those days probably thought Qi is push by the wind then lands into the water.  Thus the water moves.  When the water moves again, the Qi is been picked up by the wind again (gravity moves water then what affect the planet’s gravity?  I was never good in science and will let the rest of the readers to decide).

If the surrounding Qi is properly channel, how could Qi be better use or broken down into the 5 elements, I don’t have any comments (truth is, I don’t know and still learning).

Just my 2 cents.

[tania]

IMO, both showed only a partial understanding of qi, we need both the "scientific" (matter/vessel) and the "philosophical" (energy/spirit) to "grasp" (come to terms with) the qi.

“To understand it solely as “potentiality” would be wrong, just as it cannot be translated simply as “matter”.

fsa

Hi fsa

Welcome to the forum!!!

What you said as "The Scientific (matter/vessel) or vehicle" and "The Philosophical (Energy/Spirit)" are actually cannot be separated in this manifested world.

All manifestations exist in pair as the combination of Yin and Yang. So does with Qi, Ki, Prana, Manna,or other similar terms used by other civilisations.

Hence,Qi also has its "Vehicle(material) aspect and its spiritual(energy) aspect.

When Quahbkc concluded ions as Qi,I think he tried to touch the material aspect of Qi and When Master Jiang Spoke about "Spirit" ,I think he tried to mention the energy aspect of Qi. One important difference between matter and spirit is that Matter has form while spirit is formless.

What I mean by the word matter here doesn"t always mean as Physical matter. It has been openly investigated by some western clairvoyant researchers(many eastern people also know the results of this investigations but they didn"t disclose it openly as the westerner did) that emotions and thoughts have also the material aspect besides the energy aspect. It is by observing the forms of these material aspect that clairvoyant people can read the emotions and thoughts of others.

It seems that you also like to read western explanations about Qi. To have a more comprehensive understanding about Qi which has been studied by many Civilisations, maybe it would be useful if you try to read "The Etheric Double" by Mr A.E. Powell and some of its bibliographies. This book  has been so many times reprinted and can be easily found in Sydney and other big Cities around the world.

        Regards

          Tania

[Bazisuanming]

[Hidden post: You need login to forum to see it.]

[fsa]

Hi fsa

It seems that you also like to read western explanations about Qi. To have a more comprehensive understanding about Qi which has been studied by many Civilisations, maybe it would be useful if you try to read "The Etheric Double" by Mr A.E. Powell and some of its bibliographies. This book  has been so many times reprinted and can be easily found in Sydney and other big Cities around the world.

Regards Tania

Hi Tania,

The book is available on the net, but unfortunately I am not allow to post the link.

Instead, let me tell you an interesting story about aura, I was demonstrating Taiji on the stage once (in my younger days when I first start learning the art) and afterward this little old lady came up to me and said, "I can see wonderful aura around your body, full of purple, yellow and red, but you have a dark spot around your heart!". I replied, "Thanks for the complement, it is quite nerve racking to be on stage!"

fsa

[Bazisuanming]

[Hidden post: You need login to forum to see it.]

[Tanpai]

Hi All,

A possible watch the qi:

Sit in a dark room beside the table. Let  be burning candles 2 metre behind your back . Your hand on the table takes  rest, watch what you see between the fingers  and  on your fingertips until some minutes.
If strong the  qi, the irradiance or other phenomena  - for example spreading   of smoke-
which is not the water steam-, will be visible quickly.
This phenomenon is not identical with the aura at the same time.
There is not an equivalent  foto - machine  in my hand, who has good device
advisable uptakes  and continue additional researches.

[fsa]

I was at my father's bedside when he passed away, I can literally see the vital qi leaving him, one minute he was alive and next he was dead. I wish someone can make a vital qi machine, with ion or magnetism or aura or whatever, to bring him back.

[Tanpai]

Hi fsa,

Your father  is in the hand of the lords of the karma.

[fsa]

Hi Tanpai,

My father was a keen student of Zhuangzi, I would imagine he came and went like the qi of the four seasons.

fsa

[Tanpai]

Hi fsa,

You think that  exists a man  for who  the karma no would be valid law?