Spiritual concepts
BEN
The character used to indicate the link with heaven in Chinese medicine is BEN which depicts a tree with its roots penetrating the ground.
The Chinese believe that it is by ongoing and continual communication with the spiritual world –– that the qi - the needed input is delivered. In effect, we receive continuous 'updates' [heals us, gives us advice, triggers our own software etc]. If this communication is disrupted we end up sick or depressed or psychotic or diseased.
Authentic qi
The downloads from heaven are known as ZHEN QI – or Authentic Qi.
Authentic qi is defined as ‘that which is received from heaven’. Together with the qi from food it gives the person 'Shen' their force.
Authentic Qi is ‘personalised’ input – directed input, so if we compare with the world wide web, it is not a 'broadcast' of a single message to everyone, it is specifically targeted to your hardware. Authentic qi is ongoing. The downloading of the software which controls the change of life, for example, for a woman might be thought of as authentic qi, because although it is general software, it is directed at a specific time to a person.
Correct qi
Output from us is known as ZHENG QI – Correct Qi = Spirit output
Zheng Qi comes from souls and in order to help people to 'see' where it came from or for that matter can be found, they associated it with the cardinal points – the 4 winds from the 4 territories of heaven.
Lingshu
The correct Qi are the 'correct winds'. They each come from a specific direction or territory. They are neither the wind causing fullness nor the wind causing emptiness
The four correct winds were known as the ZHENG FANG, ZHENG meaning rules and FANG wind which in character firm has air or vapour, so the breath that vibrates to make rules.
The system also recognises the existence of ‘bad input’.