There are several terms in Daoism naming the dynamic spectrum of body & mind – these are well worth studying and understanding if we are undertaking Daoist practice, especially if we are engaging scriptures in classical Chinese.
Below is a glossary briefly introducing a few of these terms for reference when following along with this talk: Body & Mind: A Few Definitions. Each of these involves years of study to really appreciate, but let this be a base for your growth in understanding these concepts.
Jīng-Qì-Shén
Jīng (精): essence-of-embodiment, coagulation of life-essence, tendency of qi to appear as form.
Qì (氣): movement, vitality, time, change.
Shén (神): spirit, awareness.
Jīng-qì-shén (精氣神) often appear as a triad.
Shēn-Xīn
Shēn (身): body, life – bundle of jing-qi.
Xīn (心): heart-mind, abode of spirit.
Shēn-xīn (身心) is the most literal translation for “body & mind”.
Xìng-Mìng-Líng
Xìng (性): inner-nature, spiritual-essence, character.
Mìng (命): fate-pattern, jīng-trajectory, destiny, contract with Heaven.
Xìng-mìng (性命) is a dynamic, complex concept referring to spiritual-nature & embodied life-path.
Líng (靈): spirit-potency, sometimes mistranslated as soul – the collective potency of xìng-mìng (性命).
