The Three Treasures
It sometimes helps us to understand the nature of energy if we look at how other cultures and traditions view it or work with it.
This is a very prominent area of Chinese Medicine, so this is a very, very simplified version. However, I think it gives a basis for our understanding of some of the elements incorporated into Japanese Reiki by Usui. It equates to the three levels of the degrees, self-healing body, then mind, then spirit; it also ties in the ideas of focus and meditation and there is the habit that Usui appeared to have of breathing on his students to remind them of the nature of wind (air).
Jing –received from one’s parents (similar to the Western concept of DNA) it looks after the developmental aspects of the body (Yuan Jing – or innate essence). It can be strengthened through diet, herbal remedies (acquired essence – through digestion and breathing) and lifestyle.
A person is thought to be born with a certain amount of Jing which is being consumed throughout life so that on death all Jing has been used. Jing is related to the performance of the Kidney and a healthy Kidney essence means the ability to discharge toxins well and to nourish the body by the circulation of good blood and body fluids
Shen – the mind (psyche) or spirit, which can manifest as restlessness, insomnia, depression or other anxiety-based dis-ease. Shen is thought of as waking consciousness or thought and resides in the Heart. It is the Fire element of the mind. Our ability to express our wisdom comes from Shen and Shen draws our attention to the Divine. It can be strengthened through meditation, physical exercise such as T’ai-Chi and Qui-gong and herbal remedies
Qi – the vital force, the interactions between yin and yang. The essence that brings about a feeling of wellness and harmony to a person. It is invisible and has no certain shape and as it is constantly moving, the world constantly changes and transforms. Air is the original meaning of Qi as it cannot be seen but its movement can be felt through the wind. It is thought that everything relies on the interaction between Heaven Qi [breathing] and Earth Qi [eating] and Chinese Medicine suggests that the essence derived from food must pass, via the spleen, to the lungs to combine with fresh air in order to produce the nutrients that are necessary for life’s activities.
Image – Frank McKenna – Unsplash
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