Qi

One of the most important concepts in Chinese culture and within the Chinese psyche is Qi. A traditional saying holds that "man lives for a single breath of qi". The art of Nurturing/Cultivation of Qi is therefore a most significant Chinese practice. The three main schools of Chinese culture, Daoism, Buddhism and Ruism (Confucianism), without exception focus on the nurturing of Qi. Although there are divergences on the aspects being cultivated they all emphasise the so...urce, the root, the fundamental. The Daoist school cultivates the "Big Qi" - the universal qi of nature - "one becomes two, two becomes three and three gives rise to all things". The Buddhist School cultivates "Tranquil Qi" - the root of disquiet (of mind and body) is desire - "Discard what needs to be discarded; Do not await an end that has no end; If life is not for this moment, pray what moment is for this life?" The Ru School emphasises the cultivation of the "Self-Regulatory Qi", the observation of self control and appropriate action and how it impacts on oneself and the the wider environment.

In nurturing the three aspects: tranquility guards the heart, so that a thousand methods do not confuse your mind; the dynamic enables heaven and earth, so that its magnitude does not overwhelm you; and right conduct keeps you on the correct path.