Elisabeth Rochat’s latest book, Aspects of Spirit, provides an in depth study of the concepts of the shen, hun, po, yi and zhi (generally referred to within Chinese medicine as the spirit, the ethereal soul, the corporeal soul, the intent and the will) in both classical philosophical texts and the medical texts of the Huangdi Neijing. The cover image is adapted from a detail of the Mawangdui funeral banner (above), and shows the seven po (or earthly souls) receiving nourishment before they are guided to the underworld.
The banner was excavated in 1972 from one of three barrows (one of which had been vandalized) on the outskirts of Changsha, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Chu, and present capital of Hunan Province. An inscription in the main tomb dates the burial to 163 BCE, and identifies the tomb as that of the Marquis of Dai. The banner was discovered in a second tomb which contained the body of a woman, considered to be the wife of the Marquis. A triple layered coffin had been used, which ensured the extraordinary preservation of the body as well as of the painting. The banner was draped over the inner coffin.
Made as a talisman and guide to the souls of the departed, the banner throws an interesting light on the views of life and death at the end of the third, and the beginning of the second century BCE. Two dragons, one red, one white, cross at the centre and represent the intertwining of yin and yang to create the flow of life. Below the knot that is formed by their union, the seven po, or earthly souls of the woman can be seen receiving offerings of food and drink to appease their appetites and allow them to dissolve more slowly back to the earth – ensuring that they do not come back to haunt the living in their attempt to fulfil their desires. The lowest part of the banner is peopled by sea creatures and demons.
Directly above the knot of life, the three hun, or heavenly souls, wait behind the figure of the Marchioness to be guided to the spirit worlds above. This care for the souls after death is recorded in the Book of Rites, Li Ji, and has been carefully practiced until modern times – not simply to ensure the peaceful afterlife of the ancestors, but for the health of the living.
‘By all these offerings and rituals, we rejoice the soul of the deceased and realize through that the union between the living and the dead’ (Liji, Book of Rites; Aspects of Spirits, p. 27)
While the po souls return to the earth, the hun and the qi disperse and return to heaven:
‘The hun and qi return to heaven, while the body and po return to the earth.’ (Liji, Book of Rites; Aspects of Spirits, p. 17)
‘All that is living must die, and when one dies, one goes back to the earth. That is what is called gui. The bones and the flesh are dead and go down and are buried, in order to become the soil of the fields. But the qi of the deceased spreads out and rises in the heights to become glorious and full of light.’ (Liji, Book of Rites; Aspects of Spirits, p. 27)
According to classical Chinese medicine, the hun, po, yi and zhi are the basis of health and vitality:
‘Humans, having blood and qi, essences and spirits, receive life from them. They ensure the regular movement between nature (xing) and destiny (ming). …Will and intent (zhi yi) are what direct the vital spirits, gather hun and po, regulate hot and cold and harmoniously blend elation and anger. When will and intent are in harmony then the vital spirits (jing shen) are concentrated and correct, hun and po are not dissipated, regret and anger do not arise, the five zang do not receive perverse influences. …This is the normal equilibrium of a human being.’ (Neijing Lingshu chapter 47; Aspects of Spirit, p. 51)
Elisabeth gave presentations on the Aspects of Spirit at the recent BAcC conference in the UK, and on the hun and po at a one day seminar in Brighton, UK, last week. She will continue with a day on yi and zhi in Brighton in the spring (see www.acupuncturecpd.co.uk for more information).