What is Primordial Mist in Taoism

What is Primordial Mist in Taoism? 絪缊是指什么

Paul Peng

What is Primordial Mist in Taoism?

Also known as "Yin Yun". Guang Ya defines it as "Primordial Qi".

Yin Yun refers to the chaotic state of Qi that contains movement, tension, and contradiction.

It first appears in I Ching • Xici Xia:

"Heaven and Earth intermix and merge; all things transform and mature."

What is Primordial Mist in Taoism?
Zhu Xi interpreted Yin Yun as a state of intimate intermingling.

Through the uniting action of the Qi of Heaven and Earth (i.e., Yin and Yang), all things in the world transform and come into being.

Zhang Zai gave the term "Yin Yun" philosophical significance.

In Zheng Meng • Tai He:

"The Great Harmony is what is called the Dao.

It contains within it the nature of floating and sinking, ascending and descending, movement and stillness interacting with one another.

This is the beginning of the stirring, clashing, overcoming and yielding, bending and extending known as Yin Yun."

Wang Fuzhi defined "Yin Yun" as "the original undifferentiated state of the Great Harmony".

The fundamental substance constituting the cosmos is Qi;

Yin Yun is a dynamic state of Qi — the primordial, undifferentiated, active state that is the source of all things.

In Internal Alchemy, this concept denotes the state in which the practitioner, after attaining Qi, experiences universal harmony in the body, gentle relaxation in the limbs, a subtle tingling sensation in the pores, and a trance-like, intoxicated, serene clarity of mind — the merged, circulating state of original harmony within.
Paul Peng — Zhengyi Taoist Priest, Longhu Mountain

About the Author

Paul Peng

Paul Peng is a Zhengyi Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain, Jiangxi — the ancestral home of the Celestial Masters' tradition. Ordained at 25 after a dream from the Celestial Master, he has practiced for 25 years under Master Zeng Guangliang. He is the curator of this store, which is officially authorized by Tianshi Fu. All items are consecrated at the temple by the resident priest team.

Read his full story →
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