What is the Vital Breath in Taoism? 什么是冲气
Paul PengWhat is the Vital Breath in Taoism?
Also known as the Subtle Qi of Harmony.
The term appears in Chapter 42 of the Dao De Jing:
“All things carry Yin on their backs and embrace Yang;
through the Qi of Chong they achieve harmony.”
What is the Vital Breath in Taoism?
What is the Vital Breath in Taoism?It refers to the Qi in which Yin and Yang surge and interact.
Taoism adopted this concept and expanded its meaning.
In his commentary on the Dao De Jing, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty states:
“The One is Chong Qi, meaning that the Dao moves forth to issue the subtle harmonious Qi. … Yin and Yang embrace and conceive; Chong Qi harmonizes and adjusts; then all things are abundantly formed.”
He also says:
“The One is the harmony of the Dao, referring to Chong Qi.
Because its subtle function in things is one, it is therefore called the One.”
His sub-commentary explains:
“The Dao is the divine source of ultimate emptiness;
the One is the refined Qi of harmony.
‘To produce’ means to move forth;
it says the Dao moves forth issuing harmonious Qi to give birth to all things. …
‘Three produces all things’ means that Yin and Yang are in perfect harmony,
Chong Qi transforms into pure vitality,
thus giving birth to all living beings.”
All these statements regard Chong Qi as the active function of the ultimate empty Dao,
capable of harmonizing Yin and Yang and generating all things.
Thus Chong Qi is seen as the medium connecting all things of Yin and Yang with the Dao substance,
that is, the medium linking Dao and Qi.
Chong Qi is both Qi and Dao,
so it is sometimes also called “Dao Qi”.
