What is Qi in Taoism? 道教中的“气”是指什么

In Daoist philosophy, various cultivation techniques, and the scientific elements contained in Taoism, the theory of Qi holds an important position.

The concept of Qi covers a wide range, including the cloudy mist Qi of nature, the breath Qi of the human body, the Qi of Yin and Yang and Five Elements, the Qi of life movement, the Qi of spiritual essence, as well as the innate essence Qi, primordial Qi, and Dao Qi.

What is Qi in Taoism?

Since Boyang Fu of the late Western Zhou Dynasty used “Heaven and Earth Qi” to explain earthquakes, ancient scholars consistently employed Yin-Yang Qi and Heaven-Earth Qi to interpret the order and universal connections of nature and society — for example, Zuo Zhuan • The First Year of Zhao Gong states: “The six Qi are Yin, Yang, wind, rain, darkness, and brightness.”

In the Lao-Zhuang Daoist philosophy, Qi is regarded as the primordial substance composing and uniting Heaven, Earth, humanity, and all things: all things coalesce to form bodies, and disperse to become Qi.

In Daoist philosophy, Qi is the mode of existence of the Dao, the medium between different levels of reality, the “material” forming tangible beings, and the universal connecting force through which Heaven, Earth, and humanity interact and respond to one another. In Internal Alchemy, Qi occupies the intermediate level between form and spirit, linking the innate and the acquired, the central nervous system and the autonomic nervous system, serving as the transitional stage from Daoist arts to immortal cultivation.

Compared with Western atomism, Qi theory differs in continuity and discreteness, wholeness and individuality. It is thus distinct from atomism and similar to field theory.

Among the three fundamental elements of the material world — mass, energy, and information — Qi roughly belongs to the energy system. In the view of the human body, Qi is therefore interpreted as an energy flow or vital force.

Daoist and Taoism philosophy hold that Qi transforms to give form, form transforms to give life, and the whole world is permeated by a single Qi. Humanity exists within Qi, and Qi exists within humanity; all things rely on Qi for life.

Human life, aging, illness, death, good fortune, and misfortune are all governed by Qi. Within the human body, Qi connects both form and spirit; therefore, refining Qi can cultivate both the physical body and the spirit. Breath is governed by the autonomic nervous system yet controlled by the central nervous system. Practitioners seeking to consciously move from consciousness to unconsciousness and regulate autonomic activity must begin with breath training.

Daoist scriptures mention terms such as Primordial Qi, Ancestral Qi, Ancestor of Qi, Primal Undifferentiated Qi, Natural Qi, Great Ultimate True Qi, and True One Qi — all may be seen as the materialization of the Dao. Qi is generated and transformed from the Dao, and Qi can coalesce to produce Heaven, Earth, humanity, and all things.