A Study of 精神 Vitality

In the west, modern internal martial (內家拳) classes almost never mention vitality (精神), often translated as the spirit of vitality, and its idea often overlooked. In some cases it is almost a forbidden word, as there is some confusion between it and force (力). The literature and the practitioners tend to talk a lot and concentrate on Qi (氣). In the early instruction texts Qi (氣) is certainly mentioned quite a lot, the concept is nevertheless elusive. However, good notice is also given to vitality (精神), which has the advantage of being clearer explained. In fact, some of those texts tell the practitioner to ignore Qi (氣) and concentrate on vitality (精神).

For example: 武禹襄 (Wǔ Yǔxiāng) in the 十三勢行功要解- Training Comprehension of the Thirteen Postures. The same notice can be found on The Art of Taiji Boxing (太極拳術), by Chen Weiming (陳微明), I use here the translation by Brennan :

全身意在精神。不在氣。在氣則滯。有氣者無力。無氣者純剛。

"Throughout the body, the mind should be on the spirit (of vitality) rather than on the energy, for if you are fixated on the energy, your movement will become sluggish. Whenever the mind is on the energy, there will be no power, whereas if you ignore the energy and let it take care of itself, there will be pure strength."

The meaning of 精神

Once this advice is understood, it is important to understand what the term means. Separately, the ideograms Jīng (精) and Shén (神) are along with Qi (氣) the three energies of Chinese Medicine. This approach is however misleading: jīng (精) is used as the first ideogram in many words that evocate for precision (精准), refinement (精美), accuracy (精确), concision (精粹) or splendor (精彩). In my dictionaries, Jīng (精) and Shén (神) together give me vitality, vigor, drive, spirit, mind. Another word also brings the idea of vitality: 精力. It seems to me then the difference between both terms is that 精力 brings to mind a vitality that is related to the body, the force; 精神 brings to mind the clarity of the spirit, the liveliness of the mind.

How does 精神 manifest

The texts in the tradition give indications that 精神 bring sensitivity, agility and speed to the practitioner. The Thirty-sixth secret song (歌訣三十六) of Baguazhang mentions the enhanced sensitivity:

用時最要是精神，精神煥發耳目真，
任憑他人飛燕手，蟻鳴我聽虎龍吟。

"When in application the key is the vitality.
When one is glowing with health and vigor, all senses are alert.
It does not matter if the opponent’s hands are fast like a flying swallow,
The shout of an ant is like a tiger’s roaring or a dragon hissing to my ears. "

In the Key Points of Sparring (打手要言), Wáng Zōngyuè (王宗嶽) suggests that when 精神 is attained, speed of reaction is enhanced:

內固精神, 外示安逸。
彼不動, 己不動, 彼微動, 己先動。

"Inside the mind is strong, outside the appearance is soft.
If the opponent is still, I am still, if the opponent makes a tiny move, I move first."

In the Training Comprehension of the Thirteen Postures (十三勢行功要解) Wǔ Yǔxiāng (武禹襄) tells in detail what happens when 精神 is raised: the lightness of the body creates the conditions for the immediate exchange between the Intention (意) and the Movement (氣).

精神能提得起,則無遲重之虞.所謂頂頭懸也. 意氣須換得靈,乃有圓活之妙.所謂變轉虛實也.

"If the spirit of vitality is raised, then there is no heaviness. That means the head is suspended. Yi (Mind) and Qi must exchange skillfully; then you have gained the marvelous trick of roundness and aliveness. This means the substantial and the insubstantial can vary and exchange."

How to raise 精神

It is important to notice that raising 精神 is a step that happens prior to the movements. It is related to the stability of the body, something that must be reached before starting any other action. Wú Gōngzǎo (吳公藻) makes the point in Central Equilibrium (中定):

伸屈開合之未發謂之中，寂然不動謂之定。心氣清和，精神貫頂，不偏不倚，是為中定之氣，亦道之本也。

"Before the action of extending, bending, opening and closing is called center. Silent and still is called equilibrium. The Xin and Qi are clean and harmonious, the spirit of vitality reaches the top of the head, no tilting, no leaning is called the Qi of Central Equilibrium. It is also the root of the Dao."

The raising of 精神 is enabled by the posture. In the Seventh Secret Song of Baguazhang (歌訣七) we can read:

胸欲空兮氣欲沈，背緊肩垂意前伸。
氣到丹田縮穀道，直拔顛頂貫精神。

"The chest is empty and the Qi is sunk,
The back is straight, the shoulders are dropped, and the intention is forward.
Qi is led to Dan Tian, the coccyx is withdrawn.
The head is pulled straight upward to let the spirit of vitality pass through. "

If the posture is the enabler, by itself it seems not to be sufficient. In the first of the The Ten Important Points of Tai Chi Chuan (太極拳十要), Yáng Chéngfǔ (楊澄甫) mentions that the use of physical force (力) creates stiffness and blocks the process. Intention (意) is then another ingredient:

頂勁者，頭容正直，神貫于頂也。不可用力，用力則項強，氣血不能流通，須有虛靈自然之意。非有虛領頂勁，則精神不能提起也。

"The crown upward Jin means the head looks upright and the spirit reaches the crown. One should not allow to use force. The use of the force makes the crown stiff and the Qi and blood cannot circulate smoothly and fluidly. The Yi of the insubstantial must be present, agile, natural. Without the insubstantial Jin to lead the crown upward, then the spirit of vitality cannot be raised."

精神 therefore lies between the mental and the physical. In some texts it is even hinted that properly executing some movements enhance vitality. For example, in the Study of the Smashing Fist chapter (形意崩拳學) from the The Study of Xíngyìquán (形意拳學), Sūn Lùtáng (孫祿堂) writes::

此拳善能平氣舒肝，長精神，強筋骨，壯腦力，故學者，當細研究也。

" This fist can make an even Qi to unfold in the liver, enhance the vitality, strengthen the tendons and the bones, and fortify the brain. For these reasons students should study it in detail."

精神 in ancient texts

The 精神 has been used since antiquity, in particular in texts of the Taoist school or Taoist influence. In many cases it is used in the sense of attention, mind, in some of them the sense of clarity of mind. In the Zhuāng zi (莊子), chapter 天道 - The Way of Heaven, one can find a comparison 精神 with still water:

水靜則明燭鬚眉，平中準，大匠取法焉。水靜猶明，而況精神！聖人之心靜乎，天地之鑑也，萬物之鏡也。

"When water is still, its clearness shows the beard and eyebrows (of him who looks into it). It is a perfect Level, and the greatest artificer takes his rule from it. Such is the clearness of still water, and how much greater is that of the human spirit! The still mind of the sage is the mirror of heaven and earth, the glass of all things."

In the Critical Essays (論衡) by Wáng Chōng (王充) , a Confucian of the Old Text School, one can read in the chapter Daoxu (道虛), a direct link and the practices of longetivity are linked:

世或以老子之道為可以度世，恬淡無欲，養精愛氣。夫人以精神為壽命，精神不傷，則壽命長而不死。成事：老子行之，踰百度世，為真人矣。

"There is a belief that by the doctrine of Laozi one can transcend into another existence. Through quietism and dispassionateness one nourishes the vital force, and cherishes the spirit. The length of life is based on the animal spirits. As long as they are unimpaired, life goes on, and there is no death. Laozi acted upon this principle. Having done so for over a hundred years, he passed into another existence, and became a true Daoist sage."

The place of 精神

Vitality is central to the practice. It is one of the first clear instruction points after correcting posture. Yáng Chéngfǔ (楊澄甫) makes it explicit in another of the Ten Important Points of Tai Chi Chuan (太極拳十要) that vitality is the point that allows the ultimate goal of unification of intention and movement:

太極拳所練在神，故云︰«神為主帥，身為驅使»。精神能提得起，自然舉動輕靈。架子不外虛實開合。所謂開者，不但手足開，心意與之俱開。所謂合者，不但手足合，心意亦與之俱合。能內外合為一氣，則渾然無間矣。

"The actual Taijiquan practice is in the spirit, this is reason it is said: «The spirit is the commanding general and the body follows the orders». If the spirit of vitality can be raised, natural movements will be agile and skillful and the postures are nothing more than insubstantial, substantial, opening and closing. Opening means that not only the hands and feet open, but also that the mind and the intention take part in opening. Closing means that not only the hands and feet open, but also the mind and the intention take part in closing. The ability to combine the internal and external in a unified Qi, then Taijiquan is complete."