Excerpt from <span class="chinese-post-title">述郭雲深先生言</span> Report of Guō Yúnshēn Sayings in <span class="chinese-post-title">拳意述真</span> Boxing Concepts Explained Authentically

七則

形意拳之用法。有三層。有有形有像之用。有有名有相無迹之用。有有聲有名無形之用。有無形無相無聲無臭之用。

郭雲深

"There are three stages of applying techniques in Xingyi Boxing:
[1] A technique has shape and image. [i.e. You know it is there and you can see it is there – corresponding to obvious energy.]
[2] A technique has a name and an image, but leaves no trace. Or it makes a sound and has a name, but has no shape. [i.e. You know it is there but cannot sense it is there – corresponding to hidden energy.]
[3] A technique has neither shape nor image, and is silent and undetectable. [i.e. You neither sense it is there nor even know it is there – corresponding to neutral energy.]"

Excerpt from the translation by Paul Brennan, to be found in the Brennan Translation blog.