Po — The Corporeal Soul
The Corporeal Soul — Po — known as the physical and rational aspect of human nature, is responsible for our bodily functions and is housed by the Lungs.
The character 魄, Pò, corporeal Soul, is composed of two radicals: on the left 白, Bái, white. On the right 鬼, Guǐ, ghost, demon, spirit. The white colour relates to the Lung; globally, this character suggests the idea of a spectrum living in it. Both the ethereal Soul and the corporeal Soul belong to the spectrum world (鬼, Guǐ), and this is why they are characterised by a movement that takes the first towards the spirit of the Heart (心神, Xīn shén) and the second towards the Essence (精, Jīng).
The Corporeal Soul — Po — is considered the foundation of life and is said to reside in the organs and tissues. It maintains vital functions such as breathing, circulation, digestion, and elimination. Additionally, the Po soul is thought to play a role in our physical sensations of hunger, thirst, and the need for sleep. The Corporeal Soul (Pò) is a complementary part of the Ethereal Soul (Hún).
The Chinese culture has always placed great importance on protecting skeletons and bones after death. This is because the corporeal Soul is believed to remain in the skeleton until it is entirely disintegrated. The corporeal Soul attaches itself to the body on the third day after conception, and, after death, it leaves the body through the anus — the door of the Corporeal Soul (魄门, Pò Mén) — to return to the earth, its origin. The Corporeal Soul relates to the Essence (精, Jīng) in managing specific physiological processes. In contrast, the Ethereal Soul relates to the spirit of the Heart (心神, Xīn Shén) and contains the psyche and spiritual functions.
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The Corporeal Soul is the somatic manifestation of the Soul, responsible for physical sensations and feelings. It resides in the Lungs and plays a crucial role in all physiological processes in the body. The Essence (精, Jīng), on the other hand, is the foundation for a healthy body and is responsible for many physiological processes. The close connection between the Corporeal Soul and the Essence means that the Essence also plays a vital role in protecting the body from external pathogenic factors. By improving the strength of the Essence, we can enhance the body's ability to combat harmful external factors.
It is like this. The long-term depots are storage depots containing our spirit qi. Hence, the liver stores the hun; the lung stores the Po; the Heart stores the spirit; the spleen stores sentiment and wisdom; the kidneys store the Essence and the Mind. [1]
During the first stage of infancy, the Corporeal Soul is in charge of all the physiological processes after birth, including the development and growth of the body. The Lung governs the skin and body hair; therefore, the sense of touch is closely linked to the Corporeal Soul's existence. The movement of the Corporeal Soul is closely related to the breathing process, which is essentially an automatic process taken in charge by the corporeal Soul through its interrelation with the Lung Qì and the ancestral Qì (宗气, Zōng qì).
At the subconscious level, the Corporeal Soul represents all the processes that do not reach a person's consciousness and, therefore, do not reach the spirit of the Heart (心神, Xīn shén). The cry and the sob, as expressions of pain and sadness, are closely related to the restriction of the Corporeal Soul, which can manifest as chest oppression, mental depression, or even breast lumps in the worst scenario. On the other hand, an excessive expansion of the Corporeal Soul can generate worries and anxiety.
The Corporeal Soul is integrated with earthly spectrums (土鬼, Tǔ guǐ) and is closely related to death. These spectrums have a role in the generation and development of the body, the acquisition of individuality, and the destruction of the body at death. Therefore, the only thing that can counteract the urge for self-destruction is the control of the spirit (神, Shén) and the tendency toward Heaven of the Ethereal Soul (魂, Hún).
The Corporeal Soul and the Essence (Jing)
The Corporeal Soul has a solid connection to the Essence (Jing), as outlined in the Spiritual Axis, referred to as the coming and going of the Essence (Jing).
The Corporeal Soul can be considered the embodiment of the Essence in the realm of emotions and physical sensations. Just as the Ethereal Soul drives the movements of the Mind, the Corporeal Soul brings the Essence to life by animating all the physiological processes in the body. This role of the Corporeal Soul is crucial, as, without it, the Essence would remain a valuable but inactive substance. The Corporeal Soul has a close relationship with the Essence as a link between the Essence and other vital elements within the body.
If the Essence is exhausted, the Corporeal Soul declines, Qi is scattered and the Ethereal Soul swims without a residence.
Infancy
Breathing
At the beginning of life, ears, eyes, and Heart perceive, hands and feet move, and breathing starts; all this is due to the sharpness of the corporeal Soul. The Corporeal Soul is considered the closest aspect of the Soul to the physical body and plays a significant role in the early stages of life. For example, Zhang Jie Bin has stated that the sharpness of the Corporeal Soul is responsible for the initial physiological processes after birth, such as the perception of sound and light through the ears and eyes, movement of the hands and feet, and the start of breathing.
& Touch
It is said that in the first month of life, the baby is comprised mainly of Corporeal Soul, and as this aspect of the Soul is located in the lungs, it is responsible for touch and skin sensations. The Corporeal Soul is believed to be nourished through physical contact with the mother, specifically through breastfeeding and touching, which promotes bonding between mother and baby and physically fosters the Corporeal Soul and the lungs. This highlights the significance of touch in a baby's life from a spiritual and physiological perspective.
Senses
The Po-Soul plays a role in the later stages of life by providing the capacity for sensation, feeling, hearing, and sight. A thriving Corporeal Soul is said to result in keen senses of hearing and sight. The decline in sensory acuity in old age is often attributed to the decrease of the Kidneys and Essence, but the weakening of the Corporeal Soul is also thought to play a role.
Zhu Xi has compared the Corporeal Soul to water, saying that a robust one results in bright sight, acute hearing, and a vigorous and memorising mind. Zhang Jie Bin has stated that the Corporeal Soul is responsible for sensations and itching and is closely related to the skin through which these sensations are experienced. This connection between the Corporeal Soul, lungs, and skin can explain the somatic expression of emotional tension on the skin and the relationship between the Corporeal Soul, Lungs, and skin.
It is believed that the Corporeal Soul is the first aspect of the Soul to be affected when needles are inserted, which can result in an immediate feeling of relaxation. The other elements of the Soul, such as the Mind, Ethereal Soul, Intellect, and Willpower, are also affected through the Corporeal Soul. The Heart is often compared to an Emperor and the Lungs to a Prime Minister who aids the Emperor. This analogy reflects the close relationship between Qi and Blood, with the Lungs governing Qi and the Heart controlling Blood. Qi drives Blood, and Blood nourishes Qi.
The Simple Questions refer to the Lungs as responsible for regulation, much like the Prime Minister regulates all administrative functions. The Lungs help to handle all physiological activities throughout the body by governing Qi and controlling all channels and blood vessels, as well as breathing. The Corporeal Soul embodies the Lungs' role in regulating physiological processes. It makes regulation possible and also plays a significant role in consciousness. In Chinese medicine, consciousness is shared among the Mind, Ethereal Soul, and Corporeal Soul.
The Mind is the centre of consciousness, the Ethereal Soul governs consciousness during sleep, and the Corporeal Soul corresponds to the reptilian brain and maintains essential functions such as breathing and heartbeat. The concept of core consciousness provides the organism with a sense of self in the present moment and place, which aligns with the function of the Corporeal Soul. Extended consciousness, defined as an awareness of the lived past and anticipated future, corresponds to the part of the Mind in Chinese medicine.
Emotions
The Corporeal Soul holds immense influence over our emotional experiences. The relationship between the cognitive side of emotions, such as "I am angry because I have been insulted," and the feelings accompanying them, such as "I feel angry," has been discussed in Western philosophy for thousands of years. While opinions vary, it is widely acknowledged that emotions encompass feelings, some of which may be below conscious awareness but eventually come to the surface.
Damasio makes a distinction between feelings and emotions. He explains that feelings are inward-looking and personal, while emotions are outward-looking and communal. He also posits that there are both conscious and unconscious feelings, with the latter being experienced by an organism but not necessarily recognised.
This distinction is appealing and shares similarities with Chinese medicine. We can say that unconscious feelings are associated with the Corporeal Soul (Po), while emotions involve the Mind (Shen) and Ethereal Soul (Hun). Damasio also observes that emotions and core consciousness exist or are absent together. This aligns with Chinese medicine as core consciousness, linked to the Corporeal Soul, regulates all feelings at a deep, automatic level. The Mind (Shen of the Heart) is responsible for recognising and feeling emotions at a cognitive level, making all emotions impact the Heart. However, not just emotions but also unconscious feelings affect the Corporeal Soul.
Sadness and grief constrict the Corporeal Soul and dissolveLung-Qi and suspend our breathing. The shallow and short breathing of a person who is sad and worried is an expression of the constraint of the Corporeal Soul and Lung-Qi.
Regarding specific emotions, the Corporeal Soul is linked to crying and weeping. Just as the Corporeal Soul elicits physical pain, it also triggers crying and whining when faced with grief and sadness. Unresolved grief can restrict the Corporeal Soul, leading to the accumulation of Qi. Emotional stress, such as worry, pensiveness, suffering, and sorrow, constricts the Corporeal Soul, causing Lung-Qi stagnation in the chest. This can impact the breasts and result in the formation of lumps. All emotions affect the Corporeal Soul as they influence Qi, and the Lung governs Qi.
Breathing, like the beating of a mournful drum, can be viewed as the rhythmic pulsation of the Corporeal Soul.
The Corporeal Soul and 鬼 Guǐ
The notion of gui goes beyond its conventional portrayal as a "ghost" or "spirit" and holds a captivating psychological interpretation. Guǐ can be seen as a "dark" psyche power that shapes the Ethereal and Corporeal Souls. The Chinese characters of these two Souls include the radical for Guǐ, implying that they possess a distinct existence from the Mind, representing the "dark" forces within the psyche — the Ethereal Soul at a psychic level and the Corporeal Soul at a physical level. The Guǐ in the Ethereal Soul prompts movement and fluctuation within the Mind, bringing forth ideas, intuition, and imagination. Conversely, the Guǐ within the Corporeal Soul animates the body, propelling all physiological processes and enabling the Essence to be expressed in every aspect of the body. The relationship between the Corporeal Soul and Guǐ is significant, with Guǐ functioning as a compressing, centripetal, dividing, and materialising force.
The five turbid and humid flavours form bones, muscles, blood, vessels, and the six passions… this Guǐ is called Corporeal Soul.
This highlights the physical and dark Essence of the Corporeal Soul, which can be likened to a Guǐ and represents the Soul of bones, muscles, and blood vessels. The statement also stresses the Corporeal Soul’s connection to emotions, the six passions.
Relationship between Ethereal and Corporeal Soul
Restlessness at night with excessive dreaming is due to an unsettled Ethereal Soul; this is Yang, and if it has no resting place at night, the person is restless and dreams a lot. Restlessness in the daytime and a clouded Mind is due to an unsettled Corporeal Soul; this is Yin, and if Yin is deficient in the daytime, restlessness and mental confusion result.
The Ethereal Soul is ephemeral, appearing last after birth and departing first after death. In contrast, the Corporeal Soul is physical, arriving at conception and lingering in the bones after death. According to Granet, the Ethereal Soul embodies the higher aspect of personality and is tied to a person's social and family identity, representing individuality expressed within a familial and societal context.
The Ethereal Soul originates from Heavenly Qi, while the Corporeal Soul originates from Earthly Qi.
The Corporeal Soul is like an envelope that separates the body from the world, acting as a centripetal, materialising, and separating force. As a result, it constrains and constricts, eventually leading to death. Conversely, the Ethereal Soul is expansive and constantly moving outward, representing the source of Qi.
It is called the Essence of Life's Qi, while the Corporeal Soul is called the Abode of Death's Qi. The connection between the Corporeal Soul and death is due to its separating, constricting, and fragmenting nature. The Corporeal Soul is associated with darkness and seeks death, while the Ethereal Soul cherishes life.
References
- P. U. Unschuld(Trans.) (2016). Nan Jing - The Classic of Difficult Issues, University of California Press.
