Three Treasures (traditional Chinese

medicine)
This article is about the Three Treasuresin Chinese breath into spirit, and lianshen huanxu
medicinal theory. For other uses, see Three Treasures rening spirit and reverting to Emptiness. Both
Neidan and Neo-Confucianism (Despeux 2008:564-5)
(disambiguation).
distinguish the three between xiantian prior to
The Three Treasures or Three Jewels (Chinese: ; heavenand houtian posterior to heaven,
pinyin: snbo; WadeGiles: san-pao) are theoretical referring to Yuanjing Original Essence, Yuanqi
cornerstones in traditional Chinese medicine and prac- Original Breath, and yuanshen Original
tices such as Neidan, Qigong, and T'ai chi. They are also Spirit.
known as Jing Qi Shen (Chinese: ; pinyin: jng- The (2nd century BCE) Huainanzi refers to qi and shen
q-shn; WadeGiles: ching ch'i shen; essence, qi, and with xing form; shape; body.
spirit). Despeux summarizes.
The bodily form [xing] is the residence of
life; the qi lls this life while shen controls it.
If either of them loses their proper position,
they will all come to harm. (1, tr. Englehart
2000:99)

Jing, qi, and shen are three of the main

notions shared by Taoism and Chinese culture
alike. They are often referred to as the Three
Treasures (sanbao ), an expression that
immediately reveals their importance and the
close connection among them. The ideas and
practices associated with each term, and with
the three terms as a whole, are complex and
vary considerably in dierent contexts and historical periods. (2008:562)

The Taoist text Gaoshang yuhuang xinyin jing (

, Mind-Seal Scripture of the Exalted Jade
Sovereign, or Xinyin jingMind-Seal Scripture) is a
valuable early source about the Three Treasures (tr. Olson 1993).

This Chinese name sanbao originally referred to the

Taoist "Three Treasures" (from Tao Te Ching 67, tr. Waley 1958:225, pity, frugality, andrefusal to be
'foremost of all things under heaven'") and subsequently
translated the Buddhist Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma,
and Sangha).

Probably dating from the Southern Song

dynasty (1127-1279), this anonymous text
presents a simple and concise discussion of internal alchemy (neidan ). In particular, it
emphasizes the so-called Three Treasures (sanbao ), namely, vital essence (jing ), subtle breath (qi ), and spirit (shen ). (Komjathy 2004:29)

In long-established Chinese traditions, the Three Treasuresare the essential energies sustaining human life:

Jing nutritive essence, essence; rened, per- Frederic H. Balfour's (1880:380-381) brief essay about
fected; extract; spirit, demon; sperm, seed
the Xinyin jing
( The Imprint of the Heart) contains the
earliest known Western reference to the Three Treasures:
Qi vitality, energy, force; air, vapor; breath;
There are three degrees of Supreme Elixir the Spirit,
spirit, vigor; attitude
the Breath, and the Essential Vigour.
Shen spirit; soul, mind; god, deity; supernatural The (late 16th century) Journey to the West novel provides
being
a more recent example when an enlightened Taoist patriarch instructs Sun WukongMonkeywith a poem that
This jing-qi-shen ordering is more commonly used than begins:
the variants qi-jing-shen and shen-qi-jing.
In Neidan "internal alchemy" practice (Despeux
2008:563), transmuting the Three Treasures is expressed
through the phrases lianjing huaqi rening
essence into breath, lianqi huashen rening

Know well this secret formula wondrous

and true: Spare and nurse the vital forces, this
and nothing else. All power resides in the
semen [jing], the breath [qi], and the spirit
1

2
[shen]; Guard these with care, securely, lest
there be a leak. Lest there be a leak!
Keep within the body! (tr. Yu 1977:88)

References
Balfour, Frederic H. 1880. Three Brief Essays,
The China Review 9: 380-382.
Despeux, Catherine. 2008. "Jing, qi, shen;
; essence, pneuma (breath, energy, vital force),
spirit, in The Encyclopedia of Taoism, ed. Fabrizio
Pregadio, pp. 5625. Routledge.
Engelhardt, Ute. 2000.Longevity Techniques and
Chinese Medicine,in Daoism Handbook, ed. Livia
Kohn, pp. 74108. Brill.
Komjathy, Louis. 2004. Daoist Texts in Translation.
Olson, Stuart Alve. 1993. The Jade Emperor
s Mind Seal Classic: A Taoist Guide to Health,
Longevity, and Immortality. St. Paul: Dragon Door
Publications.
Waley, Arthur. 1958. The Way and Its Power: A
Study of the Tao Te Ching and Its Place in Chinese
Thought. Grove Press. ISBN 0802150853
Wang, Mu. Foundations of Internal Alchemy: The
Taoist Practice of Neidan. Golden Elixir Press,
2011. ISBN 9780984308255.
Yu, Anthony, tr. 1977. The Journey to the West.
University of Chicago Press.

External links
Essential Matter, Vital Breath, and Spirit, Taoist
Culture & Information Centre
THE 3 TREASURES OF LIFE: Jing/Qi/Shen,
Frances Gander

EXTERNAL LINKS

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