How is Hun and Po relevant to Neidan?

[MadePossible]

I'm looking preferably for direct quotes mentioning the involvement of Hun and Po in the neidan process. Their concepts seem so abstract that it's hard to understand what their function is.

 

Sorry if this has been asked before, I tried searching but it seems the search function doesn't work? It returns with zero results when searching 'Hun and Po'.

[Apech]

26 minutes ago, MadePossible said:

I'm looking preferably for direct quotes mentioning the involvement of Hun and Po in the neidan process. Their concepts seem so abstract that it's hard to understand what their function is.

 

Sorry if this has been asked before, I tried searching but it seems the search function doesn't work? It returns with zero results when searching 'Hun and Po'.

 I will let those more learned than me answer about hun and po  - but the search function on here has always been weak and sometimes it’s better to use google to search - something like ‘the DaoBums hun and po’ might work.

[zerostao]

On 10/27/2025 at 1:10 PM, MadePossible said:

I'm looking preferably for direct quotes mentioning the involvement of Hun and Po in the neidan process. Their concepts seem so abstract that it's hard to understand what their function is.

 

Sorry if this has been asked before, I tried searching but it seems the search function doesn't work? It returns with zero results when searching 'Hun and Po'.

 

It's a really good question. I will offer some words and also Symbolism that I feel speaks clearer than just words to illustrate the concept.

Nedan's idea is to refine and integrate the Hun and Po as a central part of the process to achieve Spiritual Immortality and Physical Well Being.

Hun and Po are fundamental components of the framework of the process, as well as goals.

 

If you need more understanding about Hun and Po, I suggest a new thread 

 

You can think of Hun as the software and Po as the hardware.

As a human being you should functionally integrate both. That's what Neidan does; refines the ntegration.

 

There is much more can be said and I know other bums will chime in.

I just wanted to give a brief response to your question.

 

Imo the abstract aspect of it could be addressed more directly in a thread detailing what is Hun and Po.

 

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 01:05 PM by zerostao

[MadePossible]

I don't want to divert attention from my original thread so I'll keep it at one thread for now, but you're free to discuss what you think Hun and Po is, as it is relevant to the discussion.

 

As far as i'm aware, Hun ascends to Heaven to live in paradise for a few hundred years before returning to earth to be reincarnated, while the Po remains stuck to Earth until it fades away?

Edited Wednesday at 03:54 PM by MadePossible

[zerostao]

46 minutes ago, MadePossible said:

I don't want to divert attention from my original thread so I'll keep it at one thread for now, but you're free to discuss what you think Hun and Po is, as it is relevant to the discussion.

 

That works.

 

46 minutes ago, MadePossible said:

As far as i'm aware, Hun ascends to Heaven to live in paradise for a few hundred years before returning to earth to be reincarnated, while the Po remains stuck to Earth until it fades away?

 

That works too as a distinction between Hun and Po.

I am going to try and keep my responses in laymen's terms, middle of the road. Not to be mistaken for the Middle School.

What I post will be broad strokes and not representing any particular school.

I will avoid using terms like 'cinnabar field' 'yellow court' etc

 

I won't go into finer details or specific practice/meditations. You didn't mention other considerations beyond Hun and Po.

So, will keep a narrow focus on those.

But I will, imo, fully address your OP

I am no expert. I am a fellow bum participating in a discussion.

 

 

 

[zerostao]

Hun and Po are two of the aspects of our soul complex.

Hun is Yang and associated with Heaven.

It is our moral compass, allows access to higher consciousness and creativity, it is our connection to Divine realm and the Dao.

As you mentioned, after death, Hun ascends (returns) to Heaven. It enters the physical body at birth.

 

Po is Yin and associated with Earth. It gives us life, awareness, instincts, desires, 

After death, Po fades with the decay of the physical body 

 

In ordinary unrefined folks Hun and Po remain separate and their leanings and tendencies pull the individual in opposite directions. This is a problem.

 

I will continue in a following post.

I need to do some chores, chop wood, carry water, etc

 

 

 

Edited 17 hours ago by zerostao

[zerostao]

Po has a firm root in the body and the desires of the body: sex, food, comforts, et al, and is the source of emotions. 

 

Hun can wander during dreams, meditation, inattentiveness, ,,it can have lofty aspirations.

When it becomes a little too detached, there is a lack of grounding and can lead to mental instability.

 

And if I can digress briefly here; this is why proper guidance is important regarding Qigong/energy practices. It's the mental deviations that are a concern. It isn't if you might strain a knee or have something physically go askew. And during the decade plus I've been on TDB, so many have said you need proper guidance for physicality issues! Which sends me into eye rolling exercises 

 

Back to narrow Hun & Po, Neidan topic.

 

So the Hun nature and Po natures going their own ways leads to scattering of energies; 

Sidetracked and distracted mind, emotional turmoil, disease, less than a quality life, shortened life....

 

Hun (Spiritual energy) disperses and scatters.

Po ( physical energy) becomes exhausted.

 

Neidan proposes the solution for this problem by refining, uniting, further refining Hun and Po.

The entire process of Neidan is specifically for this purpose. 

 

 

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 08:15 PM by zerostao

[Cobie]

 

On 12/08/2013 at 6:27 PM, ChiDragon said:

魂 is a soul; and

魄 is a body

 

Compound characters:

魂魄: soul and body

 

The compound characters are most commonly used, in the Chinese language, describing the soul and body are always together as a living human being.

 

That’s what I think too.