A Brief History of Qi

by Zhang, Yu Huan

• ISBN13: 9780912111636
• ISBN10: 0912111631
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-01-01
• Publisher: Paradigm Publishing

Summary

A Brief History of Qi takes the reader through the mysterious terrain of Chinese Medicine, Chinese language, Chinese martial arts and Qi Gong - a truly evocative guide to virtually all the traditional Chinese arts and sciences. This book is devoted to a topic represented by a single Chinese character, Qi. When presented with the concept of Qi, students of Chinese culture, Chinese medicine, Chinese martial arts and a wide range of Chinese traditional arts and sciences face one of the most perplexing challenges of their tenure. The book begins with an examination of Qi's linguistic and literary roots, stretching back through the shadowy mists of Chinese pre-civilisation. The authors then trace the development of the concept of Qi through a number of related traditional Chinese disciplines including painting, poetry, medicine and martial arts. The book concludes with an examination of the depth and breadth of Qi as manifested in life's cycles.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	iv
Preface	v
Foreword	vi
The Literary Traditions of Qi	1	(22)
Etymologies---The Roots of Qi	3	(6)
Definitions	9	(2)
Passages from Ancient Texts	11	(2)
Selections from Modern Writers	13	(2)
Concepts in Other Cultures that Correlate with Qi	15	(8)
The Qi of the Philosophers	23	(36)
The Role of Qi in Ancient Cosmology and Ontology	25	(2)
Qi in the Explanations of Natural Phenomena and as the Basis of Social Structures	27	(14)
Qi and Dao	41	(6)
The Qi of Kong Zi, Meng Zi, and the Confucian School	47	(5)
The Influence of Qi in Western Philosophy:	52	(7)
Qi in the Arts	59	(24)
The Momentum of Qi---Yi Qi He Cheng	60	(3)
The Dance of Qi	63	(5)
Qi in the Education and Training of Artists: The Basis of Aesthetic Standards	68	(2)
The Charm of Qi	70	(6)
Understanding Qi: Perception and Appreciation of Art	76	(7)
Qi in Medicine	83	(34)
The Concept of Qi in Medicine	85	(2)
The Differentiation of Qi in Anatomy and Physiology	87	(3)
The Role of Qi in Diagnostics and Therapeutics	90	(4)
Nourshing and Treating Qi for Health and Longevity	94	(8)
Theoretical Tools to Identify and Use Qi in TCM	102	(15)
Qi Gong	117	(24)
Ancient Roots and Practices	119	(3)
The Aims of Qi Gong Practitioners	122	(3)
Qi Gong and the Ancient Search for the Internal Elixir	125	(14)
The Real and the Fake	139	(2)
Qi in the Martial Arts	141	(20)
The Power of Qi	143	(2)
Qi and Gong Fu	145	(1)
The External and the Internal	146	(3)
Masters and Secrets	149	(5)
Tai Ji Quan, Qi, and Their Contemporary Relevance	154	(7)
Qi in Daily Life	161	(20)
Qi in Modern Chinese Language	162	(5)
Familiar Experiences and Expressions of Qi	167	(5)
Qi and the Chinese World View	172	(4)
The Future of Qi	176	(5)
The Ten Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches	181	(1)
The Twenty-Four Seasonal Divisions	182	(1)
A Concise Chronology of Chinese History	183	(1)
Bibliography	184	(1)
Index	185