Residing in the Lungs, the Corporeal Soul is closely linked to breathing. Breathing can be seen
as the pulsating of the Corporeal Soul. Meditation makes use of the link between breathing and
the Corporeal Soul. By concentrating on the breathing, someone who is meditating quietens the
Corporeal Soul, the Mind becomes still and empty, and through this the Ethereal Soul becomes
open and gets in touch with the universal Mind.
Corporeal Soul and Individual Life
The Corporeal Soul is related to our life as individuals while the Ethereal Soul is responsible for
our relations with other people. Just as the Lung's Defensive-Qi protects the body from external
pathogenic factors on a physical level, on a mental level the Corporeal Soul protects the
individual from external psychic influences. Some people are very easily affected by negative
influences: this is due to a weakness of the Corporeal Soul.
Relationship Between Corporeal and Ethereal Souls
Since the Ethereal Soul and Corporeal Soul are two aspects of the soul, it is interesting to
compare and contrast their various characteristics and functions (Table 9.1Table 9.1). Most of
these are derived from Zhang Jie Bin's "Classic of Categories".39(204)
As can be seen from Table 9.1Table 9.1, the Ethereal Soul is involved in problems occurring at
night (although not exclusively), and the Corporeal Soul in problems occurring in daytime. The
"Discussion of Blood Disease" (1884) by Tang Zong Hai says:
Restlessness at night with excessive dreaming is due to an unsettled Ethereal Soul; this is Yang
and if at night it has no resting place the person is restless and dreams a lot. Restlessness in the
daytime and a clouded Mind are due to an unsettled Corporeal Soul; this is Yin and if Yin is
deficient in daytime, restlessness and mental confusion result.40(205)
The Ethereal Soul pertains to the realm of Image and the Corporeal Soul to that of Form. This
can be represented with a diagram (Figure 9.2(206)).
Anus
Because of the relationship between Corporeal Soul and Lungs and between these and the Large
Intestine, the anus is sometimes called po men, the "door of the Corporeal Soul" as in chapter 11
of the "Simple Questions": "The door of the Corporeal Soul [i.e. anus] is the messenger for the
five viscera and it drains off water and food without storing them for too long".41(207) In fact,
the point BL-42 Pohu (the "Window of the Corporeal Soul") was indicated for incontinence of