The Taoist View of the Soul (1)
In Daoism, the Three Hun (三魂) are believed to originate from the intermingling of the three Qi (energies) of Heaven, Earth, and Water (or Heaven, Earth, and Humanity) at the moment of conception, combined with the essence and blood of the parents.
Specifically, according to Daoist scriptures such as the Yunji Qiqian (Seven Lots of the Cloudy Satchel), the origins and attributes of the Three Hun are as follows:
1. Taiguang (胎光) — The Heavenly Hun / Primordial Spirit
- Origin: Endowed with the pure, harmonious Yang Qi from the Great Clarity (Taiqing) of Heaven.
- Attribute: It is Yang in nature, governing life, luminosity, and spirituality. It is the most fundamental divine nature of a human being.
2. Shuangling (爽灵) — The Earthly Hun
- Origin: Endowed with the mixed Qi of the Five Elements from Earth (or the turbid Yin Qi).
- Attribute: It governs wisdom, wealth, fortune, and cunning, and is also related to a person's karma of good and evil.
3. Youjing (幽精) — The Water Hun
- Origin: Endowed with the Yin Qi of Water (or the impure Yin essence from the parents' blood and essence).
- Attribute: It governs desire, calamity, sensuality, lifespan, and mortality.
Core Concept: Daoism holds that the Three Hun do not arise out of nothing. Rather, they are formed when the Three Qi of Heaven, Earth, and Water enter the womb and coalesce with the father's essence and the mother's blood at the moment of conception. After death, the Three Hun return to their respective realms: the Heavenly Hun ascends to Heaven, the Earthly Hun returns to Earth, and the Water Hun enters the watery underworld or the cycle of reincarnation. This belief reflects the Daoist cosmological view of the unity of Heaven and humanity, and the idea that all things are generated from Qi.
