Reflections from Zhineng Qigong Practice
In recent conversations with a thoughtful friend about spirituality and ethics, an interesting question arose.
The discussion began around morality and the role of commandments in religious traditions such as the Torah. From there it moved into questions about Daoism, Qigong, and the idea of the qi field used in Zhineng Qigong practice.
The conversation helped me clarify something important: these traditions are often speaking from different frameworks, and without understanding those frameworks it is easy to misunderstand each other.
What follows is not a defence of any particular system, but an attempt to explain how these ideas are understood in the context of Zhineng Qigong and traditional Chinese philosophy, and how I personally approach them in practice.
The Universe Is Pre-Moral
One important difference between traditions concerns the nature of the universe itself.
In many religious traditions morality is understood as originating from divine commandments.
The universe is created by God, and human beings are given laws that define what is right and wrong.
In Daoist and Qigong traditions the starting point is different.
The universe (or what Buddhist’s call the unconditioned) itself is considered pre-moral.
Natural laws do not judge.
Gravity does not punish people.
The sun does not reward virtue.
These laws simply operate according to their nature.
In classical Chinese philosophy this underlying reality is called Dao.
Dao refers to the fundamental process through which the universe arises and transforms. It is not a personal deity and it does not issue moral commands. Rather it is the source and process of existence itself.
Morality arises later, when conscious beings begin interacting with one another within that reality.
What Qi Is
Within the Zhineng Qigong framework the universe is described as composed of qi.
Qi is often translated as energy, but this translation is incomplete.
Dr Pang Ming, the founder of Zhineng Qigong, describes qi as a unity of matter, energy, and information.
Everything that exists is considered a transformation of hunyuan qi, the fundamental unified field of existence.
In this view:
- matter is condensed qi
- movement is qi transformation
- life is organised qi
- consciousness is refined qi activity.
This description does not claim to replace modern physics. It is simply a different way of describing reality from the perspective of direct experience and internal cultivation.
The Qi Field
One of the central ideas in Zhineng Qigong practice is the qi field.
When a teacher speaks of establishing a qi field, it does not mean creating a mystical substance in the air.
Rather, it refers to the organised environment created by consciousness interacting with qi.
When people gather to practice together several things happen simultaneously:
- attention becomes focused
- breathing slows
- posture stabilises
- emotions settle
- nervous systems synchronise.
These factors create a coherent informational environment.
In Zhineng Qigong this shared environment is called the qi field.
The qi field therefore includes several levels at once:
• physiological
• psychological
• energetic (in the traditional Chinese sense)
• informational.
The use of imagery and imagination can also serve as a powerful bridge, helping practitioners shift out of habitual patterns of perception and enter a more connected and receptive state.
One expression often used in Qigong texts describes the practice state as “empty yet not empty”
Teachers also describe it as “sleeping but not sleeping.”
This does not mean becoming unconscious or drifting into sleep. Rather, it points to a very particular state of awareness in which the mind becomes quiet and spacious, while still remaining gently attentive.
In ordinary thinking the mind is busy analysing, judging and reacting. In deep Qigong practice this activity settles. Thoughts become less dominant and awareness becomes broader and calmer.
In this state the mind is empty of unnecessary thinking, yet not empty of awareness. The body is deeply relaxed, almost as if asleep, yet consciousness remains present and clear.
From the outside it may appear that nothing is happening, but internally the organism is entering a state of regulation and coherence in which the body and mind can reorganise themselves.
This is why classical texts often describe the state as “sleeping yet not sleeping” -a relaxed stillness combined with quiet awareness.
Dr. Pang actually borrowed it almost directly from classical Daoist and Chan Buddhist meditation texts, where it describes the threshold between ordinary thinking and deeper awareness.
A state that is quiet, open, and aware without effort. This state often feels like a harmonising of paradox: sleeping and not sleeping, doing and not doing. Awareness is present, yet it is no longer dominated by constant analysis or judgement.
Qigong uses this state as a foundation for practice. When the mind becomes calm and open in this way, the body’s internal processes can rebalance more easily and the interaction between internal qi and the environment becomes smoother.
Human beings are not separate from the universe
In Hunyuan theory, everything in the universe is composed of hunyuan qi. That means:
- the body
- the environment
- the atmosphere
- the earth
- the cosmos
are all expressions of the same underlying substance.
So the boundary between “inside” and “outside” is relative, not absolute.
The body is constantly exchanging with the environment through:
- breathing
- food
- sensory perception
- heat exchange
- information processing
Dr. Pang simply extends this idea further to include qi and consciousness exchange.
Internal qi alone is limited
Traditional qigong often focused on circulating internal qi inside the body.
Dr. Pang believed this approach could be too restrictive.
He argued that if practice relies only on internal qi:
- the system becomes closed
- the available qi is limited
- progress may be slower
So he introduced an open system approach.
Practitioners learn to connect with external hunyuan qi, which he considered abundant in the universe.
The principle of exchange (hunhua)
A central idea in Hunyuan theory is hunhua – merging and transforming.
Life exists through continuous exchange:
internal qi & external qi
The body gathers qi, releases qi, and reorganizes qi constantly.
Practices like Lift Qi Up Pour Qi Down were designed specifically to encourage this exchange.
The movement symbolizes:
- gathering universal qi
- integrating it into the body
- releasing stagnant qi
As practice deepens, the body’s internal hunyuan qi gradually becomes more abundant, balanced, and refined. At the same time the exchange between internal qi and the wider field of natural hunyuan qi becomes smoother and more open. In the early stages of practice we may speak of internal qi and external qi as if they were separate, but as awareness stabilises this distinction begins to soften. The boundary between inside and outside gradually dissolves, and the practitioner may begin to experience the body and environment as part of a single, continuous field of life.
It feels like everything is within the field of awareness rather than outside of ourselves.
Why this is important for health
In this framework, illness occurs when the body’s qi becomes:
- blocked
- depleted
- disordered
Connecting with external qi is believed to:
- replenish the system
- restore circulation
- reorganize the body’s informational field
So the goal is not hoarding qi but maintaining dynamic flow between body and universe.
Consciousness is the key mechanism
Dr. Pang emphasized that consciousness guides qi.
The mind organizes how qi moves.
When awareness is calm and focused, practitioners can guide this exchange between:
internal system
and
external environment.
This is why intention and attention are always part of Zhineng Qigong practice.
The Qi Field Is Not Just “Nature Energy”
When people first hear the phrase qi field, it is easy to imagine something like drawing energy from trees, mountains, or the natural environment.
But in Zhineng Qigong theory the qi field is something much more subtle.
Dr. Pang describes reality as composed of three inseparable aspects:
- Physical matter
- Energy
- Information
Everything that exists is a unified combination of these three aspects. This unity is what he calls a hunyuan entirety.
A qi field is essentially the informational atmosphere of that entirety. It is the subtle field of information and influence that surrounds and permeates every object, person, and environment.
So a qi field is not simply “energy in nature.” Although nature is also part of the entirety. It is the dynamic informational environment created by the interaction of matter, energy, and consciousness.
Consciousness Plays an Essential Role
One of Dr. Pang’s most unusual ideas is that human consciousness can actively influence this field.
In Zhineng Qigong, the mind – when calm, clear, and focused – can help organise the surrounding hunyuan qi. This is why practitioners sometimes speak of “organising a qi field” when practicing or teaching together.
In practical terms, this means creating a shared environment of attention, intention, and coherence that supports healing, learning, and wellbeing.
Rather than something mystical, it is closer to creating a collective field of focused awareness.
The Qi Field in Healing
Dr Pang often used the qi field in healing work.
In this context the qi field functions as a supportive informational environment that helps the body return to balance.
Healing in this model does not come from the teacher imposing energy on someone else.
Instead several processes occur:
- Attention and intention stabilise the nervous system.
- The receivers mind becomes calmer and less contracted.
- The body’s internal regulation improves.
- Qi circulation becomes smoother.
When the mind and body return to coherence, the organism can often restore its own balance.
From this perspective the qi field acts less like a force being applied and more like a condition that supports self-healing.
Dao De – The Ethical Dimension
If the universe itself is pre-moral, where does morality come from?
In Chinese philosophy this question is addressed through the concept of Dao De (道德).
In classical thought:
- Dao refers to the fundamental reality or source of all things.
- De refers to the expression or functioning of that reality.
When applied to human beings, Dao De refers to the way our behaviour aligns with the larger harmony of life.
According to Dr Pang’s Hunyuan Entirety Theory, actions are evaluated in relation to the entirety of life.
If something:
• harms the body
• harms society
• harms the natural world
then it is contrary to Dao De.
If something supports:
• health
• harmony
• development of consciousness
then it accords with Dao De.
Morality in this framework is therefore not based on commandments but on harmonising with the larger processes of life.
The Three Levels of Goodness
Dr Pang describes three levels of goodness.
First is good behaviour – helping others when they need it.
Second is good intention – wishing well for others in one’s thoughts.
The highest level is natural goodness.
At this level a person does not consciously think about being good.
Their actions simply arise from clarity and compassion.
Ethics becomes an expression of being, not a rule to follow.
Different Levels of Explanation
One important point in Qigong teaching is that different levels of explanation are often used.
Teachers may speak about:
• qi flowing through the body
• connecting with the qi of nature
• expanding consciousness
• or using imagery and poetry.
These descriptions are guides for the mind, that included different dimensions and levels of reality, not final statements about ultimate reality.
They help students move beyond habitual ways of perceiving.
But they should not be confused with the ultimate nature of reality itself.
Practice and the Limits of Intellect
Personally, I have to admit that I tend to investigate these questions more through practice than through intellectual debate.
I do not claim to know the ultimate structure of the universe.
Different traditions offer different maps, and each can point toward something meaningful.
Ultimately, however, wisdom has to be discovered through direct experience.
Intellect can take us part of the way.
But at some point practice becomes more important than theory.
My Own Perspective
Although I practice and teach Qigong, my own orientation is closer to Buddhist practice.
In Buddhism the emphasis is less on describing the structure of the universe and more on understanding cause and effect in experience. Understanding the causes of suffering and understanding the path leading to the liberation of suffering. Through direct experience.
The aim is the purification of the heart and mind – seeing clearly how suffering arises and how it can cease in our lifes.
Whether we call the ultimate reality Dao, Buddha-nature, Brahman, or something else may not matter as much as how we live and practice.
Different traditions point in different ways.
But the essential work remains the same:
cultivating clarity, compassion, and harmony within ourselves and with the world around us.
Final Reflection
Perhaps the most important insight from these traditions is that wisdom cannot be owned by any single system.
Truth is approached through many paths.
Daoist cultivation, Buddhist practice, contemplative traditions, and even modern science all attempt in their own way to understand the relationship between consciousness, life, and the universe.
For practitioners, the most important question may not be which philosophy is correct.
The deeper question is:
Does our practice help us become clearer, kinder, and more harmonious with life?
If it does, then we may already be moving in the right direction.