3 Hun and 7 Po – The Taoist Souls

Most people thought that when a person dies, his one soul or spirit rises up from his/her body and immediately becomes a ghost. Based on Taoism, every person has 3 HUN(s)(三魂) and 7 PO(s)(七魄).

A Taoist Master / Sorcerer can rescue a hexed victim by summoning his /her 魂(Hun) and 魄(Po) back to his / her body or harming a person by plucking one 魂(Hun) and one 魄(Po) from the intended victim and attaching them to a Taoist Hexing Doll.

Part of Classical diagnosis by a TCM Doctor involves finding which of the 七魄 (7 Po´s) are affected in the patient. 七魄 (7 POs) are affected by human’s emotions.

What is 魂(Hun) and 魄(Po)?

魂(Hun) – spiritual, ethereal soul, yang energy – also known as “Cloud Soul” (胎光). Responsible for all formless consciousness, including the three treasures: 精(Jing)， 气(Qi)， 神(Shen).

魄(Po) – substantive, corporeal soul, yin energy – also known as “White Soul” (爽靈). Responsible for all tangible consciousness, including the seven apertures: two eyes, two ears, two nose holes, mouth.

What Are The 3 Hun(s) and 7 Pos(s) (三魂七魄) ?

Recorded In Ancient Taoist Text- <云笈七签> (Yun Ji Qi Qian), 3 Hun(s) (三魂) were originally known as:

1. 胎光 (Tai Guang) – The Light Of Foetus 胎光 (Tai Guang) dominates life. If it resides in human body for a very long time, the person can feel refreshing, and it prolongs life. (胎光 – 太清阳和之气，属于天（天魂）；胎光主生命，久居人身则可使人神清气爽，益寿延年) 胎光 (Tai Guang) is the most important main soul / entity in a person. When 胎光 (Tai Guang) is lost, a person can still absorb food and water but it is considered already dead, a walking dead.
2. 爽靈 (Shuang Ling) – The Bright Spirit 爽靈 (Shuang Ling) come from Yin energy, belonging to the five elements (life soul): dominate wealth, can restrict excess Yang energy, let people have a sharp mind, finely manage everything. (爽灵 – 阴气之变，属于五行亦名（命魂）；爽灵主财禄，能使明气制阳，使人机谋万物，劳役百神，生祸若害)
3. 幽精 (You Jing) – The Quiet Spirit 幽精 (You Jing) – The Quiet Spirit turbidity energy of Yin Energy, belonging to earth(earth soul): dominate human fate, make people fall in lust addictions, being addicted to dirty chaos of thinking, depletion essence, lack of divine energy, deficiency in kidney Qi, cause blockages in stomach and spleen five meridians, let people live as walking corpse. Therefore, the cultivation key of maintain good health is to control and conquer You Jin, keep Yang energy in a good harmony. 幽精 (You Jing) determines the person’s sexual orientation and sexuality, deciding what type of people a person will love.

3 Hun(s) (三魂) in Chinese Folk Beliefs are known as:

1. 生魂 (Sheng Hun) – The Vital Soul The purpose of 生魂 (Sheng Hun): Muliply Life, Grow, Able to react to the environment. When 生魂 (Sheng Hun) is defective (or captured by a Sorcerer): A healthy person suddenly always gets sick.
2. 覺魂 (Jue Hun) – The Aware Soul The purpose of 覺魂 (Jue Hun): Mood, Emotions, Sensation. When 覺魂 (Jue Hun) is defective (or captured by a Sorcerer): The person goes crazy, nervous and scattered, no sense of shame, likely to have rows of incest.
3. 靈魂 (Ling Hun) – The Spiritual Soul The purpose of 靈魂 (Ling Hun): Human consciousness, understand good and evil, love, self-improvement When the 靈魂 (Ling Hun) is defective (Or captured by a Sorcerer): A normal person suddenly becomes dumb.

Plants only have 生魂 (Sheng Hun), Animals only have 生魂 (Sheng Hun) and 覺魂 (Jue Hun) Humans have 3 Hun – 生魂 (Sheng Hun), 覺魂 (Jue Hun), 靈魂 (Ling Hun)

What happens to the 魂(Hun) when a person dies?

生魂 (Sheng Hun) will be eliminated. 靈魂 (Ling Hun) will go through rebirth. Those that accumulate good karma will be reborn to either heaven or in the human world. Those souls that go to heaven, 靈魂 (Ling Hun) will be united with their 覺魂 (Jue Hun).

Those souls reborn back to the human world, the old 覺魂 (Jue Hun) will be eliminated, and new 生魂(Sheng Hun) and new 覺魂 (Jue Hun) with the original 靈魂 (Ling Hun) will merge and be reborn again.

覺魂 (Jue Hun) often wanders around in the cemetery. 覺魂 (Jue Hun) that lingers on Earth can be worshipped on their ancestral tablets with incense and food offerings.

Those souls that have more bad karma than good karma will go straight to Hell to be punished. Only during the 15th day of the Chinese 7th Lunar Month (Chinese Ghosts Festival), the 覺魂 (Jue Hun) of these ghosts from hell can come to the Human World for a stroll. After their punishment and suffering have been completed, they will be reborn in the Human World again (either as Human or Beast, etc.), and their 覺魂 (Jue Hun) will be eliminated.

The 7 Po(s)(七魄):

1. 吞贼 (Tun Zei) – Seizing Thief: Eliminates harmful substances at night while you sleep. 吞贼 (Tun Zei) in modern terms is known as immune function.
2. 尸狗 (Shi Gou) – Corpse of Dog: Keeps you alert while sleeping. Deals with body consciousness and touch.
3. 除秽 (Chu Hui) – Remove Filth: Clears body metabolites. Deals with understanding consciousness and awareness.
4. 臭肺 (Chou Fei) – Smelly Lung: Regulates respiratory functions. Deals with nose consciousness and smell.
5. 雀阴 (Qiao Yin) – Yin of Sparrow: Regulates reproductive function. Deals with tongue consciousness and taste.
6. 非毒 (Fei Du) – Not-Toxic: Scatters evil depositions such as tumors. Deals with eye consciousness and vision.
7. 伏矢 (Fu Shi) – Concealed Arrow: Dispels toxins in the body.

These descriptions provide an understanding of the intricate beliefs and concepts within Taoist sorcery and Chinese culture.

Translation & editing XuanMenJun 玄门君 – German Daoist Association