Energy Consuming And Saving

 

                The Story of Hundun: Energy, Life, and the Loss of Spirit

One ancient book said:

"The Emperor of the South Sea was called Shu, the Emperor of the North Sea was called Hu, and the Emperor of the Center was called Hundun. Shu and Hu often met in Hundun’s domain, and Hundun treated them with great kindness.
One day, Shu and Hu said, 'All people have seven openings—eyes, ears, mouth, and nose—through which they see, hear, eat, and breathe. Only Hundun has none. Let us try to bore some holes for him.'
They drilled one opening each day, and on the seventh day, Hundun died.”

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It may hardly understand but Hundun had its own original nature — formless, lacking the seven orifices. That was its natural state. But Shu and Hu, attempting to impose human standards onto it, forcibly drilled the seven openings, ultimately causing its death.

In ancient Chinese thought, Hundun symbolized a state of primal wholeness — an undivided, formless totality. With the myth of Pangu splitting heaven and earth,  the cluster of Ether  was separated, and with the rising of the light and sinking of the heavy, the material universe began. The Dao De Jing states: “Being is born from Non-being.” The Chinese idiom wu zhong sheng you — “bringing forth things from Ether(lookes like nothing but everyting within)” — derives from this concept.

Modern discussions of creation often fail to articulate this foundational perspective, which results in confusion about ourselves and about nature. And if we don’t understand the circulation and dissipation of energy, we remain disconnected. When I first read the story of Hundun as a child, I took it as just a tale. But as I grew and witnessed the transformations of life forms, a curiosity about life’s essence began to stir within me. I also came to see how different this ancient idea was from modern materialist assumptions — assumptions that left something out, providing only the “middle” of the story without a beginning or an end. But humans naturally notice what is missing and seek answers. The story of Hundun helps fill those gaps and invites further contemplation — not as fantasy, but with deep logic.

When we think of energy — especially how it flows within the body — we can see it as a mirror of how the universe renews and transforms itself.

Let’s imagine this from another angle: if humans were originally in Hundun state, and one day our seven orifices were suddenly opened, the pure essence of energy would begin to leak outward. As time passes, depletion occurs — and eventually, death arrives.

If you look closely at how you spend a single day, you might notice how your body and mind feel drained by the end. Unless one lives in a more naturally paced and harmonious way, fatigue is nearly unavoidable. Many see this as normal. But in truth, it is linked to the dissipation of energy.

Ancient texts describe the five senses, six perceptions, and seven orifices — eyes, ears, nose, mouth, body, tongue, and mind. Yet we rarely consider how engaging these faculties consumes energy. Whether we are aware of it or not, the exchange of information through them results in subtle but continuous energy loss. It’s much like using a phone — the more you use it, the faster it drains, and eventually it needs recharging. Only in recent years have we begun to realize that our bodies operate similarly. Just a decade ago, such ideas were barely discussed. But just because no one spoke of it doesn't mean it wasn’t true. People today are often so depleted that sickness becomes the norm — and only then do they start to seek clarity and restoration.

Traditional Chinese medicine speaks of shen — the energy — and how to guard it. A quiet mind keeps the energy centered, the essence strong, and the body resilient. Illness and negative influences cannot enter such a state. But modern life seems to contradict this entirely. We live in ways that scatter the energy, yet assume medication will bring healing. The truth is: if your inner vitality is fully drained, medicine not only won’t help — it might even harm. Without energy reserves, even the smallest toxin can hasten death.

Our environment, both visible and invisible, is filled with pollutants: electromagnetic, chemical, even mental. All contribute to the further dissipation of the energy. Staying healthy, under such circumstances, is practically a miracle. Without understanding this foundational logic, treating illness with only medicine is like drinking poison to quench thirst.

As medicine advances, we are beginning to see that the ancient understanding of life energy was profoundly accurate. The loss of vitality is directly related to the unnoticed, daily drain of energy — which manifests as the aging of the body and the decline of one’s vigor.

To preserve this energy, we must turn inward. Looking outward too much scatters the mind. The more distracted we are, the harder it is for energy to concentrate. As this continues, the body weakens, immunity drops, and illness follows. Modern life constantly pushes our spirit outward — there is rarely a moment to pause, to center, to rest. And yet nature, sunlight, forests, even the pets at home — all can offer a pause, a breath for the spirit. Sadly, these too are becoming harder to access. Even just sitting in stillness for a while can help.

In truth, we don’t need a life full of noise and busyness. What we truly need is the ability to slow down, to live quietly, so that the heart may feel at peace, and the spirit fulfilled. Aging would no longer come so quickly. It’s exactly like putting a phone into power-saving mode: use it moderately, turn it off sometimes, clear the background apps, avoid downloading junk, limit the gaming. Pretty interesting, right? 😄

May everyone enjoy better health, stronger energy — and, of course, longer life.

#energy consuming #self awareness