A Chinese character of “気qi” is used in the words such as “天気 (wheather)”, “景気 (economic climate)”, “元気(liveliness)”, “病気(sickness)” and “空気(air)” etc. However what does the character “気qi” itself mean…? When I look in a dictionary "Koujien", it’s explained as “something which fills up the atmosphere in the universe and some thing or some movement which is supposed to be a foundation which the universe is constructed on”. In the dictionary, there are lots of examples of the words in which “気qi” is used.
In a Japanese historical drama series on TV, we often see a scene in which a samurai feels something bad, 殺気 sakki (a killing energy), is approaching him and tries to get his sword out… It’s something that some people can feel. What do you think “気qi” is in fact?
We use it quite often. According to the dictionary, it’s supposed to be foundation to construct the universe. I still wonder what it actually is. I know that it’s hard to find out, isn’t it?
If what is said in the dictionary is correct and it’s something that constructs the universe, is “気qi” a “substance” which is invisible? Then if it’s a substance, what shape is it? A man said that 96% of the things in the universe are still unknown (“宇宙は何でできているのか” Hitoshi Murayama / Gentosha).
Whatever it is, people in the old days seemed to be able to feel this invisible substance and tell if tomorrow was going to be fine whether or rain etc…It’s something that we can feel, but we don’t know what it is in fact. But it could possibly be revealed some time soon, couldn’t it?
By the way, nowadays, the character of “気qi” is used but “氣 qi” was used in the old days. This “氣” contains “米 (rice)” in “气”. You must wonder why “気qi” has something to do with rice. “Rice” may be a key to solve the mystery of the “気qi” which is supposed to be foundation that the universe is constructed of.
However one thing I’m concerned about is the fact in which the rice which we buy from the super market etc is actually the one which is polished, 白米(white rice). The reason why I’m concerned about this 白米 (white rice) is the word composition of白米, which can be 粕 (dreg). But the“糠(rice bran)”, which is removed from white rice during the polishing process, is composed of “米(rice)” and “康 (health)”. I wonder if we are wasting the precious part with the nutrient contents and eating the dregs…? I wonder if that’s why, we have a lack of “氣qi” and feel always tired in comparison with the people in the old days…That’s not good, is it?
