Shen

The term Shen , which literally means "spirit", refers to the recognition of our truest state of being, what in the Orient is called "one's essential nature". This represents our ability to understand ourselves and to connect to life as a whole. Regarded as the most revered of the  Three Treasures  in Taoist alchemy (along with  ching and chi), Shen is that state in which newly conceived babies abide during the gestation period, as well as the highest level of accomplishment possible by a master of Taoist practice. When one has regained the awareness of Shen , one has cultivated the calm alertness that permits the Mind to express its two primary qualities; insight and overview. These two qualities allow an individual to operate from a perspective larger than the one usually permitted by one's personality. In the Orient this perspective is sometimes referred to as having a "Big Mind".