Taxonomy of meanings for 靈:
- 靈 líng (OC: reeŋ MC: leŋ) 郎丁切 平 廣韻：【字𩔖云小熱皃 】
廣韻：【神也善也巫也寵也福也亦州名漢北郡富平縣地赫連㪍㪍之果園也後魏置靈州取靈武縣名爲之又姓風俗通云齊靈公之後或云宋公子靈圍龜之後晉有餓者靈輒郎丁切八十七 】
- DEITY
- nab.post-V{NUM}metaphysicalthe soul of a deceased person (especially insofar as it is endowed with a supernatural efficacy); spirit; deity
- exocentric, polite paraphrase addressing the deceased person> CORPSE
- container> COFFIN
- container> COFFIN
- feature> SUPERNATURAL
- nab.post-V{NUM}metaphysicaldivine sphere(s)
- nabmetaphysicalmagical effectiveness, supernatural efficiency; divine influence; divinely aided succour
- vadNendowed with supernatural efficacy; endowed with supernatural dignity
- vadVwith supernatural efficacy
- viactbe magically efficatious, be supernaturally efficacious; show one's supernatural talents and effectiveness
- vtoNpassivebe regarded as magically/supernaturally efficacious
- supernatural gleaming> LIGHT
- feature: supernaturally> STRANGE
- feature: supernaturally> STRANGE
- feature> ENERGY
- nabmetaphysicalsupernatural energies; supernatural influence
- vibe full of vital and metaphysical energy
- exocentric: person> SHAMAN
- exocentric: person edowed with supernatural political authority> RULER
- also generally> INTELLIGENT
- nab.post-V{NUM}psychintelligences, forms of intelligence
- vichangebecome supremely intelligent; become quick-witted
- vigradedbe intelligent
- nabpsychelevated intelligence
- exocentric: person edowed with supernatural political authority> RULER
- exocentric: supernatural part of person> SOUL
- nspirit
- general: non-physical> MIND
- nadNof the mind, mental (in the Zen Buddhist context líng seems to refer exclusively to the pure mind or to a mind with good qualities, as opposed to xīn (which also can refer to the deluded mind) and espically qíng (which nearly always refers to the impure mind))
- RULERS OF CHU
- RULERS OF JIN
- RULERS OF WEY
- RULERS OF ZHOU
- =零 "shrivelled"
- DEITY
Additional information about 靈
說文解字: 【𤫊(𩆜)】，靈巫以玉事神。从玉、霝聲。 【郎丁切】 【靈】，𩆜或从巫。
- Criteria
- SUPERNATURAL
1. The general and very common term referring to whatever is supernatural or divine in any way, and thus superior to what is ordinarily human or natural, is shén 神.
2. Líng 靈 tends to refer specifically to the supernatural efficiency and divine dynamics inherent in something or someone, and insofar as these interfere in human affairs.
- ENERGY
1. The most general current word for material vital cosmic energies of any kind is qì 氣.
2. Yīn 陰 "dark female energies" and yáng 陽 "bright male energies" are the two main categories of vital cosmic energies increasingly introduced from late Warring States times onwards.
3. Jīng 精 "subtle vital essence" refers to the crucial subtle variety of the material vital cosmic energies.
4. Shén 神 refers to the ultimately refined quintessential subtle variety of the material vital cosmic energies, and the degree of subtlety is superior to that of the jīng 精 "subtle vital essence".
5. Líng 靈 refers to the almost disembodied supernatural subtle variety of the vital cosmic energies that define life on earth.
6. Jīn 祲 is a rare archaic word which refers primarily to inauspicious cosmic energies manifesting themselves as evil omens, but the word is occasionally used generally in a neutral sense.
7. Fēn 氛 is a rare word which refers primarily to inauspicious or auspicious cosmic energies, but the word is occasionally used specifically in the negative sense.
- MYTHICAL ANIMALS
1. Sìlíng 四靈 is a general term for four supernational creatures: dragon lóng 龍, tiger hǔ 虎, phoenix fènghuáng 風凰, and turtle guī 龜. The main source for names of various mythical creatures is the SHJ, with its splendid illustrations.
2. Lóng 龍 is the most divine of all mythical animals. The dragon brings a happiness and good fortune, and an emperor is viewed as its embodiment.
3. Jiāo 蛟 is a flood dragon, a mythical creature capable of invoking storms and floods. Also written 鮫.
4. Shé 蛇 (snake) was worshipped in ancient times. The supernational creature of the north, xuánwǔ 玄武 is depicted as a turtle with a snake, and creators of humankind, Fúxī 伏羲 and Nǚwā 女媧 have both snake tails. The dragon was often viewed as a kind of snake.
5. Guī 龜 (turtle) is one of the four supernatural creatures. It symbolizes a longevity and good fortune. The turtle was often used in divination and sacrifices, and its images appears as a base of the stelae.
6. Fènghuáng 風凰 (phoenix) is one of the four supernatural creations, the most elevated of all birds. It symbolizes happiness, good omen, and peace.
7. Qílín 麒麟 (mythical unicorn) is one of the four supernatural creations. It is a symbol of an extreme humanity of a king or emperor, as well as good fortune and a peace.
8. Bìxié 辟邪 is a mythical animal resembling a deer with two long horns and a long tail which can expel evil influences.
- SOUL
1. Shén 神 is primarily a subtle physical substance which gives man his spiritual dimension (ant. xíng 形 "body")) and the body xíngtǐ 形體 is the abode shè 舍 of the soul..
2. Líng 靈 (ant. qū 軀 "body") is a spiritual part of man which links him to the higher religious realm of the spirits.
3. Jīng 精 "spiritual subtle substance" is the seminal supremely subtle material substance that gives man his spiritual energies.
4. Hún 魂 "male soul which returns to Heaven at death" and pò 魄 "female soul which returns to Earth at death" (all ant. xíng 形 "body") inhabit man in the general mode of spiritual possession.
- Word relations
- Assoc: (DEITY)神/DEITY
Shén 神refers to the ethereal supernatural spirits of all kinds, primarily associated with heaven, but the word also refers to a righteous person who turns into such a spirit after death. - Assoc: (SUPERNATURAL)神/SUPERNATURAL
The general and very common term referring to whatever is supernatural or divine in any way, and thus superior to what is ordinarily human or natural, is shén 神.