QIAN What’s in a Name

It seems in modern Chinese that QIAN is the Chinese character with the meaning of money.

When we started our networking group back in 1995, we sought a name and six of us discussed this. It was Paul Fraley, who was working in China at the time, who came up with this suggestion which we subsequently adopted.

We originally chose the QIAN name as representing ‘prosperity through doing activities and people association’.

It seems it has a multitude of meanings in Chinese and as a surname is widespread throughout the world some 2.7Million people.

All you’ll ever need to know about QIAN

Qian and Kun are the two opposing opposites of the traditional Bagua symbol in the YiJing. In modern Chinese, when one uses Qian and Kun together, it is like saying Alpha and Omega in English and Greek, it is also similar to saying yin and yang – it refers to everything, all possibilities, the universe.

…..Cycles according to stems and branches

The original name for the philosophy of stems and branches in the Chinese Classics is “the five movements and six energies”, based on the five elements Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water and the six original energies, being the Growing qi, the Expanding qi, the Full Grown qi, the Changing qi, the Gathered qi and the Hidden qi. They generate the 10 heavenly stems and 12 earthly branches, which are well known for their use in the Chinese calendar, but less known as a technique in acupuncture to treat the constitution of people.

This article describes the origin of the five element cycle from Heaven, and their transformation to the level of Man.

The original concept

The original concept of five elements derives from Heaven (Qian), containing four virtues: Yuan, the initial cause; Heng, liberty; Li, goodness; Zhen, perfection. These four virtues are called the four emanations or the four faces of Heaven, and are, together with Qian (Heaven) the archetypes of the Five Elements or Five Transformations.

Qian: The Oneness, the central Heavenly force, reveals itself as One, as Qian. The four emanations flow from this new central consciousness in the four directions, East, South, West and North. The four emanations are, on a mystical way the same as Qian, but seen from another point of view and perspective. The consciousness of the Oneness is divided, and will be divided more and more along the line of revelation.

The concept of a higher or lower consciousness, does not mean a concept with hierarchy, but with more or less awareness of oneness. The more we experience limitations, discriminations, variety and multiplicity, the more we experience a lower consciousness.

The more we experience oneness, harmony and equality, the more we experience a higher consciousness. Revelation comes forth from a radiating principle and is centrifugal.

Development of consciousness on the other hand is centripetal, in the direction of the centre of our being. Revelation and consciousness are other words for radiating out and in.

Qian means substance and form of Heaven, and is equivalent to force of action or activity. It is the time for doing, being the origin and beginning of all beings and things.