Ching

(Chinese, alternately jing, tsing, etc). Literally, "sexual energy."  There are three life forces:

1. physical sexual matter (ching-ye)
2. energetic sexual matter (ching chi)
3. consciousness (ching-shen)

These three are mutually interdependent and interconnected.

According to Chinese medicine, ching is the basis of life and health. If there is little ching (life force) then health suffers and life is shortened. This is the basis for sexual continence or retention of the sexual matter. In Taoist alchemy, this understanding is extended by simple logic as the basis for immortality.

In engaging the enemy a man should regard her as so much tiles or stone and himself as gold or jade. When his ching is aroused, he should immediately withdraw from her territory. One should mount a woman as if riding a galloping horse with rotten reins or as if fearful of falling into a deep pit lined with knife blades. If you treasure your ching, your life will have no limit. - Su Nu Ching (400 BC)

By treasuring his ching [physical and energetic sexual matter], cultivating his spirit, and consuming herbs a man may indeed attain long life. However, if he is ignorant of the tao ofintercourse, the taking of herbs will be of no benefit. The mutual fulfillment of man and woman is like the mutual dependence of heaven and earth. Because heaven and earth have attained the taoof union, they are eternal; because mankind has lost the tao of intercourse, he suffers the onset of early death. If we could but avoid those things that gradually injure our bodies and learn the art of yin and yang, this would truly be the tao of immortality.- Su Nu Ching (400 BC)

In the most ancient Chinese dictionary, ching is defined as "cleaned rice, seed, source of life." This corresponds to the mystical symbolism in other traditions of rice, wheat, or corn as a reference for the sexual matter.