聚精会神

Pronunciation: jù jīng huì shén Literal meaning: Gather essence meet spirit

Origin & Usage

Dating to Daoist meditation manuals from the Han Dynasty, this idiom describes the gathering (聚) of vital essence (精) to commune (会) with spirit (神). Early practitioners believed that scattered attention depleted one's vital energy, while focused concentration could unite body and mind. The concept became central to Chan Buddhist practice during the Tang Dynasty, where masters used it to describe the ideal mental state for meditation. In modern contexts, it describes intense concentration - from athletes in their flow state to researchers tackling complex problems. The idiom suggests that true focus isn't merely about attention, but about gathering one's entire being into a single point of awareness.

Examples

English: "The surgeon focused completely during the complex procedure"

Chinese: 外科医生在复杂手术过程中全神贯注