P'O

Pinyin Po, in Chinese Taoism, the earthly (inferior, material) human soul as distinguished from the heavenly hun (superior, spiritual) soul. The distinction is based on the Chinese concept of yin-yang, the inescapable principle of duality in all things. When the two souls of a person are joined in harmonious union, health and life flourish; separation causes sickness and death. The Chinese assigned organic functions to p'o. Although right order demands that the p'o (yin) soul be subservient to the hun (yang), in many cases the passions of p'o dominate people's lives. Because the p'o soul can turn into a kuei (malevolent spirit) if the deceased is not properly interred or sacrificed to, fitting burial rites not only ensure peaceful rest for the dead but further guarantee that the hun soul will impart special blessings to surviving family members.