The dragon and the tiger have different interpretations. First, they stand for water and fire each, as shown in expressions like "the dragon comes out of fire" and "the tiger grows from water. " Second, the dragon refers to the original shen and the tiger to the original ring. Third, the dragon represents shen and the tiger stands for qi. They may also be used to give an idea of ring and qi, yin and yang, female and male.

Xianglong and fuhu are quite important in qigong practice. Great masters down the ages have paid great attention to getting rid of distrac-tions through xianglong and to regulating mental activity through fuhu. Xianglong signifies the checking of zhenhuo (internal heat) in the heart, and xianglong will come true when the fire dies away. Fuhu indicates the control of zhenshui (liquid in the heart) in the body, and fuhu will be finished when the source of water becomes crystal-clear. We can also say that xianglong and fuhu are to regulate the mind, get rid of distracting thoughts and purify consciousness.