Essence, energy, and spirit.
The three make things what they are: people, plants, animals.
They combine in unique ways to create us. And we can transmute them and change ourselves. We have choice. Free will.
Choice coupled with the power to change. Change ourselves and how we see the world. When we change, others around us change. All of this is within our grasp if we just decide.
btw: the wax of the candle represents jing or essence, the flame is qi or energy, and the heat rising from the flame is shen or spirit.
Photo by David Tomaseti on Unsplash