The Journal of Taoist Philosophy and Practice
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The Taoist Concept of Freedom
Grand Valley Review Volume 9 | Issue 1 Article 15 1-1-1993 The aT oist Concept of Freedom Peimin Ni Grand Valley State University Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gvr Recommended Citation Ni, Peimin (1993) "The aT oist Concept of Freedom," Grand Valley Review: Vol. 9: Iss. 1, Article 15. Available at: http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gvr/vol9/iss1/15 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@GVSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Grand Valley Review by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@GVSU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. desirable alternati' information that wil THE TAOIST CONCEPT OF FREEDOM Naturally, this freedom consists < freedom is to be a Peimin Ni being protected fn protected space ir desires. Freedom has been esteemed as one of the top values for a good life in all civili In the Taoist ph zations, whether in the East or in the West. But not everyone who uses the term real conceives of freed izes the differences in people's understanding of the term. I want to discuss a absence of externc: concept of freedom that belongs to Taoism (sometimes spelled Daoism), one of the that can be in con great classical Chinese philosophies founded in around the sixth century B.C. I will ternal environment first explain the Taoist concept in contrast to the "typical western concept of freedom" desires or will, the - and then give a preliminary evaluation of the Taoist concept based on this contrast. in harmony with his The differences in these concepts of freedom exemplify differences in different This Taoist idea mentalities, and seeing these differences and their implications will give us insight and the constraints into the values and the weaknesses (yes, weaknesses!) of each culture. -
The Alchemical Body in Daoism
The Alchemical Body in Daoism FABRIZIO PREGADIO Abstract This paper surveys some of the main features of the view of the human body in Daoist internal alchemy (neidan 內丹). The first sections discuss three different terms that refer to the body; cosmological, political, theological, natural, and al- chemical metaphors used to describe it; and the use of the body as a support for the system of correspondences that tie the human being to the cosmos. On this background, the development of internal alchemy closely relates to the earlier Daoist meditation practices on the inner gods. The figure of the Red Child (the innermost deity of the human being), in particular, bears close analogies to the “embryo” that alchemists generate through their practices. The final sections are concerned with the two main alchemical charts of the human body and with the use of the Buddhist concept of “dharma-body,” which some masters describe as the true immortal body. It is virtually impossible to distinguish the Daoist understanding of the body from its understanding of the human being, and this point consti- tutes on its own a central aspect of the Daoist way of seeing. For a Daoist, knowledge of the anatomic forms and the physiological workings of the body, or any of its parts and organs, is virtually irrelevant. The physical body performs another function: it serves to support different sets of metaphors that express the relation of the whole person to the Dao, the ultimate principle to which the person owes its existence. These metaphors may be cosmological (the body as a microcosm), political (the body as an administrative system), theological (the body as the residence of inner gods), natural (the body as a “landscape”), and alchemical (the body as a laboratory for compounding the elixir), to name the most important ones. -
The Qi Connection: a Study in Studying Qi
University of Northern Iowa UNI ScholarWorks Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006) Honors Program 2004 The Qi connection: A study in studying Qi Elizabeth Brooke Barrett University of Northern Iowa Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy Copyright ©2004 - Elizabeth Brooke Barrett Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pst Part of the Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons Recommended Citation Barrett, Elizabeth Brooke, "The Qi connection: A study in studying Qi" (2004). Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006). 17. https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pst/17 This Open Access Presidential Scholars Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Honors Program at UNI ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006) by an authorized administrator of UNI ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Qi Connection: A Study in Studying Qi A Thesis in Completion ofa Presidential Scholarship By Elizabeth Brooke Barrett Thesis Advisor: Dr. Robert Seager Professor of Genetics and Evolution, Department of Biology University of Northern Iowa Presidential Scholar Class Advisor: Dr. Betty DeBerg Head, Department of Philosophy and Religion University of Northern Iowa ,, The concept of Qi (pronounced "chee") is a difficult one to understand, let alone study. It strikes most of us as amorphous at best. Traditional Chinese Medicine enthusiasts in the West translate the term as "life-energy". How much more broad could it be! Some try to make the term scientific, referring to Qi as "bio-electrical" or "bio-magnetic", but they succeed only in clouding the issue further. -
Models of Daoist Practice and Attainment
Models of Daoist practice and attainment here are a variety of outdated interpretative frameworks for understanding the Treligious tradition which is Daoism. The most ubiquitous is the bifurcation of Daoism into so-called “philosophical Daoism” and so-called “religious Daoism,” including the inaccurate claim that the former is “pure” or “original” Daoism. Daoism was a religious community from the beginning, here dated to the Warring States period (480–222 BCE). A second, and perhaps equally problematic, view claims that Daoism originates with Zhang Daoling 張道陵 (fl. 140s) and the Tianshi天師 (Celestial Masters) movement. While the Celestial Masters do represent one of the earliest forms of organized Daoism, many later Daoist religious communities (e.g., Quanzhen 全真 [Complete Perfection]) gave little recognition to its importance. One alternative interpretative approach involves understanding the diverse models of Daoist practice and attainment. In combination with historical periodization, this approach provides a means by which to appreciate the complexity and diversity of the Daoist tradition, including possible continuities and departures, divergences and convergences among different Daoist adherents and communities. While it may seem self-evident that “realization of the Dao” or “attunement with the Way” is both the origin and culmination of a Daoist training regimen, one cannot deny that Daoists have developed and advocated different and perhaps competing models for such realization or attunement. In terms of traditional models of Daoist praxis, one may identify at least the following: (1) quietistic; (2) ritualistic; (3) cosmo- logical; (4) exorcistic; (5) behavioral/ethical; (6) mediumistic/shamanic; (7) dietetical; (8) ascetical; (9) literary/artistic; (10) alchemical; (11) meditative; (12) hermeneutical; (13) medical; (14) mystical; and (15) syncretistic. -
“Daoism and Confucianism” In: Liu X. (Eds) Dao Companion to Daoist Philosophy
Lai Karyn. (2015) “Daoism and Confucianism” In: Liu X. (eds) Dao Companion to Daoist Philosophy. Dao Companions to Chinese Philosophy, vol 6. Springer, Dordrecht, pp. 489-511. This is the post-print version. The definitive version is to be found at: https://link-springer- com.wwwproxy1.library.unsw.edu.au/chapter/10.1007/978-90- 481-2927-0_21 This chapter relies on a distinction between Confucianism and Daoism made during the Han dynasty (漢朝: 206 BCE–220 CE) and further perpetuated in Chinese intellectual history. It examines the connections between pre-Qin (秦朝: 221– 206 BCE) Daoist and Confucian philosophies, focusing on their differences as well as similarities. While it has been traditionally accepted that there are many tensions, and even antagonism, between concepts and approaches in Daoist and Confucian thought, the discussion here also focuses on the historical linkages and philosophical continuities that at times blur the distinction between the two. The primary comparison here will be conducted at three levels: the individual within its environment, the socio-political world, and the cultivation of the self. These three levels of analysis are organized in three sections, from the more inclusive to the more specific. However, the sections are only theoretical divisions, since both Daoist and Confucian philosophies emphasize a concept of selfhood that focuses on an individual’s relationships with others, within a larger natural and cosmic environment. To more fully understand these comparisons, it is important also to examine the intellectual climate within which interactions between so- called Daoism and Confucianism took place. These details, including information gleaned from relatively recently discovered texts, are not merely tangential to our understanding of both philosophies. -
The Three Treasures® and Women's Treasure®
The Three Treasures® and Women’s Treasure® A handbook of the formulae created and adapted from Traditional Chinese Medicine CREATED BY GIOVANNI MACIOCIA® Su Wen Press www.three-treasures.com Giovanni Maciocia® is an acupuncturist and medical herbalist who has been practising since 1973. He studied acupuncture at the International College of Oriental Medicine in England and at the Nanjing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China. A respected author and lecturer, he has skilfully adapted the traditional disciplines of Chinese medicine and greatly increased its profile in the West. Students and patients in Europe and America have benefited from his knowledge and clinical experience. The Three Treasures, Women’s Treasure and Little Treasures are the culmination of his wide research and practice. Giovanni Maciocia® is also the author of eight other books which have contributed greatly to the diffusion of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the West: ● Tongue Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine (1987), rev. (1995) ● The Foundations of Chinese Medicine (1989), rev. (2005) ● The Practice of Chinese Medicine (1994), rev. (2007) ● Obstetrics & Gynaecology in Chinese Medicine (1998) ● Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine (2003) ● The Channels of Acupuncture (2006) ● The Psyche in Chinese Medicine (2009) ● Clinical Pearls (2014) Published by Su Wen Press Southwood, Grosvenor Road, Godalming, GU7 1NZ Copyright ©1995-2019 by Giovanni Maciocia All rights reserved, including translation. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic or mechanical, recording or duplication in any information or storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publishers, and may not be photocopied or otherwise reproduced even within the terms of any licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd. -
The University of Chicago Practices of Scriptural Economy: Compiling and Copying a Seventh-Century Chinese Buddhist Anthology A
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRACTICES OF SCRIPTURAL ECONOMY: COMPILING AND COPYING A SEVENTH-CENTURY CHINESE BUDDHIST ANTHOLOGY A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE DIVINITY SCHOOL IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY ALEXANDER ONG HSU CHICAGO, ILLINOIS AUGUST 2018 © Copyright by Alexander Ong Hsu, 2018. All rights reserved. Dissertation Abstract: Practices of Scriptural Economy: Compiling and Copying a Seventh-Century Chinese Buddhist Anthology By Alexander Ong Hsu This dissertation reads a seventh-century Chinese Buddhist anthology to examine how medieval Chinese Buddhists practiced reducing and reorganizing their voluminous scriptural tra- dition into more useful formats. The anthology, A Grove of Pearls from the Garden of Dharma (Fayuan zhulin ), was compiled by a scholar-monk named Daoshi (?–683) from hundreds of Buddhist scriptures and other religious writings, listing thousands of quotations un- der a system of one-hundred category-chapters. This dissertation shows how A Grove of Pearls was designed by and for scriptural economy: it facilitated and was facilitated by traditions of categorizing, excerpting, and collecting units of scripture. Anthologies like A Grove of Pearls selectively copied the forms and contents of earlier Buddhist anthologies, catalogs, and other compilations; and, in turn, later Buddhists would selectively copy from it in order to spread the Buddhist dharma. I read anthologies not merely to describe their contents but to show what their compilers and copyists thought they were doing when they made and used them. A Grove of Pearls from the Garden of Dharma has often been read as an example of a Buddhist leishu , or “Chinese encyclopedia.” But the work’s precursors from the sixth cen- tury do not all fit neatly into this genre because they do not all use lei or categories consist- ently, nor do they all have encyclopedic breadth like A Grove of Pearls. -
Taoist Meditation
TAOIST MEDITATION Methods for Cultivating a Healthy Mind and Body Translated and compiled by THOMAS CL EARY * SHAMBHALA Boston & London 2000 CO NTENTS Translator's Introduction I Anthology on the Cultivation of Realization 7 Treatise on Sitting Forgetting 8 I Sayings of Taoist Master Danyang I o6 Secret Writings on the Mechanisms of Nature I I2 Zhang Sanfeng's Taiji Alchemy Secrets I I7 Secret Records of Understanding the Way I2 3 TRANSLATOR'S INTRODUCTION Taoism, one of the most ancient of Eastern traditions, is drawing increasing attention in the modern West. Interest in Taoism is no longer confined to fringe elements, as some would prefer, but has become part of the normal mentality of conscious individuals and cosmopolitan thinkers in many areas of contemporary life. Part of the popularity of Taoism in the West might be due to the fact that Taoism is scientific yet also humanistic and sp iritual. Taoism has a capacity for subtle pervasion be cause it can be understood and practiced within the frame works of other world religions, or without any religious framework at all. This selfless adaptability may be why Tao ism has been able to penetrate Western cultures without the limitations of theological doctrine or religious identity. Some of the specialized arts originating in Taoist tradition, such as bare-hand martial disciplines, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and therapeutic massage, are becoming increas- 2 TRANSLATO R'S IN TRODU CTIO N ingly familiar in the West. Taoist social philosophy and stra tegic thinking have also proved to be of great interest to Western people in various walks of life. -
In Search of the Tao in Taoism: New Questions of Unity and Multiplicity
Santa Clara University Scholar Commons Religious Studies College of Arts & Sciences 11-1993 In Search of the Tao in Taoism: New Questions of Unity and Multiplicity Catherine M. Bell Santa Clara University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/rel_stud Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Bell, C. M. (1993). In Search of the Tao in Taoism: New Questions of Unity and Multiplicity. History of Religions, 33(2), 187–201. https://doi.org/10.1086/463363 Copyright © 1984 The University of Chicago Press. Reprinted with permission. https://doi.org/10.1086/463363 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Arts & Sciences at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Religious Studies by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. REVIEW ARTICLE IN SEARCH OF THE TAO IN TAOISM: NEW QUESTIONS OF UNITY AND MULTIPLICITY Histoire du taoisme des origines au XIVe siecle. By ISABELLE ROBINET. Paris: Les ltditions du Cerf, 1991. Pp. 274. 147 F. Taoist Mystical Philosophy: The Scripture of Western Ascension. By LIVIA KOHN. Albany, N.Y.: SUNY Press, 1991. Pp. 345+xvi. $59.50 (cloth); $19.95 (paper). "Dans le Mystere, il est un autre Mystere", dit Lao zi, maintes fois cite par les maitres qui ajoutent: "Dans le souffle il est un autre Souffle", "Dans le corps il est un autre corps." Plus on extrait l'int6rieur de l'interieur, plus on obtient un ele- ment "pur", "reel." [ISABELLE ROBINET] Lao-tzu's sense of the mystery within the mystery, or the theory of a truer reality within the real that was elaborated by later Taoists, is an idea not all that far removed from the analytical quest to identify an essential unity under- lying some tantalizing set of diverse phenomena. -
The Daoist Tradition Also Available from Bloomsbury
The Daoist Tradition Also available from Bloomsbury Chinese Religion, Xinzhong Yao and Yanxia Zhao Confucius: A Guide for the Perplexed, Yong Huang The Daoist Tradition An Introduction LOUIS KOMJATHY Bloomsbury Academic An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square 175 Fifth Avenue London New York WC1B 3DP NY 10010 UK USA www.bloomsbury.com First published 2013 © Louis Komjathy, 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. Louis Komjathy has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work. No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury Academic or the author. Permissions Cover: Kate Townsend Ch. 10: Chart 10: Livia Kohn Ch. 11: Chart 11: Harold Roth Ch. 13: Fig. 20: Michael Saso Ch. 15: Fig. 22: Wu’s Healing Art Ch. 16: Fig. 25: British Taoist Association British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: 9781472508942 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Komjathy, Louis, 1971- The Daoist tradition : an introduction / Louis Komjathy. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4411-1669-7 (hardback) -- ISBN 978-1-4411-6873-3 (pbk.) -- ISBN 978-1-4411-9645-3 (epub) 1. -
Book of Lieh-Tzu / Translated by A
ft , I ' * * < The B 2 I it* o f Lieh- i - I /\ Classic of Tao i > *• A Translated by A. C. GRAHAM . t The Book o f Lieh-tzu A Classic o f the Tao translated by A. C. GRAHAM Columbia University Press New York Columbia University Press Morningside Edition 1990 Columbia University Press New York Copyright © 1960, 1990 by A. C. Graham Preface to the Morningside Edition copyright © 1990 by Columbia University Press Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lieh-tzu, 4th cent. B.C. [Lieh-tzu. English] The book of Lieh-tzu / translated by A. C. Graham, p cm.—(Translations from the Oriental classics) Translation of: Lieh-tzu. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-231-07236-8 ISBN 0-231-07237-6 (pbk.) I Graham, A. C. (Angus Charles) II. Title. III. Series. BL1900.L482E5 1990 181'.114-dc2o 89-24°35 CIP All rights reserved Casebound editions of Columbia University Press books are printed on permanent and durable acid-free paper. Printed in the United States of America c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 p 10 9 8 Translations from the Asian Classics EDITORIAL BOARD Wm. Theodore de Bury, Chair Paul Anderer Irene Bloom Donald Keene George A. Saliba Haruo Shirane David D. W. Wang Burton Watson Contents Preface to the Morningside Edition xi Preface xvii Dramatis Personae xviii—xix Introduction i HEAVEN'S GIFTS 14 2 THE YELLOW EMPEROR 32 3 KING MU OF CHOU 58 4 CONFUCIUS 74 5 THE QUESTIONS OF T'ANG 92 6 ENDEAVOUR AND DESTINY 118 7 YANG CHU 135 8 EXPLAINING CONJUNCTIONS t58 Short Reading List 182 Textual Notes 183 i x Preface to the Morningside Edition A significant change since this book was first published in 196o is that we have learned to see philosophical Taoism in a new historical perspective. -
Dharaıi and SPELLS in MEDIEVAL SINITIC BUDDHISM It Has Become Common for Scholars to Interpret the Ubiquitous Presence of Dhara
DHARAıI AND SPELLS IN MEDIEVAL SINITIC BUDDHISM RICHARD D. MCBRIDE, II It has become common for scholars to interpret the ubiquitous presence of dhara∞i (tuoluoni ) and spells (zhou ) in medieval Sinitic Bud- dhism1 as evidence of proto-Tantrism in China2. For this reason, infor- mation associated with monk-theurgists and thaumaturges has been organ- ized in a teleological manner that presupposes the characteristics of a mature Tantric system and projects them backward over time onto an earlier period. Recently, however, scholars such as Robert H. Sharf have begun to point out the limitations of this approach to understanding the nature of Chinese Buddhism and religion3. This essay will address two inter-related questions: (1) How did eminent monks in medieval China conceptualize dhara∞i and spells? And (2) did they conceive of them as belonging exclusively to some defined tradition (proto-Tantric, Tantric, or something else)? In this essay I will present a more nuanced view of the mainstream Sinitic Buddhist understanding of dhara∞i and spells by providing back- ground on the role of spell techniques and spell masters in Buddhism and medieval Chinese religion and by focusing on the way three select The author of this article wishes to express gratitude to Gregory Schopen, Robert Buswell, George Keyworth, James Benn, Chen Jinhua, and the anonymous reviewer for their comments and suggestions on how to improve the article. 1 In this essay I deploy word “dhara∞i” following traditional Buddhist convention in both the singular and plural senses. I also use the word “medieval” rather loosely to refer to the period extending from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period through the end of the Tang, roughly 317-907 C.E.