Download or read book Traces of a Daoist Immortal written by Louis Komjathy and published by . This book was released on 2024-05-30 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A study, including annotated translations, of materials associated with the Daoist mountain hermit and eventual immortal Chén Tuán 陳摶 (Xīyí 希夷 [Infinitesimal Subtlety]; d. 989). Includes explorations of Daoist views and practices related to sleeping, dreaming, and temporality.
Download or read book The Story of Han Xiangzi written by Erzeng Yang and published by University of Washington Press. This book was released on 2011-07-01 with total page 510 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this seventeenth-century Chinese novel, Han Xiangzi, best known as one of the Eight Immortals, seeks and achieves immortality and then devotes himself to converting his materialistic, politically ambitious Confucian uncle—Han Yu, a real historical figure—to Daoism. Written in lively vernacular prose interspersed with poems and songs, the novel takes its readers across China, to the heavens, and into the underworld. Readers listen to debates among Confucians, Daoists, and Buddhists and witness trials of faith and the performance of magical feats. In the mode of the famous religious novel Journey to the West, The Story of Han Xiangzi uses colorful characters, twists of plot, witty dialogue, and action suitable for a superhero comic book to convey its religious message—that worldly life is ephemeral and that true contentment can be found only through Daoist cultivation. This is the first translation into any Western language of Han Xiangzi quanzhuan (literally, The Complete Story of Han Xiangzi). On one level, the novel is a delightful adventure; on another, it is serious theology. Although The Story of Han Xiangzi’s irreverent attitude toward the Confucian establishment prevented its acceptance by literary critics in imperial China, it has remained popular among Chinese readers for four centuries. Philip Clart’s introduction outlines the Han Xiangzi story cycle, presents Yang Erzeng in his social context, assesses the literary merits and religious significance of the text, and explores the theory and practice of inner alchemy. This unabridged translation will appeal to students of Chinese literature and to general readers who enjoy international fiction, as well as to readers with an interest in Daoism.
Download or read book Xian Fo Qi Zong The Sacred Traces of Taoist Immortals and Priests Buddhas and Zen Masters written by Hong Yingming and published by DeepLogic. This book was released on with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “仙佛奇踪“(”Xian Fo Qi Zong”) “The Sacred Traces of Taoist Immortals and Priests, Buddhas and Zen Masters” was written by Hong Yingming in Ming Dynasty. The book includes the first two volumes of the Taoist affairs, from Laozi to Zhang Sanfeng, a total of 63 Taoist immortals and priests; the second two volumes of the Buddhism, with life stories of a total of 61 Buddhas and Zen masters. It can serve as a gateway to understand the two cultures of Taoism and Buddhism in ancient China. The writer Hong Yingming‘s life story is unknown to modern world. He wrote other great works such as “菜根谭”（"Cai Gen Tan"）.
Download or read book Traces of a Daoist Immortal written by Louis Komjathy and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2024-04-25 with total page 611 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Traces of a Daoist Immortal is a Daoist-infused tour de force on the Daoist mountain hermit Chén Tuán 陳摶 (Xīyí 希夷 [Infinitesimal Subtlety]; d. 989) and his fellow “hidden immortals.” Breaking various academic taboos, including hyper-historicism, social constructivism, and conformist mentalities, here Komjathy, in an aspirational gesture towards unbridled inquiry, offers annotated translations and scholarly introductions to ten major works associated with the Daoist immortal. The book also contains a cutting-edge, mythopoetic introduction that addresses the life and legend of Chén Tuán, his connection to the Western Marchmount of Huàshān 華山 (Mount Hua; Huàyīn, Shǎnxī), Daoist views about sleeping, dreaming, waking, as well as Daoist time-being.
Download or read book Images of the Immortal written by Paul R. Katz and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2000-01-01 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Palace of Eternal Joy (Yongle gong) is a mammoth cult site dedicated to one of late imperial China’s most popular deities, Lu Dongbin. In one of the first book-length studies of a Chinese sacred site, Paul Katz focuses on the Palace’s role in the development of Lu's legend. This highly innovative approach takes into account the various "histories" of the Palace presented in different texts and surpasses previous scholarship by stressing the ways in which the site both reflected and produced cultural diversity. Katz breaks new ground by analyzing the texts in terms of the textuality--the processes by which they were produced, transmitted, and understood. The study begins with a detailed description of the Palace of Eternal Joy and a brief account of its history. The reader is then introduced to the cult of Lu Dongbin. Special consideration is given to various hagiographical traditions, particularly those that influenced the growth of his cult at Yongle. Throughout late imperial China, a growing number of worshipers (among them scholar-officials, Taoist priests, artisans, and dramatists) created an ever-burgeoning variety of images of Lu, ranging from a patron god of ink-makers and prostitutes to a member of that powerful yet rambunctious group of spirits known as the Eight Immortals. In this context, the author explores the Perfect Realization Taoist movement's adoption of Lu's cult during the Jin and Yuan dynasties and highlight the social and religious factors that led to Lu's immense popularity in north China during the late imperial era. Katz next looks at the four type of inscriptions found at the Palace (commemorative, official, hagiographical, and poetic) and identifies the Palace patrons who worshiped there and contributed to its growth. In the description and analysis of the Palace murals that follow, he divides these works into two types: those painted to provide a setting for, and even an object of, Taoist rituals performed at the Palace; and those used to instruct Perfect Realization Taoists and perhaps pilgrims. The final section traces the reception of the Palace texts among the people of Yongle and its environs. Here Katz examines the ways in which patrons tried to impose their representations of the Palace’s history and the cult of Lu Dongbin on other members of the community and assesses the extent to which these efforts succeeded. Images of the Immortal is richly informed by a wide reading in social, cultural, and literary theory as well as a thorough awareness of previous work in comparative and Chinese religion. Scholars of Taoism, Chinese popular religion, and art history will find it especially rewarding for its thought-provoking reinterpretation of an important religious figure and his cult.
Download or read book The Eight Immortals of Taoism written by Man-Ho Kwok and published by Random House (UK). This book was released on 1990 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of tales and legends about the semi-divine Eight Immortals of Chinese Taoism, each of whom is supposed to have lived as an historical person. However the main role of the Eight Immortals is as symbols of the success of Taoist discipline and magic.
Download or read book Tao Te Ching written by Laozi and published by . This book was released on 1972 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Immortal Sisters written by Thomas Cleary and published by North Atlantic Books. This book was released on 1996-11-11 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Immortal Sisters presents life stories and teachings of distinguished female Taoist adepts who lived from the third to twelfth centuries. Among them is the poet and mystic Sun Bu-er, who passed into folklore as one of the famous Seven Immortals and appears as a character in countless popular novels of China. These accomplished women, renowned in their own day and in history, represent a uniquely female heritage of spiritual mastery. Through poems, stories, teachings, and commentaries, Immortal Sisters sheds light on the spiritual methods taught and practiced by these women and illustrates the importance of the feminine in Taoism.
Download or read book The Eight Immortals of Taoism written by Man-Ho Kwok and published by Plume. This book was released on 1990 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 28 legends and fables featuring the Eight Immortals--an illuminating study of popular Chinese religious beliefs with special appeal for readers of the Tao Te Ching and Joseph Campbell's works on myth. To this day, the Eight Immortals are among the most popular figures in Chinese art, and their cult has affected every aspect of Chinese culture. Line drawings throughout.
Download or read book Taoism written by John Blofeld and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 1978 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A religion with roots stretching back nearly five thousand years, Taoism combines elements of folklore, occult sciences, cosmology, yoga, meditation, poetry, quietist philosophy, and exalted mysticism. Mysterious and charmingly poetic, it is a living remnant of a way of life which has almost vanished from the world.
Download or read book Qigong Teachings of a Taoist Immortal written by Stuart Alve Olson and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2002-01-01 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first English translation of Master Li Ching-yun's teachings on the Eight Brocades, the central practice of qigong. • Explains the physical and spiritual benefits of the Eight Brocades and offers step-by-step instructions for this powerful sequence of postures. • 85 illustrations highlight the postures and philosophies. • Author's commentary provides insight and depth to the original translation. Throughout history Taoists have promoted the development and restoration of the Three Treasures-- body, breath, and spirit--through the gentle practice of qigong. At the center of the qigong practice are the Eight Brocades, a series of postures that developed during the 3,000-year Taoist quest for longevity and vitality. Now qigong expert Stuart Olson translates into English Master Li Ching-yun's treasured teachings on the Eight Brocades. One of the most famous qigong masters of this century, Master Li Ching-yun is reliably chronicled to have lived more than 250 years, during which he practiced the Eight Brocades on a daily basis. His longevity and personal endorsements attest to and validate the Eight Brocades as the quintessence of Taoist health and qigong practices. With Master Li Ching-yun's original teachings as a guide, Stuart Olson presents an authentic yet accessible approach to this unique practice. Each exercise is accompanied by original text from Master Li, step-by-step instructions for each posture, illustrations of the positions, and insights on theory and practice. Because the Eight Brocades are the foundation of all qigong, this book provides valuable advice for all practitioners, regardless of the style they practice or the depth of their experience.
Download or read book The Banished Immortal written by Ha Jin and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2019-01-15 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the National Book Award-winning author of Waiting: a narratively driven, deeply human biography of the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai—also known as Li Po In his own time (701–762), Li Bai's poems—shaped by Daoist thought and characterized by their passion, romance, and lust for life—were never given their proper due by the official literary gatekeepers. Nonetheless, his lines rang out on the lips of court entertainers, tavern singers, soldiers, and writers throughout the Tang dynasty, and his deep desire for a higher, more perfect world gave rise to his nickname, the Banished Immortal. Today, Bai's verses are still taught to China's schoolchildren and recited at parties and toasts; they remain an inextricable part of the Chinese language. With the instincts of a master novelist, Ha Jin draws on a wide range of historical and literary sources to weave the great poet's life story. He follows Bai from his origins on the western frontier to his ramblings travels as a young man, which were filled with filled with striving but also with merry abandon, as he raised cups of wine with friends and fellow poets. Ha Jin also takes us through the poet's later years—in which he became swept up in a military rebellion that altered the course of China's history—and the mysterious circumstances of his death, which are surrounded by legend. The Banished Immortal is an extraordinary portrait of a poet who both transcended his time and was shaped by it, and whose ability to live, love, and mourn without reservation produced some of the most enduring verses.
Download or read book Heavenly Masters written by Vincent Goossaert and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2021-11-30 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The origins of modern Daoism can be traced to the Church of the Heavenly Master (Tianshidao), reputedly established by the formidable Zhang Daoling. In 142 CE, according to Daoist tradition, Zhang was visited by the Lord on High, who named him his vicar on Earth with the title Heavenly Master. The dispensation articulated an eschatological vision of saving initiates—the pure, those destined to become immortals—by enforcing a strict moral code. Under evolving forms, Tianshidao has remained central to Chinese society, and Daoist priests have upheld their spiritual allegiance to Zhang, their now divinized founder. This book tells the story of the longue durée evolution of the Heavenly Master leadership and institution. Later hagiography credits Zhang Daoling’s great-grandson, putatively the fourth Heavenly Master, with settling the family at Longhushan (Dragon and Tiger Mountain); in time his descendants—down to the present contested sixty-fifth Heavenly Master living in Taiwan—made the extraordinary claim of being able to transmit hereditarily the function of the Heavenly Master and the power to grant salvation. Over the next twelve centuries, the Zhangs turned Longhushan into a major holy site and a household name in the Chinese world, and constructed a large administrative center for the bureaucratic management of Chinese society. They gradually built the Heavenly Master institution, which included a sacred site; a patriarchal line of successive Heavenly Masters wielding vast monopolistic powers to ordain humans and gods; a Zhang lineage that nurtured talent and accumulated wealth; and a bureaucratic apparatus comprised of temples, training centers, and a clerical hierarchy. So well-designed was this institution that it remained stable for more than a millennium, far outlasting the longest dynasties, and had ramifications for every city and village in imperial China. In this ambitious work, Vincent Goossaert traces the Heavenly Master bureaucracy from medieval times to the modern Chinese nation-state as well as its expansion. His in-depth portraits of influential Heavenly Masters are skillfully embedded in a large-scale analysis of the institution and its rules, ideology, and vision of society.
Download or read book Critical Readings on Tang China written by Paul W. Kroll and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2019-01-14 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Tang dynasty, lasting from 618 to 907, was the high point of medieval Chinese history, featuring unprecedented achievements in governmental organization, economic and territorial expansion, literature, the arts, and religion. Many Tang practices continued, with various developments, to influence Chinese society for the next thousand years. For these and other reasons the Tang has been a key focus of Western sinologists. This volume presents English-language reprints of fifty-seven critical studies of the Tang, in the three general categories of political history, literature and cultural history, and religion. The articles and book chapters included here are important scholarly benchmarks that will serve as the starting-point for anyone interested in the study of medieval China.
Download or read book The Taoist Inner View of the Universe and the Immortal Realm written by Hua Ching Ni and published by Tao of Wellness Press. This book was released on 1979 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Taoist Inner View of the Universe, readers can learn the way to obtain mental and spiritual clarity. This book not only provides spiritual protection to the sincere student through the many incantations, but may also enlighten the way for every serious person to probe the very possibility of immortality.
Download or read book Daoism in Japan written by Jeffrey L. Richey and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-05-01 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Like an ancient river, Daoist traditions introduced from China once flowed powerfully through the Japanese religious landscape, forever altering its topography and ecology. Daoism’s presence in Japan still may be discerned in its abiding influence on astrology, divination, festivals, literature, politics, and popular culture, not to mention Buddhism and Shintō. Despite this legacy, few English-language studies of Daoism’s influence on Japanese religious culture have been published. Daoism in Japan provides an exploration of the particular pathways by which Daoist traditions entered Japan from continental East Asia. After addressing basic issues in both Daoist Studies and the study of Japanese religions, including the problems of defining ‘Daoism’ and ‘Japanese,’ the book looks at the influence of Daoism on ancient, medieval and modern Japan in turn. To do so, the volume is arranged both chronologically and topically, according to the following three broad divisions: "Arrivals" (c. 5th-8th centuries CE), "Assimilations" (794-1868), and "Apparitions" (1600s-present). The book demonstrates how Chinese influence on Japanese religious culture ironically proved to be crucial in establishing traditions that usually are seen as authentically, even quintessentially, Japanese. Touching on multiple facets of Japanese cultural history and religious traditions, this book is a fascinating contribution for students and scholars of Japanese Culture, History and Religions, as well as Daoist Studies.
Download or read book Roaming into the Beyond Representations of Xian Immortality in Early Medieval Chinese Verse written by Zornica Kirkova and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2016-06-27 with total page 429 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines representations of Daoist xian immortality in a broad range of versified literature from the Han until the end of the Six Dynasties and explores the complex interaction between poetry and Daoist religion in early medieval China.
