The Taoist Experience: An AnthologyContaining sixty translations from a large variety of texts, this is an accessible yet thorough introduction to the major concepts, doctrines, and practices of Taoism. It presents the philosophy, rituals, and health techniques of the ancients as well as the practices and ideas of Taoists today. Divided into four sections, it follows the Taoist Path: The Tao, Long Life, Eternal Vision, and Immortality. It shows how the world of the Tao is perceived from within the tradition, what fervent Taoists did, and how practitioners saw their path and goals. The Taoist Experience is unique in that it presents the whole of Taoist tradition in the very words of its active practitioners. It conveys not only a sense of the depth of the Taoist religious experience but also of the underlying unity of the various schools and strands. |
Contents
The Tao | 5 |
1 The Tao That Cant Be Told | 7 |
2 The Tao in the World | 13 |
3 Pure and Tranquil | 18 |
4 Ineffable Knowledge | 23 |
Creation | 27 |
5 Scriptures Create the Universe | 29 |
6 Numinous TreasureWondrous History | 37 |
26 The True One | 189 |
27 The Three Ones | 196 |
28 One in All | 207 |
Insight Practice | 213 |
29 Two Kinds of Observation | 215 |
30 Energies and Elixirs | 221 |
31 Observing Life | 227 |
32 Glimpses of the New Mind | 233 |
7 The Lands of the Immortals | 42 |
8 Gods and Goddesses | 49 |
The Teaching | 57 |
9 The Three Caverns | 59 |
10 The Transformations of Laozi | 65 |
11 The Path | 74 |
12 The Way to Complete Perfection | 80 |
Long Life | 87 |
Discipline | 89 |
13 Precepts and Prescriptions | 91 |
14 Protective Measures | 98 |
15 How to Be Taught | 108 |
16 Passing the Test | 111 |
Physical Practices | 125 |
17 Breathing for Life | 127 |
18 Gymnastics | 133 |
19 Drugs and Diets | 140 |
20 Sexual Techniques | 145 |
The Cosmic Body | 153 |
21 The Structure of the Body | 155 |
23 The World in the Body | 166 |
24 The Gods Within | 173 |
Eternal Vision | 181 |
The One | 183 |
25 Lights in the Body | 185 |
Ecstatic Excursions | 241 |
33 The Faroff Journey | 243 |
34 Trips through the Stars | 249 |
35 Divine Loves | 259 |
36 Ecstatic Sleep | 263 |
Immortality | 269 |
Immortality Personality | 271 |
37 The Perfected | 273 |
38 To Be a Sage | 277 |
39 Magical Powers | 282 |
40 The Virtue of Wine | 291 |
Ascension | 295 |
41 Alchemical Transformation | 297 |
42 The Inner Elixir | 305 |
43 Gradual Dissolution | 311 |
44 Eyewitness Accounts | 317 |
Immortal Life | 325 |
45 Celestial Garb | 327 |
46 The Administration of Heaven | 335 |
47 Sojourn Among Mortals | 343 |
48 Feasting in Paradise | 350 |
List of Chinese Texts Translated | 357 |
Bibliography | 359 |
373 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
alchemy ascend attain become body breath brocade called Cavern celestial Celestial Masters century Changfang chaos Chinese Cinnabar Field contained cosmic Daode jing Daoyin dark death demons develop divine Dongbin dragon dynasty elixir emptiness energy enter essence fasc Gate Ge Hong gods Gourd Master Grotto guard Hall of Light Han dynasty harmony heaven and earth Heavenly Venerable Highest Clarity human hundred inner nature Jade Emperor Jade Maiden jing Scripture kalpas King Laozi liexian zhuan light Lingbao Liu Ling live Lü Dongbin meditation mind moon mountains myriad Mystery never nine non-action nonbeing Numinous Treasure observation original Palace perfected pervade practice Prime Primordial pure Queen Mother radiance realize resides sacred sage Spirit Immortals spirit soul strings of cash talismans Taoist teacher teaching thousand tion Tower tranquil transformations translation true Virtue visualize wondrous Yellow Emperor yin and yang Zhuangzi