The Teachings and Practices of the Early Quanzhen Taoist Masters

Stephen Eskildsen

Description

Stephen Eskildsen's book offers an in-depth study of the beliefs and practices of the Quanzhen (Complete Realization) School of Taoism, the predominant school of monastic Taoism in China. The Quanzhen School was founded in the latter half of the twelfth century by the eccentric holy man Wan Zhe (1113–1170), whose work was continued by his famous disciples commonly known as the Seven Realized Ones. This study draws upon surviving texts to examine the Quanzhen masters' approaches to mental discipline, intense asceticism, cultivation of health and longevity, mystical experience, supernormal powers, death and dying, charity and evangelism, and ritual. From these primary sources, Eskildsen provides a clear understanding of the nature of Quanzhen Taoism and reveals its core emphasis to be the cultivation of clarity and purity of mind that occurs not only through seated meditation, but also throughout the daily activities of life.

Acknowledgments

1. Introduction

Opening Comments
Historical Summary
Preview of This Book's Contents

2. Cultivating Clarity and Purity

Conclusion

3. The Asceticism of the Quanzhen Masters

4. Cultivating Health and Longevity

The Anatomy
The Causes of Disease and Death
How the Quanzhen Masters Combated Disease and Death
Conclusion: Nurturing the Qi and Completing the Spirit

5. Visions and Other Trance Phenomena

Introduction
A Remarkable Incident from the Childhood of Yin Zhiping
Communications from Realized Beings of Past and Present
Miscellaneous "Signs of Proof ": Sights, Sounds, Tastes, and Sensations
Difficulties and Frustrations Involved in Gaining
"Signs of Proof "
Conclusion

6. The Miraculous Powers of the Quanzhen Masters

How to Attain Miraculous Power
Manifesting the Radiant Spirit
Clairvoyance
Two Physical Feats of Wang Zhe Confirmed by Qiu Chuji
Healing and Ritual Thaumaturgy
Wondrous Mirages
Conclusion

7. Death and Dying in Early Quanzhen Taoism

Hagiography
Collected Sayings
Conclusion

8. The Compassion of the Early Quanzhen Masters

9. Rituals in Early Quanzhen Taoism

Attitudes toward Rituals
The Quanzhen Masters As Ritual Purists
Final Remarks

10. Conclusion

Notes

Bibliography

Secondary Sources in English and French
Secondary Sources in Chinese
Secondary Sources in Japanese
Primary Sources from the Taoist Canon
Other Primary Sources

Glossary

Index

Sujets

• East Asian religions
• Taoism

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791485316
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

T h e T e a c h i n g s a n d P r a c t i c e s O F T H E E a r l y Q u a n z h e n T a o i s t M a s t e r s

STEPHEN ESKILDSEN

The Teachings and Practices of the Early Quanzhen Taoist Masters

SUNY series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture Roger T. Ames, editor

The Teachings and Practices of the Early Quanzhen Taoist Masters

Stephen Eskildsen

State University of New York Press

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Contents

Introduction Opening Comments Historical Summary Preview of This Book’s Contents

Cultivating Clarity and Purity Conclusion

The Asceticism of the Quanzhen Masters

Cultivating Health and Longevity The Anatomy The Causes of Disease and Death How the Quanzhen Masters Combated Disease and Death Conclusion: Nurturing theQiand Completing the Spirit

Visions and Other Trance Phenomena Introduction A Remarkable Incident from the Childhood of Yin Zhiping Communications from Realized Beings of Past and Present

v

vii

1 1 3 18

21 38

3

9

57 61 67

76

9

0

95 95

96

9

7

vi

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Contents

Miscellaneous “Signs of Proof ”: Sights, Sounds, Tastes, and Sensations Difficulties and Frustrations Involved in Gaining “Signs of Proof ” Conclusion

The Miraculous Powers of the Quanzhen Masters How to Attain Miraculous Power Manifesting the Radiant Spirit Clairvoyance Two Physical Feats of Wang Zhe Confirmed by Qiu Chuji Healing and Ritual Thaumaturgy Wondrous Mirages Conclusion

Death and Dying in Early Quanzhen Taoism Hagiography Collected Sayings Conclusion

The Compassion of the Early Quanzhen Masters

Rituals in Early Quanzhen Taoism Attitudes toward Rituals The Quanzhen Masters As Ritual Purists Final Remarks

Chapter 10 Conclusion

Notes Bibliography Secondary Sources in English and French Secondary Sources in Chinese Secondary Sources in Japanese Primary Sources from the Taoist Canon Other Primary Sources Glossary Index

102

110 113

115 117 121 126

132 134 137 138

139 140 148 153

155

171 173 184 191

195

201 245 245 248 249 249 252 255 263

Acknowledgments

My interest in Quanzhen Taoism began in the spring of 1985, when Profes- sor Joseph McDermott (then of International Christian University, Tokyo) recommended it to me as a topic for my undergraduate thesis. I was soon addicted, and by the fall of 1987, I found myself at the University of British Columbia, working on a master’s thesis on Quanzhen Taoism under the inspi- rational guidance of Professor Daniel Overmyer. Although my subsequent research in the Ph.D. program at the same university led me off in another direction (Six Dynasties period Taoist asceticism), my fascination with the early Quanzhen movement was rekindled during my stay at the Chinese Uni- versity of Hong Kong as a postdoctoral fellow (1997–1998). Chapters 3, 4, 6, 8, and 9 of this book are heavily revised versions of chapters from my 1989 master’s thesis, “The Beliefs and Practices of Early Ch’üan-chen Taoism”. The rest of the book is based on research conducted during and since my sojourn in Hong Kong. (A slightly different version of chapter 5 has appeared in the Journal of Chinese Religions29 [2001] under the title “Seeking Signs of Proof: Visions and Other Trance Phenomena in Early Quanzhen Taoism.”) My gratitude first goes out to my mentors, Professors Overmyer and McDermott. I also would like to thank the Chinese University of Hong Kong Postgraduate Fellowship Scheme and the National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend Program for financial support of my research for this book. I am deeply grateful as well to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, particularly to my friends and colleagues in the Department of Philosophy and Religion, for providing a congenial and supportive environ- ment in which to finish this book. I dedicate this book to my parents, Edward and Marion Eskildsen, and to all my family and friends that give my life true meaning.

vii

This page intentionally left blank.

Ch

ap

t

er

1

Introduction

OC

This book explores the beliefs and practices of the Quanzhen (Complete Real- ization) School of the Taoist religion during its founding phases in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. The Quanzhen School is a living tra- dition. It is the dominant school of monastic Taoism in the People’s Repub- lic of China, and numerous non-monastic Taoist temples and organizations in southern China, Taiwan, and other countries claim an affiliation with 1 the Quanzhen tradition as well. The emergence and rapid growth of the Quanzhen School during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries has frequently been cited as a pivotal event in the history of Taoism. Quanzhen Taoism in its doctrinal content has been described as the foremost representative of a “new Taoist religion” (xin daojiao) that in very fundamental ways differed from the “old Taoist religion” (jiu daojiao). The monks and nuns in Quanzhen monasteries today pursue an austere lifestyle. To my knowledge, most or all of them practice celibacy and vegetarian- 2 ism. Although part of their regimen consists of reciting liturgies and learning ritual procedures, their most important pursuit is a form of meditation known as 3 neidan(internal alchemy), orjinggong(motionless exercise). The ultimate goal of this is to gain immortality through the recovery of the Radiant Spirit (yangshen) or Real Nature (zhenxing) that exists without beginning and without end. One who progresses in this endeavor is thought to gain health, longevity, and inner tranquility. Although physical death eventually occurs, the Radiant Spirit 4 is thought to survive to enjoy an eternal life unbound by the strifesaofmsara.

1