Daoist Body Cultivation: Traditional Models and Contemporary Practices

240 Pages·2006·10.749 MB·English

by  Livia Kahn (ed)

Daoist Body
Cultivation
.
.' '. :
Edited by
Livia Kohn
Daoist
Body
Cultivation
TraditiMoondaell s
and
ContemporParrya ctIces
edited
by
LiviKaa hn
ThrePei nePsr ess
P.O. B0ox7 2
MagdalenNMa ,8 7825
www.threepmespress.com
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LibroaryfC ongrCeastsa logiPunbg-liicna tion Data
-
Daoisbto dyc ultivattiroand:i tional amnoddc eolnst emporparrayc
tic/ees d itbeydL iviKao hn.
p.c m.
Includbeisb liograprheifcearle nacneds i ndex.
ISBN 1-931483-05-(1a lkp.a per)
1.H ealth-RelIagsipoeucst s-Tao2i.sH my.g ienTea,o ist.
2. I.K ohnL,i vi1a9, 56-
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RA
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2005037747
Contents
Introduction 1
LonnJya rrett
1.
AcupnuctuarnedS piriRteuaalli zation 19
CathineerD espuex
2.
TheS ixH ealinBgr eaths 37
3.S tephJeanco kwicz
Ingest,iD oiengstioann,dR egesitoanTt:h e
ComplexiotfQi i-Aebss orption 68
4.S hawAnr thur
Lifwei thoGurta iBnisg:au n tdh Dea oisBto dy 91
5.Li viKao hn
Yoga Daanody in 123
6.M ichaWeilnn
TransformSienxgu Eanle rwgiyt Wha ter-Fairned -
Alchemy 151
7.B edBei dlack
TaiQjuia :nF ormVsi,s ioannsdE,f fse ct 179
8.L ouKiosm jathy
QigoinnAg m erica 203
Index 237
Illustrations
IntI'.Fi g.1 P:a ngut,h ec reatSooru.r cLiee:x iaqnu anzhuan.
Fig2.:T heC harotf I nnePra ssagewaSyosu.r cNee:l jintgu .
Ch.1 Fig1.T: h ee xchanpgaet teronfts h ef ivpeh ases.
Ch.2 Fig.1 ":T hem ythicaamlm alr epresentthienl gi v"eS ro.urce:
Huangtinnegl jiwnugz anlgi ufub uxie tu
Fig.2 :" TheL ungE xercisSeo.u"r cHee:a liTnago .
Ch.3 Fig1.H: e aveann dE artinh theh umanb eing.
Fig.2 :F ormosf q i-flow.
Fig3.:P ostnamteatla bolIs&m M etaboliasftme rs elcfu ltivation
Fig4.:E x pellxiein cgo mponenwthsi cahr ez hengttoh eu niverse.
Fig5.F :u sioonft heF ivSep rouctrse attehsei mmorteamlb ryo.
Ch.4 Fig1.:M a onut,h eH airyL adyS.o urcLei:e xiqauna nzhuan.
Fig.2 :Ge HongS.o urceB:a opuznie ipian.
Fig3.:T heU ppearn dLo wer CorpseSso.u rcCeh:u s anshiucJhiong
baoshenjgm g.
Fig4.:P okeR ooatn dS esameS.o urcCehi:n eseHe rbs.
Ch.5 Fig.l 'Th eM awangdu"iE xercCihsaer tS.o"u rcDea:oyin tu.
FIg2.:T h eb ambosol iopfst he" StretBcoho k.S"o urcYei:n shu.
Fig3.:A talismuasne di nH ighesCtl ariptrya ccteiS. ource:
Zhenzhaliin gtu.
Fig4.:T h es evecnh akrains t heb ody.
Ch.6 Fig1. T:h ee nergetic conbneetcwteieotnnh seh eart kainddn eys.
SourcHeu:a Tho xwwmenn eizhatou .
Fig2.:Th e Ym-yang sexuaeln l'regyx changSeo.w 'cAew:ak en
HenliEnnge rgyo rtheT aoU.s edw itphe rmission.
Fig.3 :Th ei mmorteamlb ryoe mergefrso m thea lchemiccaaull ­
dronS.o urcTeEl:Jl 7; mhuaz ongzhi.
Ch.7 Fig1.:T heT aijDii a!-'TumSo.u rcTell:jl it llsllUo
Fig2.:A sequeonfcT ea lqujaln . SoTuherD caeoo: f TElljiquan.
Fig3.: P ostaetWr h itCel ouMdo na�tery.
Ch.8 Fgi.}:S tadningE ighBrto cadeSso.u rcBea:d uajni nt UJie.
Introduction
Manyr eliguisto raditeincoonusr atghepe ractoifcc ulet ivaTthieoyn .
suppotrhte mire mbeinr dse veloqpuianlgit thiaaetrs se e eni daesa l,
perfoercd te,s irwaibtlheti hnce no teoxftt hebierl iefs, tqhuaatl ities
makteh efilorol wermso rleik et hdee iotryc osmpirci inpclaett heir
corTeh.u sf,o erx amlpeC.h riiasntesn coguert ahed evelmoenpto f
neighbloorvluneys, e lfishnaensds .s osceiravsli.B c udedhilsitktseo
seteh efiro lwleorbsem oraullpiyrg hctal,m lsye lfs-speeosd,sa ndf ull
ofw isodm.In e accha ,st ehoeb jeocfct u ltiviasct lioosnce olryr elated
tot hsea crtehdce,e ntcroanlc ,ea rnndm osdti vianseepc otft hree lig­
ionw,h ilheu man olniif teo sr dinya,mr unande lelvi ess eeanss epa­
raet andd ifefrefnrto tmh ivsi siWoen ar.e b yo urn aturoefb eing
humanno ti deoarlp erfeWcet l.a cikn nepre a,cm eutulaol,v a end
divinWiet ayr.en otlik et hed eiotryt hec omsicp rinlc-eibputw e
havteh sep artkh,se ee dt,h ter aocfte h dei viwniet huisn.
Cultivtahtuipsor ne souspeptsw o baasssipuct mioOnnse.,t hahtu ­
manl ifaen dt hheu manc ondiatrideoi nv erfrgoemnt th dei vine, the
ultimtahtepe e,r fe.cAn tdi town,ot hatth eirset hep otenftoiarat l­
tainngti hpee rfsetcatwt iet heinv erhyu mabne inTgh.ep ractoifc e
cultivtahetnij,ou ns,lt i kieta sg ricrualclto uunteripnta hremt u n­
danweo rlmde,an st op latnhte s eesdu,p poarntdn urtuirtke,e ep
predasat nodrw eedasw aya,l liottw o g roawn, dg raduraalilisytte o
fulbll ooEmv.e ntutahlsele yew di lblea c omplegtreolwyn panlda nt,
cultivwaitlnilool no ngbeear s epaatrper actbiucte bwielcmloeo ne
with itsIenlt fh.re e liiogucso ntetxhtim,se antsh attou nderstand
life
cultivoantesi hoonu filrdse tx amitnheie d eaalnsdg oaolfts h ree lig­
ioinn q ues,tt ihoenfinn dt hnea tuorfte h see eandd loofkot rh dife­
feremnett hoodfcs a raen cdu ltivation.
Consiswtiettnhht ge r owth metaphorm,e acnauscl ttiaionvnad t ion
forwarmdo tiporno,rg esasn de nhancemeOnntcb.ee guni,sa c iotn ­
tinuous apnro oncgeosisn,g moovfte armneosnrftm atIitor ne.q uires
thaotn ech allebnaigscae ss spuitmonasb ouste alnfd w orlbde,cm oes
newp erswointe hv eprhya saen,di sn evqeuri staet isdfoineed,, or
a
finishTehde.ri esa lwatyhsde i vinied elaolo minabgo vThee.r ei sa l­
wayyse atn othsetret pot akaen,o thareerat os uppoarnto,et rha s­
pecttow orokn. T hep rocesst hijeto suerlfnt,eot y h geo ,ab lecomes
1
2/D aoiBsotd Cyu ltIVatIon
thew ayo fc ultivaatnidof no,tr h ed edicaptreadc tittihoanites hr i s
life.
Jusats i np lantaifi negl odn ec anr eleyn tireolnyo neseolfrg eth elp
from manualasd,v isearnsda, s sistasnoct usl,t ivactainbo enu nder­
takeeni thuenrd eorn e'osw ns teaomr w itthh eh elopf o therThse.
Japanetsrea ditdiiosnt ingutihsihmseo ss tc learliny i tcso ntrbaes­t
tweeZnen andP urLea ndd,e scriabsje dir iE!k i11o r " self-paonwde r"
tarfit!k!.oi11r " othpeorw err,e"s pectiIvnoe tlhye.wr o rdtso,c ultivate
ther eligiioduesao ln ec anf ollao wp atho fs elf-transfno rmatio
throuvgirht umee,d itatainodsn e,lf -conotror noelc and elivoenre self
inttoh eh andosf a editoyr d iviangee nat ,b odhisattvsaa-vtiyopre
who wgiilvlse u ppoarntdg uidanacnede vetna kmea tteirnst hoi so r
herp owerfuhla ndAnso.t heirm agseo metimuesse id nt heB uddhist
conteixstt h aotft heb icyvcelres tuhse b usB.o thw illt akyeo ut ot he
desirdeeds tinabtuitoo nn,t heb icycyloeuh ave propeylo urself
to
forwarbdy y ouro wns trengwthhe,r eoanst heb usyo uc anl eavteh e
drivinagn dd ecision-mtaosk oimnego enles e.
Itm ays eema tfi rsgtl antchea btik ingi sa greadte ahla rdetrh an
sittoinna g b usb,u tt hef acitst hahtu manb einhgasv ea verdyif fi­
cultti mdee livetrhinegm seluvneqsu estioninitnogt lhyeh andosf
anothheorw,e vmeurc hr everbeedl,o vaendd,t rustGeidv.i nogn eself
ind evotiisoj nu sats h arda,n df osro mep eopmlaey b ee venh arder,
than purtshuemi ynsgt ipcaatloh f m editatainodsn e lf-control.
Youm ayn otaet t hipso intth awte speaokf " trustianngd"" s elf­
contrboolt,eh"s sentimaelnltyaa lc tioannsdp sycholoagtitciatlu des.
Andi ndeeidnm, o sttr adittihoepn ast ohf c ultivawthiiocnh,e vfeorr m
itm ayt akei,so neo fm ental transfMoorrmeat thiaonan n.y thiintg ,
requiarc ehsa ngiena ttitaunddea warenesas d,e velopmoefn tq uali­
tiessu cha sc ompassinoeni,g hbolrolvyec ,a lmnesasn,dd etach­
ment-aells sentiuanllpyh ysincoatol ft, h eb odyB.o dietse ntdo b eo n
thes idelionfce usl tivaattib oensl,te fttot heiorw nd evicaetsw ,o rts
malignaendd m istreaAltle tdo.o o ftetnh eb asic human onfa ture
greedianensdes g otiissum n dersttoobo edr ootine dt hef actth awte
havbeo diaensd that these nbeoeddtishe ast hahtvaoev es atisfied.
be
BertoBlrde chtth,ef amouGse rmadrna matissta,y isn h isT hree
As
PennOyp er"aE:r skto mmtd asF ressedna.n nk ommtd ieM oralo�r"
"Foofidr sett,h ilcast eYre.s"i, ti sv eryh artdo b eg ooidfy ou aproeo r,
hungrdyir,t ya,n dd isheveAnlde adl.tl o ooft ent her esideonfmt osn ­
astertihecesu ,l tivatipoanr e sxicteellse anrcewe e,l flde , welcll othed,
wellk epantd. ing enerfraele dfr omb odilwyo rries.
Introduct3i on
I
Butt heirsea noetrha lterntaott aikvietn hgbe o doyu otf t hceu tliva­
tioenq uatThiaotni .s o,n ec anm akteh e bodbya stithshee, root, the
foundaotfith oenc uilvtatpirooencs ,sa ncrh oonesfe linp hysicality
andt ransfotrhevm e rnya turoefb odileyx istaespn acero tft hdei vine
undretaki.nT ghiisst her outteh eD aoisttr adihtaisco hno ns-ea
unique routyee ttto fh inadit t msha actsha monogt hreeril gioannsd
thahta sw,ih tp hysiitcbyae lcomminogr e retlheevdsaaeny tas gr ,e at
appetaolm o derWnes etrns eekse.Wr ouldn oti tb en icree.ay l,tl o
enjtohybe o yda ndb ea g oopde rns,bo oht att hes amtei mWeo?u lidt
nobte ntiobc eea blteoe nyj aolslo rotfts r eaantdsp leraeswsuh ile
alsmoo vinfgro wrad tohnpe at h dtiov ineex istence?
Theriesgr eaatp peiantl h ivsi siaonndt, h eC hinester aditliifoen­,
affimrinagn dw orl-dlovfrinogm t heb eginninhga,es x ploirtee xdt en­
siv.eTh leyirs oliuotn thtpoer obloefhm av inagb oyda ndw antitnog
bed iviniess oemthicnlagl eqdi �.
Qia ndt heF ivPeh ases
Qii st hfeuo nadtioennaerlg y tohfue n ivetrhesb ea,cs s ituofftf he
Daot,h lei ffroec ien t hheu mabno dya,n dt hbea isso fa lplh ysical
vitalTiatnyg.ii bnlt eh se enastioannsdp ulsveiss,i absvl aep oarn d
breaatuhd,i ibnls eih gsa nds uondsit,i sw hawte a raes p hycsail,
embodbieeigdns Y.e itti sa lstoh mea tereinaelyro gfD aot,h uen der
lyifnogr ocfte h e greater tuhnpeio vweetrrhs ameta, k es thhaipn­gs
penin the cosmoisso. n lToyhn eeqr ije,u satst heirsoe n ly Doanoe,
andt hrouigtph e opalnedt hceo smaorse e.Wo nea re wbayyo fbe ing
bodiaelrse apdyar to ft hdei vitnheue,l taitmet,h cer eiaotnAl.l w e
havet od oi s retahlifisaz caetn db eahvaec cordingly.
Thaitst os ayn,o atl ilsw elblyj usbte iqngi.Q ia ppeaornsdif fernet
levealndsi ndif feremnotd eAsto. u cro rine o,u dre epbeesitnt gh,e re
arteh e cofsommrsio cfp rimoradnidpa rlne ataqli, i .,qe i.t haits part
oft hcer eatsiuvbtesr uamto ft huen ivearnsdte h ter upee,r fqeiwce t
recefriovmeo ur parentAstt. h pee rhiepriyn,o url ivaensdd ay-to­
daye xpsriseont,h eriesp onsattoarle aryt qhi.lA ltlh rehea vteo
wortko getshmeoro tahnldwy i teha sfeo r heaanldht ahr nmyot ob e
achvieed.
Healtthhe,in sn, o jtu sttha eb senofcs ey mtpomasn da ilmeIntit ss .
thper eseonfac s et nrgov iteanle ragnyd smao ohtahmr,o nioaunsd,
actiflvoewo f Thiisskn owna st hset aotfze he ng.iEq�i or" proper
qi
4/D aoiBsotd Cyu ltIvation
qi,a"l stor anslaast" eudp riqghlTt:h "ei deailst oh aveq iflo wf reely,
creathianrgm oniynt heb odanyd a balancsetda toefb einign t he
persoTnh.ip se rsonhaeall itshfu rther matbcyhh eeadl itnhn ature,
definaesrd e gulawre ather paatntdte hrean bss enocfde i sastIetir ss .
alspor eseansth ealitnhs ocieitnty h ep eacefcuole xistence among
familicelsa,nv si,l laagnedss ,t atTehsi,h sa rmonoyn a llle vetlhse,
cosmpirce senocfae s teaadnyd p leasflaonwto fq ii,s w hatt heC hi­
nese casltla ottfehG er eaPte ac(eat ipi*n4'g)a , s tatvee nerabtye d
aldli fferent religiousan,d ppohliiltosisccohapolho iinlc sta rla,d i­
tional China.
Theo pposoifth ee altwhh,a to thetrr aditwioounlsdd e scraisbt eu rn­
inga wayfr om thed ivianned g iviinngt ob odiulryg eisn,C hinai s
xie!fqf,i*"o r " waywarqdl;" alscoa lled dqeivp,ia atnhto geqnlih;ce t­
eropatqhloi:rc e viqliIn a conditoifxo in ehqui,m anhsa vel ostth eir
harmoniroeulsa ttioot nh e costmhoeqs i,f iehlads f alloeunto fb al­
ancean,d p eoplqei'nslo o nger sutphpedo yrntasm fiocr coefcs h ange.
Whereasp ropeqrim oveisn a smooth, srtheyatdhyam n de ffects
dailrye newhaell,p ihnega latnhd l onlgif ,ew aywardq ii sd isorderly
andd ysfunctiaonndca rle ates cthhaavntig oel attheens o rmaolr der.
When itb ecomdeosm inatnhte,q i-flowc ant urunp oni tsealnfdd e­
pletthee b odyr'ess ourTcheesi .n divildousaelhs i so rh erc onnection
tot heu nivernsole o,n goepre raatsep sa rotf a g reatseyrs teamn,di s
increasoiuntog flt yu nwei tthh eb asilci ffeo rce.
Thiisn d uec ourrsees uiltnis lT itatmieonnt:ai lr ritatthiaoatnp pears
as negaetmiovtei oannsdp hysiicrarli tatthiaostnh owusp a sb odily
discomfaonrdet vse ntulaellaydt sod isease. hPaevoteph leae b iltiot y
feetlh eq ualiotfty h eiqriw i thin their Thbeoyda ilessho.a vet he
powetro r egulaittefls o w, atnhde hya vet hes tl-entgoct ohn triotls
intaakned o utpuTth.es amea ppliteots h el eveolfns a turaen ds oci­
etyI.n n ature, waqyiwm areadn st heo ccurreonfcu en predictable
weathpeart tersnusc,ha sfl oodsd,r oughltosc,u pslta gueesa,r th­
quakeasn,dt hel ikIen.s ocieittmy e,a nusp heavianrl e belliroenvso,­
lutioonras c,t osft errorAissi mn.t heb odyt,h essei gnosfu neveqni­
flowc anb ep redicctoendt,r olalnedrd e,me died-provoindeue ndd er­
stantdhses ubtdlynea miocf l ifoena lilt lse vels.
Thifsu ndamenutnadle rstanodfti hnegb odya ndt hed iviinsec om­
mont oa lolf C hniees cultuarnedf indistb se st-kneoxwpnr essiino n
Chinemseed icinaes wealst,lo a leswsel l-knodweng reeC,h inese
in
polittihceaolrT yh.eD aoitstr aditaisot nh,ei ndigenhoiugshe rre lig­
iono fC hinhaa,s d eveloiptef du rthbeyrl inkitnhgeb odywi tht he
naturwaolr ladn dw itthh ec ountrayd'msi nistrbaytp ioopnu,l atiitn g
Introduc/t ion
5
witsht eldleairst ,ain edb yd efinsinugb tdliesrt incatnidto ynpsoe fs
enerOgyn.t hibsa s,ii sth asc reaatnei dn triccoamtpel.se yxs toefm
spirictuulatli vtahrtoiuogwnhh, i cthh beo ydi st ransformed energeti'
calilnytt oh seu btlpeosssitb ploet eyn.Ic tustl miateg oailst ob ecome
onew itthh eD aot,or eacah s taotfem ystailuc nioann dr eleoafs e
persoengoai'ld entointt hyi esa rtahn dt oa scentdh eh eaveonfs
to
thgeo dasn dim mortafatledsre a.t h
Theb odyD aino isamsa s ystoefm i sp aratn dp arcoeftl h nea tural
qi
worlIdt.es!v eryp artm atchoenseo rt hoet hearps ecto fn atures,o
thaatlr eatdhyH eu ainanrtEz1¥Ji-=f (Writionftg hsPe r inocfHe u iana)n
oft hsee cdoc nentBuCr..ysE a.y tsh at r"otuhnneed sosft hhee aids an
imagoefH eav,e ntshqeu areonfe ss
thef eeftlo lowtsh ep atteronf
EartJh.u"sa ts t hen aturwaolr ld J\. t; iil:£
functiaocncso rtdoit nhgfe o usre a'
sonfisv,e p hasenisn,de ir eicotsn,
and3 60d asy,' 'humabnen igsh ave
foulirm bsfi,v ein nero rgannisn,e
oriefisca,n d3 60j oisn.St"i imlarly,
thev ariofuoser sco fn atures,u ch
asw indr,a icno,l adn,d h etaa re
matchine dp eopl"ea'cst ioofgn isv '
ingt,ai kngj,o ya,n da ngeEra.c"h
organm,o reo,vh earsap artt op lay
int hen aturianlnr e worl"dT:h e
galbll adder cortroet shpeo nds
cluodst,h leun gtso t hber etaht,h e
livteotr h wein dt,h kei dnetoyt sh e
raiann,dt hsep eletno t hteh under"
(ch7.;s eMea jo1r97 8). Fig1.:P angut,h eC retaor
A morrea divciaslio oftn h sem aei deap eaapirnst hDea oiasdtat pa'
tioonft hIen dimaynt ohf P uru�wah,e rteh peh ysibcoyad lto fhd ee '
iyt ist raonrmsefdi nttoh ew orl(sde Lei nco1ln9 75I)nC. h inat his
stoirsfiy r stto ladb otuhtc er eaftiogruP raen guJili i:!:!,i ta lsaop pears
witthh dee fieLda oazsik epyr otag(osneFieis gt1.. )T hes togroye s:
Laozcih angheidsb odyH.i sl efte yeb ecamteh es una ndhi s
righetye t hem oon.H ish eadw asM ountK unlunh,i sh air
thes tarsH.i sb onetsu rnedi ntdroa gonhiss, fl eshi ntwoil d
1T hef ollonwigdi scussoifoth ne b odyi nD aoisims b aseodn K ohn1 991.
Otheprr esentsaa triefo onunidnH omann1 971S;c luppe1r9 781;9 94I;s hIda
1989A;n ders1e9n94 ;Kr oll1 996S;a s1o9 97B;u mbache20r0 1;D espeux2 005.