Daoism Studies

A Fieldwork Report for the Present Situation of Folk Beliefs in Danlu Hamlet, Nandan County, Guangxi

Gai Jianmin, Liu Xuetao

2019(2): 1-21.

Abstract ( 30 )

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Danlu hamlet, located at Changli village, Wuai town, Nandan county, Hechi city, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, along with the compact communities of Zhuang people with the Red River around. Danlu hamlet can be regarded as a summation combined cultures of Tao, Tusi, and Zhuang. It raised with the elixir practices in Danlu mountain of Luo Qianduan the 11th Tusi of Nadi among the Wan Li period in the Ming dynasty and influenced by Taoism significantly. Through the fieldwork for Danlu mountain and Danlu hamlet in late May 2019, we found the worships of Ma Guai (螞), the lord of the earth, ancestor, earth god, and ritual activities performed by Mo Gong (麼公) constitute the world of faith in Danlu hamlet: the Ma Guai Festival(螞节)influenced by the worship of Tusi, and the lord of the earth, which is the combination of common worship of the lord of the earth and aerolite culture in Nandan. The memorial tablets of the "heaven, earth, lord, ancestor, and master", which are worshiped by the families of Danlu, highlight the influence of the foreign culture represented by Taoism in the hamlet; and in the ancestral scriptures and ritual traditions of the ancestors, it is manifested by the influence of various cultural factors as the unique phenomenon of "mo shi he yi " (麼師合一).

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A Preliminary Study of Two Branches of Qingwei School through Stele Inscriptions: Some Thoughts on the Compilation of Zhonghua Xudaozang

Zhou Ye

2019(2): 27-39.

Abstract ( 57 )

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This paper proves that, through the search for inscription materials, the two branches of Qingwei（清微） School recorded in The General Book of Immortal Sects（Zhuzhen Zongpai Zongbu諸真宗派總簿）have been passed down in modern times. Combining with other materials, this paper makes a preliminary study on the participation of these Taoists to local beliefs, such as repairing temples and creating temple fairs and provides new evidence for the relationship between eunuchs and Taoism. Furthermore, this paper contributes some simple ideas to the compilation of Zhonghua Xudaozang（中華續道藏）.

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He-che and Reverted Elixir of Inner Elixir Practice in The Zhong-Lü Chuan Dao Ji

Zhang Weiwen

2019(2): 40-51.

Abstract ( 115 )

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The Zhong-Lü Chuan Dao Ji （《鍾呂傳道集》）is one of the representatives of Zhong-Lü school in Tang and Song dynasties. The Zhong-Lü Chuan Dao Ji divides inner elixir practice into twelve codes, and the most precious is He-che and Reverted Elixir. The main function of He-che is carrying the Qi of pure Yang, which making it circulate in the body. He-che mainly includes Small He-che, Great He-che, and Zi He-che. The Reverted Elixir includes Return of the Jade Liquor to the Cinnabar Field, which corresponds to Small He-che, Return of the Golden Liquor to the Cinnabar Field, which corresponds to Great He-che, etc. Besides, The Zhong-Lü Chuan Dao Ji also explains He-che and Reverted Elixir in detail, in the hope that one will be able to obtain the method of Zhong-Lü school, so as to obtain the benefits of comprehension at the right time.

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An Analysis of the Way of“Sage Outside the King” in Zhuangzi

Wang Jie, Xie Qingguo

2019(2): 52-63.

Abstract ( 43 )

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The top three nouns that appeared in the book Zhuangzi through the word frequency statistics of NEW RANK is Dao, all under heaven and sage. Hence it can be concluded that the focus center of Zhuangzi is the great way of the sage governs the world, that is, the way of “being sage inside while kingly outside”. Through combing the paradox of seclusion (隱逸) thought, “the fault of the sage” and the idea of “being sage inside while kingly outside”, we find what Zhuangzi opposes is the tool of state ruling — under the name of sage and act benevolence and righteousness but actually playing tricks. Consequently, the sage in Zhuangzi is wisdom instead of conspiracy, and the ultimate goal of “being sage inside while kingly outside” is to rule the state with the combination of the sage and the king by “doing nothing”(无為).

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Control Hun and Change Po：An Analysis of Hun and Po in Daoist Texts

Gao Deng

2019(2): 64-75.

Abstract ( 108 )

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The idea of hun（魂）and po（魄）in Taoism inherited from the pre-Qin Dynasty, reflecting Daoism's exploration of life. By understanding hun and po, the Daoists master the methods of controlling life and death, preserving the body and spirit to prolong life. Besides, the ideology such as Yin and Yang, the five parties and the five emperors are incorporated into the concept of hun and po, formed a rich thought. This paper explores the formation and symbolic significance of the Taoist hun-po view through the miscellaneous sources and texts of Daoism, and discuss the concept and ideological connotations of hun and po in the perspective of the body and spirit.

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The Daoist Altar, Literature, and Sects in the Mountainous County of Eastern Guangxi—Taking Zhaoping County of Hezhou City as the Center

Zhu Zhanyan

2019(2): 76-91.

Abstract ( 19 )

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Zhaoping County, located in the east of Guangxi, the middle reaches of Lijiang River, adjacent to Lipu city and Pingle County of Guilin City, Mengshan county and Cangwu County of Wuzhou City, etc, which is known as "the throat of Guangyou". There are mainly Han, Yao, and Zhuang living here. Many Daoist altars are active in various villages and towns. They are responsible for all aspects of religious life in rural communities. It is of great significance to clarify the scientific and ritual documents of each Daoist altar, the development of regional Daoism and the relationship between Daoism and ethnic belief.

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On Shen Yue's Poems of Immortality and His Daoist Belief

Liu Yuxia

2019(2): 92-121.

Abstract ( 30 )

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As a practitioner of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, Shen Yue served in the courts of Song, Qi and Liang dynasties, and made remarkable achievements in literature, historiography, and theology. His theoretical works have been frequently discussed while his poems, especially those about immortality are neglected. Shen created a considerable number of poems of immortality, presenting the distinctive features of secularization, specialization, and periodization. By analyzing Shen Yue's poems about immortality, we can gain a deeper understanding of the underlying causes of his conviction to Buddhism and Daoism.

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Eight Abstracts of Daoist Literature and Art Research Works

Hu Hanting

2019(2): 112-121.

Abstract ( 27 )

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Understanding and Practice Paradigm of Life from the Daoist Ethics of Advocating Good

Yu Guoqing

2019(2): 122-131.

Abstract ( 19 )

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Advising virtue is one of the important theories of Daoism, which is clearly reflected in Daoist books of advising virtue. Based on these ideas of understanding of Life and caring for life, Daoism has formed unique thoughts of life，such as noumenon reflection of respect for life, the life attitude beyond the mundane, and the paradigm of life naturally. On the whole, the thoughts of "life understanding and life contemplation" in the Daoist books of advising virtue have played a positive role in educating people in history and still show positive vitality today.

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Research on the Yi in Daoist Elixir Scriptures from Tang Dynasty

Liu Jincheng

2019(2): 132-147.

Abstract ( 54 )

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In Tang Dynasty, Daoists undertake the academic tradition of Daoism in the Han Dynasty, used the Yijing to explain elixir thoughts and practice, which influenced by the Zhou Yi Can Tong Qi of Wei Boyang. In Tang Dynasty, there were not only Daoists who explained and elucidated Zhou Yi Can Tong Qi, but also many Daoist scriptures on alchemy referred to the thoughts and concepts of Yijing, which demonstrated a profound understanding of Yi ideology. This paper, by examining Taoist scriptures of elixir in the Tang Dynasty, finds the studies of elixir and Yi are consistent in views of life, trigrams in the Yijing has a close relationship with Taoist elixir, and there exists a correspondence between Guaqi theory and heat control in elixir practice.

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A Study of Zhouyi’s Application in Inner Elixir from the Trigrams of Qian and Kun

Li Yong

2019(2): 148-164.

Abstract ( 39 )

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From the Han Dynasty, Daoist of Elixir introduced Zhouyi to combine it with Huang-Lao thought and the practice of making an elixir, thus forming a unique set of sign systems. Qian and Kun especially became the outline of the metaphor in the development of the Golden Elixir practice. Kun has close metaphor correspondence to cultivate oneself to establish the foundation in elixir practice while Qian refers to the four-step progress: practicing essence（精）to form pneuma（气）, practicing qi to form spirit（神）, practicing spirit（神）to return to xu（虛）and practicing xu（虛）to reach Tao. Based on this, we can see clearly the application of Zhouyi in inner elixir practice and the essence of the inner elixir.

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A Book Review of Zhuangzi Conflate Revision by Jiang Menma

Huang Yongfeng

2019(2): 165-167.

Abstract ( 45 )

PDF (1875KB) ( 63 )

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