Issue5_art9

$AOIST #ONTRIBUTIONS TO 3PIRITUAL 0RACTICE 3TEVEN ! 4AINER

3

PIRITUALITY AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICE CAN BE MANY DIFFERENT THINGS DEPEND ING ON ONE S VIEW OR PREFERRED TRADITION )N THIS ARTICLE ) WILL DESCRIBE A FEW FEATURES OF MY OWN VIEW DRAWING UPON THREE PERIODS OF $AOIST HISTORY AND METHODS OF PRACTICE ) SUGGEST THAT $AOISM OFFERS SOME METHODS AND INSIGHTS THAT MAY BE HELPFUL TO PRACTITIONERS OF QUITE DIVERSE SPIRITUAL OR RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS AND THAT MAY CONTRIBUTE TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF hPRACTICEv ITSELF &IRST ) SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ) AM NOT A $AOIST 4HE VERY NOTION OF MEMBERSHIP IN AN INSTITUTION CALLED h$AOISMv WOULD PROBABLY HAVE SEEMED ABSURD TO SOME h$AOISTv SEERS NOTABLY THE LOGICIAN JOKER ANTISAGE :HUANGZI AND THOSE UNKNOWN COLLABORATORS IN THE EARLY PHILOSOPHICAL $AOIST PROJECT $AODEJING "UT IT DEl G NITELY DID AND STILL DOES MEAN A LOT TO ORDAINED PRIESTS IN THE ORTHODOX SCHOOLS OF RELIGIOUS $AOISM AND ) TRULY RESPECT THEIR FEEL ING THAT SUSTAINED DEDICATION TO A PARTICULAR TRADITION WITH ITS OWN UNIQUE STRENGTHS CANNOT BE CASUALLY COMPARED WITH A MORE SYNCRETIC APPROACH 4HERE ARE COMPLEX POINTS AND ARGUMENTS TO BE MADE ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS ISSUE #HINESE HISTORY HAS PRECEDENTS FOR HOLDING TWO OR MORE TRADITIONS OR FOR LEARNING FROM THEIR OVERLAP AND SHARED ESSENCE AS IN THE CASE OF THE FAMOUS 5NITY OF THE 4HREE 4EACHINGS MOVEMENT !ND ON THE OTHER SIDE

WE CAN ALL RECALL THE LESSON THAT IT S BETTER TO FOLLOW ONE PROFOUND 7AY TO ITS END THAN TO RUN PARTWAY DOWN MANY PATHS 3YNCRETISM THE EXPLICIT BINDING TOGETHER OF DIFFERENT STATED AP PROACHES IS IN ANY CASE NOT SOMETHING ) WISH TO CHAMPION -Y MAIN TRADITIONAL ALLEGIANCE IS RATHER TO WHAT ) l ND IN CONTEMPLATIVE TRADITIONS SUCH AS #HINESE #HAN "UDDHISM AND 4IBETAN $ZOGCHEN AND MASTERS IN BOTH OF THESE HAVE STATED THAT THERE IS NO NEED TO CREATE OR JOIN A SEPARATE SECT CALLED h#HANv OR h$ZOGCHENv 4HEIR EMPHASIS IS NOT A CONSTRUCTION OR ARTIFACT OF AN APPROACH EITHER A TENET OR A METHOD BUT RATHER ON SOMETHING PRIMARY OR FUNDAMENTAL THAT IS BOTH THE BASIS AND THE FRUIT OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICE ! DISCUSSION OF THAT CONTROVERSIAL POSSIBILITY MIGHT BE >HHJ: D8ID7:G

3TEVEN ! 4AINER

INTERESTING AND VALUABLE BUT AGAIN WOULD GO BEYOND MY PURPOSE HERE ) WISH ONLY TO EXPLAIN HOW SOME POINTS OF $AOIST PRACTICE PROVIDED ME WITH A BRIDGE RENDERING CONTEMPLATIVE #HAN LEVEL SPIRITUALITY MORE ACCESSIBLE

NATURAL AND GENUINE IN SOME SENSE AND HOW THESE SAME POINTS MAY MAKE A SIMILAR CONTRIBUTION TO PRACTITIONERS OF OTHER TRADITIONS 5NTIL THE S AND S IN THE 7EST $AOISM WAS EQUATED ONLY WITH THE hPHILOSOPHICALv ,AO :HUANG TRADITION THE ,AOZI OR $AODEJING AND THE :HUANGZI -ORE RECENT RESEARCH INCLUDING EXTENSIVE WORK BOTH BY SCHOLARS SUCH AS )SABELLE 2OBINET .ORMAN 'IRADOT AND ,IVIA +OHN AND 7ESTERN BORN SCHOLAR $AOIST PRIESTS SUCH AS +RISTOFER 3CHIPPER HAVE RADICALLY CHANGED THAT PICTURE 4HIS NEWER SCHOLARSHIP SHOWS THAT THE PHILOSOPHICAL TRADITION WAS ONLY ONE IMPORTANT FORM OF $AOISM ONE THAT MUST BE PUT IN THE CONTEXT OF EARLY AND LATER CULTURAL MOVEMENTS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS BOTH AT COURT AND IN THE COUNTRYSIDE 4HESE INCLUDED THE SCHOOLS OF RE LIGIOUS $AOISM WHICH BEGAN TO ACHIEVE ORTHODOX DEl NITION EARLY IN THE %ASTERN (AN l RST THROUGH THIRD CENTURIES # % !LSO INCLUDED WERE THE ALCHEMICAL SCHOOLS WHICH WERE WELL ARTICULATED WITHIN SOME OF THE ORTHODOX RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS AND WHICH ALSO BECAME INCREASINGLY OPEN STARTING IN THE 3UNG DYNASTY THROUGH THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY TO MASTER PRACTITIONERS WHO WERE LAYMEN AND LAYWOMEN NOT PRIESTS 4HIS ENLARGED PICTURE OF $AOISM l NDS SUCH A VAST NUMBER AND DIVERSITY OF PRACTICES THAT IT WOULD BE DIFl CULT TO DESCRIBE OR EVEN LIST THEM 4HEY RANGE FROM GROUP OR COMMUNAL RITUALS TO SOLITARY HERMIT STYLE PRACTICE

FROM THE PHILOSOPHICAL TO THE YOGIC AND CONTEMPLATIVE FROM OUTER PHYSI CAL PRACTICES AND GENERAL HEALTH REGIMENS TO COMPLEX INNER ALCHEMY FROM THE AUSTERE MONASTIC DISCIPLINES TO QUIRKY LITERARY JESTS AND TO VERY MODEST FORMS OF OCCASIONAL hWORSHIPv BY ORDINARY VILLAGE AND TOWNSFOLK %ARLY OR 0ROTO$AOISM AND A #ENTRAL 4HEME OF 0RACTICE -ORE RECENT SCHOLARSHIP HAS OPENED UP YET ANOTHER MORE CONTROVERSIAL BUT NOT IMPLAUSIBLE POSSIBILITY THAT MUCH OF THIS GREAT DIVERSITY OF PRACTICE WAS l RST INSPIRED AND REMAINS LINKED BY A YOGIC CONTEMPLATIVE EMPHASIS BY WHICH ) PRIMARILY MEAN A PARTICIPATORY EMPHASIS 7HILE THE PHILOSOPHICAL ,AO :HUANG TRADITION HAS LONG BEEN CONSIDERED THE ORIGINAL FORM OF $AO ISM (AROLD 2OTH HAS SUGGESTED THAT THE .EI 9E )NNER 4RAINING OR )NNER E

$EED IS ACTUALLY OLDER THAN THE $AODEJING AND OFFERS A BASIC FORM OF VIEW G TEACHING YOGA AND MIND ATTUNEMENT THAT MAY UNDERLIE MANY OF THE LATER

MORE REl NED SPECIALIZED OR POPULAR OUTER FORMS OF $AOIST PRACTICE 4HE .EI 9EE IS A SHORTER TEXT THAN THE $AODEJING WHICH 2OTH DATES ON G STYLISTIC AND SEMANTIC GROUNDS AS MID FOURTH CENTURY " # % LATE 7ARRING

G:A><>DC :6HI L:HI

$AOIST #ONTRIBUTIONS TO 3PIRITUAL 0RACTICE

3TATES PERIOD !FTER THE EARLY (AN IT HAS LAIN LARGELY FORGOTTEN SANDWICHED WITHIN THE LATER 'UAN ZI COLLECTION ON POLITICS AND ECONOMICS 4HOUGH NOT G AS ELEGANT OR POETIC AS THE $AODEJING IT PROVIDES A PITHY STATEMENT OF SIMI LAR VIEWS AND ELEMENTARY INSTRUCTION IN BOTH BREATH MEDITATION AND MIND TRAINING 4HIS FORM OF TRAINING MAY HAVE BEEN THE UNACKNOWLEDGED BASIS FOR NOT ONLY LATER $AOIST MOVEMENTS BUT ALSO FOR VARIOUS THEMES AND METHODS FOUND IN LATER #ONFUCIANISM AND SOME ELEMENTS OF #HINESE "UDDHISM /NE POINT OF EMPHASIS OF THE NONTECHNICAL .EI 9E IS THE USE OF THE BASIC BUT CENTRAL LIVING FUNCTION OF BREATHING TO HELP SENSITIZE PEOPLE BOTH TO THEIR OWN ALIVENESS AND TO THEIR UNFORTUNATE TENDENCIES TO LEAVE THIS ALIVENESS IN THE PURSUIT OF l CTIONS !LTHOUGH COUCHED IN THE LANGUAGE OF BREATH AND ENERGYÂ&#x2C6;GARNERING AND RESPECTFULLY HOLDING A VITAL ESSENCEÂ&#x2C6;THE .EI 9E S )NNER 4RAINING IS PRIMARILY ABOUT THE MATURATION OF AN hINNER MIND v A MIND THAT RECOGNIZES THE ESSENCE AND DOESN T GO hOUTv TO FRAGMENTATION 4HIS THEME IS TAKEN UP IN MANY TEXTS INCLUDING THE $AODEJING AND THE :HUANGZI

WHICH INCLUDE CRITIQUES EVEN SPOOFS OF HEAVY HANDED NOTIONS OF EXISTENCE hISv VERSUS hISN T v hTHISv VERSUS hTHATv AND OF PRACTICES MISTAKENLY INVOLV ING hACTIONv OR hCAUSATIONv OR INVOLVING GRASPING FOR hTHINGSv OR IDEALS OR IMPROVEMENTS ALL OF WHICH NATURALLY LEAD TO EXISTENTIAL DEPLETION !LSO IN A SEPARATE STUDY CONCENTRATING ON THE :HUANGZI 2OTH NOTES ITS EMPHASIS ON USING BREATHING TO hm OW OUTv MORE FREELY OVERCOMING BOUNDARIES BETWEEN E l CTIONS LIKE hSELF v AND hOTHERv AND hWORLD v JUST AS THE .EI 9E SUGGESTS #HECKING !GAIN AND h4HE 3ACREDv 7HEN ) SPENT SOME YEARS DOING PRACTICES OF THIS KIND AND OF OTHER KINDS ) LL MENTION BRIEm Y IN THIS PAPER ) NOTICED THAT MOST CRUCIALLY WHAT CAN BE DEPLETED OR LOST IS NOT JUST ONE S PHYSICAL ENERGY BUT ONE S APPRECIATION OF WHAT WE ARE AND WHERE WE ARE THE INTACT SACREDNESS OF IT ALL 7HAT CAN BE GARNERED OR RESPECTFULLY HELD IS THAT ORIGINAL OR TRUE NATURE OF THINGS 7HAT CAN BE LEARNED IS THAT WHAT WE ARE AND WHERE WE ARE DIFFER DRAMATICALLY FROM WHAT WE TYPICALLY THINK AND THAT OUR TYPICAL PERSPECTIVES INSTIGATE A LOT OF FALSE WAYS OF BEING BOTH IN ORDINARY LIFE AND IN ALLEGED SPIRITUAL PRACTICE "ASED ON FALSE VIEWS OUR PRACTICE OFTEN AMOUNTS TO TRYING TO USE STRUCTURES AND SOLVE PROBLEMS THAT EITHER DON T REALLY EXIST OR ARE NOT OUR PRIMARY ASPECT AND HENCE SHOULDN T FRAME OR DRIVE OUR PRACTICE ) M SURE PRACTITIONERS IN OTHER TRADITIONS WILL ALSO RECOGNIZE THIS TRAP ONE BASED ON HEEDLESSNESS ON BEING UNAWAKE BUT ALSO ON ARROGANCE OR SELF IMPOR TANCEÂ&#x2C6;POSSIBLY EVEN ON A LACK OF IMAGINATION AS THE :HUANGZI S STORIES MERCILESSLY DELIGHT IN DEMONSTRATING

>HHJ: D8ID7:G

3TEVEN ! 4AINER

-Y POINT IS THUS NOT THAT YOGA OR BREATHING PRACTICE PER SE PROVIDE THE COMMON DENOMINATOR OF ALL SPIRITUAL PRACTICE )T IS THAT WITH THE RIGHT VIEW AND ATTUNEMENT TO THE BASICS OUR PRACTICE SHOULD ENABLE US TO hRECHECKv WHERE AND WHAT WE ARE WHAT WE VE REALLY GOT AT THE OUTSET !ND AS ) LEARNED FROM TEACHINGS LIKE THOSE SEEN IN THE .EI 9E THE BEST RECHECKING PLACES A PREMIUM ON COMPLETELY EMBODIED AND ACTIVATED PARTICIPATION IN OUR WAYS OF BEING WHETHER INAUTHENTIC OR AUTHENTIC AT A GIVEN MOMENT SEEING EACH VERSION DIRECTLY AND FULLY 2ECHECKING WHAT WE VE GOT INSTEAD OF BUILDING A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE ON TOP OF OUR ORDINARY ASSUMPTIONS IS THE l RST MAIN FEATURE OF WHAT ) UN DERSTAND AS TRUE PRACTICE )T IS A PRINCIPAL THEME IN "UDDHISM AS WELL AS IN $AOISM !FTER SPENDING CONSIDERABLE TIME IN THIS KIND "REATHING PRACTICE RECOVERS OF PRACTICE ON MOUNTAIN RETREATS ) HAVE REPEATEDLY BEEN VERY SURPRISED TO l ND OUT JUST HOW ANEMIC ORDINARY OUR CONNECTION TO OUR MIND FORMS OF PARTICIPATION IN WHAT WE TAKE TO BE LIFE OFTEN ARE AND HOW INTENSE AND REVEALING PARTICIPATION CAN BECOME 0RACTICE THEN CEASES TO BE AN EFFORT BY A SMALL AND TO THE WORLD hSELF v AT RESOLVING SOME PUTATIVE DILEMMA OR LAPSED STATE AND INSTEAD VIGOROUSLY CELEBRATES THE EVER PRESENT PRIMARY /NE THE SACRED AS !CTUAL h6IGOROUSv BECAUSE THE CELEBRANTÂ&#x2C6;WHAT WE TURN OUT TO BEÂ&#x2C6;IS FAR MORE THAN THE ALLEGED ISOLATED FEEBLE AND PROBLEM RIDDEN SELF 3IMILARLY OUR CELEBRATORY PRACTICE IS NOT AN ACTION AS ORDINARILY CONSTRUED

USING ORDINARY RESOURCES )T IS hDONEv BY THE h$AO IN US v XING AND REGARDS THAT SAME $AO 0RACTICE IS THUS THE FUNCTION OR NATURAL EXPRESSION OF THE SACRED NATURE ITSELF AS IT ACTUALLY IS APPRECIATING ITSELF 3O TO SUMMARIZE THIS POINT ) AM NOT SAYING THAT WHAT DISTINGUISHES $AOIST PRACTICE IS MERELY ITS USE OF YOGIC METHODS OR ITS PHYSICALITY YOGIC OR PHYSICAL PRACTICE COULD STILL BE BASED ON UNQUESTIONED MISAPPREHENSIONS 2ATHER

BY EMPHASIZING WHAT IS BOTH NATURAL AND ACTUAL $AOIST YOGIC PRAC TICE OFFERS AN ENTRY INTO EXISTENTIALLY COMPLETE hCHECKINGv AND MATURATION %NTIRE WAYS OF BEING AUTHENTIC AND INAUTHENTIC CAN BE DISCOVERED AS WE SIT IN SOME APPROPRIATE PLACE LIKE THE MOUNTAINS OR GARDEN OR BUS STOP 5SING BREATHING PRACTICE FREELY AND THOROUGHLY TO RECOVER OUR CONNECTION TO OUR REAL BODY ENERGY MIND AND TO THE WORLD IN ITS ORIGINAL ASPECT WE THEREBY ALSO NOTICE ALL THE FROZEN STRUCTURES OR PRESUPPOSITIONS THAT USUALLY FRAGMENT DEPLETE AND NEGATIVELY BIAS OUR PERCEPTIONS OF WHAT AND WHERE WE ARE #ULTIVATING IN THIS WAY IF WHAT WE SOMETIMES HAPPEN TO l ND ARE MIS TAKEN PRESUPPOSITIONS AND INAUTHENTIC WAYS OF BEING WE CAN SEE THEM MORE FULLY AND DIRECTLY ACCEPTING THEM WITH FRIENDLY UNDERSTANDING PUTTING THEM IN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR MORE FUNDAMENTAL AND AUTHENTIC ALTERNATIVE 7E ARE

G:A><>DC :6HI L:HI

$AOIST #ONTRIBUTIONS TO 3PIRITUAL 0RACTICE

A PARENT TO OUR OWN ERRANT CHILDREN SYMPATHIZING WITH THEIR PERSPECTIVES BUT NOT LOSING SIGHT OF OUR OWN MATURE VISION AS OUR XING NATURE GROWS G INTO ITS MATURE CHARACTER /NE MOMENT OF l NDING AN AUTHENTIC WAY OF BEING AND OF EMBRACING INAUTHENTIC ONES TRULY SEEN WITHIN THEIR FUNDA MENTAL CONTEXT IS WORTH ANALYSES ABOUT WHY OUR ORDINARY VIEWS ARE SUPPOSEDLY FALSE #ONCLUDING WITH THE "EGINNINGÂ&#x2C6;THE 5NBROKEN 4HE MAIN POINT OF $AOISM IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND CHERISH THE PRESENCE AND PRIMACY OF THE $AO 4HIS WORD $AO MEANS h7AY v BUT FOR $AOISTS IT ALSO SOMETIMES REFERS TO WHOLENESS TO AN EVER UNBROKEN PERFECTION #ONFUCIUSÂ&#x2C6;CONCERNED SPECIl CALLY WITH THE SENSIBILITIES AND PRIORITIES OF HUMANENESSÂ&#x2C6;CAUTIONED THAT IF YOU DO PRACTICE A hWAYv APART FROM -AN

IT S NOT THE $AO $AOISTS CONSTANTLY WARNED AGAINST NOT ACTING IN ACCORD WITH THE $AO "UT THEY WOULD ALSO SAY AT A HIGHER LEVEL THAT THE $AO IS WHAT WE CAN NEVER TRULY LEAVE AS WE FOLLOW ONE POSSIBLY IMMATURE OR FOOLISH

WAY OR ANOTHER )F WE COULD EVER REALLY LEAVE IT IT WOULDN T BE THE $AO !S THE SCHOLAR !NGUS 'RAHAM POINTED OUT ON PHILOSOPHICAL AND LINGUISTIC GROUNDS THIS NOTION OF WHOLENESS IS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THE 7ESTERN NO TION OF WHOLE AS BASICALLY A COLLECTION OF ITEMS OR ISOLATES AS IN THE MODERN CONCEPTION OF A UNIVERSE THAT CONTAINS GALAXIES PLANETS ETC )N A SPIRITUAL SENSE WE ARE NOT JUST AN ITEM LUMPED TOGETHER WITH OTHERS WITHIN SOME GIANT $AO AGGREGATE BUT WHOLENESS ITSELF IN A WAY THAT IS CENTRAL TO OUR FULl LLMENT 3O WHILE DIFFERENT FROM SOME 7ESTERN NOTIONS ) THINK THIS IDEA OF THE UNBROKEN WHOLE REMAINS QUITE FAMILIAR TO SPIRITUAL PRACTITIONERS %AST AND 7EST ANCIENT AND CONTEMPORARY )T IS A WONDROUS AND GLADDENING FACT THAT OUR PRACTICE ALWAYS DOES WELL WHEN IT IS BASED ON OUR BEING AWAKE TO THE %VER PRIMARY AND THE 5NBROKEN &URTHER (ORIZONS AND 3PIRITUAL 5NPRACTICE )F ) WERE TO ELABORATE FURTHER ON $AOIST ORIENTATIONS AND THEIR POSSIBLE CON TRIBUTIONS TO THE OVERALL HUMAN UNDERSTANDING OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICE ) WOULD DISCUSS THE MIDDLE AND LATER PERIODS %ASTERN (AN THROUGH THE 3UNG OF $AOIST HISTORY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHLY TECHNICAL AND SOPHISTICATED FORMS OF INTERNAL YOGA $AO YIN AND ALCHEMY NOW MOSTLY PRESERVED IN THE WORLD ONLY

G !ND ) AS PRAGMATICALLY ORIENTED TECHNIQUES CALLED QIGONG SINCE THE S WOULD REVIEW EIGHTH CENTURY TEXTS THAT PROVIDE A PECULIARLY $AOIST ANGLE ON NONTECHNICAL CONTEMPLATIVE METHODS THAT WERE ANTICIPATED LONG BEFORE IN THE :HUANGZI S MUSINGS h) SMASH UP MY LIMBS AND BODY AND MAKE MYSELF >HHJ: D8ID7:G

3TEVEN ! 4AINER

IDENTICAL WITH THE 'REAT 4HOROUGHFAREv 4HIS CONTEMPLATIVE ORIENTATION INTERACTED WITH AND WAS REl NED BY #HINESE "UDDHISM AND THE #HAN TRADITION

AND IT HAS COUNTERPARTS IN SPIRITUAL CONTEMPLATION THE WORLD OVER 4HE $AO YIN MOVEMENT CONTRIBUTED EXCEPTIONALLY PRECISE AND COM N PLETE WAYS OF PARTICIPATING IN OUR LIVES AND YIELDED THE INSIGHT THAT EVEN OUR APPARENT PROBLEMS AND ERRANT WAYS OF BEING CONTAIN A RETURN CURRENT

EFFORTLESSLY TAKING THEMÂ&#x2C6;AND USÂ&#x2C6;BACK TO THE $AO ONCE WE SEE THEM CLEARLY AND PARTICIPATE IN THEM FULLY 3UCH METHODS NEED ONLY THE HELP OF A TEACHER AND THE WILLINGNESS ON THE PART OF THE PRACTITIONER TO GIVE UP THE MODERN OBSESSION WITH hPRODUCTIONv CURRENTS WITH NARROWLY DEl NED UTILITY OR RE SULTS 4HE SECOND MOVEMENT EMERGING IN THE EIGHTH CENTURY PROPOUNDED A FORM OF PURE CONTEMPLATION CALLED THE 'REAT &ORGETTING ZUO WANG hSITTING IN FORGETTINGv &AR FROM SETTING UP ANYTHING MUCH LESS A VAGUENESS OR I OBLIVION ALTHOUGH THE :HUANGZI DOES POETICALLY REFER TO AN hOBLIVIONv

THIS LATTER AMOUNTS TO A 'REAT 2EMEMBERING LITERALLY A hRE MEMBERINGv OR hRECONSTITUTINGv OF WHAT IS REALLY TRUE ABOUT US AND OUR SITUATION PUTTING THE PIECES OF OUR (UMPTY $UMPTY LIVES BACK TOGETHER AGAIN ALSO EFFORT LESSLY THROUGH THE RECOVERY OF AN ORIGINAL AND UNBROKEN UNITY "OTH TRADITIONS OF PRACTICE THUS ALSO PROVIDE CONTRASTING TEMPLATES FOR CONTEMPLATIVE ENACTMENT OF WU WEI NOT AN ABSENCE OF ACTION BUT EFFORTLESS

NONGRASPING ACTION OR UNPRACTICE DERIVED FROM THE $AO S OWN PROFOUND FUNCTION OR ACTIVE EXPRESSION WITHIN US 4HIS IS hNATURAL SOTERIOLOGY v PER HAPS THE ONLY TRUE KIND )NTERESTINGLY BUT NOT AT ALL SURPRISINGLY THESE TWO TRADITIONS OF $AOIST PRACTICE MOVE FAR BEYOND THE MODEST OFFERING OF THE .EI 9E WITHOUT REALLY CHANGING ITS BASIC MESSAGE E s .OTES 3EE *UDITH ! "ERLING 4HE 3YNCRETIC 2ELIGION OF ,IN #HAO %N N .EW 9ORK #OLUMBIA 5NIVERSITY 0RESS

3EE FOR INSTANCE THE EXTENSIVE AND REVEALING WORK ON RELIGIOUS ALCHEMICAL AND CONTEMPLATIVE 4AOISM BY )SABELLE 2OBINET AND BY #ATHERINE $ESPEUX - 3TRICKMANN ,IVIA +OHN AND MANY OTHER SCHOLARS WORKING IN THIS PERIOD ) WOULD HAVE TO LIST DOZENS OF AUTHORS AND TITLES HERE TO DO JUSTICE TO THIS RECENT EXPLOSION OF SCHOLARSHIP IN $AOIST STUDIES % G +RISTOFER 3CHIPPER 4HE 4AOIST "ODY "ERKELEY 5NIVERSITY OF #ALIFORNIA 0RESS

Y

TRANS +AREN # $UVAL FROM THE ORIGINAL ,E CORPS TAOISTE E 0ARIS ,IBRAIRIE !RTHEME &AYARD

(AROLD $ 2OTH TRANS /RIGINAL 4AO )NWARD 4RAININGG .EI YEH AND THE &OUNDATIONS OF 4AOIST -YSTICISM BILINGUAL EDITION .EW 9ORK #OLUMBIA 5NIVERSITY 0RESS

&OR $AOISTS AT LEAST THIS IS WHAT THE TERM XINGG CAME TO MEAN 3EE h4HE "ACKGROUND OF THE -ENCIAN 4HEORY OF (UMAN .ATUREv IN !NGUS 'RAHAM 3TUDIES IN #HINESE 0HILOSOPHY AND 0HILOSOPHICAL ,ITERATURE !LBANY 3TATE 5NIVERSITY OF .EW 9ORK 0RESS

E

G:A><>DC :6HI L:HI

$AOIST #ONTRIBUTIONS TO 3PIRITUAL 0RACTICE

3EE ALSO )SABELLE 2OBINET h,A NOTION DE HSINGG DANS LE TAOISME ET SON RAPPORT AVEC CELLE DU CONFUCIANISME v *OURNAL OF THE !MERICAN /RIENTAL 3OCIETYY

AND ALSO $ONALD * -UNRO 4HE #ONCEPT OF -AN IN %ARLY #HINAA !NN !RBOR 5NIVERSITY OF -ICHIGAN #ENTER FOR #HINESE 3TUDIES

CH 3EE 'RAHAM S 3TUDIES IN #HINESE 0HILOSOPHY Y AND ALSO HIS $ISPUTERS OF THE 4AO #HICAGO /PEN #OURT FOR TREATMENTS ON LANGUAGE AND LOGIC AND PART WHOLE CONCEPTS % G THE (UANG TING *ING WHICH HAS BEEN DISCUSSED BY VARIOUS SCHOLARS AND OFFERED IN A POPULAR LEVEL AND RATHER ECLECTIC TREATMENT ALONG WITH SOME OTHER TEXTS BY -ICHAEL 3ASO IN 4HE 'OLD 0AVILION N .ORTH #LARENDON 64 #HARLES % 4UTTLE

,IVIA +OHN TRANS h4HE :UOWANGLUN WITH COMMENTARY v IN 3EVEN 3TEPS TO THE 4AO 3IMA #HENGSHEN S :UOWANGLUN .ETTETAL 3TEYLER 6ERLAG 4HIS WORK INCLUDES ON PAGE THE QUOTED PASSAGE FROM THE :HUANGZI 3EE .ORMAN 'IRADOT -YTH AND -EANING IN %ARLY 4AOISM "ERKELEY 5NIVERSITY OF #ALIFORNIA 0RESS

FOR AN EXTENSIVE TREATMENT OF #HINESE (UMPTY $UMPTY (UN DUN MYTHOLOGY AND ITS RELEVANCE TO $AOISM

>HHJ: D8ID7:G