Essential Teachings of the Way and Its Power
TAOISM Study Guide
Ken Cohen
Essential Teachings of the Way and Its Power
TAOISM Ken Cohen
Sounds True • Boulder, Colorado
Sounds True, Boulder, CO 80306 © 1998 by Kenneth S. Cohen. All rights reserved No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author and publisher. Printed in the United States of America Ken Cohen. Taoism: Essential Teachings of the Way and Its Power. For information on Taoist lectures, workshops, and educational materials, please contact: Taoist Mountain Retreat P.O. Box 1727 Nederland, CO 80466 Phone: (303) 258-0971 For a catalog of transformational audio and video tapes and sacred music from around the world, please contact: Sounds True P.O. Box 8010 Boulder, CO 80306-8010 Phone: (800) 333-9185
Contents Introduction | 1 What Is the Tao? | 2 The “Power” of the Way, and Other Principles of Taoism | 5 The Taoist Altar | 7 Taoist Invocations | 10 A Taoist Mantra | 12 Taoist Meditation Postures | 13 Chinese Poems | 14 Taoist Sacred Sciences | 18 The Taoist Diet | 20 Feng-Shui | 22 In Closing | 23 Resources | 24
Taoism: An Introduction Taoism is one of the three great religions of China: Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. The Chinese word Tao means “the Way,” as in the Way of nature, the Way of harmony with others, the Way of self-understanding, the Way of the Divine. Taoism is the study of the Way. Its origins are found among the philosopher-hermits of ancient China, called Xian. Although the Chinese character for Xian is a pictogram of a person in the mountains (because the hermits lived in the mountains), it is also linked to other characters meaning “dance” and “shaman.” It is probable that the Xian were Chinese shamans. Shamanism – the search for truth through communion with nature and natural forces – is the core of Taoism. Taoist philosophy is so popular that most Westerners think that Taoism is strictly a philosophy. This is not the case, however. Taoism also eventually developed into a religion, complete with temples, priests, sects, and sacred texts. Thus we can define three strands of Taoism, each with its own approximate starting date: 1) Xian Tao (3000 B.C.),‘The Way of the Xian’; 2) Tao Jia (500 B.C.) ‘Taoist Philosophy’; and 3) Tao Jiao (150 A.D.) ‘Taoist Religion.’
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Taoism WHAT IS THE TAO? Although Taoism recognizes the wisdom of many great sages, it does not have one unique founder. The Taoist canon, or collection of Taoist philosophical and religious literature, 1,120 texts written by many authors. The most important of these is a fourth-century B.C. classic attributed to Lao Zi (also spelled Lao Tzu), called the Tao Te Ching – “The Classic of the Way and Its Power.” The Tao Te Ching is the philosophical base of both early contemplative Taoism (Tao Jia) and later schools of spiritual cultivation that evolved into Taoist religion (Tao Jiao). The text is full of paradox and humor. Paradox may, in fact, be the essence of humor. We laugh when we see things in a new way, when perspectives suddenly shift or categories that were considered distinct – such as spiritual and mundane – suddenly collapse into a good belly laugh. “Cosmic” and “comic” are almost the same word! The element of paradox is evident in the very name of the Tao Te Ching’s author: Lao Zi, “the Old Child.” Perhaps this is a reference to Lao Zi’s youthful wisdom or the fact that after his mother was impregnated by the Lord of the Polestar, the poor woman suffered an eighty-one year pregnancy. Lao Zi is said to have been born with a flowing white beard. The opening line of the Tao Te Ching is considered the distillation of the entire text and thus the essence of Taoism: Tao Ke Tao Fei Chang Tao. A literal translation is, “The Tao that can Tao is not THE ETERNAL TAO”! To even begin to comprehend the meaning, we need to realize that the word Tao can be a noun or a verb. Is the Tao “the Way,” or does the term mean “to be the Way” or “to move along the
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Taoism Way”? How does a Taoist do the Tao? Perhaps the entire Tao Te Ching is an attempt to answer this question. Tao has a wide range of meanings, including: “a physical pathway,” “a spiritual path,” and “to speak.” Thus, the word Tao has approximately the same range of meanings as the Greek word logos. So how are we to translate the first line of the Tao Te Ching? Here are some possibilities: • The Tao that can be Taoed is not the Tao. • The Tao that can be spoken about is not the Constant Tao. • The Tao that speaks is not the Eternal Tao. • The word that can be worded is not the Eternal Word. A translation I especially like, from my old friend Alan Watts, goes: • The course that can be discoursed is not the Course [of course!]. To make matters even more confusing (or interesting, depending on your point of view), the Taoist commentator He Shang Gong believes that the line should be read Tao Ke Tao Fei Chang Sheng Zhi Tao – “The Tao that can be spoken of is not the Tao of Long Life.” The “Tao of Long Life” refers to Taoist meditations and exercises that are intended to cultivate longevity. Why can’t we speak of this yoga-like Tao? Because it must be practiced! It is a lived process, not a belief system. Lao Zi, the author of this classic, wants to suggest through style the content of Taoist teachings. For example, we see the word Tao three times in the opening line, each time with a different meaning. Thus, Tao means “change.” We cannot
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Taoism grasp the truth in words because truth is a changing process. Can you hold the wind in a bucket? Lao Zi also writes in a deliberately terse, veiled, and ambiguous style: terse because he believes that it is best to keep silent and to say the most with the least; veiled because the text was probably meant for the initiated – those who had already received the kou ju, ‘spoken secrets’ from the Master himself; and ambiguous because Lao Zi wants to suggest multiple meanings. Through his use of multiple meanings, Lao Zi writes in several voices at once, as in a fugue. Let’s look at the entire first chapter of the Tao Te Ching, one of the greatest poems in religious literature. The tao that can be spoken of is not the Tao; The name that can be named is not the name of the Tao. Emptiness, the state of not naming, is the beginning of Heaven and Earth. Being, the state of naming, is the mother of all things. Therefore, if you are without selfish desires, you can see the wonder of life. If you have such desires, you can only see surfaces and boundaries. Emptiness and Being are one, yet differ in name. We can call them both Mystery – A Mystery beyond all concepts of mystery, The gateway to wonder.
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Taoism The “Power” of the Way, and Other Principles of Taoism The second major principle of Taoism, next to Tao, is Te, the “power” of one who follows the Way. Te can also be translated as “virtue,” “integrity,” or “character.” The most popular Taoist work in ancient China was the Gan Ying Pian, “The Treatise on Response and Retribution.” This text warns that without leading an ethical life, it is impossible to become a xian, or sage. Virtue is a transforming power. In the earliest form of Chinese writing, the word virtue, te, shared a common character with the word for planting, also pronounced “te.” Virtue means latent power, inner potential. The “virtue” of a field is its ability to grow crops. We should note that the English word virtue derives from a Latin root, vir, which also implies potentiality, as in the word virile. Te is important in all facets of Taoism. As one of my martial arts teachers once told me, “Today most students only pay with money, but a traditional teacher requires payment in character.” From a practical standpoint, te leads to happiness and better quality of life. According to the Gan Ying Pian, within the microcosm and macrocosm are “crime recording spirits.” Once every sixty days, spirits within the body report on one’s good and bad deeds to a heavenly deity. Spirits who live in the stars (particularly the Big Dipper) and within one’s home also record one’s behavior. A person’s span of life is reduced according to the gravity of his or her offenses. I wonder, however, if we should take this on a symbolic level. The universe is not always fair. I am sure that you know of malicious people who live long lives. Perhaps we should interpret the philosophy presented in the Gan Ying Pian as suggesting
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Taoism a reduction in the quality of remaining life in response to misbehavior. The text also warns us that unexpiated transgressions are transferred to one’s children and grandchildren. On the other hand, people who are compassionate, generous, and humble, who perform numerous good deeds, are “blessed by the Tao of Heaven. Demons keep far away from them. Spiritual forces protect them ... they are on their way to becoming xian.” To summarize, the core concepts of Taoism are Tao (the Way) and Te (the virtue and power of one in harmony with the Tao). Other Taoist principles include: • Su: the simplicity of the uncarved block of wood and undyed silk; nature and human nature in the raw; in Buddhist terms, your “original nature.” • Wu Wei: literally, “not doing”; the principle of effortlessness and flowing with life. • Zhong Yong: Moderation, originally a Confucian term but widely adopted by Taoists. Zhong means “central.” Yong means “universal and harmonious.” Taken together, zhong yong means finding a harmonious and balanced way of life and relationship with the universe. It implies a balance of activity and inactivity, sound and silence, community and solitude. • Yin and Yang: complementary opposites. Yin means the lunar – cool, passive, tranquil, receptive, feminine. Yang means the solar – warm, active, dynamic, creative, masculine.
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Taoism The Taoist Altar The Taoist religion began in the second century A.D., when a charismatic healer named Zhang Dao-Ling had a vision of a deified Lao Zi who announced himself to be Tai Shang Lao Zhun, “The Most High Lord Lao.” Zhang founded the Tian Shi (Heavenly Teachers or Heavenly Masters) sect of Taoism. This sect, although based on Taoist philosophy, also prescribed rituals taught by the gods, including confessional rites, sexual yogas, and talismanic magic. The healing rituals of the Tian Shi sect can be considered precursors to the work of Sigmund Freud and of psychosomatic medicine. The Taoists believed that illness was caused by transgressions committed by one’s parents or ancestors. Taoists counseled with their clients to identify what we would now label the emotional causes of disease. Then, in a process remarkably similar to methods used in present-day psychotherapy, the patient saw his or her problems symbolically consumed by fire as the Taoist burned a talismanic symbol of the transgression in an incense urn. In Taoist temples, devotional practices are as common as meditation. Some people may object that the truth is to be found within, not on the outside. But is this really true? The Tao is everywhere. The division between inside and outside, subject and object, is a function of language, not experience. When you are truly enjoying a piece of music or a sunset cloud, are they inside or outside? From one point of view they are outside. From another viewpoint, they are neither inside nor outside, since all so-called external phenomena are actually different vibrational states of the human nervous system. Taoists see no problem worshipping the gods inside or outside the body. The gods are, in
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Taoism any case, only representations of the natural world or the human spirit. They are, like us and like our dreams, variations of the all-pervading qi, the energy of life. Taoists worship the gods and chant liturgies at an altar. You can have an altar in your own home: a special, sacred space set aside for meditation and prayer. You can find materials for your Taoist altar in Chinese art and department stores and in some Chinese groceries located in the Chinatown district of most major North American cities. Cover your altar table with a red tablecloth (the color of life and good fortune) and place it in a quiet, meditative room or area of your home. A Taoist altar should have statues and/or paintings of the Taoist gods, such as: • The Eight Immortals, symbolizing that men and women, young and old, rich and poor, healthy and disabled, can all achieve the Tao (these statues are generally the easiest to find) • Lu Dong Bin, the most famous of the Eight Immortals, the patron of martial artists and a major spirit worshiped by Long-Men sect Taoists • Lao Zi, the founder of philosophical Taoism • Hua To, the patron of healing and Chinese medicine • Guan Yin, the beloved mother goddess of China, symbolizing the healing power of love and compassion • Tu Di Gong, the lord of the soil, guardian of the realm of the ancestors and bestower of wealth • Shou Lao, the god of longevity, easily recognized by his large cranium, medicinal gourd, and peach of immortality
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Taoism • Chong Kui, whose sword and fierce expression protect the altar and scare away demons Arrange the following on your altar: • Red taper candles on either side of the altar figures (you may also use votive candles) • Bowls of fruit • Small cups of water or tea • Flowers • Sacred instruments, especially a round gong and wooden fish (a hollow piece of wood that can be struck with a wooden mallet) • An incense burner in front of the central figure on your altar or in front of each of the gods. It is best to offer incense in sets of three, because three symbolizes life and blessings. After the incense stick is lit, wave your hand over it to extinguish the flame. Do not blow it out, since your breath may disperse the energy or qi of the incense.
The author with Dr. Wong, in front of a traditional Taoist altar
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Taoism TAOIST INVOCATIONS Offering Incense DAO YOU XIN XUE XIN JIA XIANG QUAN XIANG RE YÜ LU XIN CUN DI QIAN CHEN LING XIA PAN XIAN PEI LIN XIAN JIN CHEN GUAN GAO JING DA JIU TIAN Translation: The Tao arises from the study of the heart; Incense transmits the heart’s wishes. Incense burns in the jade stove; The heart appears before the Great Lord. The true spirits look down; The Immortals cast their regal gaze. Now the disciple’s message Has truly penetrated the Nine Heavens! Golden Light Invocation TIAN DI XUAN ZONG WAN QI BEN GEN GUANG XIU WAN JIE JENG WU SHEN TONG SAN JIE NEI WAI
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Taoism WEI DAO DU CUN TI YOU JIN GUANG FU YING WU SHEN SHI ZHI BU JIAN TING ZHI BU WEN BAO LO TIAN DI YANG YU CHUN SHENG SONG ZHI WAN BIAN SHEN YOU GUANG MING SAN JIE DAI WEI WU DI SI YING WAN SHEN CHAO LI YI SHI LEI TING GUEI YAO SANG DAN JING GUAI WANG XING NEI YOU PI LI LEI SHEN YIN MING TONG HUI JIAO CHE WU QI TENG TENG JIN GUANG SHU XIAN FU HU ZHEN REN JI JI RU YU HUANG GUANG JIANG LU LING CHI Translation: Mysterious ancestor of Heaven and Earth, Original root of the ten thousand breaths. Cultivating the Tao through countless ages, Bear witness to my spiritual enlightenment.
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Taoism Within and without the three realms of being Only the Tao is revered. Golden light is shining down on me. Looking, it cannot be seen; Listening, it cannot be heard. Embracing all of Heaven and Earth, It nourishes all sentient beings. Chanting sacred texts myriad times, The body develops a clear brilliance. The three realms of being guard me; The five lords of the elements welcome me. I bow prayerfully to all sacred beings And command the thunder spirits. Ghosts and demons lose courage; Sprites and goblins disappear. Inside there is a crash of thunder; Yet the thunder gods conceal their presence. Cavernous wisdom, penetrating intelligence! The five qi are mounting on high! May the golden light quickly manifest And protect the True Sage! The Jade Emperor, Ruler of the Heavens, commands the golden light to descend! So be it!
A TAOIST MANTRA SAN QING JIAO ZU WU LIANG TIAN ZUN. “Three Pure Ones, Founders of Taoism, Limitlessly Honored in Heaven.”
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Taoism The Three Dan TiAns Upper (purple)
Middle (gold) Lower (white)
Tree meditation posture: with knees slightly bent, fingers toward the ground
Sitting meditation posture: keep spine relaxed and erect, and hands in the gesture shown
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Taoism CHINESE POEMS Taoism influenced all of the arts of China, including painting, calligraphy, cuisine, and poetry. Taoism trained poets to have clear and sensitive minds, responsive to the beauty of nature. Taoist poetry is based on five principles: • Art for life’s sake. Poetry is more than a craft. It is not merely a skillful manipulation of words. Poetry is a means to enhance our appreciation of life. • Interpenetration of jing and qing, scenery and feeling. Western poets tend to dwell on personal feelings. Classical Chinese poets prefer to use natural images to express feelings. Taoist poems are vehicles to express the most noble and spiritual feelings, rather than (as in the West) a reflection of or commentary on alienation, disenchantment, or other negative states. Taoists agree with Westerners that poetry should be realistic. The differences between Eastern and Western poetry may depend on how they define or determine “real.” • Concreteness. Taoists love the concrete, simple, and precise rather than the abstract and complex. • Parallelism. Taoist poems are paintings in words. The poet uses images that highlight and provide contrast to each other. • Egolessness. Chinese poems rarely use the word “I” in the original. Taoist poems are ego-free responses to nature’s beauty. The following poems are my translations of ancient Taoist poetry. I dedicate these translations to my dear friend
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Taoism Alan Watts, who originally intended to use them as part of a collaborative work on Taoism. With his passing in 1973, this dream was never realized.
A Walk in the Mist Vast, vast, the autumn clouds rise; Silently, silently, the night grows cold. I can feel the moisture on my clothes, Yet there’s neither a spot nor sound of rain. – Bo Juyi Evening Rain An early cicada chirps and is silent; The flickering candle sinks and brightens. Outside my window, I can hear the evening rain By the sound it makes on the banana leaf. – Bo Juyi A Hut among the Bamboo Sitting alone in the dark bamboo grove, I strum my lute and whistle softly. In forest depths that no one knows, The bright moon comes to shine on me. – Wang Wei
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Taoism Journeying I remember passing this temple before; Once again I cross the bridge I love. Mountain and river have waited for me; Flowers and willows open warmly. Fine mist covers the countryside; Sunbeams linger over the warm sand. The worries of traveling are all gone now; Where could I find a better place to rest? – Tu Fu Xiang Ji Temple Not knowing the way to Xiang Ji Temple, After a few miles I enter the cloud peaks Past ancient trees without a trail. In mountain depths, is that a temple bell? The sound of the river swallows the great rocks; The sun is cool amidst the green pines. At twilight by the bend of an empty pond In tranquil meditation, I subdue the dragon of the mind. – Wang Wei The Mountain Temple In the clear dawn I enter the ancient temple grounds, As early sunlight illuminates the great forest. Along winding paths through dark groves To the meditation hall, deep among flowering trees.
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Taoism Mountain brightness gladdens the birds. Pool shadows empty the mind. The sounds of nature are suddenly stilled At sound of bell and gong. – Chang Jian Lodging with Recluse Wang Chang Ling A clear river deep beyond measure; A hidden dwelling and a solitary cloud. The pines reveal a bit of moonlight – Clear beams that are all for you! Flower shadows rest on your thatched hut; Lines of moss sprout in your herb garden. I, too, would like to quit the world And live with egret and crane on West Mountain. – Chang Jian Looking for Recluse Chang All along the path I saw tracks of your sandals in the moss. White clouds lingering around your tranquil shore Fragrant grasses blocking your tranquil gate. After the rain I admired the pines And followed mountain trails to the water’s source. With stream, flowers, and a feeling of meditation There was such a harmony that words just disappeared. – Liu Chang Qing
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Taoism An Inscription A path that starts where the clouds end, And springtime is as long as the pure stream. Sometimes flower petals fall And flow distantly on the fragrant water. Facing the mountain trail, the idle door Of a library deep among the willows. In this mysterious place, the sun shines every day Her bright beams reflect on my robes. – Liu Shen Xu A Reply from the Mountains You ask me how I could live in these green mountains? No reply, just the laughter of a heart at peace. Peach blossoms flow on the water far away – This is a Heaven and Earth beyond the world of men. – Li Bai
TAOIST SACRED SCIENCES Taoism was also an influence on the evolution of science in China. Taoism’s emphasis on unbiased observation and its understanding of phenomena as a blending of elements were congruent with the scientific method. Taoists have traditionally been experts at various sacred sciences such as acupuncture, massage, qigong or subtle energy exercises, herbalism, cuisine, feng-shui or geomancy (how landscape
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Taoism and home design influence health and fortune), astrology, and divination. All of these sciences incorporate an understanding of the five-element system. Unlike the Greeks and their four-element system, the Chinese developed a system of five elements (wu xing): wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. The five elements are five dynamic forces whose interplay form the basis of Taoist cosmology, science, and all dimensions of physical and spiritual reality. Each of these elements corresponds to associated phenomena, including parts of the human body, seasons, tastes, colors, planets, and direction. A partial list of these elemental correspondences follows.
The System of Correspondences Wood
Fire
Earth
Metal
Water
Liver
Heart
Spleen
Lungs
Kidneys
Gallbladder Small Stomach intestine
Large intestine
Bladder
Spring Summer
Indian summer
Autumn
Winter
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Spicy
Salty
Green
Red
Yellow
White
Blue-black
Jupiter
Mars
Saturn
Venus
Mercury
East
South
Center
West
North
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Taoism The Creation Cycle The elements are thought to “give birth” to one another in an endless round. This follows a predictable sequence called the creation cycle. Wood creates Fire. Fire creates Earth. Earth creates Metal. Metal creates Water. Water creates Wood.
The Control/Destruction Cycle The elements are also thought to control or destroy one another in a separate sequence. Wood penetrates Earth. Earth absorbs Water. Water puts out Fire. Fire melts Metal. Metal chops Wood.
THE TAOIST DIET Dietetics is a major component of Chinese medicine and the Taoist quest for longevity. One of the classics of Taoist alchemy, the Yang Xing Yan Ming Lu (Nourishing Spirit and Prolonging Life) by Tao Hong-jing (456-536 A.D.), devotes two of its six chapters to diet. Like most Taoist texts, it advises eating lightly and avoiding foods that make the body heavy and congested, especially excess carbohydrates. It also
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Taoism recommends eating several small meals a day rather than a few large ones and always stopping before you feel completely full. Scientists now recognize that ancient Taoists were on the right track. The only scientifically proven method of retarding old age and extending life is the gradual restriction of calories (within safe limits) while maintaining quality nutrition (correct balance of the ratios of carbohydrates to proteins to fats, and adequate vitamins and minerals). This is the opposite of the typical American diet; instead of quantity without quality, the Taoists emphasize quality without quantity. Overeating makes the body inefficient at self-repair and fighting off infection and disease. Basic Principles of Food for Longevity • Eat fresh, seasonal, natural foods. • Drink eight glasses of pure water each day. • Get adequate vitamins and minerals. • Eat a balance of the flavors: sour for the liver, bitter for the heart, sweet for the spleen, pungent for the lungs, salty for the kidneys. • Balance the yin and yang (cooling and heating) properties of food. • Follow the “Zone”* macronutrient ratio: 40% of dietary calories from carbohydrate, 30% from fat, 30% from protein. • Eat healthy fats. Olive oil is best. • Avoid fried foods. Emphasize soups, stews, casseroles, and steaming. * Sears, Barry, and Bill Lawren. The Zone: A Dietary Road Map to Lose Weight Permanently, Reset Your Genetic Code, Prevent Disease, and Achieve Maximum Physical Performance. New York: HarperCollins, 1995
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Taoism • Don’t eat too much. Make gradual adjustments so you can achieve your ideal weight. • Follow the advice of your health-care provider to adjust your diet to individual needs.
FENG-SHUI The Taoists see the earth and human beings as closely related organisms ruled by the same laws. As the body has its blood vessels and meridians, so the earth has streams and rivers. The body is warmed by the heart, the earth by the sun. The body has skin; the earth is also covered. The body has hair; the earth has trees and grasses. The body has bones; the earth has stones and mountains. Because people and the earth are one system, the health of one has a reciprocal effect on the health of the other. Each requires a balanced circulation of qi. If a home is built where the qi current is weak, broken, or erratic, inhabitants will suffer misfortune and ill health. If people live in an unnatural and unhealthy way, the earth itself becomes infected by diseased and polluted qi. The science that governs this interaction is termed “geomancy” – literally, “earth divination,” or in Chinese, Feng-Shui ‘Wind-Water.’ Wind and water are two major influences at any site. Feng-Shui is the ancient science of living in harmony with the earth through an understanding of the subtle influences of every aspect of the landscape. It is thus the art of finding the proper site for a home, business, or grave. (The Chinese have long believed that a good grave site transmits prosperity and healing qi to descendants on the family tree.) If your home is already built, a geomancer can help change your fortune or health by emphasizing the
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Taoism positive influences in or around your home and blocking out the negative. The basic principles of Feng-Shui are contained in the saying, “To the left, Green Dragon; to the right, White Tiger; in front, Red Bird; in back, Black Tortoise.” Green Dragon represents the yang (or masculine) forces of spring at the left side of the home (from the perspective of looking outwards from the main door). Landscape features should be more outstanding (such as higher mountains) to the left than the right. The right is the direction of the White Tiger and yin (or feminine) forces of autumn. The Red Bird refers to the view in front of the home. There should be a wide, expansive landscape, ideally a flat table of land with a large pool of water or the sea in the distance. The best direction for the home to face, and thus the most auspicious Red Bird, is south. In the northern hemisphere, south-facing homes receive the most light and warmth. The Black Tortoise to the rear is a hill or mountain that supports the site and protects it from cool winds at the back. To balance yin and yang, the site should be at the conjunction of land that appears masculine (yang) and feminine (yin), with hills (yang) and water (yin), sunlight (yang) and shade (yin).
IN ClosinG I truly pray that we can incorporate the wisdom of the Tao to heal ourselves, to create peace and harmony in our environment, and to preserve the beauty of our planet. Please contemplate these beautiful words from chapter 67 of the Tao Te Ching:
I have three treasures: guard and keep them. The first is compassion.
The second is frugality.
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Taoism
The third is not daring to be the first in the world.
If you have a compassionate heart, you can
be courageous.
If you are frugal, you can be generous.
If you have the humility of not trying to be first in the world,
You can be a leader of the world.
RESOURCES For detailed information on Taoist healing, qigong, meditation, diet, and lifestyle, see Kenneth S. Cohen’s comprehensive work (available in your book store): The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing. New York: Ballantine Books, 1997.
Other Sounds True Products by Ken Cohen A complete program in Taoist meditation and selfhealing visualization is presented in these audio courses: Chi Kung Meditations (audio). Boulder, CO: Sounds True, 1990. Taoist Healing Imagery (audio). Boulder, CO: Sounds True, 1992. Healthy Breathing (audio). Boulder, CO: Sounds True, 1997. The Practice of Qigong (audio). Boulder, CO: Sounds True, 1993. Healing exercises are demonstrated and explained in the video program:
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Taoism Qigong: Traditional Chinese Exercises for Healing the Body, Mind, and Spirit . Boulder, CO: Sounds True, 1996.
Further Reading Taoism: Philosophy, Religion, and Practice Blofeld, John. The Secret and Sublime: Taoist Mysteries and Magic. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1973. __. Taoism: The Road to Immortality. Boulder, CO: Shambhala Publications, 1978. Chan, Wing-tsit, trans. The Way of Lao Tzu. New York: The Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1963. Chang Chung-yuan. Creativity and Taoism: A Study of Chinese Philosophy, Art, and Poetry. New York: Harper & Row, 1970. Cleary, Thomas, trans. The Secret of the Golden Flower. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1991. __. Immortal Sisters: Secrets of Taoist Women. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1989. Goullart, Peter. The Monastery of Jade Mountain. London: The Travel Book Club, 1961. Graham, A.C. Chuang Tzu: The Inner Chapters. Boston: George Allen & Unwin, 1981. Huai-chin Nan. Tao & Longevity: Mind-Body Transformation. Translated by Wen Kuan Chu, Ph.D. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1984. Hwang, Shi Fu. Yin Shih Tzu’s Tranquil Sitting. Translated by Cheney Crow, Ph.D. St. Paul: Dragon Door Publications, 1994. Kaltenmark, Max. Lao Tzu and Taoism. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press, 1969.
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Taoism __. The Taoist Experience: An Anthology. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1993. Kohn, Livia, ed. Taoist Meditation and Longevity Techniques. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1989. Maspero, Henri. Taoism and Chinese Religion. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1981. Needham, Joseph. Science and Civilization in China, Vol. II. Cambridge University Press, 1975. Porter, Bill. Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits. San Francisco: Mercury House, 1993. Robinet, Isabelle. Taoist Meditation: The Mao-shan Tradition of Great Purity. Translated by Julian F. Pas and Norman J. Girardot. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1993. —. Taoism: Growth of a Religion. Translated by Phyllis Brooks. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press, 1997. Saso, Michael. The Gold Pavilion: Taoist Ways to Peace, Healing, and Long Life. Rutland, VT: Tuttle, 1995. __. Blue Tiger, White Dragon: Taoist Rites of Passage. Washington DC: The Taoist Center, 1990. __. Taoism and the Rite of Cosmic Renewal. Pullman, WA: Washington State University Press, 1990. __. The Teachings of Taoist Master Chuang. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1978. Schipper, Kristofer. The Taoist Body. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993.
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Taoism Waley, Arthur. The Way and Its Power: A Study of the Tao Te Ching and Its Place in Chinese Thought. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1968. Watson, Burton, trans. Chuang Tzu: Basic Writings. New York: Columbia University Press, 1964. Watts, Alan. Tao: The Watercourse Way. New York: Pantheon Books, 1975. Welch, Holmes. Taoism: The Parting of the Way. Boston: Beacon Press, 1966. Welch, Holmes, with Anna Seidel, ed. Facets of Taoism: Essays in Chinese Religion. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1979. Taoist Dietetics Flaws, Bob. Arisal of the Clear: A Simple Guide to Healthy Eating according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Boulder, CO: Blue Poppy Press, 1991. Liu, Jilin, ed. Chinese Dietary Therapy. New York: Churchill Livingstone, 1995. Lu, Henry C. Chinese System of Food Cures: Prevention and Remedies. New York: Sterling Publishing, 1986. —.Chinese Foods for Longevity. New York: Sterling Publishing, 1990. Saso, Michael. A Taoist Cookbook: With Meditations Taken from the Laozi Daode Jing. Rutland, VT: Tuttle, 1994. Chinese Poetry Liu, James J. Y. The Art of Chinese Poetry. University of Chicago Press, 1962. __. Chinese Theories of Literature. University of Chicago
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Taoism Press, 1975. Waley, Arthur, trans. Chinese Poetry. London: Unwin Books, 1961. (All of Waley’s translations and biographies of Chinese poets are recommended.) Watson, Burton, trans. Cold Mountain. New York: Columbia University Press, 1970. Wu-chi Liu, and Irving Yucheng Lo, ed. Sunflower Splendor: Three Thousand Years of Chinese Poetry. Garden City, NY: Anchor Books, 1975. Yip, Wai-lim, trans. Chinese Poetry: Major Modes and Genres. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976. Taoist Divination Blofeld, John. I Ching. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1968. Cleary, Thomas, trans. The Taoist I Ching. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1986. Da Liu. I Ching Numerology. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1979. Huon de Kermadec, Jean-Michel. The Way to Chinese Astrology: The Four Pillars of Destiny. Translated by N. Derek Poulsen. London: Unwin Paperbacks, 1983. Lau, Theodora. The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes. New York: Harper & Row, 1979. Wilhelm, Helmut. Eight Lectures on the I Ching. New York: Harper & Row, 1964. Wilhelm, Helmut. Heaven, Earth, and Man in the Book of Changes. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1977.
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Taoism Wilhelm, Richard. The I Ching or Book of Changes. Princeton University Press, 1967. Wu, Jing-nuan. Yi Jing. Washington, DC: The Taoist Center, 1991. Feng-Shui Lip, Evelyn. Feng Shui: A Layman’s Guide to Chinese Geomancy. Union City, CA: Heian International, 1987. Rossbach, Sarah. Interior Design with Feng Shui. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1987. Rossbach, Sarah, and Lin Yun. Living Color: Master Lin Yun’s Guide to Feng Shui and the Art of Color. NY: Kodansha International, 1994. Periodicals The Empty Vessel: A Journal of Contemporary Taoism. Eugene, OR: The Abode of the Eternal Tao. (800) 574-5118. Qi: The Journal of Traditional Eastern Health and Fitness. Anaheim Hills, CA: Insight Graphics, Inc. (800) 787-2600.
Kenneth S. Cohen (Gao Han) ... is a renowned Taoist initiate, China scholar, and qigong master. Ken began learning qigong and Taoist healing arts in 1968. He was the principle apprentice to Longmen Sect Taoist Abbot Dr. K. S. Wong. Ken trained in Chinese language and Taoist texts at Queens College, the New School for Social Research, and with Dr. Michel Strickmann at the University of California at Berkeley. In 1973, he was one of six students chosen by Alan Watts for private study of Taoism. He is an ordained Interfaith Minister and graduate of the New Seminary, where he was awarded degrees in Spiritual Counseling and Spiritual Therapy. Ken is the author of the internationally acclaimed book The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing and more than 150 journal articles. He co-authored, with Tu Xin-Shi, China’s gold medal artist, Autumn Leaves: The Wisdom and Art of Chinese Calligraphy (Chinese and English, Guangzhou Press, 1998). Ken is an Adjunct Professor at Union Graduate School and presents at universities and conferences throughout the world.
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