Deux écrits taoïstes anciens

Abstract

The "two ancient Taoist writings " of the title are the Taishang lingbao wufu xu (DZ 388) and the Taishang laojun zhongjing (DZ 1168), two texts which contain parallel passages concerning the gods of the body but which are otherwise very different. The first is an anthology of texts built around the symbols (fu) of the Five Emperors, the worship of which goes back to the early Han. The author suggests that the breath circulation practices associated with these symbols derives from the concurrent development, in the Han, of a cosmological physiology based on the concept of qi and an ideology of the written character that would later give rise to the art of calligraphy. The Zhongjing is a coherent program of exercises designed to lead to transcendence. Its cosmology is that of the Han shi or divination table, but its method is that of visualisation of the gods of the body, especially the "holy family" composed of constantly shifting versions of the Great One, the Mother of the Way, and their Cinnabar Child. A general inspection of the internal gods, modeled on Han administrative practice, takes place at the time of the autumn equinox. The adept must retire to his oratory for three days, retain his internal gods by visualizing them, and pray that his name be transferred to the Book of Life.

The Menstruating Womb

“…For the quotation, see topic 17 in the first juan of the Taishang Laojun zhongjing collected in the Zhengtong daozang . For a discussion of the red child and the practices of inner alchemy, see Lagerwey 2004, esp. pp.…”