Daoist Alchemy

De todos modos, las respuestas que almacena el Hexagrama Nº 31 "Atracción Mutua" en su interior no sólo hace referencia a la relación entre personas, sino que, además, alude a otras circunstancias, estrechamente vinculadas con el camino elegido, con la carrera universitaria, la profesión etc.. Si se tratara de establecer las causas de algún problema de salud, "Atracción Mutua" tiene mucho para indicar. En el caso de un problema nervioso o neurológico, si saliera señalada la quinta línea de este Hexagrama, estaría indicando que la solución estaría en la ejercitación de la columna vertebral. Y si fuera por un problema de circulación, en esa misma línea señalada recomienda el clásico un masaje reparador. Claro que si fueran otras las líneas señaladas, y si fuera otro el Hexagrama, la respuesta exacta para cada caso, sería totalmente diferente.

**Abstract:**

*A True Account of the Philosophical Furnace and Its Use and Benefit (1599)* by Heinrich Khunrath offers a profound exploration of the philosophical furnace, or Athanor, as a symbol of transformation and enlightenment. This work delves into the intricate relationship between alchemy and divine wisdom, presenting the furnace as a vital tool for spiritual and material refinement. Khunrath, a doctor of both medicines, articulates the benefits of this ancient practice, emphasizing its role in achieving higher knowledge and understanding. Rooted in a rare German manuscript, this account invites readers to engage with the esoteric principles that underpin the alchemical tradition, making it a valuable resource for scholars and enthusiasts alike.

This second edition of Awakening to the True Reality by Zhang Boduan (《悟真篇》) presents the first complete English translation of one of Daoism’s most essential works on internal alchemy (內丹, nèidān). Traditionally attributed to the Song dynasty adept Zhang Boduan (張伯端), the Wu Zhen Pian has guided generations of Daoist practitioners on the subtle process of refining Essence, cultivating Qi, and returning to the Original Spirit.

Building on the first edition, this expanded version offers greater precision, textual fidelity, and structural completeness. The entire classical Chinese text is included alongside a refined, line-by-line English translation. Each verse is accompanied by detailed commentary grounded in traditional Neidan doctrine, designed to clarify the symbolic language and alchemical transformations at the heart of Zhang Boduan’s teaching.

This edition also restores and explains the traditional structure of the Wu Zhen Pian, including:

The Preface (前序), setting forth Zhang Boduan’s intentions;
The Diagram of the Elixir Chamber’s Precious Mirror (丹房寶鑑之圖), a symbolic image included in several influential later transmissions;
The Sixteen Regulated Quatrains (七言四韻一十六首), based on the symbolic number 二八一斤;
The Sixty-Four Verses (七言絕句六十四首), corresponding to the hexagrams of the Book of Changes (周易);
A series of symbolic lyric poems, including Twelve Verses in the Tune of "Moon over the West River" (西江月十二首), one Additional Verse (又一首) representing the intercalary month, and Five Quatrains (絕句五首) symbolizing the Five Phases (五行);
The Afterword (後序), reflecting on the purpose and limitations of transmission.
In addition, this second edition includes new Appendices and Supplementary Verses that expand upon Zhang Boduan’s teachings and place them in the broader context of Daoist inner alchemy. These additional texts—included in some traditional editions of the Wu Zhen Pian—provide further insight into symbolic correspondences, cosmological patterns, and the oral transmission lineages that shaped this classic text’s reception over the centuries.

Designed for both committed practitioners and readers seeking deeper insight into Daoist inner transformation, this edition remains faithful to the classical phrasing while offering accessible guidance through its layered wisdom. Whether approached as a sacred scripture, a spiritual manual, or a philosophical work, the Wu Zhen Pian continues to reveal new depths to those who read with clarity, sincerity, and perseverance.

Neidan or Internal Alchemy has developed two main modes of selfcultivation. The first is based on cultivating the mind and intends to remove the causes that prevent one from “seeing one’s true nature,” which is equated with the Elixir. The second is based on purifying the main components of the human being—Essence (jing 精 ), Breath (qi 氣 ), and Spirit (shen 神 )—so that they may serve as ingredients of the Elixir. These two modes of self-cultivation are said to place an emphasis on xing 性 and on ming 命 , respectively. However, Neidan texts repeat time and again that xing and ming can only be understood and realized in conjunction with one another. 《道教研究學報:宗教、歷史與社會》第六期(2014) Daoism: Religion, History and Society, No. 6 (2014), 157–218 Fabrizio Pregadio is Guest Professor of Daoist Anthropology at the FriedrichAlexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany, and a research associate of the International Consortium for Research in the Humanities “Fate, Freedom and Prognostication,” dir...

In Chinese fantasy narratives spanning literature, animation, and games, characters will often practice martial arts and meditative techniques to become stronger and extend their lives. This process is called cultivation. This paper explores Chinese cultivation games, a unique genre of videogames deeply rooted in Chinese culture and cosmology. Through the theoretical lens of cosmotechnics, the analysis aims to elucidate the cultural complexity and imaginative possibilities within these games. Doing so, it is argued, opens up sinofuturist trajectories of technological thinking in which new possibilities can be imagined beyond Western contexts. The paper begins by explaining key terminology around "cultivation" in Chinese fantasy literature and games. It then traces the evolution from earlier wuxia-themed games to contemporary cultivation games. Next, the paper relates cultivation games to discourses on magical thinking and sinofuturism. It argues these games can exemplify an alternative sinofuturism aligned with traditional Chinese philosophies of cultivation rather than Western notions of endless progress. Through game analysis and theoretical discussion, the paper explores how Chinese cultivation games can diversify technological imaginaries. At stake in this paper is how cultivation games and the Chinese cultural understandings they impart can help to broaden the collective imaginary horizon in relation to culture, technology, and the future.

Chen Zi'ang 陳子昂 (661-702) was a court official and a preeminent poet in the early Tang Dynasty. His unsuccessful political career adds a layer of mystery to his poems that has been inviting people to interpret them in different ways. However, the majority of Chen's poems have been treated in an allegorical way, particularly his most renowned poetic work, the Ganyu 感遇 series. This article focuses on three poems of the Ganyu series, and explores the associations of the hidden images adopted in Chen's poems with the Daoist alchemical classic, Zhouyi Cantong qi 周易參同契 [The Seal of the Unity of the Three, in Accordance with the Book of Changes]. This connection suggests that these three poems are unrelated to the emotions inspired by political encounters, which is the typical interpretation of Ganyu poems in conventional scholarship. Instead, I argue that underlying the poems is the poet's interest in alchemy and longing for longevity, instantiated in his intimate familiarity with the alchemical expertise discussed in Cantong qi.

Printed in 1544, Gujin shuohai 古今說海 (A Sea of Tales from Past and Present; hereafter GJSH), was a distinct example of the genre of congshu 叢書 (collectanea). Thirteen collators are listed, nine of whom are also noted for their contribution of texts from their own collections. They were all connected in kinship or officialdom to Lu Shen 陸深 (zi Ziyuan 子淵; 1477–1544), a renowned official, calligrapher, poet, and bibliophile of Songjiang 松江 (today’s Shanghai) whose family owned the Yanshan Academy 儼山書院 that published GJSH. This congshu therefore presents an exemplary case to
study how book-collecting and private publishing in early sixteenth-century Songjiang enabled its local literati community to perform their cultural authority – alternative to officialdom – in collecting and curating the narrative space of heteroglossia drawn from a miscellany of sources, social registers, and paratexts.

Daoist internal alchemy is one of the most difficult aspects of Daoism for westerners to penetrate. This is partly because few Chinese themselves can grasp its essence. The alchemical literature is fascinating but maddeningly obscure.

It wears two masks simultaneously, one promising mystical illumination and immortality, the other promising a spiritual science, a systematic approach to bridge the dark gulf between a fragile human mind in a mortal body and the vast eternal life of the cosmos.

My thesis will necessarily wear both of these masks, veering between intimate accounts of my experience with alchemy and my attempt to find an objective ground for understanding daoist alchemy as a deep language available to anyone willing to learn to speak its universal silent patterns.

This paper was written in 2001, nearly a quarter century ago. I feel its thesis has withstood the test of time - my reason for posting it. I have "spiritually hacked" into the higher inner alchemy formulas of One Cloud, and penetrated much deeper into Daoist cultivation of spiritual immortality.

But the basic principles remain unchanged from 2001. This is an excellent place for any curious scholar or seeker to evaluate what inner alchemy practically entails.

May Dao Immortals smile within the hearts of all who read this. :)

This article examines Daoist ritual and meditative practices, primarily developed between the fourth and twelft centuries, as cosmotechniques: methods for engaging, recalibrating, and occasionally overturning the spatial and temporal order. It first outlines the cosmological framework of the pre-Qin and Qin-Han periods, in which space and time were conceived as correlative and qualitative, forming the grounds of Daoist practice. Daoist foundational practices elaborately aligned with this framework but also introduced subtle disruptions that discover the singular space-time for transformation. Through the investigation of bodily cultivation and communal rituals, this study argues for attention to the performative aspect of Daoist practices, aiming to access and enact alternative space-time, and suggesting a dynamic interplay between alignment and disruption. The study further analyzes internal alchemy and visionary practices that engage in radical reversals of natural rhythms-employing fire, dissolution, and systemic negation to reconfigure cosmic flow. As shown here, Daoist practice is not merely contemplative but performative, reconstituting space-time and body. Though not articulated in ecological terms, such practices demonstrate ways of modeling and modulating lifeworlds attuned to the rhythms of nature-pointing to the possibility of reshaping life under unplugged conditions.

The Voynich Manuscript is far from a meaningless collection of drawings - it
serves as a coded manual of alchemical dual cultivation, integrating astrology, physiology, and energy flow charts. Its purpose appears to be the documentation of an ancient method of merging heaven and humanity, cultivating Yin and Yang, and ultimately achieving Golden Liquid Reversion (金液還丹) and the indestructible body.

Gandhara-Qi Symbolism: Hair, Uhnisha, and the Flow of Inner Energy ShuangYanGuanZhu The Gandhara Buddha sculptures, especially the heads with their spiral hair curls and prominent Uhnisha, are more than artistic expressions-they may serve as visual metaphors for the flow and refinement of Qi (prana, life force). When interpreted through the lens of inner alchemical traditions, the Gandhara style reveals profound energetic symbolism.

In Western traditions, alchemy is generally understood as the art and philosophy of preparing elixirs for longevity or the pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone, aiming to achieve immortality. In Daoism, however, alchemy is divided into two major branches: Waidan (External Alchemy) and Neidan (Internal Alchemy). Waidan involves the external crafting of elixirs using minerals, herbs, and alchemical techniques, following precise timing, formulas, and cosmic alignments. Neidan, on the other hand, focuses on the internal cultivation of Qi, which corresponds to prana in Indian yoga and tantric traditions-the vital energy or life force. Internal alchemy emphasizes the progressive transformation of one's inner essence through stages such as "refining essence into Qi, refining Qi into Spirit, and refining Spirit to return to Emptiness." Through breath control, mental focus, and energetic circulation, the practitioner aims to achieve longevity, spiritual awakening, or a return to the primordial state.

The Wadjet Eye and the Eye of Horus 雙延館主 ShuangYanGuanZhu 這兩個符號就像是一組拼圖。(圖一) 在多年研究氣 (Qi) 、埃及卡氣或普拉那 (Prana) 之後，我們認為瓦潔特之眼 與荷魯 斯之眼皆與氣的運行及五感的 整合密切相關，其最終目的是為了開啟第三眼。 These two symbols are like pieces of a puzzle. (Figure 1) After studying Qi, Egyptian Ka, or Prana for several years, we feel that both the Wadjet Eye and the Eye of Horus are deeply connected to the movement of Qi and the five senses, ultimately aiming to open the third eye.

In Neo-Assyrian palace reliefs (ca. 9th-7th century BCE), winged figures frequently appear holding pine cones, buckets, flowers, or cradling animals and plants. These are often seen as religious or ritualistic scenes of purification and blessing. However, through the lens of Qi (vital energy) and mudra (hand gestures), these figures may represent
visualizations of energetic practices.

A cross-disciplinary interpretation of Voynich manuscript, integrating Daoist internal alchemy (Neidan), Tantric Tummo and Kundalini systems, I Ching numerology, He Tu and Luo Shu, feminine lunar-based cultivation, nerve plexus anatomy, and reproductive energy
transformation.

We show that the manuscript’s frequent depictions of nude figures, plants, vessels, spirals, and spinal forms are not herbal or biological illustrations, but symbolic encodings of practices such as refining essence into Qi, circulating the Microcosmic Orbit, Three Flowers Converging at the Crown, Five Qi Returning to the Origin, Yang Spirit projection, and embryonic regression.

Convening in Dracula country, our topic this year is the dark and demonic. It can be explored on three different levels: philosophy, mythology, and practice. In terms of philosophy, it invites an exploration of concepts of evil, the shadow side of things, the wayward or heteropathic flows of qi, the destructive effects of intervening in natural processes, the detriments of conscious divisions, emotional excesses, and more. On the mythological level, the topic encompasses the study of all sorts of chthonic figures: ghosts and demons, sprites and goblins, the discontented dead (with their sepulchral plaints), supernatural animals, deathbringers in the body, agents of disease, and many more. From early demonologies through extensive Daoist lists of harmful agents to modern ghosts and viruses, negative forces have occupied an important position in the worldview and cosmology of the religion. As regards practice, third, the dark side has given rise to numerous techniques that may be described in five types: ethical, energetic, herbal, magical, and ritual. Thus, good moral behavior can guard against the effects of the deathbringers; there are numerous ways of guiding qi to empower the organs and create a protective shield; plant matter-in particular peach leaves and branches-have strong demon-quelling properties; magical chants, including the calling out of demons' names, as well as talismans and potent writs can drive out nasty forces; and there are numerous ritual ways to control and subdue dark forces, including evocation, exorcism, and ensigellation, to name a few. All these and other related topics deserve much more extensive and in-depth study, which the conference invites to pursue.

The article is devoted to the cosmological element of the Lingbao School (Numinous Treasure), one of the most significant and, at the same time, poorly studied movements in the history of religious Daoism. Having been known from the early 5th century, Lingbao scriptures were characterized by detailed cosmographic visions as well as a system of individual and collective rituals subordinated to the components of the cosmological doctrine. As a source on the cosmological conceptions of the Lingbao School, the “Scripture of Salvation” (Duren jing), as well as four commentaries on it (from the 5th to the 8th centuries), were examined. Based on the scripture and its early commentary tradition, an outline of the main components of the universe according to the Lingbao doctrine is given: the 32 heavens, the spheres of the “Three Clarities”, and the earth-prisons. We conclude that there are such emphases typical for cosmological descriptions in the Duren jing and in its commentary tradition as the long-term self-developmenton the path of Dao; rebirth in the higher heavens as a reward for spiritual merits; reliance on the celestial bureaucracy ruling in all regions of the world.

Chinese medicine encompasses ancient practices, and in this article, any person who performed them during the imperial period will be considered a "doctor". Although many names are historical references, little is heard of female doctors, even though they did exist. The objective is to verify whether there is a relationship between the way in which imperial Chinese female doctors are described and the sociocultural characteristics of each era. From the Hàn period, they are mentioned in random events, unrelated to medical practice. With the arrival of Buddhism in China and the strengthening of Taoism, in the Jìn, Suí and Táng dynasties, female names were more valued, and in the latter, one of them even published a book in her name. The Sòng dynasty is emblematic of the return of radical Confucianism and the organization of medicine, and precisely for this reason, women were excluded, with their appearances being associated only with mystical and miraculous events. In the Míng dynasty, medicine became institutionally disorganized, but with the valorisation of humanistic aspects. The most relevant description of a female doctor from this period is that of a autodidact aristocrat, who intentionally justifies her work in the preface to her book by her concern for humanity. And in the last Chinese dynasty, the Qīng dynasty, social dissatisfaction with the dominant Manchu minority and Western imperialism culminated in the prominence of a professional whose work symbolizes this process: from traditional conservatism to social reformism, based on education and health as transformative instruments. It is therefore concluded that the historical description that remains of these female doctors is related to the sociocultural characteristics of each historical period. Secondarily, it is suggested that this is due to the influence that historians were subject to from how each dynasty viewed the role of women. 150 caracters Chinese medicine encompasses ancient practices, anyone who performed them was considered "doctor". Little is heard about women. Objective is to verify whether there´s a relationship between how Chinese doctors is described and dynastic sociocultural characteristics. At first, they appear in random events, unrelated to practice. With the strengthening of Buddhism and Taoism, in the following dynasties were more valued. One published in her own name. In Sòng, Confucianism returned, promoting organization of medicine. For this reason, women were excluded, with appearances associated with mysticism. In Míng, a doctor intentionally justified herself by her concern for humanity because humanistic aspects are valorised. Social dissatisfaction with dominant Manchu minority and imperialism in Qīng culminated in prominence of a professional whose work symbolizes it: traditional conservatism with social reformism, based on education and health as transformers. It's concluded that historical description of these doctors is related to dynastic sociocultural characteristics.

This publication is a selection of poems of Ikkyū Sojun (1394—
1481), a Zen Buddhist monk and distinguished polymath of Medieval Ja
pan. At that time, writing poetry in Chinese language (kanshi) was a com
mon practice amongst Sinophilic Japanese literati. Ikkyū’s poems dramat
ically stand out from the major corpus of Chinese verse composed by his
contemporaries in their often raw emotions and risqué subjects. This se
lection represents the panoply of Ikkyū’s themes from reflections on his
religious experience to revelations on his psychosomatic insights with
women.

The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there." 哻 Chinese medical history is a new and flourishing field in Taiwan. A majority of the publications in this area have appeared in academic journals only in the past ten years, and the community is fairly small. Nevertheless these scholars have circulated quite a few reflections on their own research and their works have undergone a number of reviews in different occasions. 哷 This may have several reasons, ranging from the activeness of the participants to their needs to clarify and to defend their research interest in the academic community at large. Since most of the pioneers are trained as historians, and their followers are junior scholars in the field, they face challenges not only from their more conventional colleagues but also from medical professionals, who often consider physicians the best qualified to do medical history. Shengkun Chen , a medical doctor with a master , s degree in history, claimed just that in his publication, which stimulates a historian , s The Past as a Foreign Country: Recent Research on Chinese Medical History in Taiwan 哻 "The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there" is the opening sentence of L.P. Hartley , s novel The Go-between (New York: New York Review Books Classics, 1953Classics, /1996)). David Lowenthal, a British historian, uses the phrase for the title of his book, The Past is a Foreign Country (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985), which focuses on the way modern people make use of historical material to their present interest, especially in the Anglo-American civilization, and the author , s somewhat disapproval of it. This review, although not disagreeing with Lowenthal , s assessment on modern history and historiography, applies the novel , s opening sentence to denote another dimension in historical research in which the foreignness of the past is taken seriously enough that historians feel compelled to conduct an anthropological observation in order to overcome the difficulties of understanding those who lived in the worlds before us. This foreignness and the efforts involved to overcome it may have and perhaps should have existed in historical research in general, but they are, as will be shown in this review, particularly evident when scholars in Taiwan work on the history of Chinese medicine. 哷These reviews take various forms from correspondence notes in academic newsletters to review articles in conference and academic journals. For instance, Cheng-sheng Tu, "A note on medical history as social history: introducing the achievements of the 'disease, healing and culture , research group,"

Yijing 易經 (Libro de los cambios), las teorías del Yin Yang, las cinco fases (wuxing 五 行), así como prácticas gimnásticas y meditativas 7 . No obstante, hasta la fecha todavía no se han definido sus fundamentos en relación directa con el Daodejing y el Zhuangzi 8 , y tampoco se ha estudiado la posible significación alquímica de sus contenidos 9 . Por otro lado, no ha habido ningún estudio que relacione o compare la tradición alquímica taoísta con su homóloga española. Únicamente se han hecho estudios acerca de una obra determinada dentro de la alquimia española en los que se relacionan con otros tratados de la tradición alquímica occidental y la árabe. A continuación se muestra una relación de los estudios empleados en este trabajo sobre las dos tradiciones alquímicas. 7 Para Isabelle Robinet, investigadora de alquimia taoísta, los textos que se incluyen dentro de la alquimia interna se ocupan del entrenamiento corporal y mental, sintetizan diversas corrientes taoístas, confucianistas y budistas, además de presentar referencias al Yijing y también a prácticas alquímicas. Consultar Isabelle Robinet. "Original Contributions of Neidan to Taoism and Chinese

This article describes how western philosophy is derivative from a book of Chinese proverbs distilled from various traditions, known as the Tao teh Ching. However, Plato and the other Greeks ignored the references to sharing of resources, worship of the sacred feminine, and cultural inclusion. Thanks to John Wong.

Part of the ASIANetwork Books series.

Analysis of a seventh-century Chinese anthology on imperial governance

In Ordering Tang China: Cultural Memory, Emperor Taizong and the Essentials, Kelly Ngo presents the first book-length study in English of the Essentials for Bringing about Order from Assembled Texts (Qunshu zhiyao 群書治要), a rulership anthology that became renowned for its model of governance in ancient and early modern East Asia. The Essentials is one of the earliest Chinese anthologies designed to educate rulers in cultivating an ethical character and governing the state. Commissioned for the Tang emperor Taizong in the 620s, the Essentials articulates a distinctive political philosophy through a collection of excerpts from earlier canonical, historical, and masters writings, and their commentaries. Examining the Essentials and its transmission in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam through the lens of cultural memory, Ngo explores the foundation, conduct, and impact of Zhenguan rulership, which became synonymous with good governance among later generations of ruling elites, scholars, and historians in China and beyond.

By connecting the textual discourse with an analysis of its use and reception across the region, Ngo demonstrates that the Essentials was a key source of Confucian political thought and practice during the early Tang dynasty. In accounting for the place of the Essentials in political advice literature, Ngo illustrates how it drew from the ancient Confucian heritage and was still responsive to contemporaneous political concerns, suggesting that the Essentials played a part in the success of Zhenguan political practice.

Ordering Tang China also includes the first English-language translations of portions of the seventh-century anthology, with reference to partial translations published in nine languages. Utilizing the theory of cultural memory to study the Essentials not only opens a fresh approach to learning about the imperial consumption of literature, as well as the theory and practice of emperorship, but also offers a case study for how to study Chinese governance literature, including its “mirror for princes” genre.

Review
“This monograph is a monumental work in the Western academic community focusing on Qunshu Zhiyao. It explores the influence of Qunshu Zhiyao on the Tang Dynasty’s prosperity during Emperor Taizong’s reign. Those interested in studying the politics, culture, and the dissemination of the Tang Dynasty canonical literature must refer to it.”
– Ming Kay Poon, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

The Qunshu zhiyao 群書治要 (Essentials for bringing about order from assembled texts) is a compilation of statecraft writings that was imperially commissioned by and for the Tang emperor Taizong 太宗 (598–649) near the inception of his Zhenguan 貞觀 reign (r. 624–649). It is one of the earliest extant anthologies in China designed to educate a ruler in cultivating an ethical character and governing the state. As its title suggests, the Essentials articulates a distinctive political philosophy through its collection of excerpts drawn from canonical, historical, and masters writings, and from their commentaries. Although this period of Chinese history has attracted scholarly attention in the fields of politics, history, and culture, the Essentials seems to have largely eluded Occidental researchers and there is to date no complete translation into any European language. This article explores the Essentials’ corpus of excerpted materials through the lens of cultural memory, as theorised by Jan and Aleida Assmann since the late 1980’s. In particular, the circumstances surrounding the production of the Essentials are analysed through the institutional communication, reconstruction of cultural knowledge, and binding nature elements of cultural memory theory. The findings shed light on both the Essentials as a cultural memory text of the Zhenguan era and the nature of political discourse during that period of early Tang China.

唐太宗於貞觀初期下令編纂的資政典籍《群書治要》，是君王乃至輔臣和各級官吏修身、治國、平天下的教科書，是中國現存最早的匡政著作之一。正如書名所示，《群書治要》通過摘選經典、史書、諸子百家以及相關注疏的治國理政精華，來闡述獨特的政治哲學。初唐時期的政治、歷史和文化，受到學者的廣泛關注，但《群書治要》在西方的研究中似乎鮮有涉及，至今尚未有完整的外文譯本。本文通過揚·阿斯曼（Jan Assmann）和阿萊達·阿斯曼（Aleida Assmann）自1980年代以來提出的文化記憶理論，分析《群書治要》輯錄的內容。文章以文化記憶理論中的三大要素：機構化的關聯、文化的重構性及集體認同的凝聚性為切入點，對《群書治要》的成書歷史背景進行深入的解讀。研究不僅闡明《群書治要》作為貞觀時期文化記憶文本的特點，同時也揭示初唐時期政治語境的本質。

Mārīcī (Molizhi tian 摩利支天) originated in India and spread throughout various Indian religious traditions. She is also the subject of a crosscultural cult which spread to Central Asia, China, Tibet, Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia and generated different iconographies and cults. In each locale, Mārīcī underwent localization or syncretisation with indigenous traditions. The first section of this paper will explore Mārīcī's textual transmission from India to China, including scriptures on Mārīcī in Chinese translations of Buddhist texts, and investigate the characteristics and implications of Mārīcī worship. The second section analyzes texts related to Doumu 斗母-Mārīcī, focusing on iconographies, rituals, and spells. By reading the Yuyin qianyuan dantian leifa玉音乾 元丹天雷法 [Thunder Methods of the Cinnabar Heaven of the Jade-Toned Primordial Heavens] and the Xiantian Doumu zougao xuanke 先天斗母奏告玄科 [Posterior-Heaven Ritual of Doumu's Proclamation to the Profound], this paper investigates the process through which Doumu rituals were transformed into Dipper-proclamation rites, how new Doumu rituals were formed using the framework of Dipperproclamation rites, and how they had a significant influence on later Doumu proclamation.

"What is it in-and-of-itself?" — this question, posed by Marcus Aurelius, exemplifies the Stoic method of peeling away appearances to reveal the essence beneath. Yet what if we extend this Stoic inquiry beyond ethics and into the realm of epistemology and metaphysics — not merely to understand the self but to transmute it? This essay explores such an extension through the lens of alchemy, informed by a retroductive and axiological orientation. It seeks to weave the meditative contemplations of Marcus Aurelius into the living tapestry of symbolic transformation: the alchemical Great Work. It contends that the process of subjective synthesis and objective negation — the annihilation of illusion and the reintegration of essence — forms the foundation for a renewed model of conscious becoming, elegant in its simplicity and profound in its implications.

Immortality has recently become a prominent topic of discussion, particularly in light of advancing technologies aimed at enhancing human life expectancy. Proposed scenarios encompass improved treatments for various diseases and the development of longevity medicine. In this essay, I examine the theory of the self and the concept of immortality as presented in Heshanggong's commentary on the Daodejing. This analysis serves as a case study aimed at illuminating a unique perspective on the self that contributes to contemporary discussions of immortality. I argue that Heshanggong's commentary emphasizes the significance of jing 精, qi 氣, and shen 神, positing that our essential property is to have the essential spirits (jingshen 精神). Furthermore, it suggests the possibility of a disembodied form of immortality without a physical human body. This interpretation of immortality offers a novel understanding of how immortality may be achievable.

This study examines the convergence of Heim's Unified Field Theory (UFT) with Buddhist and Dao metaphysical frameworks, proposing a multidimensional paradigm in which information, rather than matter, forms the basis of reality. While Western scientific traditions have largely relied on reductionist and mechanistic approaches to reality, Eastern philosophies, particularly Dao and Buddhism, have long emphasized an interconnected, dynamic continuum of existence. Heim's model of higher-dimensional structures (X5-X12) offers a compelling bridge between these perspectives, suggesting that reality is governed by an underlying informational field that mediates the emergence of structured form and conscious experience. Heim's higher-dimensional framework aligns with Buddhist and Dao, reflecting their foundational concepts of interdependence and non-duality. Heim's notion that distinctions collapse at the highest dimension parallels Buddhist dependent origination (緣起, pratītyasamutpāda) and emptiness (空, śūnyatā), which assert that all phenomena lack intrinsic existence and arise contingently. Similarly, Dao's wuji (無極, Ultimate Void) corresponds to Heim's X12, the undifferentiated informational substrate from which structured reality emerges. Heim's X5 and X6 function as energetic regulators that mediate the transformation of undifferentiated potential into structured materialization, paralleling the Dao's concept of taiji (太極, Supreme Polarity) arising from wuji (無極, Ultimate Void) as the foundational process of cosmic differentiation. This synthesis suggests that Heim's model provides a scientific articulation of ancient Eastern cosmologies, where reality is shaped by the dynamic interplay of information, energy, and form. This synthesis has implications for quantum cognition, bioenergetics, and contemplative sciences. By exploring ālaya-vijñāna (阿賴耶識, "storehouse consciousness") as a vibrational repository encoding karmic imprints, the study proposes new frameworks for cognitive transformation and energy-based interventions. Heim's theory further aligns with Buddhist perspectives on consciousness as a structured informational field, suggesting that higher dimensions regulate fluctuations in the lower realms of perception and material reality. This study's findings contribute theoretically and practically by expanding the interdisciplinary dialogue between Eastern contemplative traditions and modern physics. By integrating qi (氣) dynamics with Heim's control dimensions and reinterpreting Buddhist Dharmadhātu (法界, Dharma Realm of Non-Duality) as an ultimate informational continuum, this research informs both scientific and practical applications. By synthesizing these perspectives, this paper extends Heim's framework beyond its original formulation, positioning it as a bridge between Western theoretical physics and Eastern metaphysical traditions. The contribution of this study lies in its interdisciplinary approach, which offers a more holistic understanding of multidimensional reality, consciousness, and the mechanisms underlying the emergence of form and perception. This re-interpretation challenges existing reductionist paradigms and paves the way for new research directions that integrate quantum biology, neuroenergetics, bioelectromagnetism, quantum cognition and consciousness studies and higher-dimensional physics into a unified model of existence.

This study examines the convergence of Heim's Unified Field Theory (UFT) with Buddhist and Dao metaphysical frameworks, proposing a multidimensional paradigm in which information, rather than matter, forms the basis of reality. While Western scientific traditions have largely relied on reductionist and mechanistic approaches to reality, Eastern philosophies, particularly Dao and Buddhism, have long emphasized an interconnected, dynamic continuum of existence. Heim's model of higher-dimensional structures (X5-X12) offers a compelling bridge between these perspectives, suggesting that reality is governed by an underlying informational field that mediates the emergence of structured form and conscious experience. Heim's higher-dimensional framework aligns with Buddhist and Dao, reflecting their foundational concepts of interdependence and non-duality. Heim's notion that distinctions collapse at the highest dimension parallels Buddhist dependent origination (緣起, pratītyasamutpāda) and emptiness (空, śūnyatā), which assert that all phenomena lack intrinsic existence and arise contingently. Similarly, Dao's wuji (無極, Ultimate Void) corresponds to Heim's X12, the undifferentiated informational substrate from which structured reality emerges. Heim's X5 and X6 function as energetic regulators that mediate the transformation of undifferentiated potential into structured materialization, paralleling the Dao's concept of taiji (太極, Supreme Polarity) arising from wuji (無極, Ultimate Void) as the foundational process of cosmic differentiation. This synthesis suggests that Heim's model provides a scientific articulation of ancient Eastern cosmologies, where reality is shaped by the dynamic interplay of information, energy, and form. This synthesis has implications for quantum cognition, bioenergetics, and contemplative sciences. By exploring ālaya-vijñāna (阿賴耶識, "storehouse consciousness") as a vibrational repository encoding karmic imprints, the study proposes new frameworks for cognitive transformation and energy-based interventions. Heim's theory further aligns with Buddhist perspectives on consciousness as a structured informational field, suggesting that higher dimensions regulate fluctuations in the lower realms of perception and material reality. This study's findings contribute theoretically and practically by expanding the interdisciplinary dialogue between Eastern contemplative traditions and modern physics. By integrating qi (氣) dynamics with Heim's control dimensions and reinterpreting Buddhist Dharmadhātu (法界, Dharma Realm of Non-Duality) as an ultimate informational continuum, this research informs both scientific and practical applications. By synthesizing these perspectives, this paper extends Heim's framework beyond its original formulation, positioning it as a bridge between Western theoretical physics and Eastern metaphysical traditions. The contribution of this study lies in its interdisciplinary approach, which offers a more holistic understanding of multidimensional reality, consciousness, and the mechanisms underlying the emergence of form and perception. This re-interpretation challenges existing reductionist paradigms and paves the way for new research directions that integrate quantum biology, neuroenergetics, bioelectromagnetism, quantum cognition and consciousness studies and higher-dimensional physics into a unified model of existence.

[abstract of the volume]
The Huangting jing (Yellow Court Scripture) consists of a set of two texts that outline the body vision and key techniques of Daoist meditation. At the center of an extensive literature of both commentaries and exegeses compiled over several millennia, it has been mainly studied from a historical and textual perspective. Supplementing this, this volume explores not only important rhyme structures but also the nature of the body vision presented, the type and quality of the practices involved, and how they compare to modern scientific models as well as to later Chinese interpretations and adaptations, such as medical texts of the Tang and internal alchemy of the Song. It assembles nine presentations of accomplished scholars in the field, bringing the Huangting jing into the limelight and enhancing its in-depth understanding in the greater context of Daoist history and modern science.

Taoist «Bright Code of the Nine Perfected» (Jiu zhen ming ke 九真明科). Third section: “Chapters on the Redemption for the Guilt” (Shu zui pian 贖罪篇). Translation and comments by Sergey Filonov.
DOI: 10.69538/PV.2024.92.84.003 
 
    The publication contains an annotated Russian translation of the third section (下品 xia pin) of the scripture from Taoist Canon (道藏 Dao zang), entitled «Jiu zhen ming ke» (九真明科 «Bright Code of the Nine Perfected»), alternative title’s translations — «Illustrious Code of the Nine Real Men», «The Sworn Code of the Nine Zhenren», «Bright Code of the Perfected [Kings] from the Nine [Heavens]». The third section of the Code is devoted to a ranked description of the redemptive rites for followers of Taoist Supreme Purity lineage. These rites represent a synthesis of the three great ritualistic traditions of Taoism during the Period of Division (220—589 AD), namely — the early Heavenly Masters (天師 Tianshi), the southern fang-shi 方士 (“masters of techniques”), and the Lingbao 靈寶 (Numinous Treasure). The latter one, in turn, demonstrates the active process of interaction between Taoism and Buddhism. It appears that the framework of these rites is a modified “ritual of audience in the oratory” (朝靜法 chao jing fa) of the early Heavenly Masters. Thus, the translation contains valuable information about the Taoist rites of the Southern Dynasties (V—VI AD) and illustrates the conclusions presented in the fundamental studies of Prof. Lü Peng-zhi 呂鵬志 and Prof. Chang Chao-jan 張超然. 
 
    Цитирование:
Филонов, С.В. Даосское сочинение «Цзю чжэнь мин кэ» ( 九 真 明 科 «Пресветлый кодекс Девяти Совершенных»). Третий раздел. «Главы об искуплении вины». Перевод и комментарии С. В. Филонова / С.В. Филонов // Петербургское востоковедение: альманах: Festschrift в честь И. А. Алимова / О.И. Трофимова, И.А. Алексеев, Ю.Б. Гаврилова и др. – СПб.: Петербургское Востоковедение, 2024. – Гл. 2. – С. 40-70. – DOI: 10.69538/PV.2024.92.84.003

В центре внимания данной статьи — культурный процесс, связанный с появлением первой «массовой» школы. Поскольку как социальный и культурный институт она была подвержена влиянию всех этих исторических процессов, то ее рассмотрение позволяет яснее видеть и четче описывать каждый из них. Именно «школа» может быть использована как своеобразная «точка сборки» при систематизации данных, сохранившихся в источниках.

Tao Hongjing (456-536 AD) lived in the Southern Dynasty of China. His book A Variorum of Medicinal Properties of Plants (also called Bencaojingjizhu) made a lot of achievements in morphological records of plants. The book has some characteristics, for example, it provided the largest number of plant forms and relevant structures, had detailed observation on plant organs, recorded and identified more plant forms and relevant structures, paid special attention to forms and structures of integral parts of plants and so on. These characteristics not only enriched content of medicinal substance books, laid a solid foundation for researching the history of plant morphology and had the influence on such book content, botanical research, spirit of academic research and so on at the time and later, but also provided an important reference for identifying medicines. Although the book has shortcomings, its function and status should not be ignored in the development history of plant morphology.

After its comprehensive serialization in newspapers in 1906, Liu E’s 20-chapter novel, The Travels of Lao Can, elicited considerable attention. This prominence led multiple publishers to reprint the novel, and it also inspired the creation of several sequels. In 1916, the Shanghai Baixin Company released a detailed annotated edition of The Travels of Lao Can in two segments. The former segment presented Liu E’s original 20 chapters, while the latter introduced a sequel authored by the Baixin Company but attributed to Liu E. Scholars are increasingly recognizing the pivotal role of the Baixin edition in popularizing The Travels of Lao Can throughout the initial years of the Republican period. The purpose of this paper is to delineate the relationship between commercial publishing dynamics and the formation of national identity during the early Republican period, using the Baixin Company’s publishing endeavor as a case in point. Different from previous studies that predominantly focus on the book’s preface and main content, this research accentuates the promotional techniques and sales advertisements championed by the Baixin Company. The study explores how the Baixin Company leveraged marketing and contemporaneous events to endow the novel with a “prophetic” persona. In its editorial and publishing endeavors for the sequel, the Baixin Company adeptly amalgamated commercial pursuits, political inclinations, nationalist emotions, and a fascination for the esoteric.

In this article I examine the omens observed during the reign of the first and only female emperor of China — Wu Ze-tian – as reflected in the Five Phases (Wu xing 五行) chapter of the Old Book of Tang (Jiu Tang Shu 舊唐書). I compare the data on the reign of Wu Ze-tian as reflected in the
Basic Records (Ben ji 本紀) and Five Phases chapters of this dynastic history. On the basis of this analysis, I identify the main administrative mistakes that Confucian scholars attributed to the empress. I conclude that the mention of omens served two purposes – to highlight crisis state events of the period and identify the main problems relevant to the reign of Wu Ze-tian. Method of structural analysis of texts in classical Chinese (wenyan) was used in this study. I also provide Russian translations of the Old Book of Tang fragments not translated into European languages.

The Book of Changes revolves around the task of practicing how to live with and through a changing world. However, the Book of Changes as well as the Lǎozǐ make it clear that the Way of constant change is not easy to walk, but rather one in which difficult turns and unpredictable dangers await at every moment. Lǎozǐ 16 refers to the topic of constant change by speaking about the difficulty of responding to “turning fate”. This requires the exercise of “self-emptying” and “becoming still” (虛靜工夫). Accordingly, those who are able to empty themselves (and this includes the rejection of learning in the sense of increasing knowledge and becoming smarter) and have learned to immerse themselves in silent contemplation may become able of “turning fate” and “knowing constancy”.
How can we read the terms “constant” (常) and “constant way” (常道) in this context? To what extent do they refer to an “order” that is not to be grounded in eternity and immutability, but in constant change, which turns into language in a way that combines images and concepts, thinking and poetry.

"Die 8 Häuser gehen auf eine sehr alte Überlieferung zurück und konnten später
schriftlich u.a. bei Jing Fang belegt werden - wobei es hier u.a. auch
um Medizinische Anwendungen geht. Denis Schilling und Steve Marshall
beschreiben in ihren Werken ebenso die 8 Häuser des I-Ging wie Harmen
Mesker und Richard Wilhelm. Harmen Mesker schreibt in seinen
Forschungsergebnissen 2002 in „The Eight Houses – A preliminary survey“
dass jedes Jahrhundert seine „eigenen Systeme“ auf der Basis dieser alten „8
Häuser“ Tradition hervorgebracht hat."
"Aus dem Europäischen Altertum ist noch bekannt dass die Etrusker eine
besondere Arte der Musiktherapie kannten: Sie komponierten für die jeweilige
Situation eigene Kompositionen (s. unser Beitrag zur DGPA Tagung 2022 über
die Abwendung der Pandemie im alten Rom durch selbst verfasste
Kompositionen).
Hildegard von Bingen gilt als die erste Komponistin und Schriftstellerin der
Neuzeit, die eigene musikalische Kompositionen für seelisch- und körperlich
Erkrankte komponiert hat. Ihre Werke wurden im 12.Jh. von ihrem Sekretär
Volmar niedergeschrieben und sind bis heute in der original Handschrift
erhalten. Sehr oft wird ihr Singspiel "Ordo Virtutes" heute noch konzertant
aufgeführt."
"Die 8 Urbilder als musikalische Neumen komponiert
Als Beispiel wie die Ur-Zeichen als Neumen in der Musik Verwendung finden sei
hier der achttaktige Kern des „Cantico Hymnus“ erwähnt. So entstehen 8 Ur-
Bilder und 8 Melodische Ur-Neumen (Melodien aus 3 Tönen).
Die Urzeichen werden in der Komposition in der Reihenfolge der anfangs
erwähnten „Cantico-Folge“ komponiert."

Visión espiritual del Tao Taoísmo y Sabiduría Hiperbórea. Nexo espiritual. "A quien es capaz de ir contigo. Dale y condúcele hasta el maravilloso Tao. A quien no es capaz de ir contigo y conocer el Tao, Cuida de no darle; así no cometerás error". Chuang-Tsé, El desconocimiento que Occidente posee en lo que respecta al Tao, se debe a cuatro aspectos:

Whether the origin of the universe and the world, whether it is material or spiritual, has always been the most basic question of philosophy, and it is also the question that every philosopher must answer. The answers to this question by ancient Chinese philosophers can be roughly divided into two categories: first, they believed that "mind" or "reason" is the origin of the universe; Second, Qi is the primordial principle. Zhang Zai believes that "Qi" or "Yuan Qi" is the highest system and the most initial basis for the generation of people and all things. Zhang Zai inherited and developed the category of "Tai Xu" in ancient times, and transformed and discarded it, which was used to represent the basic form of material existence and the basic state of material movement. Materialist cosmology of gas as the ontology" and "gasification of all things" Beginning with Zhang Zai, the theory of the ancients about the understanding of the material world reached a systematization. Zhang Zai's theory of gas has been confirmed by modern science, the nebula theory, the Big Bang theory, and the abundance distribution of light elements in the universe have confirmed that the evolution of the universe is to produce "Qi", and the gas gradually condenses into nebulae, which further form various stars and galaxies. The result was the universe we see today.

This paper addresses tensions existing between confessional approaches (insider discourses assuming the truth of a tradition) and social scientific approaches (discourses engaged in classification, comparison, and contextualization of teachers and traditions). The academic study of G. I. Gurdjieff and the Work is a recent subfield at the crossroads of religious studies, Western esotericism, and psychology. Studies of occult and esoteric phenomena traditionally were undertaken by members of various esoteric schools and tendencies, and the value of outsider- oriented ‘scientific’ research on such topics and groups has frequently been questioned.