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Daoism and the Contemporary World Conference Abstracts

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BOKENKAMP, Stephen (Indiana University)

The biluo question revisited

The In 1991, I published an article in the journal Taoist Resources on the surprising frequency with which the special Lingbao term biluo appears in the poetry of the Tang period. The stated purpose of that essay was to assess the level of specific knowledge shown by various Tang authors concerning the specific contents of Daoist scripture. Since the word biluo was invented by the author[s] of the Lingbao scriptures and means nothing in ordinary Chinese, it provided a good test case for such an undertaking. Authors who had little knowledge of Daoism used the word in a purely ornamental way, while those with greater familiarity with the scriptural resonance of the word tended to use it in contexts that betrayed this understanding.

The present paper revisits the "biluo question" in order to attempt an answer to other questions broached, but not confronted, in that article. In particular, I reconsider here the categorical assumptions that initially led me to establish two separate spheres of writing - one religious and the other literary - in such a way that I came to consider biluo a "loan word" from the former to the latter.

BOUTONNET, Olivie (INALCO)

The Graduated Schema in Daoist Realisation Process according to Wu Yun (705? - 778)

Before strictly tackling the question of graduation in the quest of ethereal immortality (shenxian) according to Wu Yun, we need to know how he places himself in relation to life, death and immortality. The detachment from the fear of dying and from the pre-eminence of life (inherited from Zhuangzi according to the author) forms the sine qua non condition for getting involved in the process of etherification. This process is composed of three gradual stages : xianren, zhenren and shenren. Wu Yun admittedly does not burden himself with a complex system of categorizations and does not use common taxonomy about immortals, but he structures his tripartite system with the terminology of ancient texts which he adapts to it.

Therefore, one topic would deal with placing Wu Yun in the debate about gradualism while drawing the particularities of his schema of graduation in comparison with those of his masters and other Taoist texts. Moreover, it would be interesting to show the extent of Buddhist influence on his work even if he openly denies it. Besides these three major stages of etherification, Wu Yun adds to them a succession of seven steps which are linked to a more practical, even technical dimension. At this level, even if there are a lot of similarities with writings of famous Taoists as for instance Sima Chengzhen (647 - 735) or Sun Simiao one of the most prominent being that done by Richard Wilhelm, who is best known in the U.S. for his Yi jing. To begin with it gives a short historical outline of how information about Daoism was brought to Europe from the 16^th to the 20^th century and the reception it was given. </>how these topics can be categorised and how interest changed within the period discussed.

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BUMBACHER, Stephan Peter (University of Tuebingen)

"A Buddhist sutra's transformation into a Daoist text"

Since Eric Zürcher's pioneering article "Buddhist influence on early Taoism: A survey of scriptural evidence" of 1980 and Steve Bokenkamp's "Sources of the Ling-pao scriptures" of 1983, the Buddhist impact on Lingbao-Daoism has become evident. Recently, it has been suggested that the developing Daoist monasticism of fifth century Southern China may also have been influenced by the already existing Buddhist one (Bumbacher, The fragments of the Daoxue zhuan, 2000). Both traditions, Daoism and Chinese Buddhism, interacted in complex ways over the last two millenia. However, the precise nature of this two-way exchange still awaits a systematical investigation.

Clearly, Daoist studies would profit enormously by any joint effort toward an elucidation of all extant and reconstructed pre-Lingbao texts in this respect. As a possible point of departure, an analysis of Yang Xi's adaptation of the Buddhist Forty-two sections of Buddhist sutras, as included in Tao Hongjing's Zhen gao, may serve. It will, hopefully, not only show that already a generation earlier than Ge Chaofu's Lingbao-corpus Daoists not only had first hand knowledge of Buddhism but even made verbatim use of their scriptures to their own ends. As a - welcome - by-product of this exercise, it was possible even to emend the received version of the Forty-two sections of Buddhist sutras where it is defective.

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CHAO Shinyi (University of British Columbia)

The Perfection of Daoists Priestesses during the Song-Yuan period (960-1368 AD)– with a focus on the life stories of abbesses in north China

This paper investigates life experiences of Daoist abbesses with a focus on their connection to the secular world in terms of their liturgical performances. For Daoist adepts during the Song-Yuan period (960-1368 AD), if not earlier, self-cultivation alone was not enough to reach perfection. Public services, such as performing Daoist rituals for the salvation of lay people, were also part of the requirement of perfection. A Daoist master shall be both an adept of yoga exercises and an experts on liturgy. On the one hand, the efficacy of rituals is determined by the performing priests' achievement in self-cultivation. On the other hand, a priest who performs rituals for lay people and saved their souls could accumulate merits, a crucial element for heightening their self-cultivation. From the earliest stages of organized Daoist religion, women were to be found in the positions of priests, or "Libationer (jijiu)." This tradition continued. Epitaphs of Daoist abbesses from the Song-Yuan period demonstrated that they were highly sought-after ritual performers. Anecdotes by laymen and stories of miracles in the Daoist Canon relate scenarios in which female priests performed domestic and community rituals. There were also stories about the rivalry between male and female priests in competing for the right to provide ritual services to lay people (after all, ritual services were also a source of income). Therefore, concerning both body refinement and public services, female Daoists were as just as able as their male counterparts to achieve perfection. The major sources used in this paper are drawn from Daojia jinshi lue (Record of Daoist Epigraphy) , edited by Chen Yuan et al. (Beijing: Wenwu, 1988).

This paper is an initial step of a long-term project that intends to explore various aspects of Daoist approaches to perfection by priestesses of the Song-Yuan period, a time when Daoism witnessed the rise of various new movements from within. It is my hope to provide an overall view of women's priestly life during the period in question. I look forward to hearing suggestions from the conference participants.

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CHEN Xia, (Sichuan University)

"Valuing of Softness and Keeping to Modesty" in Taoism and Its Relevancy to Feminism

One of the most important Taoist philosophical ideas is valuing softness and modesty. Taoism holds feminine character in high esteem, takes non- competition, deference and modesty as the principles to deal with the relationship among human beings, and the relationship between human beings and nature. Laozi said: "When man is born, he is tender and weak. At death, he is stiff and hard. All things, the grass as well as trees, are tender and supple while alive. When dead, they are withered and dried. Therefore, the stiff and the hard are companions of death. The tender and supple are companions of life."So Laozi advocates that "the strong and the great are inferior, while the tender and the weak are superior"," the softest things in the world overcome the hardest things in the world", "the weak and the tender overcome the hard and strong". Such proclamations later evolved into a special Weltanschauung, which upholds the feminine principle in Taoist theory and practice.
Taoism advocates the equality of the in/feminine and the yang/ masculine of the world. Taoism thinks that: "men can't give life independently, nor can women nourish life independently." Men and women should depend on each other; respect each other in a harmonious state. In the Book of Great Peace it is said, " the nature of Heaven and Earth is half yin and half yang. Ever since the world distanced itself from the Tao, discrimination against women became widespread, making yin diminished and destroying the equilibrium between Heaven and Earth. The lonely yang element, without a companion, began to wither and dry up. In these evil times, society as a whole shows its scorn for the original Mother and exterminates terrestrial Energies. Since the female element corresponds with Earth, Earth is unhappy; natural disasters occur and the king's government does not find balance. "In addition to its philosophical doctrines that value moderation and equality between yin and yang, Religious Taoism manifests the same idea in the individual practice of self- cultivation and in its social organizations. Taoism holds that men and women share the same Tao and that husband and wife can ascend together. So in the Taoist immortal world, men and women immortals usually appear in pairs.
Besides the ideas of husband and wife gaining immortality at the same time, Taoism also has numbers of examples of women becoming immortals independently. Du Guangting, the eminent Taoist of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) composed a hagiography called the yongcheng jixian lu, that specifically records the histories of female immortals. Taoist feminist views also manifests themselves in its rituals and its religious administration. Equality between the sexes comes from the idea of the "balance between yin and yang." Though Taoism talks more of yin and yang, male and female than directly addressing the equality between man and woman, Taoism's views of "Valuing of Softness and Keeping to Modesty" are relevant to today's feminism.

During my research, I will probe into the development of the theory "Valuing of Softness and Keeping to Modesty" by philosophical Taoists in their interpretations of Taode Jing in history; its practice and implement in religious Taoism, such as female alchemy, women's role in sexual cultivation, records of female immortal seekers, etc. In the end, I will discuss Taoist principle's possible contribution to contemporary feminism.

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CLINE, Erin

Two Interpretations of De in the Daodejing

This paper examines the conflicting interpretations of the concept of de in the Daodejing by Roger T. Ames and Philip J. Ivanhoe. Ames, who translates de as "the Daoist conception of particularity" in the essay "Putting the Te Back Into Taoism," argues for a metaphysical understanding of the concept. Ivanhoe, in "The Concept of De
("Virtue") in the Laozi," argues that the concept is properly translated as "virtue" and has a distinctly ethical use in the text. This paper examines Ames' reconstructive methodology, evidenced in his use of Western process philosophy and Buddhist philosophy as the conceptual frames for his interpretation of de, and compares it to Ivanhoe' s descriptive approach, evidenced in his emphasis on the text and the tradition in which it is situated. The paper examines the implications of methodology in comparative philosophy for translation and interpretation, and concludes that Ivanhoe and Ames' contrasting methods for doing comparative philosophy result in conflicting interpretations of de.

DING Peiren (Sichuan University)

The Form of Writing, Binding and Layout, Collecting and Managing of Ancient Daoist Scriptures Before Tang Dynasty

This essay explored printing books briefly. The writing of ancient Daoist Scriptures had twelve basic forms before Tang Dynasty. What's more, it had severe requirements, forms and taboo. The stipulated writing forms in Sui and Tang Dynasties lay a foundation for the later form of printing Books of Daoist Canon.
This essay showed the change of binding and layout form of Daoist Scriptures. The primary binding and layout of writing Daoist scriptures was roll form,which was handed down from East-Han to Tang, even to Northern Song Dynasty. This essay also explained semantic meaning of the words such as axis, volume and cover of a book in an old style.

In the collection of ancient Daoist scriptures, people employed calabashes, bags, boxes, chests, cabinets and the like. With coming out of numerous Daoist scriptures and vast collections, systematical management was required. Thus occurred the methods of compiling the collections. Till Sui and Tang Dynasties, the methods became a little perfect.

This essay also explained semantic meaning of the word canon, the methods of compiling the collections and the formation of the categories of Daoist Canon, that is, three caverns and four complements.

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Eskildsen, Stephen (University of Tennessee, Chattanooga)

Compassion and Altruism in Quanzhen Taoism

This paper will examine how the early Quanzhen Taoist School (12th -13th c.) incorporated compassion and altruism as attributes that define and distinguish a supremely perfected Taoist. It will also briefly trace how prior Taoist religious schools-such as the Lingbao (5th c.), Chongxuan (6th-7th c.), Zhong-Lü neidan (11th c.) traditions-extolled and promoted these virtues.

Since the earliest stages of Taoist history (i.e., the classical, philosophical phase represented by texts such as the Daode jing and Zhuangzi ), an accomplished, worthy Taoist has been defined in large part by his or her lack of egocentric desires. However, it is perhaps not until the Lingbao movement of the fifth century, with its massive incorporation of Mahayana Buddhist ideas, that compassion and altruism were forcefully set forth as ideal virtues for Taoists. From this point on, in order to be considered the best type of Taoist, it was not enough to merely disengage from vain worldly ambitions. Rather, one needed to commiserate with the sufferings of others, and make personal sacrifices in one's efforts to help them. In the Lingbao texts, Ge Xuan is portrayed as the paragon of this new type of Taoist virtue.

In subsequent centuries compassion and altruism continued to be held up as essential Taoist virtues. This was done in various types of Taoist texts through various didactic devices. The Taixuan zhenyi benji jing (a Chongxuan text of ca. 600) and similar works of the Tang and Song poignantly portray the compassionate, altruistic feats performed by lofty beings such as Yuanshi Tianzun , Taishang Daojun or Yuhuang Dadi . Certain Tang and Song texts (particularly the Zhong-Lü neidan texts) set forth ranking schemes for immortals in which the highest immortals are defined by their capacity to linger in the samsaric realm to perform compassionate deeds.

The early Quanzhen masters enjoined compassion and altruism by arguing that the immortal life of one's Radiant Spirit (yangshen) must be attained-or more properly, recovered-through the dual accumulation of zhen'gong (true merit) and zhenxing (true deeds). The former term refers to the degree of one's mental and physical discipline, while the latter term refers to the magnitude of ones compassionate and altruistic behavior. Quanzhen founder Wang Chongyang also taught that by cultivating clarity and purity of mind, one would come to possess a spontaneous capacity for compassion. Yin Qinghe taught that by harmonizing spirit (shen) with energy (qi), one becomes able to act on one's altruistic impulses, uninhibited by egoism and carnal desire. The Quanzhen tradition frequently extols its founding figures as paragons of compassion and altruism; such is particularly the case with Qiu Changchun. The poetry of these figures indeed often reflects a genuine sentiment of sympathy for the plight of those who suffer.

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FAN Guangchun (Shaanxi Social Science Institute)

A Survey of the Taoist Folk Beliefs in the Northwest of Shaanxi Province

Shaanxi Province is a region with a long history and abundant culture in China, and also a main region where Taoism formed gradually. The Complete Unity Sect of Taoism is the predominant branch of Taoism of main places where followers go for Taoist exercise. In such a province where orthodox Taoism occupies a dominant position, the appearance of strong Taoist folk belief in the vast areas of loess plateau in the north is worth studying. The basic features of the Taoist folk belief in the north of Shaanxi are:

1) Three religions are merged into one, Buddhism is mixed with Taoism, and many gods are worshipped at the same time.
2) Worshipping the great men embodies gods-creating movements.
3) Temple fair institutions have taken the place of religious groups.
4) Religious belief is combined with folk amusement. Taoist Folk belief in the north of Shaanxi is faced with two perplexities: one is the government management over this phenomenon lacks law basis. The other is the religious activities are not normal enough to be recognized by religion groups. But the strong folk belief tradition and endless financial support make the Taoist folk belief in the north of Shaanxi full of vitality. This trend of belief will develop in future and will not be stopped by administrative force. The basic trend might be like this: The movement could adopt flexible and diversified forms of management based on the law; Normal religious groups could develop in harmony with them.

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GAI Jianmin (Xiamen University)

There are a great many charms of various function in Taoism. Among them, the ones for medical purposes got a lion share .So study on Taoism charms is a very important way to explore the inside cultural information of Taoist medicine. «taishang zhuyouke », a relatively complete publication of zhuyouke reserved till now , with "foreword for taishang zhuyouke" written by "the 30th Taoist immortal Zhang Xujing". We can reasonably form an initial judgment that charms mentioned in «taishang zhuyouke »are secretly handed down in Taoist immortal Zhang school. This article is to make a monographic analysis of types, construction and function of Taoist medical charms. It comprises four parts: First, origin of Taoist medical charms; Secondly, types of zhuyouke medical charms; Thirdly , constructions of zhuyouke medical charms; Fourthly, functions of zhuyouke medical charms.

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GILES, James (Cambridge University)

The Tao as Consciousness

The central idea in philosophical Taoism is Lao Tzu’s concept of the Tao as presented in the Tao Te Ching. However, because of Lao Tzu’s use of poetic language and overlapping imagery, much disagreement has arisen as to what exactly he means by the Tao, with some scholars even arguing that because of the inherent vagueness of the text, no precise meaning of the Tao can be given. In this paper I will argue, however, that several passages point to the Tao as being a primordial level of awareness and thus to Lao Tzu’s discussion as being primarily an account of the nature of human consciousness. This view is supported by an examination of Lao Tzu’s further and interrelated concepts of kuei-ken or returning to the source, and wu-wei or non-action.

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GOOSSAERT, Vincent

"The authorities of modern Daoism (19th-early 20th centuries). The Zhang Heavenly master and the Baiyun guan abbots compared".

It is a well-known fact that Daoism is not a religion organized along hierarchical lines with formal positions of religious authority providing effective leadership. Yet, there are charismatic leaders who traditionally lead the clerics' ordination process and more generally define Daoist orthodoxy, and who were called upon to take leadership roles when Daoism had to forge nationwide representative institutions (the National Daoist Associations) during the Republican period. This is notably the case of the Zhang Heavenly master on Longhu shan, and some abbots of Quanzhen monasteries, notably the Baiyun guan in Beijing. This paper looks at the way their authority was built and worked in practice within their respective order (Zhengyi and Quanzhen), and their relationship with each other. It then looks at the more theoretical issue of how authority and charisma is defined in the Daoist context.

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GUO Bo (Sichuan University)

Taoism and Ancient Chinese Fiction

Taoism is a national religion native to the Chinese nation, which, in the process of its formation and development, had absorbed a great many elements from the Chinese culture. For example, celestial beings and fairyland popularly cherished by people of that time originated directly from the earliest Chinese myths. One logical result out of this fact was that Taoism had shared the same origin as ancient fiction (such as ancient myths). Early Taoist sorcerers and necromancers, who were the earliest preachers of the belief in immortality, traveled everywhere to collect, create and tell stories about celestial beings. These people can, in fact, be considered the earliest story-writers. Therefore it is no wonder that the appearance of Taoism and the separation of ancient Chinese fiction from historical legends occurred almost at the same time. After its foundation, Taoism began to exert its influence on the development of ancient Chinese society and culture in its own unique way, and so did ancient Chinese fiction.

To be more specific, the essay will approach the relationship between Taoism and ancient Chinese fiction from the perspectives of content and form, which focus on four aspect.

1. Common origin and development: This aspect is concerned with the study of the influence of sorcerers and necromancers' legends about supernatural beings upon the separation of fiction from historical legends and its formation. It will also study the functions of early ancient Chinese myths and legends about deities and monsters in the formation and popularization of Taoist conception of immortal beings.

2. Sorcerers as the earliest novelists: Sorcerers were also known as sorcerer Taoists who were the predecessors of Taoists. This part will be concerned with sorcerers' immortal beings creation activities in royal palaces and in common people. We will deal with the relation of sorcerers to early novelists and the prosperity of early legends about deities and monsters.

3. The relation of Taoism to fiction written in classical Chinese: We will, on the basis of the analysis of some literary works, probe into the influence of Taoist religious and ethical concepts upon classical Chinese fiction.

4. Taoism and the colloquial Chinese novels of the Ming and Qing Dynasties: Through the study of fiction of deities and demons the novels had received the greatest influence from Taoism, I will study the influence of Taoism in the process of its secularization upon the colloquial Chinese novels of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1840) Dynasties.

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GRASMUECK, Oliver (Eberhard Karls Universitaet Tuebingen, Germany)

"Dao´s Way to the West. Past and Present Reception of Daoism in Western Europe and Germany".

Ever since the first Jesuit missionaries touched Chinese soil in the middle of the 16th century, Daoism has been of special interest in the west. It reached a first climax when protestant missionaries arrived in China during the 19th century. In the 1920s, its reception saw another peak due to a vivid interest by poets and intellectuals. A third phase was ushered in when, beginning in the 1960s, the alternative religious scene came in touch with the "dao".

Initially, Daoism was not recognized as prominently as was Confucianism and Buddhism. But as soon as the missionaries began to translate Daoist texts, their activities paved the way for a European reception. This marked the beginning of a strong tradition of interest in Daoism by authors with a christian theological background. Western translations of Daoist texts such as the Daode jing - one of the most prominent being that done by Richard Wilhelm, who is best known in the U.S. for his Yi jing translation - often used Western theological key terms to translate Daoistic vocabulary. Translated by Wilhelm as "SINN" in strong connection with the "lógos" of St. John's gospel, it served to make the text a favorite one (up to present) of the alternative religious scene.

This paper focuses on three main subjects. To begin with it gives a short historical outline of how information about Daoism was brought to Europe from the 16th to the 20th century and the reception it was given. This is followed by a closer look on how a Christian point of view altered the whole picture of Daoism in the West. Several Christian theological foci on Daoism, ranging from that of the Jesuit missionaries up to popular German translations, will be discussed. Thirdly, the results of an empirical investigation of the German bookmarket from 1900-2000 will be offered. Its statistical analysis will not only illustrate the development of a growing interest in "Daoist" topics, but also how these topics can be categorised and how interest changed within the period discussed.

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HAHN, Thomas (Cornell University)

"Daoism as documented in early 20th century photography"

What I propose to do is take a look not at conceptual or scriptural traditions, but introduce the media of visual documentation of Daoist sites by mostly western photographers until around 1940. There is an astonishing amount of photographic evidence of monasteries, steles, monks, ordination ceremonies, festivals, rituals etc. which have never been brought together or studied as a coherent and critical historical record. My attempt is to introduce some main traits of these representations, their impact on the general and scholarly audience, and the meaning these images retained up to and beyond the present day.

Among the greater collections to be discussed are the Hedda Morrison collection, from which stems the Hua Shan documentation; the series "Lao zhaopian"; Raninin's work in Southern Manchuria; photographs of the Dongyue miao in Beijing; photographs published in a (very rare) Chinese journal on "mountaineering" (You shan zhuan hao); and from a variety of other sources.

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HARDY, Julia (Muhlenberg College, PA)

Expressions of Dao in 20th Century American Poetry and Art

As some of you know, I am currently writing a book on Taoism in America. Earlier this year I gave an open-ended title to this presentation because I was not certain exactly what the focus would be. Now that the conference is upon us, I have decided to focus this presentation primarily on Taoism in American art; I will address poetry only tangentially. I would also like to use this as an opportunity to present my current thinking and get some feedback on some big picture issues that will govern my approach to the entire project.

I have confronted some thorny methodological issues in asking how Taoism has shaped American life and culture: 1. Can a Japanese influence, mediated by people like Suzuki and Okakura, legitimately be called Taoist? 2. Is it possible to completely isolate Taoism from other Asian influences in America? 3. How does one best determine the nature and quality of Taoist influence in American art? 4. What constitutes "proof" of an association with Taoism?

Given these challenges, how am I to choose artists to include in my chapter? Based on my experiences in researching literature and art, I have developed some criteria-which, I hasten to add, are as much about what is not a genuine Taoist influence, as about what is. My presentation will include examples of:

1. People who imitate Chinese or Japanese styles
2. People who portray themselves as Chinese or Japanese, or are portrayed by others as looking Chinese or Japanese
3. People who mention Tao, Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, or other specific Chinese poets, artists, religious figures, or theorists who have been identified with Taoism (and in some cases Zen) by reputable scholars. On occasion I included mentions of the I-Ching, or yin/yang in this category as well.
4. People whom others identify as influenced by Taoism, or, in some cases Zen
5. People who name Taoism, Lao Tzu, or Chuang Tzu as a primary source of influence.

Artists who meet only the first and second criteria have little to do with Taoism in American art; imitation of, or dressing up as Chinese or Japanese does not suffice. Mentioning Chinese figures may indicate a certain familiarity, but does not by itself reflect a Taoist influence. Artists who fulfill the fourth or fifth criteria are more likely candidates, but my ultimate selection of artists who may be said to have genuinely been influenced by Taoism is based on one final characteristic:

6. People who have produced something new-a new vision that communicates one or more fundamental elements of Taoism.

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HO, Wan-li (Emory University)

Daoist Nuns in Contemporary Taiwan

This paper examines the life and practice of Daoist nuns in contemporary Taiwan as illustrated by case studies of two highly respected Daoist Temples in Southern Taiwan (Morality Temple) and Northern Taiwan (Tzi Huei Temple). Both of these temples are led by prominent Daoist nuns. Topics that are covered include the nuns' leadership and strategies used to develop their communities, the religious lives of these groups and how it affects believers, and the relationships among the temples, communities and the larger society. These case studies are explored in their historical and modern dimensions, and will examine how these nuns have sought to pursue a balance between preserving ancient Daoism and embracing the modern world. One salient area that is explored is Daoist and Buddhist nuns' role in environmental activism and the differences in how each group approaches it.

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JAHNKE, Roger (Health Action, Santa Barbara, CA)

Westen Scientific Equivalents of Qi

Qi, is typically perceived in both Daoist medicine and internal cultivation (Nei Gong, Nei Dan) as diffuse and pervasive, surrounding and infusing all beings and things in a boundless, timeless cosmos. Qi is a unifying concept (phenomenon) which connects not only the internal interactions of our organ function but also external interactions within a community, a region and even throughout all space/time. It is this multi-faceted nature of the Qi which allows for Daoist cultivation practices - Dao Yin, Qigong, Tai Chi, Nei Dan, meditation, prayer, ritual - to have both personal and transpersonal effects. Traditional Daoist scientists and contemporary Western scientists are beginning to develop a dialog about the nature of the human experience and the medical implications of traditional Chinese healing methods. Qi may be a way to link organ function, and phychologic function (the Body/Mind) with the eternal being. Dr. Jahnke's exploration of the Western equivalents of Qi intends to not only to help science understand Qi, but also to help aspiring contemporary Daoists to understand the implications of cultivation.

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JING Anning (Michigan State University)

"Portraits of Masters in Quanzhen Sect"

To make portraits of masters was an important tradition in Quanzhen (All Perfection) Sect. Portraits of masters were made as soon as Quanzhen Sect became an influential sect.

Why portraits were made? For what purpose were they made? To explore these questions, we must pay special attention to the circumstances in which they were made.

By studying the circumstances we may find some clues as to their functions.

How portraits of masters were used, particularly in Quanzhen rituals? What is the relationship between individual portraits and temple murals? What is the relationship between portraits of masters and other deities. By examining these questions, we may have a better understanding of the functions of the murals and the roles they play in Daoist rituals.

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KARETZKY, Patricia (Hunter College and SUNY)

"The Presence and Meaning of Taoist Imagery on Funereal Objects of the Medieval Period."

Several sarcophagi from the medieval period in China bear complex designs that represent ideas concerning the afterlife of the soul. The themes rendered on these funeral objects are an eclectic combination of elements forged during a most dynamic period in the formulation of a religious vocabulary in China. They draw upon the rich trove of mythological images associated with Taoism from the prior periods of the later Zhou and Han dynasties, such as the celestials Xi Wang Mu; immortals or xian; the legendary Fu Xi and Nü Hua; the four directional animals sishen; and the rendering of celestial realms that included elements of mountainscapes. In addition, these complex iconographical programs include new ideas and images from both the Persian and Buddhist traditions that were brought along the Silk Road.

There is no standard way of rendering images of the afterlife of the soul in these medieval funeral monuments. Each example is a unique combination of elements delineated in its own characteristic style. Moreover, seemingly disparate themes drawn from Confucian art are sometimes incorporated. Despite the absence of a monolithic ideology, there is, however, a basic conformity among the elements of the visual vocabulary. This paper will identify and analyze the ways in which Taoist ideas about the soul in the afterlife are rendered. The main themes--portraits of the tomb masters, images of the assumption of the soul, and visions of celestial realms are coupled with secondary motifs including guardian figures, celestial bodies, auspicious symbols, and decorative motifs like the night-blooming honeysuckle, and pearled roundels.

In summation, the decoration of such funereal pieces evolved during a period dynamic of artistic exploration. A multitude of spiritual emblems were combined to create celestial visions that were the basis for later more conventional Taoist art.

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KIM, Sung-Hae (Sogang University)

Studies on Daoist Morning and Evening Services (Gongke)

The Daoist Masters of Quanzhen Order chant in common Taishang xuanmen zaowantan gongkejing twice a day. The regular attendance at these morning and evening services is regarded as the first duty every Daoist master in the monastry should follow. I analyzed the basic structure of the morning service and the evening service separately and compared the two in order to see the different focus each has: the morning service is oriented to self-cultivation (neigong), while the evening service is centered mainly on delivering all the suffering dead (waigong). When one sees the morning and evening services together, Gongke is the ritual symbol of the Quanzhen self-cultivation which combines neigong and waigong.

Then I tried to see how the Buddhist and Confucian elements are contined in the Daoist Gongke. The Buddhist terms and concepts are more visible and this is not surprising, knowing that Wang Chongyang claimed the unity of these three religions and actively incorporated Buddhist ideas. But the Buddhist influence in Gongke is more formal and theoretical, while the practical aspirations remain Daoist. Confucian influence is perceptible in the deliverance of the souls of ancestors and this may be seen as the comon sharing of ancent Chinese filial piety.

Finally, I tried to see how Quanzhen Gongke embraced the whole history of Daoism, Lao Tzu, Chang Daoling, Shangqing Sect, Lingbao Sect and Zhengyidao. However, it is the seven disciples of Wang Chongyand, 'Seven True Ones' who are upheld in Quanzhan Gonke as the main teachers and models in the Daoist pilgrimage toward the world of the immortals.

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KIRKPATRICK, Mayer

THe Dao of Presence

The Dao is everywhere and is inherent in everything. It is the true nature of presence. Presence towards one's mental self can move us in the direction of becoming separate and narcissistic. Focusing on the natural world and the natural Dao within each of us, allows us to know our true nature and become altruistic.

We talk about attaining the Dao, but really there is nothing to attain. Presence of the Dao is already inherent within us. Pure Dao is most easily known through cultivating stillness. This is the reason for cultivation of a pure mind. Such a mind helps us to make distinctions about true nature. As Lao Tzu has clearly stated, words cannot clearly define the nature of Dao. Even if it is ineffable, its presence can be known with a clear mind.

Mindfulness is, in my estimation, one of the greatest gifts that Daoism and other traditions have brought to the Western world. This tradition with such simple expressions, is truly a gift from the Dao that predates the Newtonian and the Descartian paradigms that have so distorted the perception by most of Western civilization. As is clearly expressed within Daoist traditions, the Dao is always present. It is each of us who need to seek this presence within ourselves and within the world we live in.

So if it is our responsibility to be mindful and mindfulness is the key to understanding the Dao, then healing is inherent in the Dao itself. We could say that stillness is an attempt to cultivate a relationship with the Dao that is healing. If our relationship with the Dao is out the balance, we may experience illness on the physical, emotional, psychological and/or spiritual aspects of our experiences. Many people curse their bodies because it is in pain and is viewed as an obstacle to their willful mind. From this perspective, our thoughts are seen as the leader and the body is simply there to support the thinking mind. In its extreme state, this individual has little understanding of the Dao and how to bring its presence into themselves to allow for a healing process.

It has been stated that qi will follow the focus of our mind- our intentions, our focus and our attention. In my traditional practice of acupuncture, qi is central to healing. So if we add all the ingredients together, we have a pure mind focused on energy or qi as the path to healing.

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KOMJATHY, Louis (Boston University)

Alchemical Transformation in Early Quanzhen Daoism

This paper is principally a research report on my Ph.D. dissertation, which is being conducted in the Department of Religion at Boston University under the direction of Livia Kohn. The dissertation is entitled "Cultivating Perfection: Mysticism and Self-Transformation in Early Quanzhen Daoism." My research focuses on early Quanzhen, or Complete Perfection, from the perspective of comparative religious studies, specifically in terms of models of self, techniques of transformation, and mystical experience. The primary source material for my research is the early Quanzhen textual corpus as found in the Ming-dynasty Daozang. The dissertation also includes a complete annotated translation of the Chongyang zhenren jinguan yusuo jue (Perfected Chongyang's Instructions on the Gold Pass and Jade Lock; DZ 1156; abbrev. Jinguan yusuo jue). Attributed to Wang Zhe (Chongyang [Redoubled Yang]; 1113-1170), the nominal founder of Quanzhen, this text is one of the most technical instruction manuals from the early Quanzhen textual corpus. Written in question-and-answer format that resembles the "recorded sayings" (yulu) genre of Chinese literature, a genre most widely known through its popularity in the Chan (or Zen) Buddhist tradition, the Jinguan yusuo jue contains oral instructions (koujue) on a variety of Daoist cultivation principles and practices. The primary title of my dissertation, "Cultivating Perfection," in turn alludes to the first question appearing in that text: "What are the subtle principles for cultivating perfection (xiuzhen)?" (DZ 1156, 1a).

Herein I discuss the primary concerns of my research, namely, the relationship between models of self and techniques of transformation as well as the types of experiences that follow specific training regimens. First, I examine the models of self emphasized in early Quanzhen Daoism, including medical, alchemical, and microcosmic dimensions. Like other traditions of internal alchemy (neidan), early Quanzhen sees the body-self as an alchemical crucible, which if actualized leads to a shift in ontological condition and situates the aspiring adept in a larger cosmological context. The process of alchemical transformation, based in such models of self, in turn requires the restoration of health as a preliminary requirement. Practitioners then engage in more demanding training regimens, including ethical rectification, ascetic discipline, as well as qi-circulation and the activation of subtle physiological locations. Such Quanzhen systems of Daoist cultivation often led to tradition-specific experiences and ways of experiencing, which were expected to follow dedicated practice.

The present paper, then, marks an initial attempt to provide, in condensed and summary form, a model for and glimpse into the direction which my research on early Quanzhen Daoism will take in the next year or so.

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LEE, Jonathan H. X. (University of California, Santa Barbara)

The Life of Chinese Religions: California's Daoist and Buddo-Daoist Temples

I want to invite you to join me in mapping the terrain of California's Chinese temples. I will start with the Joss House (Won Lim Temple) at Weaverville, Trinity County up in Northern California, and move southward through historic towns and cities with Chinese temples. Among them are: The Bok Kai Temple at Historic Marysville, Yuba County, Mo Dai Miu (Temple of Guandi) at Mendocino County, The Oroville Chinese Temple, Oroville CA. These three temples are now official historical landmarks with the California's State Parks Commission. In addition to these temples, I will tour historic temples in San Francisco Chinatown with particular attention to The Tien Hau Temple and The Kong Chow Temple. Both temples are in contention for the title of being the "oldest" Chinese temple in the U.S. I will anchor my discussion and exploration through an examination of trends in Chinese immigration to the U.S. These historic temples are all founded before the passage of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, which greatly affected the life of Chinese immigrants, Chinatowns and religions. Changes in immigration law and the repeal of the 1882 Act impacted Chinese American communities and the future Chinese American religious landscape. I will document this with a discussion of recent Daoist/Buddho-Daoist Temples. For example, the Mazu Temple U.S.A., and the Ching Chung Taoist Association of American, both established in the 1980s at San Francisco. In addition, I will provide a brief introduction to new temples in South California. The history of Chinese religions is exciting and deserves more attention. The history of Chinese exclusion and current adaptation into American society is the story of Chinese religions in California. There is a shift from being unwanted and inassimilable to being celebrated as a symbol of the "new" American religious landscape. What are the contemporary roles of these temples in the life of Chinese-Americans who visit and worship at them? What are the effects of Americanization on these temples or on the life of Chinese religions in America? How are the deities and role of the temples viewed by ethnic-Chinese versus by non-Chinese versus by Chinese-Americans? What role do they play (if any) in the formation and (re)configuration of a Chinese-American identity? Are they symbols of Chinese culture? Are they a part of the Chinese-American religious landscape? Are they a part of the "new" American religious landscape? How can we understand the life of Chinese religions in relation to the life of Chinese temples in California?

This paper will be accompanied by a slide show that will illustrate the colorful and dynamic life at these temples.

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LI Gang (Sichuan University)

Cao Cao and Daoism

The relation between Cao Cao and Daoism pertained to politics, military affairs, nourishing life and literature. The investigation into the relation can show clearly a dark and gloomy chapter of the political history of the late East-Han Dynasty and Three-Kingdom period. Exploring the relation between Cao Cao and skills of Daoist nourishing life can draw forth the level of the development of skills in ancient nourishing life till Three-Kingdom period and make one cognizant deeply of the relation between Daoism and ancient Chinese science and technology.

Searching for the way that Cao Cao's literary works was stimulated by Daoist image can discover the connection between Daoism and our ancient literature, which was just neglected by previous scholars majoring in literature and history. In short, the investigation into the relation between Cao Cao and Daoism can search the general appearance between Daoism and politics, military affairs, science and technology and literature.

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LU Pengzhi (Sichuan University)

The Notion of Celestial Scripts in the Early Lingbao Scriptures: A Case Study of the Relationship Between Religious Taoism and Philosophical Taoism

The Lingbao scriptures are of celestial provenance and regarded as self-generating celestial scripts. They are created neither by deities nor by human beings; instead, they are the coagulations of qi (vital breath). Such celestial scripts are not signs recording the oral language, but substantial sacraments that have various miraculous functions. The major reason for their sacredness is that they are just the origin and principle of the universe themselves and are thus equal to the "Tao" or "Qi" in the context of the cosmology or ontology of philosophical Taoism. If one comprehends these celestial scripts, he will grasp the secret of the universe and can achieve bodily and spiritual perfection. In our point of view, the substantial celestial scripts are quite different from the formless ¡°Tao" or "Qi" of philosophical Taoism. However, the author(s) of the Lingbao scriptures identifies the former with the latter. This indicates, on one hand, that the Lingbao Taoism does not deviate from the fundamental purpose of philosophical Taoism but continues its metaphysical pursuit, and on the other hand, that the Lingbao Taoism creatively transforms its metaphysical worldview into the worship of substantial objects and that the notion of celestial scripts in Lingbao scriptures is another expression of its thought. The academic circle has never ceased arguing about the relationship between religious Taoism and philosophical Taoism. The notion of celestial scripts in early Lingbao scriptures shows that the former is both the continuation and variation of the latter. The variation is just one in form, while in essence religious Taoism attempts to keep (or sometimes even to deepen) the intellectual tradition of philosophical Taoism. Religious Taoism is labeled "daojiao" because it is always unwilling to (though virtually it does sometimes) separate from the tradition of philosophical Taoism.

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LITTLEJOHN, Ronnie (Belmont University)

The Daodejing as a Ritual Text

The Daodejing is one of the most widely translated and interpreted of Chinese philosophical texts. Yet, even the commentarial remarks made by Philip J. Ivanhoe and Roger Ames, two of the world's most prominent scholars of Daoism who have published the most recent translations of the work, offer little or no attention to the DDJ as a ritual text. This paper is an outgrowth of my research with Zhengyi ( ¥¿ ¤@) Daoist lineages in Fujian Province. Based on this work, I argue that closer attention to the history of the commentarial tradition and also to the current use of the DDJ as a ritual text will redirect our interpretations of the work and keep us from mistakes and misreadings which are commonly made and are inconsistent with how the text is actually used in the Zhengyi tradition today. I consider two ways that an approach informed by the ritual usage of the text will help scholars understand the DDJ. First, I show how many key passages are understood and interpreted differently than by Western scholars when we allow the actual use of the text in ritual practice to guide us. Secondly, I explore in a preliminary way several literary and textual implications for the DDJ if we consider it as a ritual text. I show how this interpretation has implications for those who would reorganize the text without regard for the ritual context of the work, especially the generation of earlier translators such as Chan and Lau. In my conclusions, I offer some suggestions for furthering this line of interpretation and its implications for understanding anew possible connections between the Yi-Jing ©ö ¸g and the Daodejing as well as for the breakdown of rigid delineations between philosophical Daoism (daojia ¹D ®a) and religious Daoism ( daojiao ¹D ±Ð).

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LIU Xun (Harvard University)

Embodying Perfection: Daoist Painting of Our Lady and Elite Female Piety During Late Qing 1861-1908

In April of 1890, Abbot Gao Yundong of the White Cloud Monastery in Beijing commissioned a set painting of Bixia Yuanjun, widely known as the Niangniang, or Our Lady to her followers since Ming. The set painting departs significantly from the traditional repertoire of visual representation by portraying her as the patroness of Daoist inner alchemy practice, not as the matron goddess who grants female fertility, male heirs, reproductive health, safe childrearing, and parental longevity. The commissioning of the painting and its new treatment of Our Lady begs some questions.

Why was the Daoist abbot interested in such a production? Why did the abbot choose to represent Our Lady as the patroness of Daoist ascetic and meditative practice that leads to self-transformation and transcendence, rather than the succor to the female body in service of the patrolineage goals? What are the possible textual and iconographic sources of the new schemata of Our Lady's representation in the 1890 set painting? To whom might the new painting of Our Lady have appealed? What might be purpose and function of the new Daoist painting?

In this study, I try to reconstruct the social, cultural and religious context for the Daoist production of an 1890 set painting. I argue that two important factors: the shared interests in Bixia Yuanjun cult by Empress Dowager Cixi, the Manchu court officials and the monastic Daoists, created the cultural and social milieu that led to the production of the painting. But above all, it was the elite women's participation in the Daoist monastery and their interest in Daoist meditative practice that inspired and shaped the new Daoist schemata of representation of Our Lady. I further argue that the monastic Daoist-elite female connection provided the most plausible context for understanding the function and purpose of the 1890 set painting.

LIU Zhongyu

Taoist Rituals in Contemporary China

The title of my talk today is not intended to completely introduce all circumstances of Taoist rituals in contemporary China. China is too big, and Taoism is woven tightly together with the local culture, Taoism's rituals are different from one locality to another. Therefore, it is impossible to introduce all circumstances of Taoism' ritual in a very short text. What I want do is to discuss the general appearance of Taoism's rituals and its developmental trend in contemporary China. These include how and why Taoism's rituals are needed by contemporary Chinese society; the changes of Taoism's rituals in the contemporary era; and the main function that Taoism's rituals have at present. In light of the selection of topics at this conference, with already a paper concerning the Taoist rituals in Hong Kong, will mainly focus on the part of my research tht deals with mainland China.

LU Xichen (Zhongnan University)

The Taoist Political Ethic and its Social Functions

This paper mainly deals with the four aspects in the Taoist political ethics: critical reason, principles, management ways and means, and moral requirements for the political subject. It gives emphasis on some of the important ideaistic resources, which are inconsistent with justness, freedom, equality, and humanism in modern times at occident. Finally, it discusses the social functions of the Taoist political ethical thinking.

The main points are as follows. 1) ethical animadvert on the justness of benvolence, righteousness, courtesy and law; 2) the principles of the Taoist political ethic thinking including equity without favoritism, equality between honour and humble, following the self-action of things, and valuing life; 3) the governmental ways of non-action; 4) moral requirements for political subject such as simpleness, mercy, thriftiness, and humility. 5) the social effects of the Taoist political ethical thinking. In Chinese history, many famous emperors, taking Li Shi-min, Li Long-ji (both in Tang dynasty), and Zhu Yuan-zhang (in Ming dynasty) as their representatives, once applied the Taoist political ethical ideas to their political conducts. It was greatly beneficiall to the rationality and righteousness of their political systems and the social development.

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MAJOR , John S.

"What is 'Daoist' About the 'Tianwen' Chapter of the HNZ?"

Joseph Needham, in his monumental Science and Civilisation in China series, saw Daoism as being at the very foundation of Chinese science. Accordingly, he considered the elaborate cosmology, astronomy, mathematical harmonics, and calendrical passages of "Tian wen" (the Patterns of Heaven, the third chapter of the Huainanzi) to be exemplars of the Daoist scientific spirit. Not many people share this view anymore, but if we reject the idea that "Tian wen" is an example of "Daoist" natural philosophy, can we find much else in the chapter that genuinely is Daoist?

The Huainanzi is variously described as being an "Eclectic Daoist" text, or a HuangLao text, or a syncretic text, or (to use a term employed by ancient Chinese bibliographers) a miscellaneous (za) text. Even if one does not accept the proposition (made by H. D. Roth, for example) that the Huainanzi is an exemplar of early Daoism, it is generally agreed that the text overall, in totality, is generally sympathetic to the Daoist position. Also, a reading of the text makes it immediately apparent that acknowledged Daoist classics, notably the Zhuangzi and the Laozi, are extensively quoted or referred to in Huainanzi. "Tian wen," for example, directly repeats the passage in Laozi where one is said to beget two, two begets three, and these numbers beget the ten thousand things.

On the whole, however, it is hard to make a case that "Tian wen" itself is a Daoist text. It is perhaps more accurate to say that "Tian wen," in the larger context of the Huainanzi, gives us a snapshot of a moment in which yin-yang and Five Phase cosmological thought was being assimilated into Daoism.

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NELSON, Eric Sean (King College)

Nature and Ecology in Daoism and Heidegger

This paper will develop the following argument: (1) Nature is central to both Daoist and Heidegger's
thought ; (2) Both emphasize the spontaneity and power of nature; (3) Both develop an account of how to accept or be responsive toward nature precisely through a practice of "non-activity" or "letting be"; (4) We can draw significant ecological implications from the recognition of nature in its radical singularity and as an "other" to which we nevertheless fundamentally belong and the practices of responsiveness to nature which this recognition demands (hearing the Dao, one immediately begins to embody it); and, finally, (5) far from being the antisocial philosophies that their critics suggest, they both provide resources for thinking sociality from out of the openness of nature rather than attempting to dominate nature by transforming it into an instrumental object of calculation and control (the Dao nourishes by not forcing, by not dominating). Both Daoism and Heidegger draw on the ineffable or unsayable (of being/the Dao) in such a way as to provide an alternative possibility to the impending destruction of the environment and world. Instead of being antihumanistic in their rejection of the centrality of the human, they suggest in light of the Daoist concept of "non-doing" (wu-wei) a more primordial alternative--more natural than naturalism and more humane than humanismwhich would be in attunement with and responsive toward nature.

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NIXON, Denver (York University, Canada)

The Immediate and Emergent Environmental Benefits of Qigong Cultivation

Rather than focus solely on traditional philosophical categories, as has often been the case in the discourse on Daoism and ecology, this paper will present a theory of practice, one specifically associated with moving meditation. It is argued that in addition to the immediate health benefits and environmentally benign quality of moving meditations, the epistemic transformations which can occur may facilitate the emergence of a spontaneous ethic considerably more sensitive to ecological change than the rigid axiomatic ethic it displaces. Collectively, such practice might contribute toward social behaviour that is at least inert, if not benevolent, toward the non-human world. Explanation and vivification will rely upon a brief survey of moving meditations, and an exploration of these practices through an action tradeoff concept, a preventative health model, and an inquiry into alternative epistemologies. It is hoped that this praxiological approach will not only reveal some overlooked connections between Daoism and ecology, but also appreciate the religious heritage of the Daoism to which such practices owe their naissance.

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PALMER, David (Chinese University of Hong Kong)

Daoism in Cyberspace: New Information Technologies and the New Configurations of Chinese Religion

The paper will consider the Internet as a new vehicle for the transmission of Daoism, and its role in the development of new forms of religiosity in China. The content of Daoist websites and online forums from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas will be considered in relation to three hypotheses on the effect of the Internet on Daoism and Chinese religion: (1) the emergence of a new space for religious expression, characterized by an autonomous quest for meaning rather than collective rituals; (2) a further undermining of orthodoxies accompanied by the emergence of new centers of religious influence; (3) greater integration of Chinese communities on the mainland and overseas, as well as between Chinese and non-Chinese communities.

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PAN Xianyi

Daoist Aesthetics and the Chinese Characteristic of Aesthetic Activities

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QING Xitai (Sichuan Universty)

Several Issues About the Origination of School of Five Pecks of Rice from Sichuan

1. To put forward the issues There are two earliest Daoist sects. One is Supreme Peace School founded by Zhang Jiao; the other is School of Five Pecks of Rice by Zhang Ling. Viewing from the time they were founded, the latter was a little earlier than the former. And the situation was not clear for the former after it was suppressed cruelly by East-Han royal court because of its launching the yellow-cloth rebellion while the latter was handed down all the time and became stronger and stronger. Therefore all the scholars regard the time when the latter was founded as the beginning of Daoism while they study the history of Daoist development. Where Daoism originated from turns out to mean where the origin of School of Five Pecks of Rice was.

2. About the name of School of Five Pecks of Rice The appellation for School of Five Pecks of Rice appeared in official documents or is addressed by the profane. In Daoist books, it is called Celestial Master School and Orthodox Oneness School.

3. About Zhang Ling and the place of his founding Daoism. There are two different ways of sayings about where the origin of the School of Five Pecks of Rice was. One is that it originated from Mt. Longhu in Jiangxi; the other Mt. Heming in Sichuan. The author of this essay attested that it had originated from Mt. Heming of Dayi County in Sichuan province through his investigation into Zhang Ling's life story, Daoist history and relics.

4. Why the School of Five Pecks of Rice originate from Sichuan. The author thought there were two following aspects of causes: one was because the study of classics and Daoist practice of Huang-Lao prevailed in Sichuan at that time; the other pertained to Immortal magic and sorcery prevailing in the minority nationality of the southwest region.

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RICHEY, Jeff (Berea College)

Identifying Daoist Themes in Early Confucian Texts

The use of Confucian figures (such as the famous disciple Yan Hui and even Master Kong himself) in Daoist texts (such as Zhuangzi) is well known. Such cameo appearances by Confucian figures in Daoist texts are commonly understood as rhetorical devices by which Daoist authors score Daoist points at the expense of Confucian foils. Little comment has been made, however, on the appearances of "Daoist" themes (such as asceticism and contemplative practice) in Confucian texts (such as the Lunyu). Once it becomes clear that such themes exist in Confucian texts, the question shifts from whether and how such themes are present to the question of whether and how such themes ought to be categorized as "Daoist," "Confucian," or something else entirely.

One strategy would be to classify ascetic and contemplative strands within early Confucian texts as heterodox, deviant, and non-Confucian in nature. Another strategy would be to classify them as Daoist, since they evidently are not Confucian in any stereotypical sense. These strategies share a fundamental flaw, however, which is to privilege the simplifying categories of "Daoist" and "Confucian" (which function as one another's antitheses, rather than meaningful terms on their own) over the diversified themes of actual texts. A third and better strategy would be to classify diverse thematic material within early Chinese texts according to thematic variation. Indeed, this already has been done in some recent studies of the Laozi, in which "legalist" strands are distinguished from "contemplative" strands, and so forth.

Thus, one could understand the Lunyu as a thematically heterogeneous collection of aphorisms and narratives, in which "ascetic," "contemplative," "ritualist," "moralist," and other thematic strands coexist, without ever having to reduce thematic complexity to philosophical or religious unity, and without having to squeeze "Daoist" material into "Confucian" boxes, or vice versa. This strategy allows for the understanding of early Chinese texts as arenas of shared as well as contested philosophical and religious practice, such that some portions of "Daoist" and "Confucian" texts share common concerns (e.g., asceticism), while other portions do not. In this way, it is possible to focus on shared communities of practice across "school" boundaries as a new way of studying the landscape of early Chinese thought.

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SUN Seung-hye (Harvard University/ National Museum of Korea)

The Omage of Xiwangmu in Korean and Japanese Art

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the Taoist immortal Goddess, the Queen Mother of the West was accepted and symbolized in Korean and Japanese arts. The Queen Mother of the West is a Daoist immortal Goddess who lives in Mount Kunlun in China. She beholds immortal peaches in her garden and celebrates their harvest every 3000 thousand years. Many Daoist Immortals were invited to these banquets, and in particular, the Chinese emperors often attempted to visit her in order to gain her peaches for longevity.

Koreans first accepted the Queen Mother of the West during the Lelang period (108 B.C.-313 A.D.) wherein the Chinese Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-24 A.D.) established four commentaries in Korea. The mythical image of the Queen Mother of the West appeared in the tombs of the Goguyreo Dynasty (37 B.C.-668 A.D) as early as the fourth through seventh centuries in Korea. In Japanese tomb excavations, the unearthed Chinese Wei Dynasty (368-557) bronze mirrors depicted the Queen Mother of the West. Furthermore, the legend of the Cowherd Star and Weaving Star was accepted along with the Queen Mother of the West both in Korea and Japan.

While Korean and Japanese accepted the Chinese image of the Queen Mother of the West, during the Korean Sinra Dynasty (B.C. 57-A.D. 935), Koreans mixed her image with Buddhism and the mountain beliefs of Shamanism. Japanese regarded the Queen Mother of the West as the origin of Tanabata in Japanese Shinto religion during the reigns of Emperor Tenmu (672-686) and Emperor Jito (686-690) in Asuka·Hakuho period(538-710).

The Queen Mother of the West was celebrated in the court performances both in Korea and Japan. Since the Korean Goryeo Dynasty (890-1392), the Korean court dance, Heonseondo, displayed the Queen Mother of the West dedicating her immortal peaches to the Korean kings. Also, Choi Chung-heon (1149-1219), a Goryeo Dynasty scholar, revised Tang Dynasty (618-907) music to suit the Korean court. Likewise, the traditional Japanese dance Bugaku, entitled “The Eight Daoist Immortals of Mount Kunlun”, is regarded as a transformation Korean music into Japanese performance during the Heian period (794-1192). This proves that the Queen Mother of the West was performed in the court music and dance during the Chinese Tang Dynasty, Korean Goryeo Dynasty and Japanese Heian Period.

In addition to the court music and dance, the banquet of the Queen Mother of the West became popular in Korean Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) paintings in order to celebrate longevity. Similarly, the Queen Mother of the West was a favorite theme amongst Kano school painters who produced paintings for the shogunate in the Japanese Momoyama (1573-1603) and Edo periods (1603-1867). Thus, while Koreans preferred to depict the Daoist immortal banquet of the Queen Mother of the West, Japanese Kano school painters portrayed the Queen Mother of the West as a beautiful woman who wished for the longevity of the shogun.

Finally, the Queen Mother of the West influenced the rituals of Korean Shamanism and the traditional Japanese Matsuri festival. In Korean Shamanism, the goddess Magu, a maiden of the Queen Mother of the West was regarded as Grandmother Samshim who gives birth to every woman. The Queen Mother of the West also influenced the Shaman ritual, Gut, which is lead by a female, who wears the cap of Queen Mother of the West. In Japan, the Queen Mother of the West has appeared in the festival, Otsu Matsuri, since the Edo period. In recent times, the Peach Boy, Momotaro, appears from a peach in the portable shrine of the Queen Mother of the West at the end of the festival

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TIQUIA, Rey

Doing Natural Bodies

In this postmodern, globalised world how are bodies treated naturally ? Biomedicine does bodies by mapping the presence or absence of certain body entities. It seeks to mimic the presence of viruses or bacteria or the absence of certain enzymes from the body in its representation. The mimicked or mapped body is here and the practice of medicine is over there. Mapping or mimicking is the natural doing of the natural body in biomedicine. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) the very practice of bian zhen lun zhi grows out of the body. Signs and symptoms express the condition of the body but do not represent it. A picture of yin and yang imbalance or disharmony might emerge. This picture in turn points to the methods of treating this imbalance. Hence in TCM the natural body is 'done' in practices that are naturally part of it.

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VAN ELS, Paul (Leiden University)

An alternative reading of the Huainanzi: the Wenzi

Nearly four-fifths of the received Wenzi correspond to the received Huainanzi. This extraordinary overlap of content has led to an intriguing controversy: Was the Wenzi copied from the Huainanzi, or vice versa? Through the centuries, both positions were fervently supported. Though advocates of the Huainanzi as the "original text" outnumbered their opponents, neither of the camps came up with ultimate evidence, leaving the question unresolved.

The excavation in 1973 of a Former Han tomb near Dingzhou (Hebei province) yielded an exemplar of the Wenzi written on bamboo that differs markedly from the textus receptus. In addition, the official transcription of the manuscript (published in 1995) showed that the Dingzhou Wenzi strips correspond near-exclusively to the one-fifth of the received Wenzi not found in the Huainanzi. Hence, the Dingzhou find effectively ended the Wenzi controversy, proving that the received Wenzi stems from two independent source texts: an original version of the Wenzi, and the Huainanzi.

Although the Dingzhou discovery resolved various issues concerning the textual status of the received Wenzi, many philosophical questions remain:

• Can we speak of a "philosophy of the Wenzi" when four-fifths of the work are copied from the Huainanzi?
• If so, what are the key features of the philosophy of the Wenzi?
• Why were the original Wenzi and the Huainanzi linked together in the first place?
• Which aspects of the Huainanzi interested the editor(s) of the Wenzi, and which parts were left untouched?
• Does the "original Wenzi-core", despite the fact that it constitutes less than one-fifth of the received Wenzi, dominate the "Huainanzi-material" in the text, so that the latter merely serves as explanation or illustration the former?
• Or is the "Huainanzi-material" so overwhelming that the received Wenzi is merely an alternative reading of the Huainanzi?

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VANKEERBERGHEN, Griet, (California State Polytechnic University, Pomona)

Liu An, the king of Huainan, and the man who sponsored and inspired the compilation of the Huainanzi, was heavily embroiled in the family politics of his time. On the one hand his membership of the Liu imperial family was the source of his wealth and power; on the other hand, the fact that, as a descendant of a collateral line, with each successive emperor he was further removed from the center of imperial power, made him vulnerable to the pressures put upon the kings by the emperor and his officials. The question that I will pose in this paper is whether the Huainanzi, presented to Emperor Wu in 139 B.C. obviously with the intent of boosting the power and authority of Liu An, sides with the powerful families of the realm, or with the project of the centralizing state. I will do so by examining to what degree the Huainanzi values the emotions and virtues that inspire closeness and cohesion within the family (compassion, empathy, benevolence, filial piety), and at what point it allows the interests of the centralizing state to override family values and virtues. Put another way: does the Huainanzi propose a state that would allow dependent kingdoms such as Huainan to thrive, or does it envision a role for its compiler in a more centralized state? It was the latter reading of the Huainanzi that led to the death by suicide of Liu An in 122 B.C., on charges of rebellion.

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WILLMONT, Dennis

The Daoist origins of acupuncture

Acupuncture was first introduced to the US public in the early 1970s's when Richard Nixon first visited China.Although acupuncture has been practiced continuously in China for approximately two and a half thousand years, it has changed considerably in recent times due to the impact of Western colonialism around the world.Nevertheless, these events practically redefined acupuncture in order for it to fit in with the technological medicine imported from the West.In this presentation I will outline the Daoist origins of acupuncture.Early Daoist cosmology such as the Seven Stages of Creation, the Seven Stages of Hundun and the Myth of Pangu from the Huainanzi and In the healing system of acupuncture, the Daoist protocol is to transform the Yin-Yang imbalances from level to level from the most physical to the most refined.

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WINN, Michael

Evolution of Daoist Inner Alchemy into Western Spiritual Science

The paper will be about the growing interest in neidangong in the west, and how that is unfolding differently than it has historically in China. It will examine how western science, psychology and sexology are influencing the transmission and language of neidan in the west. Focus will be on development of a modern western spiritual or alchemical science utilizing daoist principles of neidan, without the cultural/religious trappings that often exist in China. It will examine the areas of commonality and the development of a daoist depth psychology that is applicable to westerner psyches.

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YANG Guangwen, (Sichuan University)

On Nourishing Life of Daoism

Daoism pursues immortal life and cultivation into immortals as its culminate goal, which distinguishes itself from other religions. The so-called views of nourishing life is the fundamental recognition of and attitude to a series of issues such as man's life, the relation between man and nature together with spirit and nature. This essay will expound Daoist perspectives about valuing man and life, original vitality, the relation between man and nature as well as nourishing life and cultivation.

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YANG Jirui

The Current Situation and Development of Daoist Temple Economy in China

Daoist Temple Economy provides the base for the existence and development
of Daoist temples. Its different manifestations in different periods have
composed an organic part of social economy as a whole. In ancient times,
official support and followers' donations are the main sources of income. After the
Sui and Tang, an independent economy was developed. Since 1949, independence and
self-sufficiency changed into collective economy guaranteed by the
government. In 1980s, market economy has been stressed and enhanced. On the
bases of self-support, new factors have occurred. Overseas endowment also
helps to the development of Daoist temple economy.

YAU, Chi-ou

Hong Kong Pilgrims and the "Revival" of Guangdong Daoism in Recent Years

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ZHANG Guangbao

Taoist Theory of Cavern-heaven and Auspicious Land in Pre-Tang and Its Ecological Implication

Taoist theory of cavern-heaven and auspicious land implies a unique perspective towards nature and earth in which human being has lived .On the basis of theory of macro -microcosm which has been held by Taoist, the ancient Taoist constructed their sacred and mini-world in order to live in ,and more importantly, to complete their cultivation, before arriving on their final goal. .According to this theory , there are totally forty- six cavern-heavens, namely ten big one and thirty-six small one, and inferior to the cavern-heaven also scatter seventy-two Auspicious lands among our world, especially in the mountains . However, as sacred territories,These worlds , enclosing by its construction of time - space, don't unfold to secular people except some casualties. In my articles I trace the origins and development of the theory, and more importantly, I explore deep into these sacred worlds to bring out its mysteries such as ecological environment, the systems of time and space, and constitutions of worlds.

ZHANG Qin, (Sichuan University)

Chen Yingning's Thought About Immortal Learning and its Modern Values

Chen Yingning was one of the most prominent Daoist theorists and Cultivators in China in the 20^th century. His thought exerted far-reaching impact on the inside and outside of Daoism, especially his independent theory about Immortal Learning was a revolutionary pioneering work in the field of Daoist thought under the tendency of its time. He proposed that Immortal Learning was independent of religion and science. It was not only a transformation of thought, which was the result of the development of the study of Daoist cultivation and nourishing till his time, but also his bold attempt to seek for a developmental way of the study of Daoist cultivation and nourishment outside science and religion. The study of Chen Yingning's thought about Immortal Learning will help us grasp the theory and practice of the study of Daoist cultivation and nourishment completely and historically, reflect its historic and modern value, explore its new developmental way in 21st century, disclose its true value that benefits man and let it serve man.

1. Chen Yingning's life story and his fundamental thought
2. The primary contents of Chen Yingning's thought about Immortal Learning
3. The modern values of Chen Yingning's thought about Immortal Learning

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ZHANG Zehong, (Sichuan University)

Rituals for Submitting Petition and the Thought About Delivery of the early Daoism

The main one of ritual offerings in the early Orthodox Oneness School is submitting petition. The author attested that Three Officials' handwritten books of the School of Five Pecks of Rice are the documents of rituals to submit petition through the investigation into rituals of submitting petition of the early Orthodox Oneness and Three Officials' handwritten books. Viewing from the thought of Daoist ritual offerings, he also analyzed the thought of delivery within the petitions of the Orthodox Oneness and claimed that the thought of ritual offerings and delivery originated from the petitions of the Orthodox Oneness.

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ZHANG, Ji, (University of Melbourne, Australia)

Grand Dao - Ge Hong's ontological synthesis of unity and plurality

This paper explores Ge Hong's expatiation of Grand Dao through the ontological theme of unity and plurality. Presented under two headings, the ontology of Grand Dao and the soteriology of cultivation, the paper briefly examines five ontological arguments in the Inner Chapters of Bao Pu Zi: the achievable immortal life, the consciousness of divine, the obtainable elixir, the pursuable truth, and the acceptable fealty. And it concludes that the correlation between unity and plurality is the ontological premise for Ge Hong's synthesis of "internal Daoist metaphysics and external Confucian ethics".

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ZHOU Zuyan (Hofstra University)

Lyricization of Inebriation: A Taoist / Neo-Taoist Dimension of The Dream of the Red Chamber

Notwithstanding its aversion to desire, Taoism endorses and even celebrates drinking, which can lead to a state of quasi-transcendence. In Zhuangzi inebriation is metaphorically associated to the preservation of spiritual health. This positive Taoist attitude towards drinking is occasionally visible in the Dream, where intoxication often serves as a liberating agent, rather than a destructive force. While intoxication turns Ni Er from a money-minded loan shark into a generous soul and wipes out his inferiority complex in front of power, it gives Baoyu the courage to challenge the corrupted ritualism personified in Nanny Li. Moreover, the disruption of culture order engendered by drinking is often presented in a light that is anything but malevolent. Chaos in scenes of intoxication, such as Shi Xiangyun's slumber in the garden, Jia Baoyu's sleeping beside Parfumee and Granny Liu's farting and snoring in Baoyu's chamber, are either lyricized or humorized, hence is turned into a "benevolent disorder" in line with Taoist aesthetics.

URL of this webpage: http://www.daoiststudies.org/daoismconf.abstracts.php
Last updated: July 24, 2007 09:07:50. EST

Designed and edited by James Miller
Department of Religious Studies
Queen's University
Kingston, ON
Canada K7L3N6