bagua

pa-kua

八卦

The eight trigrams; the basis of divination scheme in the Book of Changes

beidou

pei-tou

北斗

Lit. northern bushel; the constellation of the Big Dipper or Great Bear

bianhua

pien-hua

變化

Transformation; the underlying principle of change within the world

bigu

pi-ku

避轂

Abstention from grains; a Daoist longevity practice based on the notion that immortals live off the air and "soak up the dew"

bugang

pu-kang

步綱

Pacing the net; a Daoist ritual whose choreography is based on the Big Dipper

chujia

ch'u-chia

出家

Literally "leave home"; the process of becoming a Daoist monk

dan

tan

丹

Cinnabar; a mineral formed of Mercury Sulphide used in alchemy

dantian

tan-t'ien

丹田

Cinnabar field; one of three locations in the body used in the practice of inner alchemy

dao

tao

道

Lit. "way or speak"; the ultimate cosmic principle in Daoism

daojia

tao-chia

道家

Lit. "Dao-school"; a bibliographical classification used for proto-Daoist texts

daojiao

tao-chiao

道教

Lit. "Dao-tradition"; the Daoist religion

daoshu

tao-shu

道術

Daoist arts; energy practices that may bear only a tenuous connection with Daoist religion

daotan

tao-t'an

道壇

Daoist altar; often erected temporarily to perform a ritual and then disassembled

daozang

tao-tsang

道藏

Lit "Daoist treasury"; the Daoist Canon compiled in 1445

de

te

德

Lit. "power, virtue"; what one obtains by attaining the Dao

dong

tung

洞

Cave, grotto

dongtian

tung-t'ien

洞天

Grotto-heavens; the network of caves connecting China's sacred mountains

falun gong

fa-lun kung

法論功

Lit. "Dharma-wheel skill"; the form of Qi cultivation practiced by Falu Dafa, banned in China

fangshi

fang-shih

方士

"Magico-technicians"; Han dynasty practioners of alchemy and immortality whose methods influenced the later flourishing of Daoism

fuguang

fu-kuang

服光

Absorb the light; a Daoist energy practice

fuqi

fu-ch'i

服氣

Absorb qi; a Daoist energy practice

hundun

hun-tun

混沌

Chaos; the state of pregnant non-being from which everything arises, and to which Daoists aim to return

jiao

chiao

醮

Daoist ritual of renewal; the main ritual performed by Daoist priests today

jiazi

chia-tzu

甲子

The first year of the 60-year cycle

jing

ching

精

Essence; a form of qi manifested in sexual fluids

jing

ching

經

Scripture; warp of a piece of fabric

Laozi

Lao-tzu

老子

Old Master or Old Child; the traditional author of the Daode jing

li

li

禮

Ceremony, ritual

lingbao

ling-pao

靈寶

Numinous Treasure or Numinous Jewel; a classical Daoist religious movement

lu

lu

籙

Register; a listing of the names of spirits possessed by those initiated into the Way of the Celestial Masters

ming

ming

命

Fate, destiny, life; the physiological element of one's person in Complete Reality cultivation

neidan

nei-dan

內丹

Inner alchemy

niwan

ni-wan

泥丸

Mud-pill; the cinnabar field in the head

po

p'o

魄

Earthly soul; the yin soul that descends into the earth when the body is properly buried.

qi

ch'i

氣

Breath, vital energy, pneuma; life-force

qigong

ch'i-kung

氣功

Qi-skill; an energy practice that became popular in the 19^th century

qingjing

ch'ing-ching

清净

Purity and stillness; the aims of meditation in the Way of Compete Perfection

quanzhen

ch'üan-chen

全真

Complete Perfection; Total Reality; the monastic Daoist movement founded by Wang Zhe

shangqing

shang-ch'ing

上清

Highest Clarity, Supreme Purity; the classical Daoist movement

shen

shen

神

Spirit; spirits; divine; the most refined form of qi

taiji

t'ai-chi

太極

Supreme Ridgepole; the centre of the heavens; Supreme Ultimate the foundational metaphysical principle

taiji quan

t'ai-chi ch'üan

太極拳

Supreme Ultimate Fist; Tai Chi

taiqing

t'ai-ching

太清

Great Clarity; a Daoist alchemical movement

tianming

t'ien-ming

天命

Mandate of Heaven, conferred upon the Emperor, giving him authority to rule

tianshi

t'ien-shih

天師

Celestial Master, Heavenly Teacher; a title bestowed upon Zhang Daoling and his descendants; the first Daoist religious community

tianxia

t'ien-hsia

天下

All under Heaven; the empire

tong

t'ung

通

Communicate; go through; used as a synonym for dong

tui

t'uei

推

Extend; the process of bringing things into correlation with each other

waidan

wai-tan

外丹

Lit. "outer alchemy"; laboratory or operative alchemy

wang

wang

王

King; the one who unifies the three realms of heaven, earth and humankind

wuwei

wu-wei

無為

Lit. "non-action"; actionless-action; non-assertive action; action as though non-action

xianren

hsien-jen

仙人

Immortal, transcendent being; sometimes translated in popular literature as "fairy" or "wizard"

xin

hsin

心

Heart, mind; the seat of the personality and the object of Confucian self-cultivation

xing

hsing

性

Inner nature; the psychological element of one's person in Complete Perfection cultivation

yang

yang

陽

Sunny; the complement of yin

yin

yin

陰

Shady; the complement of yang

zhai

chai

齋

Ritual of purification; a retreat or fast that was the main Numinous Treasure ritual, and became incorporated into the present-day jiao ritual

zhengyi

cheng-i

正一

Orthodox Unity; the branch of Daoism founded by the Celestial Master; one of two branches officially recognised in China today

zhenren

chen-jen

真人

Perfected person; a Daoist sage

zhonghe

chung-ho

中和

Central harmony; the ideal state attained in the Way of Great peace

zhongmin

chung-min

種民

Seed-people; the name given to those who would survive the impending apocalypse foretold in the southern Celestial Masters tradition

ziran

tzu-jan

自然

Self-so, spontaneous, natural; the basic principle that the Dao follows in its evolution; and the core value of Daoism