Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 1. Introduction Opening Comments The Ancient Precedents Overview 2. The Earliest-Known Daoist Religious Movements The Taiping Group Texts (The Great Peace, GP Synopsis, GP Instructions) The Laozi Xiang'er zhu (Laozi-Xiang'er) 3. Dramatic Physical and Sensory Effects Surges of Primal Qi: The Xiandao jing (The Manifest Dao) The Rushi si chizi fa (Contemplating the Baby) The Taishang hunyuan zhenlu (The True Record) 4. Integrating Buddhism: Earlier Phase The Xisheng jing (The Western Ascension) The Xuwu ziran benqijing (The Original Arising) 5. Integrating Buddhism: Emptiness and the Twofold Mystery The Benji jing (The Original Juncture) The Wuchu jing (The Five Kitchens) The Qingjing jing (The Clarity and Calmness) 6. Serenity and the Reaffirmation of Physical Transformation The Zuowang lun (Sitting and Forgetting) The Dingguan jing (Stability and Observation) 7. Serenity, Primal Qi, and Embryonic Breathing The Cunshen lianqi ming (The Inscription) The Taixi jing zhu (Embryonic Breathing) 8. Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author

Stephen Eskildsen is North Callahan Distinguished Professor of Religion at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the author of Asceticism in Early Taoist Religion and The Teachings and Practices of the Early Quanzhen Taoist Masters, both also published by SUNY Press.

Reviews

"...a welcome and useful study on a central aspect of medieval Daoist practice, one which fills a gap in our hitherto understanding of the evolution of that religion. As such it is one that is sure to find its place among the classical studies on medieval Daoism." - Entangled Religions "...a comprehensive and exceptionally well organized and presented overview of historical Chinese Daoist religious texts." - Midwest Book Review