Overview

"Catherine Despeux’s book Taoism and Self Knowledge is a study of the Internal Alchemical text ""Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection."" It begins with an analysis of pictographic and symbolic representation of the body in early Taoism after which the author examines different extant versions of the ""Chart"" as it was transmitted among Quanzhen groups in the Qing dynasty. The book is comprised of four main parts: the principal parts of the body and their nomenclature in Internal Alchemy, the spirits in the human body, and the alchemical processes and procedures used in thunder rituals and self-cultivation. This is a revised, expanded edition of the original French edition Taoïsme et connaissance de soi. La carte de la culture de la perfection (Xiuzhen tu) Paris, 2012."

Full Product Details

Author:   Catherine Despeux ,  Jonathan Pettit
Publisher:   Brill
Imprint:   Brill
Volume:   142
Weight:   0.618kg
ISBN:  

9789004322158

ISBN 10:   9004322159
Pages:   298
Publication Date:   29 November 2018
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In stock  
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.
Language:   English

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations Introduction 1 Chinese Inner Alchemy and Body Maps  1 From Anatomy to the Taoist Construction of the Body: Diagrams of Yanluozi (Tenth Century)  2 The Synthesis of the Yanluozi Diagrams in the Commentary on the Classic of the Difficulties (Nanjing 難經) (Late Thirteenth Century)  3 The Body as a Mountain (Early Thirteenth Century)  4 The Chart of the Inner Landscape (Neijing tu 內景圖) in the White Cloud Temple (1886) 2 Different Versions of the Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection (Xiuzhen Tu)  1 The Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection (Xiuzhen tu) in Guangzhou (1812)  2 The Booklet Manuscript of the Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection (Xiuzhen tu) in a Private Collection (19th Century)  3 Diffusion of the Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection according to the Colophons of the Booklet and of Two Copies found by Zheng Hong  4 The Engraving at the White Cloud Temple by Meng Zhicai in 1873  5 Copies of the Plate of Tianjin (1882, 1910, 1920)  6 The Complete Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection (Xiuzhen Quantu 修真全图) from Mount Wudang (1888 or 1924)  7 The Chart for Achieving Cinnabar by the Ninefold Revolution (Dancheng jiuzhuan tu 丹成九轉圖) of Moli 莫厘 (1918) 65  8 The Complete Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection (Xiuzhen Quantu 修真全圖) of Chengdu (1922)  9 The Copy of the Hall for the Lengthy Cultivation (Xiuyuan Tang 修远堂) (1936)  10 The Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection, Engraved in 1984 at Beijing’s White Cloud Temple  11 The Register and Chart on the Cultivation of the True Origin (Xiuchi Zhenyuan Tulu 修持真元圖籙) of the Tiger and Dragon Altar (Longhu Tang 龍虎堂) 3 A Description of the Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection  1 Pictographic Elements and Inscriptions  2 Pictographic Differences with Other Body Charts in the Taoist Canon  3 The Main Texts  4 List and Localisation of the terms on the Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection 4 The Main Alchemical Loci Inscribed in the Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection  1 The Microcosmic Body Becomes an Athanor  2 The Main Body Orifices and Places of Transmutations  3 The Cinnabar Fields  4 The Three Passes on the Back  5 Other Important Loci  6 The Eight Marvelous Vessels (Qijing bamai 奇經八脈) 5 The Body, World of Deities According to the Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection  1 The Hells  2 The Paradises  3 The Celestial Palaces  4 The Hun 魂 Souls and the Po 魄 Souls in Inner Alchemy  5 The Inner Gods in the Yellow Court Tradition  6 The Inner Gods of the Yellow Court Tradition Integrated to the Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection  7 The Deities Related to the Numinous Treasure and the Thunder Rites 6 Alchemical Methods According to the Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection  1 The Three Stages of the Process  2 The Union of Opposites  3 The Fire Phasing 7 Thunder Processes Illustrated by the Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection  1 Schools Related to the Thunder Rites  2 The Northern Dipper and the Setting in Motion of the Inner Heaven  3 Processes Associated with the Thunder  4 Elements of the Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection Linked to the Correct Method of the Heart of Heaven Conclusion Bibliography Index

Reviews

Stuckrad's book is a useful reference guide for twentieth-century notions of the soul and related themes such as nature, animism, consciousness, energy, and vitalism. -Dominic Zoehrer, University of Vienna, in Religious Studies Review, Volume 45, Number 4, December 2019

Author Information

Catherine Despeux, Ph.D (1976), Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales, is honorary professor of Chinese thought. She has published and edited monographs, translations and articles on Chinese Buddhism, Taoism and Medicine, including the edition of Médecine, religion et société dans la Chine médiévale. Les manuscrits médicaux de Dunhuang, Paris 2010. Jonathan Pettit, Ph.D. (2013), University of Hawaiʻi-Mānoa, is an Assistant Professor of Chinese Religions. He has published articles on early medieval notions of geography and Daoist ritual. He has also written articles on early Republican redemptive societies. His work focuses on the production, circulation, and reproduction of early Daoist scriptures.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions