Gold Pavilion. Michael Saso
during this time:
Dragon-Tiger Taoism, also known as Zhengyi Celestial Master Taoism, is one of the earliest Taoist healing movements. Its founder, Zhang Daoling, the "first" celestial master, lived in the second century C.E. Dragon-Tiger or Zhengyi Taoists meditate on the Lao-tzu Tao-te Ching as a sacred book, practice rites of healing and renewal, and receive a special Zhengyi Mengwei (Cheng-i Meng-wei) register in twenty-four segments when they are ordained Taoists. Their sacred mountain is Lunghu Shan (Dragon-Tiger Mountain) in southeast Jiangxi Province. These Taoists marry and pass on their registers to at least one of their children in each generation.
After meditation on the Thunder Spirits, Taoists draw talismans to heal, bring rain, heal illness. Zhengtong Taoist Canon woodblocks, ca. 1445.
Lingbao (Ling-pao) and its registers are mentioned by a Taoist scholar named Ko Hong, in a work called Baopuzi (Paop'u Tzu, The Master Who Embraces Simplicity) in the early fourth century C.E. Lingbao Taoism teaches methods for healing and renewal based on the Five Talismanlc Charms, the Lingbao Wufu. These talismans were used by the mythical emperor Yu, China's Noah, to stop the floods. Its sacred mountain is Gozao Shan, (Ge Tsao Shan) in southeast China.
Highest Pure Shangqing Taoism (Shang-ch'ing), reputedly founded by the woman mystic Lady Wei Huacun, teaches the healing and emptying meditations of the Huang-t'ing Neijing (the Gold Pavilion classic, Inner Chapters). Its sacred mountain is Mao Shan, twenty-five miles southeast of Nanjing in Jiangsu Province.
North Pole Beiji Taoism (Pei-chi) teaches meditations and martial arts for healing. It invokes Ursa Major, the constellation that points to the polestar, to exorcise harmful spirits and thoughts from the conscious and subconscious mind. Its sacred mountain is Wudang Shan (Wu-tang shan) in western Hubel Province near the Shaanxi border.
Qingwel (Ch'ing-wei), Pure Refined Taoism shares with the Tantric Buddhist orders of Tibet the use of thunder and lightning meditations for healing. Many of Its mantras written in Siddham (that Is, late Sanskrit chants) are similar to those used by Tendal and Shingon Tantric Buddhism in Japan, brought from China in the ninth century (Tang dynasty), and by Tibetan Tantric Buddhism.
Many of the healing methods used in these five kinds of classical Taoist "registers" became a part of the popular healing tradition during the religious reformation of the Song dynasty, 960 to 1281 C.E. Inspired perhaps by the spirit of simplicity found in the Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu, the laity (ordinary people) derived ways of healing that simplified the complicated methods of the ordained Taoist priest. The Gold Pavilton classic contains some of these techniques and registers.
Quanzhen (ch'uan-cheni) Taoism, a sixth great tradition, known as All True Taoism, was founded during the Song and popularized during the Yuan and subsequent eras, including the People's Republic today. Quanzhen Taoism's headquarters are at the Baiyun-Guan temple in Beijing. Its monasteries are found all over China. Quanzhen monks and nuns practice celibacy and abstinence (vegetarian diet) in a disciplined way of communal life. Married laypeople too may follow this reformed way of Taoist chant, Zen (Chan) Buddhist-like meditation, and Confucian family virtue.
In today's socialist China only two of these Taoist traditions are officially recognized by the state. The Zhengyi tradition of Dragon-Tiger Mountain in southern China and the Quanzhen school in Beijing (northern China) are classified as the two official Taoist sects. Young Taoists trained in Beijing and elsewhere are taught this simplified distinction and remain for the most part unaware of the rich Taoist tradition while attending the state schools. The Taoist masters who live in the mountains, however, and the "fireside" married Taoists of the towns and countryside villages, preserve and teach the old apophatic "emptying" traditions.
Redhat Taoism, the kataphatic, filling or "imaging" tradition, also flourished and continues to develop from the Song dynasty reformation until the present.16 This tradition, however, does require an expert such as a possessed medium, shaman, Redhat saigong, or Bon priest, to do the exorcistic healing. It can be described but is not easily imitated, nor is it to be tried by the Western or Chinese reader.
The Taoist apophatic tradition, a practice that based healing and meditation on kenosis or emptying, became a movement available to the ordinary person of China's countryside and villages during the Song dynasty reformation, continuing to the present The use of the Tao-te Ching and Chuang-tzu as meditation manuals, qi meditation, color visualization, massage, herbal remedies, healthy exercises, all became a part of a popular Taoist movement, available to anyone who would learn it. There was no esoteric or secret learning preserved for an elite few. All that one needed to do, in the words of Chuangtzu, was to learn to "sit in forgetfulness" and "fast in the heart," that is, abstain from judgment in the mind and selfishness in the heart, to learn healing. Fasting in the judgmental mind and a selfless heart brought health to the body and to the society around the practicing Taoist. Members of the village community were taught this simple healing system. The visualization of healing colors and the prayer of emptying ("heart fasting" and "sitting in forgetfulness") taught in chapters 3 and 4 are used as means to assist the layperson as well as the Taoist to live a long life of peace, happiness, and good health. They are useful in promoting wholeness, mental and physical well-being, and long life for those who come to the Taoist for healing.
THE GOLD PAVILION CLASSIC
The Gold Pavilion classic has as its focus the Gold Pavilion, the "void space" above the kidneys at the body's center of gravity. The text itself has two parts. One, called the "Outer Chapters," (Huang-t'ing Wai-ch'ing) teaches a way of emptying meditation. The other, called the "Inner Chapters," (Huangt'ing Nei-ch'ing) adds a list of spirits' names to be sent forth from the Taoist's body as a prelude to contemplating the Tao. Only the meditations (Outer Chapters) of the Gold Pavilion classic are presented in chapter 4.
This translation is based on a commentary originating from the Taoist Shangqing (Shang-ch'ing) tradition, a text given to the beginner by a Taoist master. The cryptic meaning can be translated only by using a commentary, called a mijue (michüeh) manual.17 The text can be translated on a word-for-word basis in three distinct ways: For the purely physical meaning; as a description of the circulation of qi breath and color in the internal alchemy tradition; and as a meditation of apophasis (emptying) in the "heart fasting" and "sitting in forgetfulness" tradition of Chuang-tzu described in chapter 2. Following the Shangqing Highest Pure tradition attributed to Lady Wei Huacun, the translation presented here in all cases follows the apophatic or emptying tradition. It is from this last way that the Taoist method of peace, healing, and long life is mastered.
| CHAPTER TWO INTERIOR PEACE |
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The writings of the ancient Taoist masters tell us that healing must begin from within the self. When the mind, heart, and body work as one harmonious unit in tune with nature, a new inner peace emerges. The mind is no longer ruffled by the criticism or praise of changeable human associates. This new self is not worried by blame, avoids praise, makes no negative or harmful judgments, in fact avoids making any judgment at all. The rules for this kind of life filled with Taoist harmony are found in the books of Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu.
The book of Lao-tzu, the Tao-te Ching is a brief eighty-one paragraphs. When a novice approaches a Taoist master to become his or her disciple, the master insists on three things: read and practice the book of Lao-tzu; take the vows or promises of the Taoist way of life; and reject any fame, glory, or wealth accruing from the way of self-cultivation that the master teaches.
These three rules may at first seem excessive. Without understanding the Tao-te Ching, one cannot follow the way of emptying meditation. Without practicing the Taoist way of life, self-healing is impossible. The simplicity and selflessness of the Taoist way of life preclude accepting any recompense for healing. The master warns the disciple that wisdom cannot be purchased, as can a work of art or an education. To demand a price for healing is to turn a profit on illness. To do this would make the healer ill and his or her wisdom no longer priceless. No matter how simple