Archive for April 2024
Australian Taoist Cultural Festival
Australian Taoist Cultural Festival The recent Australian Taoist Cultural Festival was an amazing, surreal and exhausting experience. Many worked hard behind the scenes to make this happen, and it was really a testament to the spirit of the international Daoist community. I would like to thank Meixi Yan Huizhang and everyone else who’s hard work…
Read MoreExcerpt from Legends of White Horse Mountain by Johan Hausen and Rachel Woo
Legends of White Horse Mountain (2024 forthcoming): 传说，白马山是由天马所变。很久以前十堰、竹山、郧县一带，有一黄龙兴风作浪，连年大发洪水，庄稼整日浸在水里，使百姓们不得安生，苦不堪言。。。 Legend has it that White Horse Mountain was transformed by a heavenly horse. A very long time ago on Mount Bamboo, in Shiyan, in the region around Yun County, there was a yellow dragon that stirred up trouble, causing great floods year after year. The farm crops…
Read MoreExcerpt from Complete Compendium of Zhang Jingyue Vol. 50–51 Part II by Allen Tsaur
Critique by Chen Xiūyuan (on Bao Yīn Jiān 保陰煎/Yīn-Safeguarding Brew) 陰者，中之守也。聖經中言陰虛多指太陰而言 。景岳不知此旨，以熟地、山藥、當歸等為益陰、理陰、固陰，生地、芍藥、麥冬等為保陰、化陰、滋陰、約陰，授庸醫以殺人之刃而不見血，誠可痛恨！試以此方之藥品與所列之治法，證之經者字字支離，不獨虛寒人服之立斃，卽陽臟多火之人，亦非此方可以倖效，葢以配合之失法也。 Yīn is what safeguards the center. Whenever the sagacious canons mention “yīn vacuity,” they typically refer to the taiyīn [vacuity]. As [Zhang] Jingyue was not aware of this decree, he utilized Shu Di, Shān Yao, and Dāng Guī to boost yīn, regulate yīn,…
Read MoreLi Shifu on Desires
On Desires: The one character for longevity to exemplify it is ‘protection’ [bao保], while the one character for the elixir path is ‘transformation’ [hua化]. ‘I feel guilty for desires.’ There is no tree that feels guilty for growing leaves. Desires are normal, but you must not advocate or follow your desires. What your thoughts are…
Read MoreExcerpt from ‘Exercise Prescription in Sui China’ by Dolly Yang and Mugen Chiang
The following is an excerpt from ‘Exercise Prescription in Sui China’ which is very close to being published: Dr Dolly Yang’s translation of some 200 medieval daoyin exercises from China’s earliest book to classify and describe the nature of illness, Chao Yuanfang’s seventh century Zhubing yuanhou lun 諸病源候論 (Treatise on the Origins and Symptoms of…
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