Posts by Purple Cloud Admin
Chinese Medicine and the Coronavirus
Chinese Medicine and the Coronavirus ______________________________________ With the recent COVID-19 pandemic I have seen many post on FB which are targeting a larger audience. Often they simple claim that a certain formula is superior for the treatment of the Coronavirus over another, advocating their efficacy from being used in the epicentre of the outbreak in…
Read MoreDaoism Series 14 靈光 Divine Radiance
Daoism Series 14 靈光 Divine Radiance ______________________________________ 分明认得，靈光真趣，本来面目。此箇幽微理，莫容易等闲分付。 -唐吕岩《水龙吟》词： To clearly recognize the Divine Radiance’s true purport and original appearance; these profound and subtle principles are not to be instructed easily or without care. Lü Yan (Lü Dong Bin), from《Water Dragon Poem》 ________________________________________________ The Daoist expression Divine Radiance points to the Buddhist term, Buddhist…
Read More修道四十九関 The 49 Barriers of Cultivating the Dao: Barrier 1, Barrier of Sexual Indulgence and Lust
修道四十九関 The 49 Barriers of Cultivating the Dao ___________________________________________________ Barrier 1, Barrier of Sexual Indulgence and Lust 淫欲關 ___________________________________________________ Main Text based on Liu Yi Ming’s 50 Barriers _______________________________________________ 性，是眾生生生不息之動力，也是修道之人成仙、了道、成佛、做祖、要命第一大關口，順者凡逆者仙。人自色道中而生，從色道而死，色有動之于天者，有出之于人者，動之于天者，是歷劫根塵，發於不知不覺之中，起於無思無慮之時，有出之於人者，見色而情生，遇境而神馳。而自造諸般因果，修道之人若除盡色根，自然靈苗發生，雖遇美色，亦能當場强制，不動欲念，殊不知我不生欲，卻有生欲者在内。不能除而勉强除，不能去而勉强去，除去之法亦多，功深日久，終有除去之時，若色根拔盡，則色身堅固，法身易修，其餘關口，皆易為，出家在家想成仙佛者當如是，即使在家者，雖續人倫延續後代，若能寡淫欲，則精旺氣足，後天充實，自然祛病延年。須知人情濃厚道情微，道用人情人不知。生生不息謂大道，仙佛種子有来因。 Sexuality is the unceasing impetus of the procreation of life for all beings. It is also the first life-threateningly great barrier for people who cultivate…
Read MoreChinese Herbs Series 01 藤三七 Teng San Qi
Chinese Herbs Series 01 藤三七 Teng San Qi _________________________________________________ Teng San Qi (Anredera cordifolia) is also called Shao Nian Yao [小年药] ‘Young Years Medicine‘, and Shang San Qi [上三七], ‘Upper Three-Seven’. It is native to Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunan and other areas such as New Zealand. Teng San Qi literally translates as ‘Vine-Three-Seven‘…
Read MoreChinese Medicine Series 01 兰江赋 Ode of the Orchid River
Chinese Medicine Series 01 兰江赋 Ode of the Orchid River _________________________________________________ This article, translated in collaboration with Allen Tsaur, is about an ode to remember point functions of the Eight Confluent Points of the Extra-meridians. It appears in the ‘Acupuncture and Moxibustion – The Grand Compendium’ [zhen jiu da cheng 针灸大成] by Yang Ji…
Read More8th March 2020 太上老君【太上】 Supreme Sovereign Lao [Lao Zi]
8th March 2020 太上老君【太上】 Supreme Sovereign Lao [Lao Zi] _________________________________________________ Today the world celebrates the divine birthday of Lao Zi or the Supreme Sovereign Lao, which marks the 15th day of the second lunar month [1]. Originally it was Purple Cloud Press’ intention to have the release of the Tai Shang’s Treatise on Action and…
Read More歷世真仙體道通鑑 The Comprehensive Mirror of True Immortals Who Embodied the Dao of All Ages
Daoism Series 13 歷世真仙體道通鑑 The Comprehensive Mirror of True Immortals Who Embodied the Dao of All Ages ________________________________________________ The following is a dialogue between a Chan Buddhist monk and Zhang Bo Duan, Southern Patriarch of the Complete Realization school, explicating the notion of the Yin- and the Yang-Spirit (translated by Allen Tsaur and Johan Hausen):…
Read More雷公[雷神] Thunder Lord [Thunder Spirit]
Daoist Deities 01 雷公[雷神] Thunder Lord [Thunder Spirit] ________________________ 东海中有流波山,其上有兽,……其名曰夔。黄帝得之,以其皮为鼓,橛以雷兽之骨,声闻五百里, 以威天下。 -山海经 In the Eastern Sea a wild beast lived on top of Mount Flowing Wave, it was called ‘Kui‘ [1]. The Yellow Emperor obtained a drum made from its skin, and a drumstick from the bone of a thunder beast. It sound could be…
Read More打坐的环境 Environments for Meditation
Daoism Series 12 打坐的环境 Environments for Meditation ________________________________________________ Transcribed from teachings by Li Shi Fu (fiveimmortals.com) The following is a basic instruction manual for choosing a location for meditation and stillness cultivation. Despite its simplicity it offers greater insights into some of the requirements from a Daoist perspective. This article will be part of a…
Read MoreDaoism Series 3 (part 2) – 重阳一至七字诗 Wang Chong Yang’s [Four] Poems of One [Character] to Seven Characters
Daoism Series 3 (part 2) _________________________________________________ 重阳一至七字诗 Wang Chong Yang’s [Four] Poems of One [Character] to Seven Characters _________________________________________________ The four-word combination ‘Alcohol, Lust, Wealth and Qi’ is present in all the writings of the Complete Realization School of Daoism. Yet one of the most elucidating and insightful considerations of this theme is found in…
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