Bøger af Fabrizio Pregadio

The Cantong qi is the main text of Taoist Internal Alchemy (Neidan). In addition to Taoist masters and adepts, it has also attracted the attention of philosophers, cosmologists, poets, literati, calligraphers, philologists, and bibliophiles. No less than 38 commentaries written through the end of the 19th century are extant, and dozens of texts found in the Taoist Canon and elsewhere are related to it. The present book is the most complete guide available in any language to this vast literature. The book is divided into two main parts. Part 1 contains a catalogue of extant and lost commentaries, essays, and related texts, listing altogether about 150 works with details on their authors, editions, and reprints. Part 2 contains a survey of the textual tradition of the Cantong qi, focused on the composition and contents of about 40 major texts. A final index of authors, editors, titles, and editions facilitates the use of the book.This book is a companion to the complete translation of the Cantong qi published by same author, entitled The Seal of the Unity of the Three: A Translation and Study of the Cantong qi, the Source of the Taoist Way of the Golden Elixir (Golden Elixir Press, 2011).Contents Preface, viiINTRODUCTION Main Works on the Cantong qi: A Short Survey, 1PART I: BIBLIOGRAPHIC CATALOGUE Introduction, 15 1. Commentaries, 21 2. Essays and Related Works, 77 3. Lost Works, 91 4. Works Attributed to Wei Boyang, 103PART II: COMMENTARIES, ESSAYS, AND RELATED WORKS Introduction, 109 1. Tang Dynasty and Five Dynasties, 111 2. Song and Yuan Dynasties, 131 3. Ming and Qing Dynasties, 159 4. The Ancient Text and Its Commentaries, 185APPENDIXES 1. The Three Books of the Cantong qi, 201 2. Main Indicators of Textual Filiation, 211 3. Chinese Text, 217Index of Names, Titles, and Editions, 233Works Quoted, 251

Under an allusive poetical language and thick layers of images and symbols, The Seal of the Unity of the Three (Cantong qi) hides the exposition of the teachings that gave birth to Taoist Internal Alchemy, or Neidan.Traditionally attributed to Wei Boyang and dated to about 150 CE, The Seal of the Unity of the Three is concerned with three major subjects - Taoism (the way of "non-doing"), Cosmology (the system of the Book of Changes), and Alchemy - and joins them to one another into a unique doctrine. The charm of its verses, the depth of its discourse, and its enigmatic language inspired a large number of commentaries and other works, and attracted the attention not only of Taoist masters and adepts, but also of philosophers, cosmologists, and poets. In addition to a complete translation, this book contains a detailed introduction to the history and the teachings of The Seal of the Unity of the Three, explanations of each of its sections, and notes on its verses. Also included are several tables and pictures, an index of main subjects, and the complete Chinese text.

This book contains four essays on Internal Alchemy (Neidan) by Isabelle Robinet, originally published in French and translated here for the first time into English. The essays are concerned with the alchemical principle of "inversion"; the devices used by the alchemists to "give form to the Formless by the word, and thus manifest the authentic and absolute Dao"; the symbolic function of numbers in Taoism and in Internal Alchemy; and the original meanings of the terms "External Elixir" (waidan) and "Internal Elixir" (neidan).Table of ContentsAcknowledgements, vii1. The World Upside Down in Taoist Internal Alchemy, 1 2. The Alchemical Language, or the Effort to Say the Contradictory, 17 3. Role and Meaning of Numbers in Taoist Cosmology and Alchemy, 45 4. On the Meaning of the Terms Waidan and Neidan, 75Tables and Pictures, 103 Appendix: Works by Isabelle Robinet, 113 Glossary of Chinese Characters, 117 Works Quoted, 123

Originally written for Chinese readers, this book provides a clear description of the Taoist practice of Internal Alchemy, or Neidan. The author outlines the four stages of the alchemical practice and clarifies several relevant terms and notions, including Essence, Breath, and Spirit; the Cinnabar Fields; the "Fire Times"; and the Embryo. The book is based on the system of the Wuzhen pian (Awakening to Reality), one of the main sources of Internal Alchemy, and contains about two hundred quotations from original Taoist texts.Table of ContentsForeword, viiINTRODUCTION, 1 The Basis: Essence and Spirit, 3STAGES OF THE ALCHEMICAL PRACTICE IN AWAKENING TO REALITY, 11 The Four Stages, 13 "Laying the Foundations," 15 Main Points in the Practice of "Laying the Foundations," 20 The Functions of Essence, Breath, and Spirit, 36 Terms Related to the "Coagulation of the Three Treasures," 52 Conclusion of the Stage of "Laying the Foundations," 63 "Refining Essence to Transmute it into Breath," 65 "Refining Breath to Transmute it into Spirit," 99 "Refining Spirit to Return to Emptiness," 109CONCLUSION, 119 The "Arts of the Way," 121Tables, 123Glossary of Chinese Characters, 133

Awakening to Reality (Wuzhen pian) is one of the most important and best-known Taoist alchemical texts. Written in the eleventh century, it describes in a poetical form, and in a typically cryptic and allusive language, several facets of Neidan, or Internal Alchemy. This book contains a translation of the first part of the text, consisting of sixteen poems, which provide a concise but comprehensive exposition of Neidan. In addition to notes that intend to clarify the meaning of the more obscure points, the book also contains selections from Liu Yiming's commentary, dating from the late 18th century, which is distinguished by the use of a lucid and plain language.Table of ContentsPreface, viiIntroduction, 1Translation, 21Selections from Liu Yiming's Commentary, 75Textual Notes, 89Glossary of Chinese Characters, 95Works Quoted, 101

Il Taoismo è una tradizione complessa ed eterogenea come il Buddhismo, l'Islam, l'Ebraismo, e il Cristianesimo. Questo libro espone in modo sintetico il pensiero e la religione taoista, senza fare alcuna distinzione fondamentale tra questi due aspetti, e soprattutto senza dare più importanza all'uno o all'altro, proponendosi invece di indicare ogni volta possibile lo stretto rapporto che li lega. Dopo due capitoli sul pensiero di Laozi (Lao Tzu) e di Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu), il libro descrive le origini della religione taoista e le principali scuole create durante il primo e il secondo millennio. Altri capitoli sono dedicati alla visione del Dao e del cosmo, al rituale, ai concetti di "liberazione" e "immortalità", e alle diverse immagini del corpo umano. I capitoli finali riguardano le pratiche del "nutrire la vita", la meditazione, e l'alchimia esterna e interna. SOMMARIOIntroduzione1 Laozi Il Daode jing (Libro della Via e della sua Virtù) Il Dao Il santo>2 Zhuangzi 'La conoscenza che non conosce' L'uomo realizzato Governo, etica, e coltivazione di sé Il Zhuangzi e la tradizione taoista3 Il periodo antico e la divinizzazione di Laozi Gli 'sciamani' I 'maestri dei metodi' Il taoismo Huang-Lao Messianismo, millenarismo, e la divinizzazione di Laozi4 Principali scuole e lignaggi Il Tianshi dao (Via dei Maestri Celesti) La tradizione meridionale Lo Shangqing (Chiarezza Suprema) Il Lingbao (Tesoro Sacro) Le Tre Caverne e il Canone Taoista Il periodo Tang Nuovi lignaggi nel periodo Song Il Quanzhen (Realtà Completa) 5 Dao e cosmo Il Dao e le diecimila cose Essenza, Soffio, Spirito La cosmogonia La cosmologia Lo Yijing (Libro dei Mutamenti) Principali emblemi cosmologici 6 Cieli, divinità, e rituali I cieli taoisti Il pantheon La funzione della scrittura I rituali di Offerta e di Merito 7 Soteriologia Terminologia La liberazione nel taoismo Gli immortali 'Simulare la morte' 'Liberazione dal corpo mortale' Ri-generazione in vita Salvezza dopo la morte 8 La visione del corpo umano Corpo, forma, persona Modelli di 'corpo simbolico' Macrocosmo e microcosmi Principali luoghi e componenti 9 'Nutrire la vita' Etica e coltivazione di sé Pratiche principali La 'respirazione embrionale' Critiche taoiste 10 Meditazione e contemplazione Le divinità interiori L'Uno e i Tre-Uno 'Passeggiare sulla Rete Celeste' Contemplazione e introspezione 11 L'alchimia esterna La tradizione Taiqing (Grande Chiarezza) Alchimia e cosmologia Metodi principali Il declino del Waidan 12 L'alchimia interna La sintesi Neidan Principali lignaggi Natura (xing) ed Esistenza (ming) L'Immagine della Trama Interiore I tre stadi L'alchimia e il 'non-fare' Opere citate Fonti StudiGlossario

A study of the religious aspects of Chinese alchemy and its relation to the Taoist traditions of the early medieval period.