As a practitioner of internal alchemy I would like to provide some insight to the poem at 18:00. To those also behind the door, please forgive my candor but I believe these things should be put bluntly. This poem is basically a teaching of a basic mental/breath technique to develop focus and vitality. While doing the meditation the student holds their body in certain postures to activate different parts of the fascia so you can be working your whole body and mind while seemingly sitting still. As far as the poem itself is concerned I'll just summarize the main take aways from each paragraph: 1. Harmonizing mercury and lead essentially refers to developing a healthy mind and body. The body practices are a kind of yoga that works and strengthens the fascia, giving one a gentle strength that to the untrained eye can appear as magic or superhuman skill. The mind practices are meditations and focusing exercises to awaken the awareness that there is a space between thoughts and emotions the one experiencing the thoughts and emotions. 2. In the beginning of training do not rush to become a monk or an extreme training program. Consistency is key so just have a small practice and just make sure to do it everyday. 3. If you stop practicing just start up again. Do not try to add to the practice with additional elements to "spice " it up. Do it as it was taught and struggle through the process of maintaining the habit. 4.When you have developed your mind and body (represented by the tiger and dragon) you will create the proper environment in yourself for inner peace/harmony. This is seen as the true base nature of all humans and everything you do in life should come from this space. 5 &6. This is an esoteric explanation for the exercise called the microcosmic orbit. Where you focus the mind on the breath and feel it flow from your tailbone up your back to your brain and down the front of your body This is a fundamental practice almost all daoist schools teach in some form. While not the exact same, it operates in a similar fashion to Kundalini yoga/meditation. The "fetus" referred to is the awareness of yourself as a non physical being. It's first manifests as attention or Yi but through practice it develops into a full awareness that extends outside of your body. This is not theoretical, you can and will experience this if you stick to your practice. This is why I like daoism, they dint ask you to believe in anything, just do the practices and you'll see for yourself.
@@dhdhebeb1780 the approach I'm most familiar with goes from the inside to outside and then maintain a state where you have a "foot" in both at once. This is one meaning of Wuji which is Yin and yang combined. Due to the Chinese language and culture each phrase and poem has different meanings depending on your level of understanding/practice but you see this more in philosophical branches than those who focus on internal alchemy.
After a kundalini awakening in the late seventies, I cane up with a meditation method to communicate to others what I do when meditating. I don't actually use the visualization, as I'm always in a state of meditation, just more or less deeply. The main difficulty for most people while meditating is a busy thinking mind. This visualization gives the analytical mind something to do while establishing a familiarity with unfettered awareness. With good posture and bare or socked feet, picture an old fashioned well with rock wall, roof covering, and bucket with crank. The well should be inline with your spine. Breathe fully in and out, but relaxed and not too fast or slow. As you breathe out, the bucket descends into the well. Pause at the bottom and let the bucket fill with water. Breathe in and haul the water up. Pause at the top to empty the bucket into a trough. At some point, you will feel yourself pumping energy up your spine. You can just focus on the energy if you don’t need the visualization. At the bottom of your breath, you are connecting with the infinite, unmanifest potential of being. As you breathe in, you "bring" a "portion" of it into being; as your being. As you pause to empty the bucket, you integrate that energy into your life as an individual - your body, mind, and spirit. You make it available for your thoughts, words, and actions; for your health, commitments, and endeavors. As you breathe out, lowering the bucket, you project the energy and your being out into the universe and do it all over again. If you pause longer at the bottom, it will calm you and take you within. If you pause longer at the top, you will become more energized and project more outwardly. I'm usually balanced between the two unless for a specific reason.
When I took a class on East Asian history in my undergrad, the TA (who was not East Asian) talked about how later Daoists "misunderstood" the "real" philosophy of Daoism and bastardised it into a tradition of rural superstitions. As someone who's interest is largely popular religion I thought this sounded very biased and unfair a judgement. I'm always glad to see people contesting such notions and taking a more complex look at the topic.
Actually there are a lot of religious temple taoist masters that have supernatural powers in Taiwan. A lot of real accounts of supernatural stories of taoist deities and ghosts too.
Thank you for your presentations on Daoism. As a 30+ year practitioner of neidan I have explored the various aspects of Daoism. My own views and practices have evolved from a purely mystical apophatic practice to one heavily influenced by my medical practice to one which might be almost anti theistic with a rejection of divinity as being nothing more than metaphor. Having said that I had an experience early on that has been a driving force in that journey to seek understanding and in part a return to that state of wonder derived from seeing the infinite. That infinite was beyond my understanding and can only be explained in the terms that I had at that time, my Protestant Christian upbringing and philosophical expirations in Daoism. More reading in Daoism, Buddism, Confucianism, Sufism, Christian Mystism, and Hinduism, the continued practice of the neidan, and medicine has lead me to focus on Dao as a state of universal being somewhat separate from our selves but approachable, a concept that is hard to grasp but can still give meaning. The religious traditions of middle and later Daoism almost seem to mask and make lite of the profundity of that first experience I had. My personal journey could have lead me to being a hermit, but the needs of friends and family has kept me tied to community. It is with in this realm that I find value in the religious practices. Though again I find that for me it masks the deeper truths of and in the Dao.
Zhang Daoling was a fraud and a self aggrandizing charlatan. The essence of Daoism IS PHILOSOPHICAL. Lao Tzu's most prominent idea was that man should free himself from rigid beliefs and to return to living a natural life. He believed that this was essential to a harmonious and balanced existence, that this is man's true being. All other forms of religion and philosophy render man artificial. Lao Tzu would have been horrified by the later forms of Daoism which became a codified and formal religion. As for any early so called lineages their legitimacy is debatable, as are the so called practices which some claim were handed down. Louis Komjathy has misrepresented Daosim in his misleading and political interpretation. The idea of a division between early Daoist philosophy and the formalized religion which it later became is Chinese in origin. To say that it was a "Colonialist" or "Orientalist" misunderstanding promoted by western historians is inaccurate. There may be some debate among Chinese people but this was not a western invention. The formalized religion (with many elements which were added later) may have been based on teachings from the Tao Te Ching and Zhunagzi but that does not mean that Daoist Philosophy was ever meant to become a Apophatic Cult. This later development was the influence of Buddhist and Hindu beliefs which helped shape the Daoist religion. The irony here is that this was the very thing which Lao Tzu was trying to free men from.
Im a mere simpleton and I don't practice anything other than christianity because Im worried if I open my 3rd eye I will see goblins and ghosts and they will make trouble for my life. I do not need any advanced spiritual kung fu anyway. I've had a few small short out of body experiences while taking naps during my lifespan, they only last for a moment, but outside of my body it is profound peace and tranquility eternally. So I try to bring that sense of zen that exists outside of my into my own life whenever possible. I suffer a lot of anxiety depression and ptsd so it's unrealistic to expect an always chill mind. Plus stress helps me get stuff done like cook food and stuff, so I don't view suffering as something that is essentially a bad thing. It'd be cool to do something like that immortality process described in the video here but I don't have a school to teach me, plus I am tainted and sullied from a lifetime of western diet. I'd probably just reincarnate as a damp salad.
Google informed me: "As nouns the difference between profoundness and profundity is that *profoundness is the quality of being profound; profundity while profundity is the state of being profound or abstruse."* Such redundant stupidity, like the notion of "hypocrisy" is mea ingless tangent. The quality(profoundness) is the state of being profound, if you fisure it into state v.s quality, what stops you from further subdividing this two subdivisions into "quantity of quality" in some nonses term like "profoundnesses" or "quantity of state" in a nonsense phrase like "profounities"?
As a Chinese, I think the separation between Taoist philosophy and religion has more to do with the fact that Chinese people are mostly agnostic. The philosophical part will appeal to people from a Confucian education; while the religious aspect is more for common folks that practice rituals and customs that reflect Taoist concepts. Also, even though Taoism originated from China, it was based on the observation of nature and the I-Ching; which makes it universally applicable anywhere else. The closest Western parallel would be Stoicism.
Master mantak chia is good read to understand step by step process of internal alchemy and other aspects of Chinese traditional medicine. He is also on RUclips but books are much more subtle than videos.
This has got to be one of the most informative videos I have ever watched. You have united what my internal thoughts are regarding Buddhist influence and religious practice in my life. Another stepping stone to the death which awaits us all. I have much knowledge within my tiny cranium. It will never be satiated. Thank You for all you do to present the human belief system in such an objective manner. May all the gods bless you and your journey.
I vote for a lot more videos on Neidan, perhaps the most interesting path on planet Earth. Hermeticism is also very interesting though. And more videos on Sufism I guess are needed.
when I was about 23 and up I had the lucky pleasure to work with a man that was a master in internal alchemy aka Neidan , the only reference I had was Dr Stephen t chang and Mantak Chia. which is nothing, the moment I met this man I realized how chi was a real thing and not in the mind,. I wish I was better at explaining the experain I had with this man in internal alchemy, its a real thing, not only did he know understand chinese and he had to have his daughter translate, but I had to learn a very important thing. anyway, the man was cool as hell, and he was able to move the chi inside me, without ever touching men, from my head to my sea of chi ( dontian ). All Im saying is the internal alchemy is real, and its worth the journey, for some reason I was chosen to experience what was possible. maybe I was just lucky living in California idk., anyway Its hard to get back to how I felt before, but meditation will never ever be the same, its like I had the chance of sparing floyd mayweather and then later trying to put together what happened.
I hope you come out with more videos on this topic. I find that there are not enough videos that are accurate and scholarly on these sorts of topics. thank you
Modern Chinese fiction heavily incorporates a lot of these ideas, although in a much more fantastical and exaggerated way. Most of their fantasy stories involve concepts of taoist magic and qi cultivation (internal alchemy).
this is an excellent video, thanks for making it! One (unsolicited) suggestion I have is that in the future it might be cool to add the chinese/arabic/etc text/translations of terms when you put them on the screen (for example, jing means vital essence and the chinese character for it is 精)
家 (Jia) is the word we use to call the schools of thought in Chinese Axial Age, when philosophy was most diverse and unrestricted. We group all of them as 諸子百家 (Hundread of Schools of thought and their masters). They include but are not limited to Confucianism(儒家), Legalism(法家), Daoism(道家), School of Yin-yang(陰陽家), Mohism(墨家), School of Names(名家), School of Physician(醫家), and School of Medicine/Alchemy(方技家), just to copy from the wikipedia's list. Each schools had their own important historical figures too with their separate lineage. The writers in ancient times wrote this list because they find their thoughts distinctive. The names are quite straight forward and we can already see the later Daoism is influenced by schools of Yin-yang and Medicine. I don't know why the two terms Dao Jiao and Dao Jia is contested but just know this is why we think there's a difference. However the later Daoists would think they are the same of course.
@@moon8520 I don't read but if you want to, find contemporary commentaries with translation with modern annotations, such as "Records of the Grand Historian"
18:08-19:36 I bow down in awe before the legend! Such poetry, deeply steeped in meaning! This makes Shakespeare look like nursery rhyme by comparison! I stand in awe in front of what we as a species have achieved!
Thank you for this video; I'm very excited for more! Its so interesting seeing the roots of the worldbuilding in Chinese fantasy webnovels and dramas. LOTS of Tianren influence.
Same but I have known before reading and xianxia (and wuxia) materials about the Daoist and Vajrayana Buddhism teachings, two esoteric schools emphasized closely in these Chinese literatures.
Neidan sounds similar / parallel to like kriya yoga and meditation. Spiritual, internal practices carried out while maintaining certain dietary , social and lifestyle disciplines. Aimed at eventually moving towards dissolution.
I use this internal technique to stay in balance. It looks complicated but it's actually easy once you try it a few times. Good luck! Separate your feet but keep them placed squarely on the floor. Sit erect and allow your hands to lie loosely in your lap or on your knees without touching each other. The index and middle finger and the thumb of each hand must be held touching each other in a sort of triangle composed of the first two fingers and thumb. When you are finally relaxed, take a deep breath, hold it for a count of seven and then release it easily. After a short rest, repeat this, taking another deep breath and holding it for the count of seven. Then rest and repeat this until you have done it seven times, after which change your position and put the whole procedure out of your mind. This exercise is normally adequate to counterbalance the average negative condition. However, in cases of deep-seated or chronic ailments it will need repeating. Always wait at least two hours between treatments because it usually takes that long for results to become apparent. The earlier you treat yourself when falling out of balance, the easier it is to come back to normal. So be aware of yourself and when you feel the least bit out of sorts give yourself a treatment to regain your positive-negative balance. To Counterbalance an Over-Positive Condition Sit comfortably as in the previous treatment. This time your feet should be touching each other, squarely on the floor but touching. Your hands must also be touching at the fingers. Hold them in front of your body at the chest level, thumb touching thumb and each finger touching the tip of its corresponding finger on the other hand. Now close your eyes and take a deep breath. Exhale slowly and when the air is all out of your lungs, hold it out for the count of five. Then breathe in and out easily and slowly for about five or six breaths until you are once again relaxed. Then repeat, holding the breath out for the count of five. Repeat the entire procedure five times, then stop, breathe normally and put the entire exercise out of mind. Oh and it's the cure for the common cold.
Some supplement Jing is the morpheme in Sperm-related term. Qi is the morpheme for air/gas terms Shen is the morpheme for neuro and mind. As a linguist I believe terms can be better translated/understood with these connotations.
That passage from Zhang Buodan is very similar to the language used in tantra to describe the male and female essence drops coming together (which is usually represented by a couple in sexual union). In tantra, we use colors and deity imagery, but it looks like in Daoism, it's a combination of colors and animals. The "tiger's roar" is a reference to the sound of your consciousness, which is a subtle sound that can be heard with practice and purification. The physical practices are also really similar to kundalini yoga and Tibetan Tummo, in which you force your prana into the central channel to go up the spine and out of the crown of your head. I can see why a lot of Daoists have no problem accepting Buddhism and vice versa--The physical practices are nearly identical; they just use different language to describe the techniques.
It's easy to understand it like this. Animal and Cultivator can create a "ball-like core" that's kinda the core of their power after cultivating. That's neidan (internal dan/alchemist), the "Chinese Alchemy" (dan-making techniques) fan be understand really well because it basically the same as an attempt to create an artifical "golden core" that allow the user to instantly become a Xian without years of training, kinda like the Stone of Philosopher. That's what i know.
Does the Governing Vessel correspond to the Dorsal Vagal Nerve, and also to the six chakras (excluding the crown lotus, which is not a chakra)? Does the Conception Vessel correspond to the Ventral Vagal Nerve? And does it have any correspondence in Indian spiritual traditions? Lastly, what is the best practical guide to circulating Chi up the Governing Vessel and down the Conception Vessel?
Your emphasis on the colonial and orientalist separation of philosophical and religious Daoism is very much appreciated. Eliminating that false duality is ironically very Daoist itself.
I had a friend at uni (20+yrs ago) who was born on Christmas Island (Chinese) and whose family practiced an Animist form of daosim. I lost track of him and never again heard of animist daosism.
I wonder if perhaps Qi would better be understood with the word “composition”? With everything containing Qi, sort of in an atomic sense, it’s really the qualities of substances and materials that makes them different, which aligns with your descriptions of subtlety and substantialness. The use of “composition” would also invoke imagery of the tao itself, since everything is united in the composition of the tao, and the tao has been described using imagery such as wind and breath before. Not a scholarly translation or anything, just a thought.
Another great vid. I learned a lot from this and many preconceived notion of Daoism have been done away with. Hoping that I can find a way to incorporate it into my own spiritual journey. Keep up the good work! :)
Absolutely wonderful! Thank you! And I don’t know if this was mentioned in the comments already but if not, let me do so now: Benebell Wen wrote a fascinating book detailing Taoist esoteric praxis called *The Tao of Craft*. It’s well worth looking into.
I personally hold the belief of reincarnation as a follow to Tao, I think when zhuangzi referred to existence as a sort of cycle, the that the next transformation from death is once again life in another form. That you can choose to keep your spirit merged with all of existence (Tao) or return to a physical form to once against experience the illusion of separation
Very informative, I been trying to learn more about Taoism and buddhism for a while but I struggle to find good texts that describe the practices properly.Can anyone provide me some good english literature about the phylosophies and practices of Neidan and Zen buddhism?
The legalist(法家 fajia) classic Hanfeizi(韓非子) also has two chapters that contain daoism ideas. The one mainly explained his interpretation of Tao Te Ching, the other explained how daoism ideas influenced his legalism ideas. Also, there are daoism classics selected in Jin dynasty, that are called 三玄(the three classics of the Dao). It includes three books: Tao Te Ching, Zhuangzi and Zhouyi(周易). So, these three are the essence of classical daoism.
will you talk about the more ritualistic and theological aspect of daoism ? it's one of the aspects of daoism that we don't hear much about and it would be very interesting to hear about it I think ps : very great video ☺️👍!!!
Hi Philip since you focus on Sufism & almost every Sufi order traces its lineage through Ali's teachings,, can you make more content explaining the philosophy of ali,, his books like Nahj al-Balagha. Thank you
@@LetsTalkReligion this^ @James Pavel more than likely the DDJ was compiled over a period of time by several different writers. When one looks at the Pali canon, there’s little to no overlap really with the DDJ. When we get to Zhuangzi, there’s quite a lot more of Brahman-esque influence (look at the timeframes) Siddartha Gotama and the legendary figure(s) who wrote the DDJ are almost assuredly not the same person/people
@@barbieblues7639 the idea of anything being gatekept as a 'real' or 'unreal' religion is pretty hilarious given that they were all made up by ancient humans, most of whom called 'drugs' medecine and used them to uncover their revelations in the first place. Especially funny is that most messiahs and prophets were considered 'weird' by their contemporaries. Before they gained mass followings that is. Misunderstandings like this is what turned their wonderful spiritual practices into the vampiric institutions of power they have become.
I am truly interested in Taoism, and your channel addresses the topics with impressive precision and rigor. I have a question: While the distinction between philosophical Taoism and religious Taoism might create a bias, would it be correct to distinguish between classical Taoism and religious Taoism? On the other hand: Can a person practice Taoism without subscribing to its religious aspects?
Thank you for the video, I was talking with a friend about Sikhism recently and a word popped up during it. Jeea, which he pronounced similar to Chi had a similar meaning it seems, with the best translations seeming to be soul or life. Do these two words have a similar origin, and I'm curious if there are other religons or beliefs that have a similar subject.
its jeeva or jeeo it has a lot of different meaning but it basically means individual consciousness or soul but when it becomes one with the source it is god itself
The goal of internal alchmey is not to turn jing into Qi and then Qi into shen. The goal is to transform jing into the jin dan and then draw it into the heart. One then attains the golden elixir body also called the diamond body, this is the goal
promises made, promises kept. let's talk religion for RUclips president. is the James Legge translation/commentary of the tao te ching still well regarded? it's the only copy I've read, but I keep hearing about issues with translator's "westernizing" certain texts, and I am keen to get a more well rounded understanding on eastern texts in general, as I'm also interested in Buddhism and Hinduism
I'll probably go through your Hindu, Jain and Sikh videos as I have no books on those subjects and my religion teacher was a Free Churcher. Oh, and do you have anything on Zoroastrianism? Great video on Gnosticism by the way.
Similar to Hindu and Buddhist tantric alchemy, some forms of Daoist internal alchemy were practiced by celibate ascetics and others involved sexual alchemy. Because jing is depleted through loss of semen or menstrual fluid (both relating to reproduction), for male-bodied practitioners it involves learning how to have non-ejaculatory orgasms. For both males and females, sexual alchemy requires regulating the nervous system (emphasizing relaxation and yin) through things like meditation and breathing techniques, pelvic floor exercises, and sublimating jing, e.g. through the microcosmic orbit mentioned. I am currently working on a certification in Tibetan tantra and sexology connected to the Shangpa Kagyu lineage which includes some Daoist material in the required reading
Thanks for your series on Daoism, it is really helpfull for my thesis. One thing though, I do think that the Daojia/Daojiao divission is somewhat accurate considering the fact that the earliest Daoist texts didn't contain religious elements per se.
Can you also focus any influences in between islam and daoism or christianity and shia islam or budhism and ismailism. Christianity and new age movement.
The usage of the concept of "qi" in the god-awful remake of Mulan (which doesn't only turn its back on the original animation but also completely and utterly on the very same Chinese traditions and morals that its supposed to be "representing"), is actually used in a similar way to ... well ... farts. "Mulan, use your qi!" So ... yeah. I legitimately wonder if anybody Chinese actually worked on the film. Hollywood's prejudices aside, fantastic video, as always. I wish you well!
As a practitioner of internal alchemy I would like to provide some insight to the poem at 18:00. To those also behind the door, please forgive my candor but I believe these things should be put bluntly.
This poem is basically a teaching of a basic mental/breath technique to develop focus and vitality. While doing the meditation the student holds their body in certain postures to activate different parts of the fascia so you can be working your whole body and mind while seemingly sitting still.
As far as the poem itself is concerned I'll just summarize the main take aways from each paragraph:
1. Harmonizing mercury and lead essentially refers to developing a healthy mind and body. The body practices are a kind of yoga that works and strengthens the fascia, giving one a gentle strength that to the untrained eye can appear as magic or superhuman skill. The mind practices are meditations and focusing exercises to awaken the awareness that there is a space between thoughts and emotions the one experiencing the thoughts and emotions.
2. In the beginning of training do not rush to become a monk or an extreme training program. Consistency is key so just have a small practice and just make sure to do it everyday.
3. If you stop practicing just start up again. Do not try to add to the practice with additional elements to "spice " it up. Do it as it was taught and struggle through the process of maintaining the habit.
4.When you have developed your mind and body (represented by the tiger and dragon) you will create the proper environment in yourself for inner peace/harmony. This is seen as the true base nature of all humans and everything you do in life should come from this space.
5 &6. This is an esoteric explanation for the exercise called the microcosmic orbit. Where you focus the mind on the breath and feel it flow from your tailbone up your back to your brain and down the front of your body This is a fundamental practice almost all daoist schools teach in some form. While not the exact same, it operates in a similar fashion to Kundalini yoga/meditation.
The "fetus" referred to is the awareness of yourself as a non physical being. It's first manifests as attention or Yi but through practice it develops into a full awareness that extends outside of your body. This is not theoretical, you can and will experience this if you stick to your practice. This is why I like daoism, they dint ask you to believe in anything, just do the practices and you'll see for yourself.
Cool.
Hindus go inside
It here, Daoists are phrased(by you) to go "outside"
Very cool
It seems that the Daoist encompasses the Outside and In then
@@dhdhebeb1780 the approach I'm most familiar with goes from the inside to outside and then maintain a state where you have a "foot" in both at once. This is one meaning of Wuji which is Yin and yang combined. Due to the Chinese language and culture each phrase and poem has different meanings depending on your level of understanding/practice but you see this more in philosophical branches than those who focus on internal alchemy.
@@LiShuBen neat! It actually cultivates emerging Sapience!!
After a kundalini awakening in the late seventies, I cane up with a meditation method to communicate to others what I do when meditating. I don't actually use the visualization, as I'm always in a state of meditation, just more or less deeply.
The main difficulty for most people while meditating is a busy thinking mind. This visualization gives the analytical mind something to do while establishing a familiarity with unfettered awareness.
With good posture and bare or socked feet, picture an old fashioned well with rock wall, roof covering, and bucket with crank. The well should be inline with your spine. Breathe fully in and out, but relaxed and not too fast or slow. As you breathe out, the bucket descends into the well. Pause at the bottom and let the bucket fill with water. Breathe in and haul the water up. Pause at the top to empty the bucket into a trough.
At some point, you will feel yourself pumping energy up your spine. You can just focus on the energy if you don’t need the visualization.
At the bottom of your breath, you are connecting with the infinite, unmanifest potential of being. As you breathe in, you "bring" a "portion" of it into being; as your being. As you pause to empty the bucket, you integrate that energy into your life as an individual - your body, mind, and spirit. You make it available for your thoughts, words, and actions; for your health, commitments, and endeavors. As you breathe out, lowering the bucket, you project the energy and your being out into the universe and do it all over again.
If you pause longer at the bottom, it will calm you and take you within. If you pause longer at the top, you will become more energized and project more outwardly. I'm usually balanced between the two unless for a specific reason.
When I took a class on East Asian history in my undergrad, the TA (who was not East Asian) talked about how later Daoists "misunderstood" the "real" philosophy of Daoism and bastardised it into a tradition of rural superstitions. As someone who's interest is largely popular religion I thought this sounded very biased and unfair a judgement. I'm always glad to see people contesting such notions and taking a more complex look at the topic.
Actually there are a lot of religious temple taoist masters that have supernatural powers in Taiwan. A lot of real accounts of supernatural stories of taoist deities and ghosts too.
@@qiankundanuoyi1source?
@@qiankundanuoyi1Can you please provide empirical evidence of these supernatural powers?
This is true for every religion. The common folk have no interest in theology and will drift to folk heresies.
@@WilliamofOckham990 Earth, and heaven.
Thank you for your presentations on Daoism. As a 30+ year practitioner of neidan I have explored the various aspects of Daoism. My own views and practices have evolved from a purely mystical apophatic practice to one heavily influenced by my medical practice to one which might be almost anti theistic with a rejection of divinity as being nothing more than metaphor. Having said that I had an experience early on that has been a driving force in that journey to seek understanding and in part a return to that state of wonder derived from seeing the infinite. That infinite was beyond my understanding and can only be explained in the terms that I had at that time, my Protestant Christian upbringing and philosophical expirations in Daoism. More reading in Daoism, Buddism, Confucianism, Sufism, Christian Mystism, and Hinduism, the continued practice of the neidan, and medicine has lead me to focus on Dao as a state of universal being somewhat separate from our selves but approachable, a concept that is hard to grasp but can still give meaning. The religious traditions of middle and later Daoism almost seem to mask and make lite of the profundity of that first experience I had. My personal journey could have lead me to being a hermit, but the needs of friends and family has kept me tied to community. It is with in this realm that I find value in the religious practices. Though again I find that for me it masks the deeper truths of and in the Dao.
Ah.. Im a long time mediator as well and would be really interested to find out more about your practice. Any chance of connecting for some pointers?
Zhang Daoling was a fraud and a self aggrandizing charlatan. The essence of Daoism IS PHILOSOPHICAL. Lao Tzu's most prominent idea was that man should free himself from rigid beliefs and to return to living a natural life. He believed that this was essential to a harmonious and balanced existence, that this is man's true being. All other forms of religion and philosophy render man artificial. Lao Tzu would have been horrified by the later forms of Daoism which became a codified and formal religion. As for any early so called lineages their legitimacy is debatable, as are the so called practices which some claim were handed down. Louis Komjathy has misrepresented Daosim in his misleading and political interpretation. The idea of a division between early Daoist philosophy and the formalized religion which it later became is Chinese in origin. To say that it was a "Colonialist" or "Orientalist" misunderstanding promoted by western historians is inaccurate. There may be some debate among Chinese people but this was not a western invention. The formalized religion (with many elements which were added later) may have been based on teachings from the Tao Te Ching and Zhunagzi but that does not mean that Daoist Philosophy was ever meant to become a Apophatic Cult. This later development was the influence of Buddhist and Hindu beliefs which helped shape the Daoist religion. The irony here is that this was the very thing which Lao Tzu was trying to free men from.
**Profoundness* is already sufficient, what is the drive for turning it into "profundity"?
Im a mere simpleton and I don't practice anything other than christianity because Im worried if I open my 3rd eye I will see goblins and ghosts and they will make trouble for my life. I do not need any advanced spiritual kung fu anyway. I've had a few small short out of body experiences while taking naps during my lifespan, they only last for a moment, but outside of my body it is profound peace and tranquility eternally. So I try to bring that sense of zen that exists outside of my into my own life whenever possible. I suffer a lot of anxiety depression and ptsd so it's unrealistic to expect an always chill mind. Plus stress helps me get stuff done like cook food and stuff, so I don't view suffering as something that is essentially a bad thing.
It'd be cool to do something like that immortality process described in the video here but I don't have a school to teach me, plus I am tainted and sullied from a lifetime of western diet. I'd probably just reincarnate as a damp salad.
Google informed me:
"As nouns the difference between profoundness and profundity
is that *profoundness is the quality of being profound; profundity while profundity is the state of being profound or abstruse."*
Such redundant stupidity, like the notion of "hypocrisy" is mea ingless tangent. The quality(profoundness) is the state of being profound, if you fisure it into state v.s quality, what stops you from further subdividing this two subdivisions into "quantity of quality" in some nonses term like "profoundnesses" or "quantity of state" in a nonsense phrase like "profounities"?
As a Chinese, I think the separation between Taoist philosophy and religion has more to do with the fact that Chinese people are mostly agnostic. The philosophical part will appeal to people from a Confucian education; while the religious aspect is more for common folks that practice rituals and customs that reflect Taoist concepts.
Also, even though Taoism originated from China, it was based on the observation of nature and the I-Ching; which makes it universally applicable anywhere else. The closest Western parallel would be Stoicism.
I believe the Western equivalent of Taoism is the Platonic philosophy or more probably the Neo-platonic mysticism propagated by Plotinus.
I think you are right because Stoicism also says one should live in accord with nature.
I love your pronunciation. Thank you so much for making the effort for correctness. Even most comparative religion enthusiasts butcher this.
Master mantak chia is good read to understand step by step process of internal alchemy and other aspects of Chinese traditional medicine. He is also on RUclips but books are much more subtle than videos.
This has got to be one of the most informative videos I have ever watched. You have united what my internal thoughts are regarding Buddhist influence and religious practice in my life. Another stepping stone to the death which awaits us all. I have much knowledge within my tiny cranium. It will never be satiated. Thank You for all you do to present the human belief system in such an objective manner. May all the gods bless you and your journey.
Thanks!
I vote for a lot more videos on Neidan, perhaps the most interesting path on planet Earth. Hermeticism is also very interesting though. And more videos on Sufism I guess are needed.
when I was about 23 and up I had the lucky pleasure to work with a man that was a master in internal alchemy aka Neidan
, the only reference I had was Dr Stephen t chang and Mantak Chia. which is nothing, the moment I met this man I realized how chi was a real thing and not in the mind,. I wish I was better at explaining the experain I had with this man in internal alchemy, its a real thing, not only did he know understand chinese and he had to have his daughter translate, but I had to learn a very important thing. anyway, the man was cool as hell, and he was able to move the chi inside me, without ever touching men, from my head to my sea of chi ( dontian ). All Im saying is the internal alchemy is real, and its worth the journey, for some reason I was chosen to experience what was possible. maybe I was just lucky living in California idk., anyway Its hard to get back to how I felt before, but meditation will never ever be the same, its like I had the chance of sparing floyd mayweather and then later trying to put together what happened.
Absolutely frustratingly fascinating and intriguing, please do much more on this. Love it.
daoism is so fascinating... cant wait for more on this topic
Ótimo programa. Obrigado pelo esclarecimento e a oportunidade de aprender.
Thank You for All that you are doing for our Planet Earth....
Peace.. Shalom.. Salam.. Namaste
🙏🏻 😊 ✌ ☮ ❤
Danke!
Yes I'm really enjoyed your series on Taoism I hope there are some more thank you very much
I hope you come out with more videos on this topic. I find that there are not enough videos that are accurate and scholarly on these sorts of topics. thank you
This is an amazing video. Your explanation of these very intricate topics is informative and clear. Looking forward to more!
Modern Chinese fiction heavily incorporates a lot of these ideas, although in a much more fantastical and exaggerated way. Most of their fantasy stories involve concepts of taoist magic and qi cultivation (internal alchemy).
From my perspective Jin Yong’s wuxia novels heavily draw up these ideas.
this is an excellent video, thanks for making it! One (unsolicited) suggestion I have is that in the future it might be cool to add the chinese/arabic/etc text/translations of terms when you put them on the screen (for example, jing means vital essence and the chinese character for it is 精)
So pleased and grateful for your work. Can't praise you enough.
家 (Jia) is the word we use to call the schools of thought in Chinese Axial Age, when philosophy was most diverse and unrestricted. We group all of them as 諸子百家 (Hundread of Schools of thought and their masters). They include but are not limited to Confucianism(儒家), Legalism(法家), Daoism(道家), School of Yin-yang(陰陽家), Mohism(墨家), School of Names(名家), School of Physician(醫家), and School of Medicine/Alchemy(方技家), just to copy from the wikipedia's list. Each schools had their own important historical figures too with their separate lineage. The writers in ancient times wrote this list because they find their thoughts distinctive. The names are quite straight forward and we can already see the later Daoism is influenced by schools of Yin-yang and Medicine. I don't know why the two terms Dao Jiao and Dao Jia is contested but just know this is why we think there's a difference. However the later Daoists would think they are the same of course.
are there any books you recommend to learn more about the history of thought in china? I’m very interested
@@moon8520 I don't read but if you want to, find contemporary commentaries with translation with modern annotations, such as "Records of the Grand Historian"
Wonderful to have you discuss this part of Daoism. Always good to hear from you.
Yes, I am also grateful for your presentation good sir...
Highly recommend anyone interested in this read "Immortal Sisters" and the poetry of Sun Bu'er
Excited for more content on this topic!
This is great! You should do one on neo-Confucianism as well to round out the presentation of Chinese traditions.
Another great exploration of religious tradition Filip! I feel at one with the Dao now.
I am 10 minutes into this video and I LOVE it.
I sometimes wonder who Lao Tzu was referring to when he tales about “the masters of old” who were apparently by his own words much more wise then him.
The Hidden Masters, the Secret Chiefs, the Beings who Transcended into Immortality
Ciao, I just wanted to greet and thank you for your interesting videos.
A wonderful Video thank you very much.
I love the chinese, korean and japanese Culture and Civilization.
Finally an english video that is correctly explain about this.
18:08-19:36 I bow down in awe before the legend! Such poetry, deeply steeped in meaning! This makes Shakespeare look like nursery rhyme by comparison! I stand in awe in front of what we as a species have achieved!
Looking forward to this. Thank you for all that you do, Filip. Your videos are incredibly insightful
To the Great Work! Thank you so much for this amazing analysis
Thank you for this video; I'm very excited for more! Its so interesting seeing the roots of the worldbuilding in Chinese fantasy webnovels and dramas. LOTS of Tianren influence.
Same but I have known before reading and xianxia (and wuxia) materials about the Daoist and Vajrayana Buddhism teachings, two esoteric schools emphasized closely in these Chinese literatures.
Another fascinating video, thank you!
very well explained about internal alchemy
Neidan sounds similar / parallel to like kriya yoga and meditation. Spiritual, internal practices carried out while maintaining certain dietary , social and lifestyle disciplines. Aimed at eventually moving towards dissolution.
I use this internal technique to stay in balance. It looks complicated but it's actually easy once you try it a few times. Good luck!
Separate your feet but keep them placed squarely on the floor. Sit erect and allow your hands to lie loosely in your lap or on your knees without touching each other. The index and middle finger and the thumb of each hand must be held touching each other in a sort of triangle composed of the first two fingers and thumb. When you are finally relaxed, take a deep breath, hold it for a count of seven and then release it easily. After a short rest, repeat this, taking another deep breath and holding it for the count of seven. Then rest and repeat this until you have done it seven times, after which change your position and put the whole procedure out of your mind. This exercise is normally adequate to counterbalance the average negative condition. However, in cases of deep-seated or chronic ailments it will need repeating. Always wait at least two hours between treatments because it usually takes that long for results to become apparent. The earlier you treat yourself when falling out of balance, the easier it is to come back to normal. So be aware of yourself and when you feel the least bit out of sorts give yourself a treatment to regain your positive-negative balance. To Counterbalance an Over-Positive Condition Sit comfortably as in the previous treatment. This time your feet should be touching each other, squarely on the floor but touching. Your hands must also be touching at the fingers. Hold them in front of your body at the chest level, thumb touching thumb and each finger touching the tip of its corresponding finger on the other hand. Now close your eyes and take a deep breath. Exhale slowly and when the air is all out of your lungs, hold it out for the count of five. Then breathe in and out easily and slowly for about five or six breaths until you are once again relaxed. Then repeat, holding the breath out for the count of five. Repeat the entire procedure five times, then stop, breathe normally and put the entire exercise out of mind.
Oh and it's the cure for the common cold.
@billylyons7212 May i lift this for a suggested technique/practices list for a meditation gathering a friend is creating? i really like your style :)
Loving these talks, thank you 🙂
Some supplement
Jing is the morpheme in Sperm-related term.
Qi is the morpheme for air/gas terms
Shen is the morpheme for neuro and mind.
As a linguist I believe terms can be better translated/understood with these connotations.
I've heard Qi described as the exchange of internal an external in a rithem
Great video, thank you.
Thanks for this wonderful video. It is very informative.
The teachings of Western esotericism have basis in the esoteric teachings of Taoism, particularly in transcendental alchemy.
Thank you.
That passage from Zhang Buodan is very similar to the language used in tantra to describe the male and female essence drops coming together (which is usually represented by a couple in sexual union). In tantra, we use colors and deity imagery, but it looks like in Daoism, it's a combination of colors and animals. The "tiger's roar" is a reference to the sound of your consciousness, which is a subtle sound that can be heard with practice and purification.
The physical practices are also really similar to kundalini yoga and Tibetan Tummo, in which you force your prana into the central channel to go up the spine and out of the crown of your head. I can see why a lot of Daoists have no problem accepting Buddhism and vice versa--The physical practices are nearly identical; they just use different language to describe the techniques.
It's easy to understand it like this. Animal and Cultivator can create a "ball-like core" that's kinda the core of their power after cultivating. That's neidan (internal dan/alchemist), the "Chinese Alchemy" (dan-making techniques) fan be understand really well because it basically the same as an attempt to create an artifical "golden core" that allow the user to instantly become a Xian without years of training, kinda like the Stone of Philosopher. That's what i know.
Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) - Dzogchen (Great Perfection). Some influence from Oddiyana tradition, perhaps.
Interesting that you have made the video just today 13 march and beautifull art by the way.
Does the Governing Vessel correspond to the Dorsal Vagal Nerve, and also to the six chakras (excluding the crown lotus, which is not a chakra)? Does the Conception Vessel correspond to the Ventral Vagal Nerve? And does it have any correspondence in Indian spiritual traditions? Lastly, what is the best practical guide to circulating Chi up the Governing Vessel and down the Conception Vessel?
Your emphasis on the colonial and orientalist separation of philosophical and religious Daoism is very much appreciated. Eliminating that false duality is ironically very Daoist itself.
awesome stuff once again
I was wondering if you could touch on Tai Chi and Qigong as Daoist practices in another video. They seem to be an important part of Neidan.
Yes, I would really like this too 🙏
I had a friend at uni (20+yrs ago) who was born on Christmas Island (Chinese) and whose family practiced an Animist form of daosim. I lost track of him and never again heard of animist daosism.
Which Christmas island? (there are at least two)
@@chendaforest the one half ay between Australia and Africa (where the Aus detention centre is now)
@@dalelane1948 oh right that one. The other one in the Pacific was used for British nuclear testing. Dark histories for them both.
I wonder if perhaps Qi would better be understood with the word “composition”? With everything containing Qi, sort of in an atomic sense, it’s really the qualities of substances and materials that makes them different, which aligns with your descriptions of subtlety and substantialness. The use of “composition” would also invoke imagery of the tao itself, since everything is united in the composition of the tao, and the tao has been described using imagery such as wind and breath before.
Not a scholarly translation or anything, just a thought.
What is your definition of "apophatic meditation"? Or did you mean to say "apathetic"? Either way, what do you mean by it?
Another great vid. I learned a lot from this and many preconceived notion of Daoism have been done away with. Hoping that I can find a way to incorporate it into my own spiritual journey. Keep up the good work! :)
Absolutely wonderful! Thank you!
And I don’t know if this was mentioned in the comments already but if not, let me do so now: Benebell Wen wrote a fascinating book detailing Taoist esoteric praxis called *The Tao of Craft*. It’s well worth looking into.
Every arrival is a new point of departure.
Cracking work lad!
I personally hold the belief of reincarnation as a follow to Tao, I think when zhuangzi referred to existence as a sort of cycle, the that the next transformation from death is once again life in another form. That you can choose to keep your spirit merged with all of existence (Tao) or return to a physical form to once against experience the illusion of separation
Very informative, I been trying to learn more about Taoism and buddhism for a while but I struggle to find good texts that describe the practices properly.Can anyone provide me some good english literature about the phylosophies and practices of Neidan and Zen buddhism?
The legalist(法家 fajia) classic Hanfeizi(韓非子) also has two chapters that contain daoism ideas. The one mainly explained his interpretation of Tao Te Ching, the other explained how daoism ideas influenced his legalism ideas.
Also, there are daoism classics selected in Jin dynasty, that are called 三玄(the three classics of the Dao). It includes three books: Tao Te Ching, Zhuangzi and Zhouyi(周易). So, these three are the essence of classical daoism.
Thank you.
Hi. Love your channel. I would be great if you could reference some books one could read to learn more on the discussion subjects. Regards.
Damo Mitchell has written a few that are pretty accessible you might look into
will you talk about the more ritualistic and theological aspect of daoism ? it's one of the aspects of daoism that we don't hear much about and it would be very interesting to hear about it I think
ps : very great video ☺️👍!!!
Hi Philip since you focus on Sufism & almost every Sufi order traces its lineage through Ali's teachings,, can you make more content explaining the philosophy of ali,, his books like Nahj al-Balagha.
Thank you
Nice work, thanks
Very interesting, thank you.
Cross reference this with the work of Nikola Tesla to refine understanding of the mechanism and methods.
Like the wise Guru Laghima said, "Enter the void, alone, and become wind"
Hey!! Can you speak to the historicity of the theory that Lao tzu and the Buddha are the same man?? Thanks
They aren’t
Very little to suggest this. Indeed, the scholarly consensus is that Laozi probably wasn't a historical person to begin with.
@@LetsTalkReligion this^ @James Pavel more than likely the DDJ was compiled over a period of time by several different writers. When one looks at the Pali canon, there’s little to no overlap really with the DDJ. When we get to Zhuangzi, there’s quite a lot more of Brahman-esque influence (look at the timeframes) Siddartha Gotama and the legendary figure(s) who wrote the DDJ are almost assuredly not the same person/people
No. Their teachings do not completely go together. Zen was developed out of a mixture of the two philosophies.
Another version is that Lao Tzu was a teacher of Siddhartha Gautama but ultimately there isn’t much historical evidence of either men existing.
Hey. Could you possibly do a video on Thelema?
It's definitely possible!
That's not a real religion. It's just something a weird drug addict made up.
@@barbieblues7639 It's a mystery school which is different from religions. I'd love episodes on mystery traditions though.
@@barbieblues7639 If you left out "drug addict", you could say the same for most religions.
@@barbieblues7639 the idea of anything being gatekept as a 'real' or 'unreal' religion is pretty hilarious given that they were all made up by ancient humans, most of whom called 'drugs' medecine and used them to uncover their revelations in the first place. Especially funny is that most messiahs and prophets were considered 'weird' by their contemporaries. Before they gained mass followings that is. Misunderstandings like this is what turned their wonderful spiritual practices into the vampiric institutions of power they have become.
Is Qi like Kame in Shintoism?
A game of Weiqi right at the beginning, nice
Not allowed to separate the product from the franchise? Incense stick sales maintained.
can someone please tell me the song that's playing in the background that starts at 3:42
I am truly interested in Taoism, and your channel addresses the topics with impressive precision and rigor.
I have a question: While the distinction between philosophical Taoism and religious Taoism might create a bias, would it be correct to distinguish between classical Taoism and religious Taoism?
On the other hand: Can a person practice Taoism without subscribing to its religious aspects?
Thank you for the video, I was talking with a friend about Sikhism recently and a word popped up during it. Jeea, which he pronounced similar to Chi had a similar meaning it seems, with the best translations seeming to be soul or life.
Do these two words have a similar origin, and I'm curious if there are other religons or beliefs that have a similar subject.
its jeeva or jeeo it has a lot of different meaning but it basically means individual consciousness or soul but when it becomes one with the source it is god itself
Thank you
19:30 I know nothing but that one smells of a representation of conception.
🙏🙏🙏
The goal of internal alchmey is not to turn jing into Qi and then Qi into shen. The goal is to transform jing into the jin dan and then draw it into the heart. One then attains the golden elixir body also called the diamond body, this is the goal
promises made, promises kept. let's talk religion for RUclips president.
is the James Legge translation/commentary of the tao te ching still well regarded? it's the only copy I've read, but I keep hearing about issues with translator's "westernizing" certain texts, and I am keen to get a more well rounded understanding on eastern texts in general, as I'm also interested in Buddhism and Hinduism
What books on internal Alchemy do you recommend?
wake up babe filip posted a new exploration of daoism
I'll probably go through your Hindu, Jain and Sikh videos as I have no books on those subjects and my religion teacher was a Free Churcher. Oh, and do you have anything on Zoroastrianism?
Great video on Gnosticism by the way.
Has there been much scholarship comparing Daoist and Western Alchemy...because there's striking similarities!
Similar to Hindu and Buddhist tantric alchemy, some forms of Daoist internal alchemy were practiced by celibate ascetics and others involved sexual alchemy. Because jing is depleted through loss of semen or menstrual fluid (both relating to reproduction), for male-bodied practitioners it involves learning how to have non-ejaculatory orgasms. For both males and females, sexual alchemy requires regulating the nervous system (emphasizing relaxation and yin) through things like meditation and breathing techniques, pelvic floor exercises, and sublimating jing, e.g. through the microcosmic orbit mentioned. I am currently working on a certification in Tibetan tantra and sexology connected to the Shangpa Kagyu lineage which includes some Daoist material in the required reading
These are all dharmic religions. Philosophies.
Thanks for your series on Daoism, it is really helpfull for my thesis. One thing though, I do think that the Daojia/Daojiao divission is somewhat accurate considering the fact that the earliest Daoist texts didn't contain religious elements per se.
Thank you!
Classical daoism and religious daoism is esoteric vs exoteric. Spirit vs mind.
When do you plan on doing a video about Buddhism?
Can you also focus any influences in between islam and daoism or christianity and shia islam or budhism and ismailism. Christianity and new age movement.
The usage of the concept of "qi" in the god-awful remake of Mulan (which doesn't only turn its back on the original animation but also completely and utterly on the very same Chinese traditions and morals that its supposed to be "representing"), is actually used in a similar way to ... well ... farts. "Mulan, use your qi!" So ... yeah. I legitimately wonder if anybody Chinese actually worked on the film. Hollywood's prejudices aside, fantastic video, as always. I wish you well!
Jing is matter, Qi energy and Shen definitely entanglement :)
Filip, you get some of the weirdest fundamentalist religious ads I've seen on RUclips
Interesting stuff