hermes

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Three-Books-of-Occult-Philosophy/Heinrich-Cornelius-Agrippa/9781644114162 There's a brand new translation of the Three Books due out this November. This edition promises to correct many mistranslations of technical terms from the original English translation from the 1700's.

I've always tried to maintain a perspective that is critical, yet open to non-mainstream ideas. This difficult balancing act has gotten a whole heck of a lot harder over the last year. Especially when it comes to medicine. So I'd like to see what sources of information are out there that are "evidence-based" yet open-minded. My go-to for years has been the People's Pharmacy: https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/

I've been researching for a few hours and it seems like I'll have to keep on dreaming. I found one edition that calls itself a critical edition, but if the reviews are anything to go by it is anything but. The only actual critical edition I know of is Chinese Reading of the Daodejing by Rudolf Wagner which focuses on the Wang Bi commentary. It's a valuable addition to the scholarship, an exemplar for further studies. I know there a few other translations that take excavated texts into account, though which ones make explicit the differences in the Chinese I haven't taken the time to find out. Other than that there's Red Pine's translation which includes several lines from various commentaries for each chapter. I make reference to my first edition often, and am pleased to see a new edition was published in 2009. There doesn't seem to be much else out there, at least in English.

Skinner is a particularly interesting writer because he is familiar with Western and Chinese systems. He's written a few books on Fengshui and knows several daoshi.

According to the Egyptian historian Manetho he wrote 36,525 books which would certainly be a superhuman accomplishment. In another thread I just posted the main surviving texts attributed to Thoth-Hermes in ancient times:

The Kybalion is more representative of the New Thought movement than what has been historically been called "Hermetic". Which is really saying something considering that term is applied to a wide variety of texts! No better place to start than the original Graeco-Egyptian texts. Hermetica translated by Brian Copenhaver and Hermetica II translated by M. David Litwa are the best collections and the Way of Hermes by Clement Salman et al is also high quality. The Egyptian Hermes by Garth Fowden gives some historical context.

When I was in China I noticed a strong preference for using the title Zhouyi (周易) rather than Yijing. I wonder why this might be. Is the another work referred to as the "Classic of Changes"? Or Might "Zhouyi" refer to the oldest layer of the text without the Ten Wings?

誰想練習一下？我及格了老HSK三級。現在學習繁體字因為我想做TOCFL。

Following Kirkland, Komjathy, and others I think "Laozi" was originally intended to mean Old Masters. As with many ancient texts, especially Chinese ones, it seems to be the product of several hands, compiled over several generations. I find this theory convincing: There was a certain genre of pithy verses of wisdom circulating widely by word of mouth in Chu by the 4th century BCE but dating back at least to the 5th, perhaps associated with wu shamans. These verses were gradually written down in different collections which later were reordered and combined by the mid-2nd century BCE to reach a form close to the received text. By this time a lot of legends had sprung up around the author of the Laozi based on a mistaken analogy with the many other "-zi"-titled texts which had a readily identifiable single (attributed) author. Given a paucity of reliable information, Sima Qian was forced to rely on these legends to synthesize his account of the author of the Laozi. This theory is based largely on the evidence from Guodian which preserves three of the source texts for what we now call the Laozi/Daodejing. Now, this theory doesn't account for Li Er/Dan. My gut says there was an historical Li Er who was head archivist in Zhou, but that he was mistakenly conflated with the legendary Laozi by the Simas or earlier tradition. None of this detracts from the value of the Laozi/Daodejing. The content of the book stands on its own, regardless of whose words they are.

Ritman's archives are being digitized (thanks to donation from Dan Brown of DaVinci Code fame, if you can believe it): https://embassyofthefreemind.com/en/library/online-catalogue/?mode=gallery&view=table&sort=random{1621576621448} asc&page=1&fq[]=search_s_digitized_publication:"Ja"&reverse=0

What you're describing is called a 'gloss': https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interlinear_gloss

I've been tinkering with a translation these last few years that's an attempt to be both literal and retain a similar lyricism. If I ever get serious about this project I'll have to actually study Classical Chinese first, though. But what I came here to ask is, which editions have the most bells and whistles? Classical and contemporary commentaries, inclusion of Guodian and Mawangdui variants, critical apparatus, etc. I have this fantasy that one day the core Daoist texts will get a rigorous anthology edition, something like a study bible.

I have always felt called by Daoism ever since reading the DDJ at an early age. Eventually that lead to me working in mainland China for a few years, during which time I visited many important Daoist (and Buddhist) sites including Longhu Shan, Mao Shan, and Hua Shan, though I never did make it to Baiyun Temple (well, I did visit *a* Baiyun in Lanzhou, but not *the* Baiyun in Beijing). I have also been blessed to visit many other holy places of various religious/ethnic affiliations around Asia. However, in my travels I have never really developed a proper practice. Understandably many practitioners there are reticent to bring in outsiders. I also found that in some spaces my presence was unwelcome or at least viewed as an anomaly, also understandably so. And of course in many religious sites in China these days tourism takes precedence over spiritual cultivation (after my first morning at Wudang Shan I barely had enough cash left over to buy lunch). Although I will always be grateful for the blessings I have had to make these pilgrimages, I wish more and more to focus on creating a rigorous practice. Last Fall I had the misfortune of contracting Covid, and although I missed the more well-known flu-like symptoms, I experienced a catastrophic decline in energy and cognitive ability for about a month. My condition has thankfully improved, but I still deal with lingering symptoms including muscle soreness, fatigue, and “brain fog.” I saw another new user is also going though a similar “long-haul Covid” syndrome. For a few years now I have contemplated death as a spiritual practice. Many cultures around the world have some kind of death practice, but the West has largely abandoned its heritage of *memento mori*. Well, I’m glad I had that preparation because for a few days I really thought I might die. That sort of experience really changes your perspective and sense of priorities. After some recuperation I returned to work, but I made preparations to resign. Even before the pandemic it has been a taxing and toxic work environment, but at least it has provided me a more solid financial foundation to refocus on the things that really matter in life. I hope to study under a true lineage holder sometime soon, maybe in the US but more likely in Asia, travel restrictions permitting of course. Naturally because of my condition I am properly surveying the various health/energetic practices for the first time (well, I do have a reiki initiation, so I’m not a *complete* newbie). But honestly, I’m a bit disappointed that it seems there is little in the way of “temple Daoism” in the US, at least in terms of what is widely advertised. Qigong and taiqiquan appear to be following a similar trajectory as yoga in that the physical exercises, and to a lesser extent the energetic work, receive most of the attention and other aspects like ethics, scriptural study, and deity devotions go almost completely unmentioned. I hate the idea of holistic spiritual systems getting stripped down for the sake of mass appeal or commercial viability. Hopefully some experienced folks here can chime in and tell me that there is actually a lot of activity going on behind the scenes for those that show the aptitude and commitment, as is almost surely the case in China, albeit for different reasons. I look forward to cultivating with all of you. In addition to the above I have started reading the classics beyond the “big 3”. Right now I’m in the middle of the Taiping Jing, which to be honest is a bit of a slog, but I’ll share my thoughts on it in the appropriate forum when I finish. I’m also brushing up on my Chinese. Right now I’m learning the traditional forms for characters which I already know. I passed HSK 3 a few years back, and I’ve got my sights set on achieving an upper intermediate level of Mandarin. It would make sense to learn some Hokkien as well if I end up going to SE Asia/Taiwan, but the 8 tones and lack of polished study materials make it intimidating. I agree to the pinned rules and look forward to learning and conversing.