Huang ting wei ching

[ChiDragon]

Aside from the question of whether it is possible to make a simple equation of of "Yellow Court" equals "Dan Tien" which is implied by the phrase "The Chinese Taoist use the term Huang Ting(黃庭) to represent the Dan Tien", there is also the question of the singleness implied by the use of "the" in "the Dan Tien", which implies that there is only one "Dan Tien", which in turn most people would then place in the lower abdomen, but there are three Dantians, lower, middle and upper, in Daoist mediation, which are viewed as the result of developing the spiritual potential of the Triple Burner Channel (Sanjiao, three stoves) and the bodily system and its subsystems, which it controls. In my reading and study I had never seen the Yellow Court associated with the lower tan in the abdomen, but always with the Middle Dan and the heart/lung Chest area which is associated with qi in in the Daoist system, as the Lower Dan is with jing (essence) and also with the spleen, which in Daoist mediation has a strong association with the Middle Dan.

 

First of all, as a rule of thumb, one do not and cannot interpret any Chinese Taoist Classic with the ordinary linguistic meaning of the characters. The Chinese Taoists have a set of definitions for their own terms. The terms that they use may not have the same meaning as in our daily lives.

 

Let's take dan tian for example, if the term was used alone without specified as upper, middle or lower; then it was understood it was the lower dan tien. The dan tien was often referred as lower dan tien by most/all Chi Kung practitioners. The most common term was used in Chi Kung as 氣沉丹田(sink chi to the dan tian). By the Taoist definition, it means to have the abdomen fully expanded while inhale during breathing exercise. I think most westerners still do not realize that is what it means.

 

The three dan tien(s) were used by the people in the TCM to describe the different parts of the body.

 

I don't know have you read my Huang Ting Jing thread in the 道家學說 - Dào Jiā Xué Shuō Section.

 

http://www.thetaobum...mp;#entry349670

 

「黃」乃土色，土位中央；

"Huang" is the color of earth, the position of earth is in the center(by definition of the Yi Jing ). Huang(yellow) is the official color for earth(soil) in the Five Elements.

 

「庭」乃階前空地。名為黃庭，即表中空之義。

"Ting" is an empty space in front of the steps. Thus Huang Ting comprise the meaning of empty space in the center.

 

Regardless how we look at the term "Huang Ting", whether we like it or not, just bite our tongues; it means dan tien to a Chinese Taoist. Since there was no uniform standard in the Taoist society, the meanings do change between group from group. However, the term was used within the same area but perhaps it may be slightly off in meaning.

Edited July 22, 2012 by ChiDragon

[ChiDragon]

I got the definition of Huang Ting from the interpretation of a native source.

 

現傳《黃庭經》有內景、外景、中景三種。

 

一般認為中景經出世較晚，故通常所說《黃庭經》未 包括《中景經》在內據《內景經》卷上樑丘子注說，黃為中央之色，庭為四方之中， 外指天中地中人中，內指腦中心中脾中，故稱「黃庭」。心居身內，存觀一體的 象色，故稱內景。所謂黃庭之景，實指道教修煉時產生的景象。《外景》與《內景》先後出現於兩晉，據稱由晉代魏華存夫人所傳。《黃庭經》以七言歌訣形式描述 道教的修煉與養生學說，是道教思想與古醫學結合的修真書。《黃庭經》為道教茅山宗的主要經典，在道教中十分盛行，後成為全真道功課之一。它為現代養生學提 供了重要考價值。收入《正統道藏》洞玄部本文類

 

 

黃為中央之色(Yellow is the central color)

庭為四方之中(Ting is the center of the four directions.)

 

Ref: 黃庭 Huang Ting

 

Now is time to translate the above for clarification.

 

現傳《黃庭經》有內景、外景、中景三種。

Nowadays, people are spreading that there are three kinds of images in "Huang Ting Jing", Internal Image(內景), External Image(外景), Middle Image(中景).

 

Most people thought of the Middle Image(中景) came out later; therefore, the Middle Image was not included in the original Huang Ting Jing. In a Chapter 樑丘子's annotation said:

黃為中央之色(Yellow is the central color)

庭為四方之中(Ting is the center of the four directions.)

External(外) was referred as within heaven(天中), within earth(地中) and within human(人中);

Internal(內) was referred as within the brain(腦中), within the heart(心中) and within the spleen(脾中).

Therefore, it was called "Hunag Ting(黃庭)".

The heart, resides inside the body, observing the holistic view inside the body,

Therefore, it was called the Internal View.

The so-called the Internal View(內景) of the Huang Ting, actually, it was the generated images(景象) during the practice in the Taoist religion.....

Note:

1. The "internal view" should be translated as the "internal images". Maybe it makes more sense in English to call it "internal view".

 

2. The rest of the text was not translated because it was describing the history of the document. Thus it was omitted.

 

 

Edited July 22, 2012 by ChiDragon

[Marblehead]

Hehehe. Where ever you are is the center of the four directions.

[ChiDragon]

Hehehe. Where ever you are is the center of the four directions.

 

Hahahaha....

What made you think that I deserved such a gushing compliment.....??? Please retract your statement.

 

 

PS...

Second though, I had misread your statement. But I still like to read it with my original misunderstanding. Of course, that was not very Taoist like....

Edited July 22, 2012 by ChiDragon