The most influential Taoist figure in last century: Chen Ying Ning

[exorcist_1699]

If you think that the most influential Taoist figure in China ( includes Taiwan ) in the last century is Nan Huai jin ( half-Taoist) or Zhao Bi Chen, then hardly do you get it right.

 

Although not known to most Westerners, it is Chen Ying Ning ("陳攖寧" 1880-1969) ,a scholar and Taoist practitioner who died in 1969 in the turbulence of the Cultural Revolution, that gets the title.

 

Taoist Dan is said to be attainable through three Yuans ("三元 " ,ie, 3 ways) : Human , Earth and Heaven,and Mr.Chen is generally recognized as the only figure who knows the theory and gets some practical experience in all three of them.

 

Chen is also the only person who claims himself having spent 3 yeas on reading the whole Tao Zhan ("道蔵"),ie, nearly the complete Works of all the Taoist writings written in its 2,500-year history .

 

Last but not least, Chen writes and edits quite lot of articles on female Dan (女丹 ), based on his wife 's practice and his grasp of the related theory ( his wife , in fact, does the practice under his supervision..) .

Edited January 4, 2013 by exorcist_1699

[Protector]

Hmmmm, then I guess he's almost as cool as me

[Creation]

I had heard of Chen Yingning as a member of the first wave of internal cultivation masters who attempted to remove the superstition and secrecy from their arts and teach them to the masses, along with others such as Liu Guizhen, Hu Yaozhen, Zhou Qianchuan and Jiang Weiqiao.

 

I had not heard that he did so much to contribute to Daoist culture in particular. It's interesting to know this.

Edited January 2, 2013 by Creation

[Walker]

Indeed, Chen Yingning's influence was great. Many authors view he and disciple Hu Haiya's opinions as to the the authenticity of texts important, and Chen's writings are still widely read to this day. He was also trained in Chinese medicine and left behind works in this field. I was most fascinated by an essay he wrote on the potential use of spontaneous skill (自发功 zifagong) in healthcare settings. Hu Haiya is still alive at 99, and Chen Yingning has a grand disciple who is a famous TCM doctor.

[Creation]

Any English language resources available, exorcist or walker?

Even though you didn't ask me,

 

http://www.amazon.com/Daoist-Modern-Innovation-Republican-Monographs/dp/0674033094

http://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Sitting-Daoist-Approach-Healthy/dp/1602201285/

[exorcist_1699]

Intruguing. Any English language resources available, exorcist or walker?

 

Hi, Rainbowvein,

 

After having done some search on internet, I am sorry to tell that there is no or little substantial English language resource about Mr.Chen's life or his writings ..Recently another member of this Forum has asked me about Chen's writings on Female Dan, so I hope I can do some translations of Chen's writings, limited to stuff related to Female Dan, in near future, and post them here.

 

Of course, the obstacle on my way is mainly not anything language related ( I can't claim my English good, but it likely be readable ) ,but my lack of understanding of female's ...so I have to read some books on the subject before I can start my translation job.

Edited January 27, 2013 by exorcist_1699

[宁]

I've read Daoist Modern by Xun Liu, didn't know about Quiet Sitting, looks interesting. I have some of Chen's books in Chinese, nice stuff. Pity people in the West don't appreciate him as he deserves.

[YMWong]

The Daoist Association in 1956, Chen is 4th from left in the first row

 

YM

[宁]

Yes I recognize the face, saw different pictures of him. Pity his wife (also a practitioner) died of cancer, and he himself developed severe problems with the stomach, due to the rigurous discipline of bigu (if the Daoist Modern is accurate) ~ possibly due to experimentation with various other practices as well. As far as I know they did not have teachers, so they did alot of trial and error. Eventually he came out fine, lived quite a long life, died almost 90. One thing everybody seems to avoid talking about is achievements, Chinese seem a very practical people, they wouldn't do things just for kicks

[YMWong]

Yes I recognize the face, saw different pictures of him. Pity his wife (also a practitioner) died of cancer, and he himself developed severe problems with the stomach, due to the rigurous discipline of bigu (if the Daoist Modern is accurate) ~ possibly due to experimentation with various other practices as well. As far as I know they did not have teachers, so they did alot of trial and error. Eventually he came out fine, lived quite a long life, died almost 90. One thing everybody seems to avoid talking about is achievements, Chinese seem a very practical people, they wouldn't do things just for kicks

 

Liu Xun's book is perfectly accurate and trustable, and an excellent resource which I suggest to all friends here.

Last century was a time of huge changes in many domains and those included some revolutionary changes to the Daoist Tradition in China, at least the official (public) side of it. Pratictioners like Chen HAD in fact various teachers but had new ideas in mind which brought them to specific choices that generated a new approach to the Tradition.

On one side, people like Chen were instrumental to bring some Daoist practices to the general public and people from this board should be grateful because it is through the effort of those people that Daoism (or at least part of it) spread and was known overseas. At the same time, this "new" approach contributed to send other traditional lines underground where some of those school still remain.

 

YM

[宁]

Loved the part where the author presents some of the mail exchange between Chen and some of the practitioners (females also, describing various 'signs' that happen during practice. I should probably go through it again, having what you said in mind...

[YMWong]

Loved the part where the author presents some of the mail exchange between Chen and some of the practitioners (females also, describing various 'signs' that happen during practice. I should probably go through it again, having what you said in mind...

 

Most of the exchanges were made through a Daoist magazine which also had a "letter to the editor" sections, it was the beginning of modern Daoism

 

YM

[idiot_stimpy]

Master Nan Huai-Chin?

[exorcist_1699]

Chen is a tragic figure, in the sense that he knows all steps of Taoist Alchemy but can't attain immortality because of being situated in harsh and turbulent times. I also think that it is a pity that he wasted his most important years (at the age of 30s ~40s) on Earth Way but without gaining any fruitful result ...

 

 

[iradie]

I just wanted to react to this already one year old discussion.

When I started reading Liu Xuns biografi of Chen Ying Ning, I felt like coming home. I also fet very happy. Here was a man who already in his young age felt attracted by daoism, who used the self-cultivating methods and chinese medicine to save his own life and health, and who was passionate about his research.

But the reason why I identified with him most was than he claimed that it was essentially his reading of the daoist canon and different texts and his experimenting with meditation techniques that brought him so far, more than guiding of a special master. I found that very encouraging, not because I think you can do without a master, in contrary, but because for us, who are far from China and must work much alone, it shows it is possible. Personal work, studying and practice can do a lot.

 

Secondly I liked this model, how he created this journal and a network of lay persons emerged and a dynamic was created which attracted people interested for self-cultivationg methods. I would love behing able to study this magazine which not only had articles, but also letters from the readers.

 

I also liked his open-mindedness, after having studied the taoist canon he spent several years studying bouddhist texts. And even If he in the beginning was very critical of the cloistered and liturgical daoism, he ended supporting it .

[宁]

I just wanted to react to this already one year old discussion.

When I started reading Liu Xuns biografi of Chen Ying Ning, I felt like coming home. I also fet very happy. Here was a man who already in his young age felt attracted by daoism, who used the self-cultivating methods and chinese medicine to save his own life and health, and who was passionate about his research.

But the reason why I identified with him most was than he claimed that it was essentially his reading of the daoist canon and different texts and his experimenting with meditation techniques that brought him so far, more than guiding of a special master. I found that very encouraging, not because I think you can do without a master, in contrary, but because for us, who are far from China and must work much alone, it shows it is possible. Personal work, studying and practice can do a lot.

 

Secondly I liked this model, how he created this journal and a network of lay persons emerged and a dynamic was created which attracted people interested for self-cultivationg methods. I would love behing able to study this magazine which not only had articles, but also letters from the readers.

 

I also liked his open-mindedness, after having studied the taoist canon he spent several years studying bouddhist texts. And even If he in the beginning was very critical of the cloistered and liturgical daoism, he ended supporting it .

 

 

Yes, nice

 

Another thing my Chinese friends (I visit some forums) are only happy to remind me about 陈撄宁 is his fierce reffutal of the idea of teaching foreigners these 国宝。A view still shared even among the most openminded, as I found out later. Unless your teacher is not from 大陆。Of course, there are a few exceptions.

Edited May 2, 2014 by 宁

[soaring crane]

When I started reading Liu Xuns biografi of Chen Ying Ning, I felt like coming home.

 

 

Is this biography generally available? Sounds very intriguing! Thank you

[iradie]

Hi Soaring Crane,

 

Liu Xun is a scholar who publishes regularly articles and edite anthologies about Daoism and the Quanzhen. He has written a biographie of 陈撄宁/ Chen Ying Ning called "In search of Immortality".

Edited May 2, 2014 by iradie

[iradie]

Yes, nice

 

Another thing my Chinese friends (I visit some forums) are only happy to remind me about 陈撄宁 is his fierce reffutal of the idea of teaching foreigners these 国宝。A view still shared even among the most openminded, as I found out later. Unless your teacher is not from 大陆。Of course, there are a few exceptions.

hi 宁道友

 

Thanks a lot reminding us of this and giving me the opportunity to think about this question.

 

陈 撄宁 is born in 1880 twenty years after the end of the opium war, which resulted in the humiliation of the Chinese state and the free hands to the English, French, American and Russian to do bussiness and enrich themselves to the detriment of the chinese society and population. Becoming a young adult in this context, I imagine, Chen Ying Ning thought as many others, how to protect the chinese country and culture against the ignorance and greedyness of the western foreigners.

 

Today we have to ask ourselves questions. In Europe the ignorance of other cultures than the european ones and the arrogance in our way of thinking is still very present. When our interest goes to Chinese culture and religions it is often a kind of attraction to an exotic dream, the hope somewhere else far away, the inner conflicts human being must fight don't exist. It has nothing to do with the language, everyday life, history and construction of generations.

In addition to that, there is a problem with the way the westeners do their "shopping" in other cultures spiritual heritage.

Because we in Europe have destroyed the last traces of the old shamanic religions, we travel elsewhere to find them again, because our culture and religion includes a negation of the body we look elsewhere to find inspiration to relate again to our bodies for our health and spiritual paths. etc...

I understand the chinese masters and teachers are more than sceptical seing coachloads of westeners arriving with their ignorance and their (not any more so much) money, trying to buy a quick way to a dream, instead of what is otherwise a question of decades of study, personal efforts, patience, searching for a master and hard work.

I understand they don't want to waste their time. In fact I often think they are much too polite.

 

But for having spent 20 years teaching a "foreign" culture, which is my original culture, and having myself been in a process of studying cultures for me "foreign" for many years, I also think "traveling" is a necessary social and historical fact for cultures to grow, exchange, change and live.

The interest in the west for daojia is still very confidential. Most people arrive through martial arts or chinese medicine. Few are ready to devote a lot of hours and efforts to learn what is necessary to go into this cultural path and understand this spiritual tradition. When speaking for exampel of neidan it is a question of personal practice maybe 90% even if the 10% of teaching by a master is determinant for the daoren to be able to enter the way.

There will always be people crossing the borders, lets try to do it as devoted students and respectfull xuesheng and not as greedy consumers. And if your yuanfen leads us to a place and a person who accepts to teach us, it will always be according to what we are able to perceive.

Edited May 2, 2014 by iradie

[宁]

Iradie 道友，你真有老师的气质啊

真常守太清 21:36:15
道德经翻译的固然不难
参同悟真就难了
天童 21:41:50
参同悟真
已经被翻译过了
http://www.goldenelixir.com/press/trl_02_ctq.htmlFabrizio Pregadio
西方专家学者，挺厉害的
天童 21:43:54
他又翻译了悟真
曾跟他联系过 帮过我些 关于我的毕业论文 给我提过几个很有用的建议
炼钢21:46:19
为何要翻译给洋鬼子看呢
天童 21:46:32
对了 我曾的毕业论文题目就是 《灵宝毕法》的原版和翻译版的对比，分析了里面的术语，
慕羽 21:48:18
中国人都看不懂，还翻译成外文，骗人啊
天童 21:49:08
你太小瞧外国人，随意

慕羽 21:52:12
翻译者懂参同悟真吗？如此翻译，岂不是骗外国人？
炼钢 21:53:07
半吊子翻译给半吊子
慕羽 21:53:18
就像早年翻译了易经，外国人就以为懂了中国的易经，真笑死人了

Today's discussion, I'll let you decide what's what

Edited May 2, 2014 by 宁

[GrandmasterP]

Sheer stunted and stunting racism.

Times have changed.

Thank goodness.

Edited May 2, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[宁]

Sheer stunted and stunting racism.

 

They call it patriotism.

 

 

Not so sure about the last two assertions.

[exorcist_1699]

My understanding after reading the quoted chats is that they emphasize on the impossibility or difficult of translating Taoist materials into foreign langauge, not so much 'racist'...

[LAOLONG]

Taoism is very simple , zen is very simple,

it hide the world in the world, because it is so simple

people don't grasp it.

so what secret teaching the so called "masters" have?

[宁]

Taoism is very simple , zen is very simple,

it hide the world in the world, because it is so simple

people don't grasp it.

so what secret teaching the so called "masters" have?

 

I'm glad at least someone grasped the Tao, please enlighten us, master.