Immortals are White as ice

[nine tailed fox]

 

i dont know whther someone noticed it before or not

 

but there seems to be some connection between taoist practices and white skin complexion

 

check these quotes

 

 

A being who achieved this spiritual transcendence through knowledge of the Tao was called a hsien, the same word used to describe an angelic "feathered folk" with winged or feathered images appearing in Chou art of the period. The book of Chuang-Tzu pictures hsien as white-skinned, delicate superhuman beings: "These are divine persons dwelling there, whose flesh and skin resemble ice and snow, soft and delicate like sequestered girl-children; they do not eat the five cereals; they suck the wind and drink the dew; they mount on clouds and vapors and drive the flying dragons--thus they rove beyond the four seas" (quoted in Schafer 63).

 

 

 

A spiritualized man (shen jen) whose skin is white, who does not eat the five grains, but inhales air and drinks dew. He can mount the clouds and drive flying dragons. He can save men from disease and assure a plentiful harvest. he is immune to flood and fire.

 

 

now this is interesting because i have never read about any connection between skin complexion and cultivation besides here in taoism

 

i am assuming, people in china normally dont have that type of white as ice skin

 

so this must have something to do with immortality

 

anyone noticed any change in complexion with taoist practices ?

 

 

i would like to add one thing

 

as far as i know mind can do everything so its not a big deal to change complexion using mind

 

(people suffering with multiple personality disorder show many unbelievable and genetic changes in body in instant like changing eye color, scars disappearing, skin color changes etc which can only be attributed to mind)

 

but whats interesting here is that taoist cultivation is not aimed at achieving white complexion, its a side benefit (if its true)

 

so if its true that immortals are really white because of their internal practices, it would be interesting know why and how this happens ?

Edited July 16, 2013 by nine tailed fox

[Ish]

Well Bodhidharma who was supposedly Immortal was dark skinned, so i think we're fine .

[nine tailed fox]

Well Bodhidharma who was supposedly Immortal was dark skinned, so i think we're fine .

did Bodhidhrama practice taoism ? was he a taoist immortal ?

Edited July 16, 2013 by nine tailed fox

[Chang]

Whilst cultivation will improve health and hopefully keep one looking youthful and wrinkle free I do not believe that it will have any effect on changing the basic skin colour. I suspect that your quotes refer to a clear and blemish free complexion rather than to a whitening of the skin.

[thelerner]

Whilst cultivation will improve health and hopefully keep one looking youthful and wrinkle free I do not believe that it will have any effect on changing the basic skin colour. I suspect that your quotes refer to a clear and blemish free complexion rather than to a whitening of the skin.

I agree, being Caucasian my skins not white like ice. Maybe albinos, but I think even then we're moving in the wrong direction. Though you never know, people see one albino immortal and get to thinking they all must be that way. After all, immortals are rare as diamonds on the side walk.

[BaguaKicksAss]

An interesting note is that many Chinese folks prize light coloured skin. They even go so far as to make sure to have their umbrellas up all summer long as to not have a darkened face at all. Many of them take it to extremes and won't allow their children to play outside until the sun goes down! Darker skin is lower class or something along those lines. However white folks are the lowest class possible.

 

So perhaps the person/people putting some of the stuff down in written form were from the areas which prized lighter coloured skin. If this was something to be prized, well obviously the immortals would have it .

[gendao]

i dont know whther someone noticed it before or not

 

but there seems to be some connection between taoist practices and white skin complexion

now this is interesting because i have never read about any connection between skin complexion and cultivation besides here in taoism

 

i am assuming, people in china normally dont have that type of white as ice skin

 

so this must have something to do with immortality

 

anyone noticed any change in complexion with taoist practices ?

Well, the actual meanings in Chinese are not so superficial or simple...

 

For starters, 白 can mean white OR clear.

For example:

白水 = plain "clear" water

明白? = "Do you clearly understand?" (literally "bright clear?")

 

And 氣色 ("qi color") is a common expression that (I suspect) may refer to both skin complexion & energetic aura together? So, the very concepts of color in the Chinese language are a bit more expansive - and especially once in the magical realm of qigong.

 

Now in TCM healthwise, a clear, light skin complexion is taken as a sign of good internal health. But, I don't think that refers to any melanin content here (although that could easily be hard to separate to the inexperienced, untrained, casual eye). But rather, blockages and toxins will lend a relatively dark, murky cast to whatever someone's skintone is, regardless of their melanin content. Sort of like when someone "turns green" or has a "sick, sallow look" to them. Because very obviously, a pale blonde could have severe blockages and a Black person (like Jim Nance) could be very clear.

 

That said, I am still somewhat vague on all this and would like to know if clearing your channels might also lighten your basic "melanin-induced" skintone as well - as I have known some Chinese with good qi flow who were also very fair-skinned. And I've noticed that many qigong masters will often exhibit pearlescent, translucent hands, because they are so full of qi. So, might that actually be the "healthy true norm" for Chinese people, at least? Or no? I remain somewhat skeptical of that, yet open-minded for now...

Edited July 16, 2013 by vortex

[Flolfolil]

well i used to burn after 5 minutes in the sun and now i can get a tan so i guess my practices aren't working

[Seeker of Wisdom]

Michael Jackson, secretly an Immortal?

[Jetsun]

An interesting note is that many Chinese folks prize light coloured skin. They even go so far as to make sure to have their umbrellas up all summer long as to not have a darkened face at all. Many of them take it to extremes and won't allow their children to play outside until the sun goes down! Darker skin is lower class or something along those lines. However white folks are the lowest class possible.

 

So perhaps the person/people putting some of the stuff down in written form were from the areas which prized lighter coloured skin. If this was something to be prized, well obviously the immortals would have it .

 

Yeah I found that strange, they sell skin whitening cream in chemists in many parts of Asia as people want really white skin, whereas half the people who live around me spend every week getting a fake tan trying to look orange. It's a strange world.

[Flolfolil]

i cringe at the thought of what those whitening creams do to you

[BaguaKicksAss]

I'm not sure if it is still this way, but at least in the past the skin whitening creams contained lead . Lead is the purest white colour. It is also what traditional painters use for white.

 

Edit: Lead, not so good for immortality in that form!

[nine tailed fox]

well first of all its really not about what chinese ideals are about beauty

 

i think i have also read that in TCM, white skin is considered very healthy and it represents full and unobstructed flow of qi in body

 

regarding why asians are so found of white skin ?

 

the reason is simple, its subconscious, you cant do anything about it

 

no matter how much you teach the guy, how much you scold him, its in his subconscious mind that white is beautiful so they will associate white guy/girl as being beautiful

 

same is the problem with western people

 

tan is considered sexy

 

i think tan is more harmful than whitening creams because these days all whitening creams are first tested and than allowed to enter asian market

 

but the original question of this topic is

 

can taoist internal cultivation, alchemy or whatever method it is , make your complexion white ?

Edited July 17, 2013 by nine tailed fox

[MERCELESS ONE]

well first of all its really not about what chinese ideals are about beauty

 

i think i have also read that in TCM, white skin is considered very healthy and it represents full and unobstructed flow of qi in body

 

regarding why asians are so found of white skin ?

 

the reason is simple, its subconscious, you cant do anything about it

 

no matter how much you teach the guy, how much you scold him, its in his subconscious mind that white is beautiful so they will associate white guy/girl as being beautiful

 

same is the problem with western people

 

tan is considered sexy

 

i think tan is more harmful than whitening creams because these days all whitening creams are first tested and than allowed to enter asian market

 

but the original question of this topic is

 

can taoist internal cultivation, alchemy or whatever method it is , make your complexion white ?

no,that wouldnt make any sense if it did

[Jainarayan]

An interesting note is that many Chinese folks prize light coloured skin. They even go so far as to make sure to have their umbrellas up all summer long as to not have a darkened face at all. Many of them take it to extremes and won't allow their children to play outside until the sun goes down! Darker skin is lower class or something along those lines.

 

Maybe darker skin indicated manual labor outdoors.

[puretruth01]

Why do most people do no research. It baffles me to this day.

 

Edited July 21, 2013 by puretruth01