Internal Alchemy Daoist Text - 仙道問答錄

[luciano]

Hi!

 

I am reading an Internal Alchemy Daoist Text and I have not been able to understand completely the meaning of the following sentence:

 

胎卵濕化, 眾生之形體, 皆輪迴囚禁之所也.

 

Mainly because of the first 4 characters. Although I know the meaning of each character (fetus, egg, moist and to transform), I do not understand the meaning of this 4 characters sentence. The other 2 sentences can be translated as: All forms of living beings are imprisoned by reincarnation.

 

Could you help me?

 

Thanks in advance,

Luciano.

Edited September 16, 2014 by luciano

[LaoZiDao]

胎 tai is embryo, (Immortal)

[Taoist Texts]

Hi!

 

I am reading an Internal Alchemy Daoist Text and I have not been able to understand completely the meaning of the following sentence:

 

胎卵濕化, 眾生之形體, 皆輪迴囚禁之所也.

 

Mainly because of the first 4 characters. Although I know the meaning of each character (fetus, egg, moist and to transform), I do not understand the meaning of this 4 characters sentence. The other 2 sentences can be translated as: All forms of living beings are imprisoned by reincarnation.

 

Could you help me?

 

Thanks in advance,

Luciano.

Whether born by transformation from foetus, egg or moisture, all living beings....

 

 

(from) 胎 foetus卵egg濕 moisture 化 transformed: 3 ways of being born into a living being.

[luciano]

Thanks for the answer.

 

I can not understand being born from moisture into a living being. Could you give additional clarification?

Edited September 16, 2014 by luciano

[Taoist Texts]

sure:

 

• birth from moisture (Sanskrit: Samsvedaja; Pali: Saṃsedaja; Chinese: 濕生; Standard Tibetan: Drod-skyes)—probably referring to the appearance of animals whose eggs are microscopic, like maggots appearing in rotting flesh;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C4%81ti_(Buddhism)

 

 

The Four Manners of Rebirth

The chapter begins with a discussion of the grossest internal cycle, which is the recurrence of death, bardo and rebirth. In general, Buddhism asserts four manners of rebirth: from a womb, from an egg, from heat and moisture,

 

http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/e-books/published_books/kalachakra_initiation/pt2/kalachakra_initiation_04.html

 

 

Evolution Born of Moisture: Analogies and Parallels Between Anaximander's Ideas on Origin of Life and Man and Later Pre-Darwinian and Darwinian Evolutionary Concepts.

This study focuses on the origin of life as presented in the thought of Anaximander of Miletus but also points to some parallel motifs found in much later conceptions of both the pre-Darwinian German romantic science and post-Darwinian biology. According to Anaximander, life originated in the moisture associated with earth (mud).

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22864993

 

 

Abiogenesis (/ˌeɪbaɪ.ɵˈdʒɛnɨsɪs/ ay-by-oh-jen-ə-siss^[1]) or biopoiesis^[2] is the natural process of life arising from non-living matter such as simple organic compounds.^[3][4][5][6]

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abiogenesis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Taoist Texts]

(from) 胎 foetus卵egg濕 moisture 化 transformed: 3 ways of being born into a living being.

also i goofed on this : 4 not 3

Edited September 17, 2014 by Taoist Texts

[luciano]

Thanks a lot for the detailed explanation.

[luciano]

Dear friends,

 

I am still reading the same book and now there is another sentence I am not quite sure about its meaning.

 

乾坤定位, 人物生焉, 人物之生, 亦來源於此炁.

 

I would appreciate very much your help.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Taoist Texts]

乾坤定位，人物生焉。

Qian and Kun establish their positions (at creation of the world) so humans and things are born from there.

人物之生，亦来源于此炁。

at this birth of human and things also this qi originally comes.

[luciano]

Thanks again for your help.

[luciano]

Dear friends,

 

I need your help one more time.

 

I can not completely understand the following sentence:

 

從此進入大周天之功, 不可須叟離矣!

 

Thank you so much.

[Taoist Texts]

從此進入大周天之功, 不可須叟離矣!

from that stage on the work proceeds in the great Heavenly orbit, it is not allowed to deviate from it even for a single moment

[luciano]

Could you help me understand how did you go from the literal meaning of the 2nd sentence to the proposed translation? I have found out that the literal meaning would be: you can not wait the old man go away. Is it an idiomatic expression meaning that you should not deviate from it for a single moment? As I am just beginning studying classical Chinese it would be very useful to understand this kind of sentence.

 

Thanks a lot.

[Taoist Texts]

Is it an idiomatic expression meaning that you should not deviate from it for a single moment?

no its not an idiom it is the direct meaning

 

, 不可can not 須叟short moment 離 part 矣!

[luciano]

Thanks for your help.

 

I can not find in any of my dictionaries the meaning of the characters 須叟 together. So, I have assumed the meaning of each character alone:

 

須: wait till

叟: old man

 

Could you please recommend me an on line Chinese dictionary?

[Taoist Texts]

this one is probably the best

 

http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/Lindict/

 

 

 

10. 須臾 [xU1yU2], n. & adv., a short moment.

[luciano]

Thanks! I was using the wrong character: 叟. In fact, it is the character: 臾.

Now I have found out 須臾 at all my dictionaries.

[luciano]

This book uses as references some traditional texts.

 

The first one is the 入藥鏡 (usually translated as The Mirror for Compounding the Medicine). However, I have noticed that sometimes it is written as 入藥境, where 境 means border, territory, place, area. Is it a character mistake or both titles are acceptable?

 

The second one is referenced just as 契. I have assumed that it is the 周易參同契. Am I correct?

 

The opportunity of exchanging this kind of information with you is really a great experience. Here in Brazil it is very difficult to find someone interested in this subject matter.

 

Thanks for your attention.

[Taoist Texts]

The first one is the 入藥鏡 (usually translated as The Mirror for Compounding the Medicine). However, I have noticed that sometimes it is written as 入藥境, where 境 means border, territory, place, area. Is it a character mistake or both titles are acceptable?

its a mistake, should be mirror 鏡

 

 

 

The second one is referenced just as 契. I have assumed that it is the 周易參同契. Am I correct?

yes

 

 

 

 

The opportunity of exchanging this kind of information with you is really a great experience. Here in Brazil it is very difficult to find someone interested in this subject matter.

You are welcome anytime Luciano;)

[luciano]

In this book there are the following quoted passages I can not clearly understand:

 

1) 反本還源為真空, 打破虛空為了當.

 

2) 無間則一貫, 以還其體, 有相則道生, 又複其用.

 

Could you help me?

[Taoist Texts]

1) 合阳子曰：“辨惑论有之，返本还源为真空，打破虚空为了当。

...returning to the root, coming back to the source constitutes the true emptiness ; breaking through the emptiness of the emptiness constitutes the final accomplishment

 

2) 所谓：无间则一贯以还其体，有相则道生，又复其用。”

This is explained as: "the unceasing process makes for unbroken stretch of returning to the root, once there is an image – it makes for birth of Dao, resumption of work".

[luciano]

Thanks for the translation!

 

I still have two questions:

 

1) Does 了當 means final accomplishment?

 

2) In the sentence below, which is the correct character: 體 or 本 ?

 

以還其 體 or 本 ?

[Taoist Texts]

Thanks for the translation!

 

I still have two questions:

 

1) Does 了當 means final accomplishment?

in this context yes

Search for "了當" [Condition = Ignore case, Substring]

 

直

Words 16. 直捷 [zhi2jie2]², adj. direct (communication, line): 直捷 (or 直截) 了當 phr., simple and direct (opp. beating about the bush).

 

 

了

Words 5. 了當 [liao3dang4], adj., as in 直截了當 simple and direct, uncomplicated; (MC) settled.

 

 

色

Words 15. 色澤 [se4ze2], n., luster (of jade, pearl); 色澤兒 extraneous remarks, descriptive additions: 說話別帶色澤兒，直接了當多好 come straight to the point without the frostings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) In the sentence below, which is the correct character: 體 or 本 ?

 

以還其 體 or 本 ?

since the context talks about return it makes more sense to return to the root 本 . In general i would recommend you use copies typed in simplified characters, its easier on the eyes and less confusion;)

[luciano]

I am reading again the book and I have found a sentence that I am not really comfortable with my understanding. Could you please help me again?

 

不待死後升西, 他生證取, 如得其妙竅, 則定裏見丹成矣.

[Taoist Texts]

I am reading again the book and I have found a sentence that I am not really comfortable with my understanding. Could you please help me again?

不待死後升西, do not wait to die and after that ascend to the West (western paradise)

 

他生證取, (in order) to obtain the proof of the future life

 

如得其妙竅, rather get yourself a wondrous cavity

 

則定裏見丹成矣. and then in stability you will see the completion of cinnabar