How to translate 仙道?

[Rintrah]

Hello all. I am in the process of translating a Japanese book into English and am stuck on how to translate the term 仙道... Inner alchemy? Taoist arts? Way of immortality? I'm grateful for any suggestions  

[Taoist Texts]

i settled on a 'saintly dao'

[子泰]

仙 - saint, sage, immortal, etc

道 - way, path, road

[Mig]

仙 - saint, sage, immortal, etc

道 - way, path, road

仙 saint? How is it a saint?

[Aetherous]

What context is the phrase used in?

[dawei]

This pic says the Immortal Road.... and the picture says a thousands words...    won't embed....

 

http://manhua.qpic.cn/manhua_cover/0/30_01_38_2612054397631ae9426c3ce499dd06f7.jpg/

 

 

link seems broken... sorry about that.

[flowing hands]

It means a supreme path, a path that a God takes, a godlike perspective that we can really not understand. The way an Immortal has become Immortal and those processes that have led to that.

[Sudhamma]

I will translate it as 'The way of Immortality'.

[Rombald]

I speak Japanese, but not Chinese. 仙, usually in the form 仙人, has a slightly different meaning in Japanese from Chinese. I have never used it to mean "immortal", and it usually means a mountain-hermit, especially connected with shugendo (修験道), a blend of Shinto, Taoism and Shingon (semi-Tantric) Buddhism. It can also just mean an unworldly or reclusive person, especially in a remote place. I would have guessed 仙道 to mean something like 修験道 - sort of mountain yoga.

[exorcist_1699]

" 仙"  in Chinese  refers to  a special person who , not only literally hides on high mountain for his cultivation , but  also  lives an immortal life in Heaven   ,  so translate it as " Way of Immortality' seems closer .

Edited May 19, 2017 by exorcist_1699

[Rintrah]

On 3/24/2017 at 2:27 PM, Rombald said:

I speak Japanese, but not Chinese. 仙, usually in the form 仙人, has a slightly different meaning in Japanese from Chinese. I have never used it to mean "immortal", and it usually means a mountain-hermit, especially connected with shugendo (修験道), a blend of Shinto, Taoism and Shingon (semi-Tantric) Buddhism. It can also just mean an unworldly or reclusive person, especially in a remote place. I would have guessed 仙道 to mean something like 修験道 - sort of mountain yoga.

 

I speak Japanese as well and I'm actually translating this word from Japanese, but it's from a book written by a guy who trained under a Chinese master, and the system in which he trained he calls 仙道. It's not a common word in Japanese and maybe not even in Chinese. I think this kind of thing is usually translated into English as Taoist arts. This author never speaks of Daoism (道教) probably because it would cause Japanese readers to imagine a religious institution. 

[baiqi]

Well, all the translations I have seen are OK (except maybe for the "saint" one, that would be more a translation of 圣). 

 

The key here is context. So your last post was quite needed. 

"Taoist arts" is a bit too vague I think, because to me, these arts may include stuff like feng shui, astronomy, martial arts, gardening etc. With 仙道, we are talking about alchemy, with the purpose of becoming a 仙, frequently translated as "immortal". 

 

"Way of immortality" is still the best, from what I've read.