taoist alchemycal vocabulary

[el_tortugo]

I've been looking for good sources covering the language/words used in alchemycal texts as well as recomended texts in english.

[GrandTrinity]

for the tao? Chia and jerry alan johnsons is good...i been keeping my own list of the names of differernt point on the body...many difffert names for same point an for exmaple, the orbit has been called:

 

human ptential

small hheavenly cycle

microcosmic orbit

hevenly orbit

orbit

dharma wheel

born again proccess

 

and I am sure infinitely others...

[monucka]

I've been reading some alchemical texts lately, comparing their contents to my experience. The big deal is that all the translator's i've read say that the texts are guides for the already initiated. I find that as I reread them, I can somewhat gauge my progress by how much I understand, while admittedly practicing a different technique than what the texts assume I already know. I think that this is possible because the texts listed below describe goals more than practices, and the stages of understanding are the same for most traditions, despite the different terminology. I think. They're good food for thought. My fav's (as they purposely contain texts and commentaries that aren't too esoteric) are:

 

Thomas Cleary: Vitality, Energy, Spirit (great selection of sources, from the mists of antiquity to contemporary taoists, and some major points in between. One section is devoted to illustrative stories from the Lieh-Tzu, where the translator mixes the written text with the oral tradition to clarify the stories as they relate to the goals of Taoist cultivation. Pretty cool.)

 

Thomas Cleary: The Book Of Stillness and Harmony. From the intro: "... is a famous anthology of writings by a thirteenth-century Taoist master of the Complete Reality School ... provides a most unusual compendium of the teachings of Complete Reality Taoism, including its theoretical and practical basis in classical Taoism." I really like this one for it's clarity, and the fact that the author takes the time to define a lot of terms (at least as the Complete Reality sect understood them), like so: "Q: How is it that there is water in fire? A: Water stands for the spirit, fire for awareness; water in fire is the spirit in awareness." Also check the classification system for practices, from false paths to practices that are part of the 'highest vehicle'. Have fun ranking your techniques.

 

Stuart Alve Olson: The Jade Emperor's Mind-Seal Classic. This is a very old text, and as such the interpretation possibilities are probably myriad. Nonetheless, the author/translator makes a good argument for his way of looking at it, and throws in some fun stories about his own teachers. The newer edition also contains two other texts which are meant to support one's understanding of the mind-seal classic and the concept of immortality.

 

I also like Eva Wong's translations, but for the most part the i ching symbolism that appears in all the ones I've read escapes me. If anyone knows what's going on with all that, I'd love a simplified explanation. :-) - j

[peter falk]

I also like Eva Wong's translations, but for the most part the i ching symbolism that appears in all the ones I've read escapes me. If anyone knows what's going on with all that, I'd love a simplified explanation. :-) - j

 

what symbolism specifically? i find her work to be very informative but f limitied usefulness here in china because she does not use the pinyin romanization of chinese. this makes it difficult to cross-reference her chinese terminology or ask for further explanation form chinese speakers cuz they dont recognize it. a lot of it i had to piece together from other sources.

[monucka]

I think I partly understand heaven and earth, water and fire, as they're often used (but not well enough to try to explain, so I'd love an explanation of those as well), it's the others that confuse me. When she describes changing the post-heaven bagua to the pre-heaven bagua, the roles of wind, mountain, lake, and thunder are pretty much meaningless to me. I've always assumed it's because I don't have a teacher to explain that symbolic tradition. The section I'm thinking of is in "Cultivating Stillness".

[peter falk]

I think I partly understand heaven and earth, water and fire, as they're often used (but not well enough to try to explain, so I'd love an explanation of those as well), it's the others that confuse me.  When she describes changing the post-heaven bagua to the pre-heaven bagua, the roles of wind, mountain, lake, and thunder are pretty much meaningless to me.  I've always assumed it's because I don't have a teacher to explain that symbolic tradition.  The section I'm thinking of is in "Cultivating Stillness".

6267[/snapback]

 

aw, shit. i loaned that book to someone and never got it back. let me look at my complete idiot's guide to the ijing and see if there's anything in there. i also have trouble with the thunder wind, etc. thing.

 

the early and later heaven bagua just refver to two different states of being. when you incarnate here, you're in later heaven represented by that bagua, which is out of balance. as you cultivate, you move toward the early heaven bagua, which is balanced. notice heaven and earth , fire and water are directly opposite in early heaven bagua. that's the recreated state.

[rex]

Snippet from Mantak Chia e-book:

 

[sunshine]

Snippet from Mantak Chia e-book:

 

6271[/snapback]

 

If you want to learn about terminology you might want to contact David Twicken. He is trained in Chia's art and practices Ba Guang Acupuncture...

 

Harry

[rex]

Thanks for the pointer Harry. I remember David Twicken posted some really good introductions to Chinese medicine on the old healing tao site. If you or anyone else is interested I'll re-post them here. Good luck in the exams.

Rex

[el_tortugo]

...i been keeping my own list of the names of differernt point on the body...

6258[/snapback]

 

 

great replies....thanks alot!

 

Im gonna use this thread to post links or lists of alchemycal vocab.....

 

now because they are often imbeded in articles i may just post the link to an article or i may post what i got out of it or any other such combo.

 

here is a link that you may or may not have read... it starts corny but gets better..... its contents remind me of some of your posts on this thread.....

http://www.rso.cornell.edu/sevenspirits/ar...han_quyen.shtml

[monucka]

the early and later heaven bagua just refver to two different states of being. when you incarnate here, you're in later heaven represented by that bagua, which is out of balance.  as you cultivate, you move toward the early heaven bagua, which is balanced.  notice heaven and earth , fire and water are directly opposite in early heaven bagua.  that's the recreated state.

6268[/snapback]

 

I got that bit, I just don't understand what transforming each of the trigrams is supposed to represent. For example, mixing water and fire takes the yin from fire and the yang from water to re-create heaven and earth. So far so good, if the symbolism there makes sense. But what about all the others? What does changing them, one at a time or two at a time, represent? Different techniques? Different mileposts on the route? Or is it a case of too much symbolism for a simple, difficult process, where the basic idea of recreating early heaven was felt to be only valid if it's logically justified with diagrams showing how thunder can transform to wind, or whatever corresponds to it's post-heaven place in pre-heaven, by shuffling their lines? I imagine that understanding those details is a later development, and the initial stages of transformation don't actually require that much erudition. But then, what do I know? :-)

[sunshine]

Thanks for the pointer Harry.  I remember David Twicken posted some really good introductions to Chinese medicine on the old healing tao site. If you or anyone else is interested I'll re-post them here.  Good luck in the exams.

Rex

6275[/snapback]

 

Thankx much, Rex. And yeah. I'd be very happy if you could post the links...

 

Harry

[peter falk]

I got that bit, I just don't understand what transforming each of the trigrams is supposed to represent.  For example, mixing water and fire takes the yin from fire and the yang from water to re-create heaven and earth.  So far so good, if the symbolism there makes sense.  But what about all the others?  What does changing them, one at a time or two at a time, represent?  Different techniques?  Different mileposts on the route?  Or is it a case of too much symbolism for a simple, difficult process, where the basic idea of recreating early heaven was felt to be only valid if it's logically justified with diagrams showing how thunder can transform to wind, or whatever corresponds to it's post-heaven place in pre-heaven, by shuffling their lines?  I imagine that understanding those details is a later development, and the initial stages of transformation don't actually require that much erudition.  But then, what do I know? :-)

6279[/snapback]

 

i jsut work with fire and water and everything else seems to take place. the worst thing you can do with this work is fill your head with a lot of complicated ideas. unless you're going to be rading hte ijing, dont worry too much about those trigrams.

 

here's a simple practice: work your core channel. move the energy up and down the left and right core channel using your hands. palms up as your go up, palms down as tou go down. eventually you should be reaching over your head and bending over to the floor. feel it deeply. then imagine the early heaven bagua over your head up therein the heavens among the stars and the later heaven down there in the center of the earth or on the ground under your feet. as you go up, pull the later heavcen bagua up the core channel and place it into the heavens on the early heaven bagua. as you come down, pull the early heaven bagua down thru your core channel and palce oi the ground or into the earth, and so on. for however long you feel like.

 

note: DO NOT WORY WQHAT THE BAGUAS LOOK LIKE. JUST KNOW YOURE BRINGING DOWN THE EARLY HEAVEN AND BRING UPTHE LATER HEAVEN. let the baguas teach you the rest.

[monucka]

then imagine the early heaven bagua over your head up therein the heavens among the stars and the later heaven down there in the center of the earth or on the ground under your feet. 

6289[/snapback]

 

Thanks for the practice, Peter. I'm already working two techniques that I like, so I won't be experimenting with visualization, but I appreciate that you took the time to post a method. I totally agree that discursive thought doesn't do much in the end. - j

[rex]

[rex]

[rex]

[mbanu]

I've been looking for good sources covering the language/words used in alchemycal texts as well as recomended texts in english.

6247[/snapback]

 

 

You mean like a primer that tells you what they mean when they talk in flowery euphemisms about jade palaces and white tigers?

[el_tortugo]

You mean like a primer that tells you what they mean when they talk in flowery euphemisms about jade palaces and white tigers?

6344[/snapback]

 

yes, in whatever form.... embeded or obvious....even just hints (which is what they already are really)

 

and as monucka posted earlier on in this thread... as you practice, the vocabulary becomes apparent or easier to figure out.... so an exlpanation probably wouldnt help till your ready but id read it any way.

[el_tortugo]

Step Up to Seven Stars

Embrace the Moon

Biggest Star in the Great Dipper

Encase the Moon in Three Rings

The Smallest Star in the Big Dipper

Meteor Runs After Moon

Heavenly Steed Soars Across the Sky

 

# White Crane Spreads Wings

# Snake Creeps Down

# Repulse Monkey

# Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain

# White Snake Sticks Out its Tongue

# Grasp Sparrow's Tail

# Golden Cock Sands on One Leg

# Swallow Skims the Water

# Bird Flies into Forest

# Lion Shakes it's Head

# Tiger Hugs its Head

# Wild Horse Leaps the Ravine

# White Ape Devotes Fruit

# Yellow Bee Returns to Nest

 

# Cloud Hands

# Wind Rolls the Lotus Leaves

# Brush Dust Against the Wind

# Push the Boat with the Current

# Winds Sweeps the Plum Blossoms

 

Heart fasting

Sitting in forgetfulness

Follow the golden mean

Daoyin

Tuna(Breathing technique)

Breath-listening

Heel breathing

Recede into quietude

Meditation

Pay attention upon one

Food-fasting

Elixir-taking

Fangzhong(Sexual intercourse techniques)

Manipulate qi

Fetus breathing

Alchemy

Golden Elixir

Medicine ingredients

Raw medicine

Ripe medicine

Six omens

Cultivate life force and congenital nature together

Intelligent swords

Daogui

Drink daogui

Regulate breathing and concentrate mind-will

Not in thorough forgetfulness and not in thorough concentration

Cauldron and stove

Lead and mercury

Rootless tree

Ren channel and Du channel

Three treasure

Jing(fertilizing fluid)

Qi(vita-vapor)

Shen(Congenital mind-will)

Congenital nature

Gold infant and fairy maiden

Three flowers converge overhead

Three kinds of celestial fire

Three Huns and seven Pos

Harmonized four emblematic symbols

Five kinds of qi converging upon Dantian

Five dragons upbearing ripe medicine

Mysterious pass

Bellows

Chonglou(windpipe)

Congenital constitution

Acquired constitution

Acquired breathing

Congenital breathing

Sage's breathing

Mortal breathing

Magpie bridge

Yinqiao(Huiyin acupoint)

Spinal waterway

Small waterwheel and big waterwheel

Fire

Soft fire

Strong fire

Extinguish fire

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foundation-laying and Heart-disciplining.

Transform fertilizing fluid into qi

Transform qi into congenital mind-will(Shen)

Giving birth to the fetus of true self

Possessing same body with Tao

Ghost celestial being

Mortal celestial being

Earth celestial being

Sage immortal

Heavenly immortal

Congenital qi

Pure Yang

Yellowish shoot

Pure-Yang Arising time

Regional governors

True medicine

Second stirring interval

Three corpse governors

Five shoots

Elixir

Recover lost treasure

Rabbit marrow

Gold tortoise and jade rabbit

Seven doors

7-Huan 9-Zhuan

Dantian(Elixir field)

Lower Dantian

Middle Dantian

Upper Dantian

Red palace

Three passes

Jiaji pass

Yuzhen pass

Advance Yang fire and withdraw Yin symbols

Sealing-up nourishment

Temper gold from ore

True mind-will leading qi

Moistening interval

Drink Jade liquid to recover lost treasure

Drink Gold liquid to recover lost treasure

Bring true self into golden light

Wind

Moon

Snow

True mind-will

Rush open the pass

Knack, money, partner and appropriate site

Tao

De

Tao follows the way of nature

Return to simplicity and sincerity

Benefit myriad of all things

Seek the quiescence of heart and cleanse the heart of all desires and passion.

Eternal life

 

http://www.damo-qigong.net/qigong-term.htm

[el_tortugo]

http://www.flowinghands.com/mbs_htm/mbs.art.alchemy.htm