Customer Reviews

Alchemists, Mediums, and Magicians: Stories of Taoist Mystics

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This book is a real surprise. Once you manage to open the antique lid of ritual representation, it turns out to be a chest of rare jewels of the finest water, a test for all of us who have become accustomed to baubles and beads. Everyone has heard of Lao-tzu; here we meet his predecessors, associates, and successors, as well as other significant figures of early Taoism we've never heard of, even most of us in the east. Everyone has heard of state Taoism; here we learn how it came about. Everyone has heard of the seven sages of the bamboo grove, supposedly a band of eccentrics; here we learn of the immense differences in their personalities and characters, and the less advertised realities of their relations, their contemporaries, and the tragedies of their lives. Everyone has heard of so-called dual cultivation, which has been academically dubbed sexual vampirism; in this collection we are given a very different picture, an archetypal scene of rare elegance from the spiritual courtship of Mistress An and Yang Xi. Everyone has heard of the Celestial Masters, many have heard of the Maoshan Masters; here we find a most revealing case study of their jurisdictional struggle, followed by periodic updates on their eventual reconciliation and collaboration. Everyone has heard of Taoism and medicine; here we are introduced to Sun Simiao, one of the most famous doctors of all time, and given an outline of his general theory of disease and health. Everyone has heard of Emperor Wu of Liang as a fanatical patron of Buddhism, but here we learn of his relation with the great Maoshan Taoist master Tao Hongjing. It's hard to describe all the riches in this book, but it's also hard to absorb them at once. It is not an easy read at first, but it is well worth the effort. I found myself putting it down again and again, but then taking it up again and again, tantalized by the teachings but also drawn by a haunting beauty I could not forget. Once you get the whole range, it's like looking at a rainbow. Perhaps what seems so haunting is that for all the formality of tradition, the humanity of these people comes through in their stories. For me, one unexpected result was a completely different perspective on Taoist life extension, which had always seemed like the ultimate egotism, but now I see is not necessarily so.

The book seems quite a fine translation of a surprisingly dull collection of very very short biographies of alchemists and immortals, a surprising percentage (5%?) of whom are described as having drinking problems.

The sketches run like this "his name was ~, he lived in ~, he studied with master ~ or read the secret document ~, he attained, the {governor, emperor} wished his counsel or for him to be part of their administration, but he said "no, I am too ill" even though they sent {silk, gold, carriages} Most of the entries are less than two pages long, some just a couple of paragraphs. The entries are arranged chronologically, and the more recent ones are longer and more interesting.

There are lots of intriguing references - secret grottos - secret societies - secret practices - but its all just hints. There are some bits of philosophy - but they are very very short. And the ones who get found passed out with drink ...

I feel like if I knew more about Chinese history or something that this would be far more interesting. I only finished reading the book out of a sense of obligation.

I would say this book is for "hardcore" students of chinese philosophy and/or Taoism. It does not really teach anything, but allows a glimpse into the way of thinking(writing?) many centuries ago in China.