Taoism and the Rite of Cosmic Renewal [Paperback]

Michael R. Saso (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Washington State University; 2 Sub edition (January 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874220548
• ISBN-13: 978-0874220544
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,069,456 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ancient Daoist rite of renewal explained, June 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Taoism and the Rite of Cosmic Renewal (Paperback)

In this book, my teacher Dr. Saso illuminates 'the various themes and rituals which the Taoist makes use of in his role of ritual functionary for the believers in the Chinese religion.'(p.5) The 'rite of cosmic renewal' refers to the 'Chiao festival', a ritual occuring only once every 60 years. Those familiar with lunar astrological calendars will recognize the sixty-year cycle of elements and animals symbolic of the energetic shifts and changes of the world around us.

This first in-depth look by a Westerner at such a normally closed-door ritual is divided into five chapters. First, the yin-yang theory is explained as the basis of Chinese religion. Then is a description of the ritual from the viewpoint of an outside observer. Chapter three describes the philosophical basis of the ritual of renewal. The next chapter is perhaps the rarest of all, an EXPLANATION of the Chiao festival from the inside, through the eyes and understanding of a Daoist priest, which the author is. Saso is perhaps the only non-Chinese to have a 'register' or 'lu', a record or list of spirits the person has been taught to summon and control. Chapter five rounds out this unique study with a look at the state of Daoism as it currently exists in modern China.

It is highly unlikely that such a 'view from the inside' of this arcane, once-in-a-lifetime event will be available until after the next cycle begins, in the year 2030. Serious students of religious Daoist practice will learn much from this study.