Spanning the centuries and crossing the globe, this engaging introduction covers everything Daoist, from the religion of the ancients to 21st century T'ai Chi and meditation. Complete with a timeline of Daoist history and a full glossary, Daoism: A Beginner's Guide will prove invaluable not only to students, but also to general readers who wish to learn more about the origins and nature of a profound tradition, and about its role and relevance in our fast-moving 21st century existence.
Historical Introduction; Proto Daoism; Classical Daoism; Contemporary Daoism; Identity: Daoism as Chinese religion; Daoism as lineages of transmission; Daoism as universal path; Way; Power; Communication; Body; Qi: The breath of life; Correlation, synchronicity and resonance; Longevity practices; Transcendent bodies; Power: Daoism millenarianism; Daoist messianism; Daoism in contemporary China; Negotiating with destiny; Light: The development of Shangqing Daoism; Light practices; Contemporary visualization practices; Alchemy: Alchemy and the quest for immortality; Laboratory alchemy; Internal alchemy; The Way of Complete Perfection: Transformation; Text; The religious origins and functions of Daoist texts; Transformations of meaning in Daoist texts; Nature: Natural space as sacred space; Marvellous nature; Caverns and texts; A Daoist aesthetic of spontaneity; Glossary of Chinese Terms; Bibliography; Index.
