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A literary criticism of the book "Zhuangzi," an anthology of Warring States writings associated with the Daoist school of thought, is presented. It examines the anthology's celebration of figures who adopt an attitude of anming, and two approaches to anming in the book, namely the ming-as-fate approach and the ming-as-nature approach.

The article focuses on the concept of Daoist government as mentioned in Daodejing chapter 54 and explores the relationship between doing nothing (wuwei) and achieving transformation and regulation in the empire.

The article explores philosophers Zhang Taiyan and Martin Heidegger's views on meontological decline embedded in modern Western civilization. It elucidates and assesses Zhang's theory of dual evolution and evil and suffering relating to Buddhism and perceives the role of philosophical Daoism in his thinking. It inquires into Zhang's suggestion of harmonizing between shi and fei versus Heidegger's proclamation of decline as transition into the inception of the Western tradition.

The article discusses role of "ming" played in the Tao Te Ching. Topics discussed include problems associated with the name of the Dao in translating the verse into English depending on whether it is regarded as addressing the Dao; philosophically mature, or alternatively alarmingly nihilistic, attitude in late outcome in the sequence of "Daoist ethics"; and information on contradictory nature of the Daodejing.

The article explores a compelling case of philosophical therapy presented in the canonical text of philosophical Daoism, the "Zuangzi." Topics discussed include a unique lexicon in the text that integrates its methodologies and objectives to the therapeutic traditions of yangsheng or nourishing life, an outline of traditional yangsheng practices, and a relation between the "Zuangzi" and yangsheng discourses.

The article explores the non-naturalistic fallacy in Lao-Zhuang Daoism with particular focus on accounts of values and morality as the source of unnecessary suffering in the world. Topics discussed include the Daoist understanding of nature and U.S. philosophy John Dewey's critique of Western philosophical tradition and how intrinsic value can provide a formula for coercive and oppressive behavior.

In Heavenly Masters: Two Thousand Years of the Daoist State, Goossaert tells the story of the Zhangs of Longhushan , and their Heavenly Master institution, that considered itself the heir to the original Heavenly Master church (Tianshidao ). As the Heavenly Master institution attempted to do that "within and as part of the imperial state" (ibid.), Goossaert also uses the term "deep state." Also, Du Guangting (850-933), born after Ying Yijie's visit to the Longhushan Heavenly Master, was addressed as Heavenly Master (in the Daomen tongjiao biyong ji , D 1226, preface dated 1201). [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on the notion of Chinese Philosophy wu-wei in early Daoism, which denotes the ideal of living and the ideal way of comporting oneself, as interpreted by the writings of Zhuangzi and Laozi. It explains the contradiction in the literal translation of wu-wei. It refers to a particular phenomenology manifested by highly skillful action as observed in the contemporary psychological literature on practical expertise.

The article provides an analysis of nonbeing in the thought of philosopher Paul Tillich and the Daoist thinker Zhuangzi and Tillich's dialectical use of nonbeing and being. Topics discussed include Tillich's revision of the traditional doctrine of creation ex nihilo, the impact of nonbeing on human beings' ability to think the question of being and comparison of the Western philosophical theology, and the holistic cosmology of Daoism.

The article focuses on how fundamental elements of Daoist ontology are conceived and plausible analysis of the relation that views dao and in mereological terms. Topics discussed include mereology focuses on an ontically one-dimensional, importance of the state of the art in metaphysics, and supplanting abstract semantics with concrete differentiation can raise serious doubts not only in Chinese philosophical thinking.

The article focuses on the innate divisions and the natural hermeneutics of philosophers Plato and Zhuangzi. It mentions metaphor of butchering to propound an interpretive strategy anchored in innate natures and temporal manifestations of the transcendental Form or Dao. It also mentions effective composition and dissection of texts consists in following the organic impulse of imaginative creations and conceptual confusion of ontology with epistemology.

This essay revisits Robert Neville's thesis on the convergence between creation ex nihilo and Daoism. By examining his theory of creation ex nihilo, his interpretation of Daoism, and the notions of creation and transcendence in Christianity and Daoism, it is argued that Daoist ontology is closer to Neoplatonic emanation than to the Christian concept of creatio ex nihilo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the similarities in the notion of freedom of two ancient schools of philosophy, early Chinese Daoism and ancient Greco-Roman Stoicism. Topics covered include the Stoic and Daoist idea of freedom as an ability to do only things that are necessary, the Zhuangzian idea of freedom, and the theories of freedom that dominated Western philosophy.

The article offers information on religious conferences including the 22nd International Congress of Historical Sciences in 2015, the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion in 2015 and the 2016 International Conference on Daoist Studies.

The achievements of modern medicine in the treatment and detection of diseases, alongside the improvement of social welfare provision, have resulted in the significant reduction of premature deaths caused by the insufficient medical treatment and poor nutrition. Greater numbers of people are living longer. This continued grow of the elderly population (people over 65) and the proportionally smaller younger generation now characterizes our society. Whatever the benefits of longevity, an aging society presents its own problems. For governments these include increased costs in the form of medical spending, social care, and social welfare, a diminishing labor market, and, in general, a lack of vitality, energy and creativity in society. How to counter these newly emerging challenges has become a serious concern for many scholars, organizations, and governments. However, a solution may be found in the traditional Chinese self-help practices that are part of Daoism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the concept of using Dao in teaching including the importance of having a calm and peaceful state of mind which can be acquired through meditation, guiding the students to attain self-discovery and learning, and the concept of non-doing to help students become better learners.

Daoism as a school of thought does not appear until after political unification. Its first definition goes back to the summary by Sima Tan father of grand historian Sima Qian(145-86 BCE), of the Liujia (Six Schools), i.e., Yinyang, Confucius, Mozi, Law, Logic, and Dao. In his view, Dao (Way) is supreme because it encompasses the best of all the others (Shiji jjie [Taipei: Wenhua tushugongsi, 1974] 70, 555). Daoism thus could be seen as eclectic and non-partisan. The question is how and when was it formed? Central to Daoism, I would argue, is the idea of unity, spiritual as well as geopolitical. Kidder Smith argues Sima Tan personally invented Daoism and other schools himself, which just goes to show the extent of the problem (2003). To solve it we need to re-evaluate Dao's role in the Qin empire, the elephant in the room. It was Qin that shaped the crucial transition from the Warring States to the Han empire-a period still poorly understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the transfer of Daoist female healers and the healing traditions in modern times which highlights the link between healing and Daoism, the rituals involved in the transmission of status and power to the new healing master and the connections among Dao officials and masters.

The article examines the moderate moralism of Chinese author Li Yu. Topics covered include Li's combination of Daoist autonomism and Confucian moralism, his argument for moderate moralism in drama, the Daoist aesthetics of radical autonomism, the relation among fiction, storytelling and moderate autonomism and Li's theory of drama.

The article explores the history of martial alchemy in the tradition and practice of taoism in China. Topics discussed include the 6th century traditional practice of classical martial arts, practices of Bodhidharma and the tongbai gong tradition which focuses on medicine, buddhism and taoism. Other topics include conceptual theory and physical practice of taoism and martial alchemy.

The article explores the development of Taoism from the early Zhou dynasty. Topics discussed include the developments of ceremonial divination of Taoists people, the structure of Yi based on fertility symbolism and Taoism ethics. Other topics include the human characteristics for Taoist, development of Chinese gift-tribute system and contributions of trigrams.

The article focuses on the Taoism wisdom on the philosophy of living in harmony in relation to the views of Confucianism and Buddhism. Topics discussed the interaction of tow interdependent elements of yin and yang, Taoism influences on teaching methods in classroom and understanding the Taoism insights on advance personal professional development. Other topics include the relation of intelligence and enlightenment in Taoism.

The article focuses on two distinct tradition of Taoism in philosophical musings and immortality of the human physical body. Topics discussed include the distinction of philosophical and religious Taoism, Taoism mystical practices on immortality and the technique of meditation. Other topics include the foundations of Taoism tradition and concepts of immortality.

The article explores the contemporary transformation of ancient Taoist wisdom in steady companion, joy and harmony. Topics discussed include the factors towards understanding the power of Laozi in the West, it explores the teachings of Laozi and the preservation of Ancient taoist tradition in China. It also provides a profile of Chinese scholar Jiang Kanghu and Harold Witter Bynner, detailing its career background and educational attainment.

This paper inspects three versions of the Jingming zongjiao lu (Record of the Lineage and Teachings of [the School of] Purity and Brightness). It introduces the many different scriptures contained in this compendium and explores its relationships to the Ming-dynasty Daozang (Daoist Canon) to offer a deeper understanding of the key sources of this school in the Ming and Qing dynasties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the position of Ge Hong (283-343) in early medieval Daoism by provoking a reconsideration of earlier forms of Chinese religion. The article argues that Ge Hong's greatest innovation was his bringing together two separate traditions of early Chinese religion, namely that of the xian (often translated as "immortal") that I identify with early Daoism, and that of alchemy that somehow was related to the fangshi movement. The article examines the historical trajectory of these two traditions as Ge Hong received them by exploring two of his major works, the Baopuzi neipian and the Shenxian zhuan, and examines the ways in which he relates these two early traditions to each other. He does this by portraying and describing two kinds of xian, which I call "private" and "public." The article shows that Ge Hong's accomplishment had a deep and lasting impact of the future traditions of medieval Daoism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the creation of Daoism in its earliest, pre-Eastern Han period. After an examination of the critical terms "scholar/master" and "author/ school", I argue that, given the paucity of evidence, Sima Tan and Liu Xin should be credited with creating this tradition. The body of this article considers the definitions of Daoism given by these two scholars and all of the extant texts that Liu Xin classified as "Daoist." Based on these texts, I then suggest an amended definition of Daoism. In the conclusion, I address the recent claim that the daojia /dacijiao dichotomy is false, speculating that disagreement over this claim arises from context in which Daoism is considered: among the other pre-Qin "schools of thought" or among other world religions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lévinas' claim of ethics as the first philosophy has been compared to the Confucian project. While the similarity between Lévinas and the Confucians in their central concern for ethics is apparent, I argue in this essay that the Daoists may have a deeper resonance with Lévinas. With the inspiration of Lévinas' insights into sense and meaning, I investigate how Lévinas' subjectivity and the Daoist, in particular the Zhuangzian, notion of the non-being self draw on the same primordial experiential base that has given rise to an understanding of our self that leads to an embodied transcendence. In the context of battling the modern Western autonomous and egoistic self, which has caused much damage in modern history, I explore whether an appreciation of the pre-ego, pre-reflective experiences upon which Lévinas and Zhuangzi build their subjectivity and non-being self can lead us to ethics and spirituality, with a new understanding of human freedom that is radically different from the modern notion of freedom as autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When it comes to the entity known as the Thing (das Ding), two philosophical interpretations are available: the ontological by Martin Heidegger and the ethical by Jacques Lacan. This essay offers a third in the guise of Daoist meontology. As Daoist cosmogony unfolds by way of nothingness (wu ...) and Dao acting in conjunction, the Thing cannot exist at that primal level of creation; it arises in the undifferentiated wholeness of the One. By locating the Thing as such, Daoism bestows upon it the mysteriousness of Dao, ensuring that it remains unspoiled by human endeavors and is a feat neither Heidegger nor Lacan can claim. The Thing thus protects Daoism against claims of nihilism, for each thing returns to its ancestral Thing, not to the nothingness that Dao employs to mold them. Keywords: the Thing, Meontology, Daoism, Lacan, Heidegger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents research assessments on topics associated to Daoism. Research that examines the effectiveness of therapies for mindfulness meditation is presented. Another research on the use of mindfulness-based therapies for somatization disorder treatment is discussed. The meta-analysis and systematic review of tai chi for knee osteoarthritis is also provided.

The article focuses on Master Lee Yujie's reinvention of Huashan Daoism through rituals, cultivation or thought in China. The system associated to the mastery of Yujie through his academic achievements aiming for religious concord and dispel Communist-Nationalist strife is pointed out. The concept of Daoism on transcendence, which is also considered a destiny for Buddhism and Confucianism, is discussed. The philosophical aspect of Daoism in cultivating its inner elixir is noted.

The article focuses on the influence of Daoist master Zhao Bichen on martial arts and qigong in China. The consideration of Bichen's teachings in the formation of the spiritual core of several Chinese martial arts and many contemplative arts among Chinese is noted. Reasons why Bichen's teaching is not that influencing in the West are provided including title, writing style and limited Daoism view.

An essay is presented on sage-knowledge and the search for freedom and equality in the Daoist philosophical text "Zhuangzi" in China. It explores the philosophical dimension of "Zhuangzi" specifically on sage-knowledge concept. The rejection of Chinese philosophers on sage-knowledge leading to Greek-conceived philosophy is noted. Considering sage-knowledge as a significant philosophical concept that justifies equality is pointed out.

This article is, to some extent, a continuation of thoughts expressed in a previous article in the Journal of Daoist Studies (Crowe 2010), where motion and stillness were examined as sources of continuity between the "three teachings" as imagined by Li Daochun and his disciples. The present article considers that continuity from a different vantage point, turning the focus on our characterization of the relationship between Ru ... (literati) daoxue ... (Learning of the Way) and jindan ... (golden elixir) ways of cultivation. It is suggested here that common ground is found, not by bridging two essentially and categorically differing groups, but rather by bringing to light shared perspectives on soteriological ends and on the framing of praxis intended to realize those ends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses early beliefs concerning Master Redpine, using his biography in the Uexian zhuan as a point of departure. After briefly discussing the Liexian zhuan account's relationship to ancient rain-making rituals, it illustrates Master Redpine's relationship with other ancient Chinese rain gods, with reference to the findings of Max Kaltenmark (1953), particularly through their associated colors (red and green) and movements. The author concurs with Kaltenmark's description of Master Redpine, on one level, as a kind of tree sprite, specifically of the Chinese tamarisk, and provides more supporting textual evidence for this. This paper then explores Master Redpine's role in the early Higher Clarity Daoism, in which Redpine becomes but one manifestation of a deity who can appear in many different guises--a primordial being of pure energy, the Star of Longevity, the planet Mars, a wandering teacher, and even a terrifying spirit who comes to mete out punishment. The possibility that Master Redpine is effectively the father of Yang Xi's (330-386) celestial spouse, Consort An, is explored. The paper finally returns to consider the significance of the placement of Master Redpine's biography at the head of the Liexian zhuan, and to contrast it with the last biography in order to bring out that text's broader perspective on the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on several conferences regarding Daoist philosophy. International Daoist Forum, sponsored by the Chinese Daoist Association was held in Hengshan, China on October 22-25, 2011. Daoist Goddesses, sponsored by Fu-jen University was held in Taipei, Taiwan on November 22, 2012. Daoist Star Worship, sponsored by the Guangzhou Daoist Association was held in Guangzhou, China on December 26-30, 2012.

The article discusses the relation of the daoist principles in martial arts in the prevention of illness. It states that martial arts have dual focus, first is to enhance health and second is to train mindfulness. It mentions that qi is the fundamental ingredient in the micro- and macro-cosmic dynamics of change. It adds that practice of martial arts can increase self-reliance, better balance and various benefits to autonomic nervous and immune systems.

This paper is a case study of a the City God Temple in Singapore, examining how a traditional Chinese temple has adjusted and created a new, Daoist identity to keep pace with the social changes and development of a modern city. Chinese religion first arrived in Singapore with immigrants from southeast China shortly after the city was first discovered and colonized by the British in 1819. Their practitioners remained closely connected to their original places, perpetuating their deep memories and unique cultural characteristics. In recent decades, as both society and city have changed to keep pace with modernity, the temples had to find ways to balance traditional culture and modern life. The City God Temple is an example of a successful adaptation to social change by moving be- yond traditional social structures into new management modes and by overcoming the multi-sectarian patterns of Chinese religiosity and creating a firm Daoist identity. In this study, I examine this process from three main perspectives: historical background, approaches to management, and religious identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented on the aesthetic basis of taijiquan. It states that taijiquan lineages reflect Confucian values of existence and balanced hierarchy in the world. It mentions the argument of Li Zehou which emphasizes that Daoism is a way of experiencing the world an opposition to the effective way of living in the world. The author also relates his experience on ethnographic fieldwork with the practitioners taijiquan Wu Jianquan style in Shanghai, China.

The Wushang huanglu dazhai licheng yi synthesizes both old and new rituals dedicated to saving souls from purgatory at the time that the Yellow Register Purgation has increasingly become a popular form of death ritual. The ritual presented in the text is designed to assure supplicants that the ritual performance is successful in bringing about the salvation of the deceased. The text adopts the "old method" of constructing the basic structure of the Ritual Enclosure, one that represents it as a micro-cosmos. As each space and item within the Ritual Enclosure functions as an index to the cosmos, they are expected to have a direct influence on that for which they stand. The ritual also employs a heavy use of official documents addressing deities and other spiritual beings in the highly bureaucratized World-beyond. Their official confirmation of the success of each rite is meant to assure the participants of the desired outcome of the liturgy. The text also incorporates new highly theatrical liturgical programs such as the Rite of Smashing of Purgatory and burning talismans in the Rite of Refinement. Despite such a high level of dramatic performance, the ritual keeps the Ritual Master's visualization as the very ground by which all ritual acts are made possible because they are performed with the assumption that the content visualized has been activated. As such, the ritual at once manifests the world of the imaginary that has taken place in the world of the Ritual Master's visualization, but also acts upon that world. The ritual program offers a visual message under-scoring the immediacy of the ritual efficacy of salvation that has taken place in the here-and-now of the altar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]