Over two thousand years of existence, Taoism has developed not only its own religious philosophy and practice of self-development, but also reasonable, easily applied ways to preserve health, and therefore prolong life. Here they are.

1. Be moderate in your expressions

Taoist teachers gave this advice to their students when teaching them how to control your emotions

• strong anger
• deep melancholy,
• wild joy.

Whatever feeling overtakes you, do not let it dominate for a long time: it harms the body and depletes its energy. Having realized the excessiveness of the experience, make an effort to regain your balance. The same applies to physical activity.

• Sitting too long
• standing,
• lying,
• walking is destructive.

Alternate them.

2. Silence is good

Not because “you’ll pass for smart,” but because verbosity is a waste of energy, while silence saves it. A person makes up for the energy wasted in conversations with food, but its absorption also requires strength - the amount of food eaten increases, so does the weight, what kind of health is there...

Silence is a great way to avoid getting fat. It is especially useful in the morning, after waking up. Instead of talking, listen to beautiful, soothing music:

3. Live now

This is the only way to feel complete real life. Our feelings and experiences are always “now,” while the past and future exist only in our thoughts. Continuous speculation about what has happened and what will happen instills anxiety in us, creates stress, and spoils our health. Focus on the present moment, and there will be less worry and your actions will be more effective.

4. Smile and maintain a good mood

• Anger,
• excitement,
• irritation

Taoists believe that they are deadly for the one who experiences them. Internal organs produce poison and self-poisoning occurs. A smile and a feeling of bright joy, on the contrary, encourage the body to produce an elixir of health. The one who is happy has a lot of energy, say the Chinese sages, and the one who is angry or sad has little.

Read how pleasant sensations affect your health.

Therefore, Taoists make an “inner smile” - they keep it on their face until a feeling of contentment and serene joy fills the whole body with bliss. It is especially useful to direct the “inner smile” to the navel area, where there are often tensions due to negative emotions. Relaxing the navel center means regaining calm. This method can be practiced in any situation, regardless of posture - be it standing or lying down.

5. Don't eat too much

Overeating means pointlessly exhausting the body. Finish your meal without being full, take a walk after eating, and do not load your stomach at night. Before eating, take a deep breath, swallowing a little air. Start your meal with hot dishes, then eat warm and finally cold. If you don't have a cold dish, take a couple of sips of cold water.

6. Sleep like a Taoist

In spring, Taoists go to bed before dark and wake up early. In summer and autumn, sleep is short - you should go to bed in the dark and get up at dawn. But in winter, long sleep is good for the body: go to bed early, get up later.

7. Sex under control

The older a person is, the more carefully he should spend sexual energy. But Taoists do not at all call for complete abstinence from sex, considering complete abstinence harmful. They say that we spend sexual energy not only in intimate communication with a loved one, but also when we read or watch something exciting.

These losses dull the sharpness of our minds, which advertising producers willingly take advantage of. By affecting libido, they encourage people to make unnecessary purchases.

Early intimate relationships cannot have a positive effect on life expectancy. I wrote about this in detail.

8. Keep your head cool and your feet warm

This is for many well-known rule Taoists completely share this idea, explaining that this way you can avoid headaches and other head diseases. After all, when there is too much energy in the body, it goes to the head, increasing blood pressure, provoking a heart attack.

To warm the feet means to remove excess heat from the head to the feet. Warming and rubbing your feet is beneficial. It is wise to wear slippers in the house in winter, because then energy will not flow through your feet. And in the summer, it’s better for both your head and feet to feel cool.

The neck is also important in energy balance - it should be warm and not strained too much, because it has many large vessels leading to the brain. Massage your neck, warming the tissues, and smile - smiling relaxes.

9. Don't let your mind get lazy

A sharp, focused mind is the support and basis of active creative longevity. Taoists constantly exercise and stimulate their minds using special meditation techniques. But good for the likes mind training and the simplest means available to every person.

Memorizing good poetry, listening to serious music, solving logic puzzles, crosswords, reading books and comprehending what you read. All this keeps the mind in good shape. But you shouldn’t load your head with work thinking like you’re “taking medicine.” After all, it’s so nice to exercise your mind - just rejoice at this opportunity.

Listen to Gregorian chant anytime, anywhere, especially in times of great stress. This melody reduces blood pressure and strong heartbeat, stabilizes the pulse and breathing rate, calms the mind, and causes elation.

...He conceals within himself purity-goodness and preserves Primordial simplicity, knows neither passions nor sorrows and is an empty vessel of perfect truth. His life is smooth and simple, his habits are pure and fresh. He embraces everything in the vastness of his spirit and is identical to the primary Chaos in his naturalness.

Ge Hong treatise "Baopu Tzu"

Before talking about “Taoist thinking,” it is also worth mentioning the Taoists themselves, who use its principles in life practice. Of course, Taoists are, first of all, people striving for spiritual development. That is, they constantly remember the Tao, empty their heart-consciousness, cleansing it of obscurations and delusions, take care of their health, develop not only the spirit, but also the body, and try to comprehend their Primordial nature with the help of Taoist methods.

At the same time, many Taoists were in society at certain periods of their lives, but still retained a constant intention to follow the Path of Tao and cultivated an internal desire to know their Original nature. Daily orientation to the Primordial allows a person, to some extent, to distance himself from the bustle of the world, while being among people and their affairs, and to become less dependent on his Ego. You seem to soar above your life and all the events that happen in it. If in any situation we remember that we came into this world to develop and that any difficulties on our way are an opportunity to become better and show our new qualities, life becomes more joyful and bright.

To constantly maintain the focus of your mind and heart on comprehending your Primordial nature, you need a stable intention and daily awareness. The higher the level of awareness, the more attention you pay to what is happening around you, you see the interrelationships of events, and the original wisdom begins to appear in you. And this leads to an improvement in life: your actions are more effective, the number of worries decreases and harmony is established by itself.

One of the main methods of transformation is emptying oneself. Emptying oneself means cleansing one’s body, qi (life force) and heart-consciousness from muddy, harmful, superfluous and unnecessary things. The Taoists mastered these methods to perfection.

Modern man is most often accustomed to acquiring and filling himself and his life. We come into this world without clothes, without thought patterns, without words, without thoughts... and then throughout our lives we accumulate material things, delusions, grievances, behavior patterns. With every day of freedom in life ordinary person is getting smaller and smaller. It's hard to be conscious if most of your actions are carried out according to rules that you accumulate over many years.

That is why Taoists constantly cleanse and empty themselves. This allows you to remain flexible, young, growing and, at the same time, not to become overwhelmed or take anything to the extreme. After all, if you take something to the limit, you will certainly begin to move in the opposite direction.

Ridding oneself of everything superficial (that which is imposed by upbringing, society, all sorts of unwritten rules and one’s own Ego) allows Taoists to return to naturalness and non-action. When you don’t have other people’s thoughts imposed by society, then many problems simply disappear, and there is no need to constantly do something. The Taoist begins to live a simpler life, act with minimal effort, and the result comes easily, as if by itself. A Taoist master has no attachment to the fruits of his actions and has no desire to prove anything to anyone - this frees him from many unnecessary emotional reactions and actions that people are often preoccupied with.

But such devastation of oneself does not at all lead to anarchy and a devil-may-care lifestyle. A Taoist takes life lightly, but not frivolously! He has certain obligations to the society in which he lives, but does not become attached to them. He spends energy and time on social activities, but does not exhaust himself. He is freed from passions and desires, but this does not mean that he ceases to feel and live fully!

Naturalness brings harmony and a deeper awareness of oneself and one’s place in the world into a person’s life. The Taoist responds to current events and refuses to worry about the past and future, and in the present he acts without being attached to what he is doing, surrendering to the will of Tao. He seems to entrust his life to Eternity, focusing on the dance that dances on the stage of Genesis. This is similar to how a person swims along a stormy river: he tries to feel all the turns of its flow, rows carefully, saving his strength, and uses the inertia of the river to get where he needs to go. But he is submissive to fate and acts without acting, accepting the force of the current, makes movements, but does not fight the river and is internally ready for the water to throw him ashore in a completely different place.

Purification of oneself and naturalness lead to the fact that the virtuous qualities of the soul become easier to cultivate and manifest. A more benevolent attitude towards life, towards all living beings and the world as a whole, gradually leads to the fact that the practitioner manifests the Heart of Tao.

The heart of Tao is internal state consciousness and heart, which helps to maintain the aspiration to comprehend the Primordial nature. This state is characterized by a high level of awareness, internal and external serenity, kindness, positive attitude to everything that happens around, increased sensitivity to the “flow of life.” The Heart of Tao brings primordial wisdom into a person’s life; he seems to be led by some By higher powers. Such a person begins to more effectively go through all the turns and obstacles on his Path, gaining rich experience and living every day more fully and deeply. All this allows you to quickly change yourself, becoming light, flexible and open to the world.

Along with the process of purifying himself, the Taoist also constantly cultivates Te. De is, at the most primitive level, all the virtuous qualities of a person, and at a deeper level, it is the Original heart nature of a person. True De does not look like De. That is, truly virtuous actions may be completely unremarkable or even seem rude. The fact is that a Taoist master who has reached a high level in his practice already thinks in completely different categories. His actions reflect the flow of the river of Life more than his own desires. And Life, as we know, is not always kind to us. Many good things happen only after great upheaval.

Therefore, a Taoist who has almost completely purified himself, cultivated true Te, and possesses the Heart of Tao is an almost pure manifestation of Tao. He is so natural that he practically does not bring any pieces of his Ego into his manifestations (actions in this world). One can say about him that he fulfills the will of Heaven.

And at the moment of achieving the “body of light”, the Taoist master becomes a pure manifestation of the Tao and merges with it. Thus, through the life of a Taoist, the highest non-action of Tao is manifested.

According to legend, Lao Tzu was born at the age of 81 (!) years. This figure is not at all accidental. In Chinese numerology, largely influenced by Taoism, 9 means the number of completeness and is traditionally associated with the element “earth”. Accordingly, 9² = 81. The venerable age of the newborn was marked by gray hair, which is why he received his name Lao Tzu, that is "Elderly Baby".

Coming out of his mother’s body through the left side, Lao Tzu pointed his hand at a nearby tree and said: “This will be my surname.” In Chinese whether“plum”, the same hieroglyph also denoted Lao Tzu’s family name – Li.

Sima Qian also mentions Lao Tzu’s meeting with Confucius (for more details, see the chapter “Confucianism”), after which Confucius allegedly told his disciples: “I know that a bird can fly, that a fish can swim, and a wild beast can run. Those running can be caught in a trap, those swimming can be caught in a net, those flying can be shot down with an arrow. As for the dragon, I cannot understand how he, riding the wind and piercing the clouds, rushes to the heavens. Today I saw Lao Tzu, who is like a dragon!”

Lao Tzu taught about Tao And de(see below for more details), called for a life of simplicity and solitude, and after some time, having lost hope of establishing the correct way of life among the human community, he decided to leave the Celestial Empire forever. Sima Qian describes the act of leaving in detail, pointing out a number of details that have important symbolic meaning.

One day the sage was sitting on the threshold of his hut, and a buffalo approached him (!). The philosopher climbed onto the back of the animal, and the buffalo carried him to the West. Along the way, the teacher had to cross a mountain pass, which was also part of the state border. The head of the outpost located at this pass was a man named Yin Xi. He foresaw the coming of Lao Tzu by a special sign - five-colored clouds, and gave the wanderer a fitting welcome.

The philosopher was accompanied by a servant named Xu Jia, who worked for the benefit of his master for several centuries. This was possible thanks to the immortality pill made by Lao Tzu and placed under the tongue of his servant. At the outpost, Xu Jia realized that this was the last frontier where the state laws of the Celestial Empire were still in effect, and decided to take advantage of this and receive a reward for his work, boldly demanding payment from his master for all the years spent next to him.

Lao Tzu became extremely angry with his servant and took it out of his mouth. magic item, after which Xu Jia immediately crumbled into dust, that is, he instantly reached the state in which he should have been without experiencing the effects of the pill.

Amazed by what he saw, the guard of the outpost, Yin Xi, turned to the sage with a request to write down his teachings before he left the civilized world. Lao Tzu agreed, and a treatise of five thousand hieroglyphs, known as " Tao Te Ching"- a key text of Taoism.

Even mythological information about the further fate of the sage is very contradictory. In particular, at least from the 3rd century AD. e. The concept of the so-called “enlightenment of the barbarians” became widespread, according to which Lao Tzu reached India and there became the teacher of Buddha Shakyamuni (see chapter “Buddhism”). Obviously, this idea was polemical in nature and was intended to help followers of Taoism in the fight against competing teachings. One version of this myth indicates that Lao Tzu was the biological father of Buddha.

Taoist texts of the 2nd-5th centuries AD. e. add other specific details to the biographical information above. In accordance with Taoist cosmogonic ideas (see more below), the world arose as a result of self-unfolding, or emanation of Tao - the single origin of the Universe.

At one stage of this process, Tao gives rise to a triad of heavenly deities - "Three pure"(San Qing), also called "Three Heavenly Venerables"(Tianzun). The third of these “heavenly venerables” was Tai-shan Lao-jun ("Supreme Old Sovereign Lao Tzu"). It is to him that the role of the creator of the world belongs. He creates the Universe from his body.

After the completion of the creation of the world, the period of Lao-jun's providential actions begins, the main of which are his periodic incarnations in the images of wise advisers to the ideal sovereigns of antiquity.

It is significant that various Taoist sects insisted on subsequent incarnations of the teacher. Judgments regarding who exactly was the next incarnation of the “heavenly venerable one” are very different.

The modest biographical information listed above has become overgrown with grandiose mythical details over time. However, the mythological nature of the plots clearly demonstrates the religious preferences of the Taoists: it was the legendary features that were endowed with the image of their teacher that made him the object of cult in the first place.

To this day, China annually celebrates the birth of Lao Tzu, which falls on the fifteenth day of the second month of the lunar calendar.

Basic principles of Taoism during the period of its doctrinal formation

The formation of Taoism took place under the strong oppositional influence of Confucianism. Historiographer Sima Qian notes in his work: “People who study [the teachings of] Lao Tzu reject Confucianism, and Confucians reject Lao Tzu.”

This feature of Taoism even allowed one of the outstanding sinologists of the 19th century, Academician V.P. Vasiliev, to assert that “ general connection of all heterogeneous systems of Taoism lies in their protest against Confucianism, in accepting exactly what is not in accordance with this teaching, in uniting all those who are dissatisfied under one banner.”

Despite the fact that the legendary sage Lao Tzu is considered in Taoism to be the author of the key book of Taoism - "Tao Te Ching", this text was not written in the 6th century BC. e., which includes the life time of the teacher. This treatise dates from III century BC uh. This statement is supported by both the language of the work and the absence of references to this most important text of the Taoist tradition until the same 3rd century BC. e.

One of the first ideologists of the nascent Taoism and the founders of the religious tradition was a man named Yang Zhu, also known as Yang Zi or Yang Shen(440/414–380/360 BC).

In a Taoist treatise of the 3rd century BC. e. "Le Tzu" there is a chapter “Yan Zhu” devoted to the judgments of this thinker, in which, in particular, the following words of the philosopher are given:

“The people of antiquity did not agree to lose even one hair in order to benefit the Celestial Empire, and if the entire Celestial Empire was presented to one of them, [he] did not take it.”

In a text from the 3rd century BC. e. "Lu-shi chun qiu"(“Spring and Autumn of Mr. Liu”) it is said: “Yang Shen valued himself” (XVII, 7). Another work of the same era, Han Fei Tzu, named after the author, says:

“There is a man whose principle is not to enter a city that is in danger and not to remain among the troops. Even for the great benefit of the entire Celestial Empire, he would not give a hair from his shin... He despises things and values ​​life.”

If we summarize the above quotes, we get the most important life principles of Yang Zhu: "every man for himself" And “to despise things and value life”. Both theses eventually became fundamental to the Taoist tradition, which creatively developed these ideas.

Indicative in this regard is the text from the second most authoritative Taoist treatise “ Chuang Tzu"(III century BC), describing an episode from the life of the ideal ruler of antiquity - Emperor Yao, who found a man superior to him in wisdom, decided to hand over the reins of power to him and heard the following in response:

“Under your rule, the Celestial Empire is thriving, why should I change you on the throne? For the sake of a big name? But the name before the essence of things is like a guest before the host. So should I really take the guest's place? A bird building a nest in the forest is content with one branch. A field mouse that comes to a river to drink will drink exactly as much water as its belly can hold. Go, dear one, back to where you came from. The heavenly world is of no use to me!”

As can be seen from the above passage, the sage values ​​his life in obscurity much more than all the things of the Universe that are in the possession of the emperor, and therefore refuses to possess it even when he is given this power without any effort on his part.

Key Texts of Taoism

Having outlined the main ideas of Taoism, we come to the question of the main books of the Taoist tradition.

1. “Tao de jing” (“Treatise on the path and good power of de”)

This book, fundamental to Taoism, consists of five thousand hieroglyphs and is divided into 81 short chapter- Zhang. Its text is quite mysterious in content. Each of the zhangs, as a rule, has several interpretations. The treatise describes in apophatic style what it is Tao, endowing it primarily with the attributes of the divine, impersonal beginning of all existence, and also tells about the good power de, which is a way of manifestation Tao V physical world. The text is traditionally attributed to Lao Tzu, and is therefore often inscribed with the philosopher's name as an alternative title. Meanwhile, the treatise appeared no earlier than the 3rd century BC. e., that is, much later than the estimated time of life of the mythical founder of Taoism. Nevertheless, Lao Tzu can well be considered the ideological inspirer and spiritual author of this book, which became one of the key works of the Taoist religious and cultural tradition.

2. "Zhuang Tzu"

This is the second most important treatise in Taoism, named after one of the probable authors - the philosopher Zhuang Tzu (369-286 BC). At least the Taoist tradition itself ascribes to this person the honor of writing this work. The treatise is clearly polemical in nature in relation to Confucianism, rejecting, following the Tao Te Ching, the idea of ​​​​the moral and practical value of rituals (for more information about the role of rituals in Chinese society, see the chapter “Confucianism”). Here, with the help of images, the idea is expressed about the relativity of human knowledge, as, indeed, about the relativity of everything that exists in general.

3. "Le Tzu"

This book is named after its author, who is also called Le Yu-kou. The original version of the work was lost in the 4th century BC. e. restored from memory, and also supplemented with comments by Zhang Zhan, one of the most famous interpreters of the treatise. The text is divided into eight parts - kicks. The content of the book is quite eclectic and follows the teachings of the early Taoists. The influence of Chuang Tzu's treatise, elements of which are included in the text, is also noticeable in it. The treatise sets out the principles of Taoist natural philosophy and the cosmology associated with it: in particular, the doctrine of the emanation of Tao, as a result of which all the multitude of things appear. It also affirms the idea of ​​the exclusive value of a person’s personal well-being as opposed to its social benefit.

However, the books listed do not exhaust the corpus of texts revered among Taoists. At different times, other books were also used in religious communities, telling, in particular, about ways to achieve immortality both through alchemical actions and through the constant use of special psychophysical practices.

Basic categorical concepts and deities in Taoism

Category Tao

The main basic category of Taoism is Tao. The hieroglyph that denotes this concept has in Chinese many meanings, among them it is worth paying special attention to the following:

– “pattern”, “principle”;

- "way";

- "speak".

In the religious and philosophical system of Taoism itself, the term "Tao" means the origin from which every being arises, and at the same time the basic law of the existence of the Universe, which explains the emergence and existence of all things.

Researchers note that the key book of Taoism, “Tao Te Ching,” talks about two types Tao: Tao wu ming And Dao yu ming.

Tao wu ming– nameless and permanent. It is the source (“mother”) of all being, in fact, the entire Universe.

In the knowledge of “Tao in itself,” the mind is powerless, as well as all human feelings and abilities. Taoist texts explicitly state that Tao in itself is inaccessible to human perception and impossible to come into contact with.

“The Tao is empty, but inexhaustible in application. O deepest! It seems to be the forefather of all things.”

“The transformations of the invisible [tao] are endless. [Tao] is the deepest gate of birth - the root of heaven and earth.<...>[It] exists [eternally] like an endless thread, its action is inexhaustible.”

(Tao Te Ching, 6 Zhang)

“I look at him and don’t see him, and therefore I call him invisible. I listen to it and don’t hear it, and therefore I call it inaudible. I try to grab it and can’t reach it, so I call it the smallest. There is no need to strive to find out the source of this, because it is one.<...>It is infinite and cannot be named. It returns to nothingness again. And so they call it a form without forms, an image without a being. That is why they call it unclear and foggy. I meet him and don’t see his face. I follow him and don’t see his back.”

(Tao Te Ching, 14 Zhang)

“The Tao is eternal and nameless. Although it is insignificant, no one in the world can subjugate it.”

(Tao Te Ching, 32 Zhang)

Dao yu ming– named and not permanent. Like a nursing mother, she nurtures all that exists, the “darkness of things,” that is, the entire existing variety of objects and phenomena.

This Tao revealed in the world and accessible to man for knowledge. Otherwise this way of existence Tao called de. The latter term is usually translated as "good power" or "virtue", and it is the second basic term of Taoism.

“Tao gives birth to [things], de nourishes [them], nurtures [them], educates [them], perfects [them], makes [them] mature, cares for [them], supports [them]. To create and not to appropriate, to create and not to boast, being an elder, not to command - this is what is called the deepest de".

(Tao Te Ching, 51 Zhang)

Reverence Tao may initially lead to the idea that Taoism is close in essence to a monotheistic religion. But this first impression is deceiving. The Taoist pantheon includes many different deities borrowed from folk religion, as well as other religious traditions (for example, Buddhism).

Deities of the Taoist pantheon

Conventionally, all gods can be divided into "pre-celestial"(xian tian) that existed before being visible world, And "after heaven"(hou tian) who lived on Earth in human nature and achieved immortality. The latter also include junior divine characters. The next step after Tao occupy "three pure"(san qing):

– Yuanshi tianzun (“Primordial Heavenly Lord”);

– Ling-bao tianzun (“Heavenly Venerable Spiritual Jewel”);

– Tai-shan Lao-jun (“The Highest Lord Lao, the Highest Ancient Ruler”), one of whose incarnations is recognized as the founder of Taoism Lao Tzu.

Below in the hierarchy is Jade Emperor (Yudi)- a deity who rules the heavens and cares about the destinies of people.

Similar in function to him Lady of the West (Si-wan-mu). She is believed to live on Mount Kunlun (cf. axis mundi). She is called the keeper of the gates of life, which the Lady of the West opens and closes for people. Obviously, in this case we are presented with a personification of female sacredness with bipolar functions: the giver of life and the giver of death.

Rules the kingdom of the dead Heavenly Venerable Great One (Tai-i tian-tsun).

Of the “post-heavenly” characters, the most revered are eight immortals (ba xian), that is, eight ancient Taoists who achieved immortality and gained the ability to perform miracles.

Qi category

To understand the structure of the universe, special mention should be made of such an important category of Chinese cultural tradition as qi.

Etymologically qi meant "steam over sacrificial rice". Later the term became polysemic, that is, polysemantic. The semantic field of the word has expanded quite widely and began to include such meanings as “matter”, “pneuma”, “ether”, “spirit”, “energy”. It is precisely this polysemy of the word that makes it difficult to accurately translate into other languages. It is significant that some translators preferred to leave the word “qi” without translation, rendering it in Russian letters. Undoubtedly, such an approach is largely justified, but the term in this case still requires explanation, which, in fact, under qi understood.

Perhaps the most accurate meaning of the term can be conveyed by the word "elements" or "particles". These elements have both material and spiritual dimensions. Concentrating and condensing, qi create matter, discharging and soaring above matter, forming spirit. Thus, Taoism, following the general Chinese worldview, does not posit a rigid boundary between the material and spiritual world.

Cosmology of Taoism

“Man takes the Earth as a model, the Earth takes Heaven as a model, Heaven takes Tao as a model, and Tao takes self-naturalness as a model,” says 25 Zhang Tao Te Ching.

In the passage quoted, cosmology is presented in ascending gradation. It is significant that nothing can be placed ontologically higher than Tao. And that is why it is impossible for him to “take anything as a model” except himself.

You should also pay attention to the fact that man, despite the rationality of his nature, stands at the bottom of the cosmological hierarchical ladder. This is by no means accidental.

Why this is so can be understood by comparing the above passage with Zhang 42 of the Tao Te Ching. Here cosmogony is represented symbolically, through numbers. For the sake of accuracy of thought, we present a literal translation of this passage made by Professor E. A. Torchinov:

"Tao gives birth to one. One gives birth to two. Two makes three. Three gives birth to all things (lit. "ten thousand things"). Everything that exists bears on itself yin and hugs yang.

These pneumas ( qi) interact and form harmony.”

In the second of the above quotes, on the contrary, cosmology is presented not only in descending gradation, but also in chronological, that is, in cosmogonic order.

The source of everything is recognized Tao, which indirectly generates everything that exists. According to the authoritative interpretation of this text, made in accordance with the Taoist tradition, by one of the most famous experts and translators of ancient texts of China into Russian, Yang Hing Shun, “ one<...>means chaos, consisting of tiny particles qi, as the original form of existence Tao. Two- light and heavy qi, from which arose three- heaven, earth and man."

Continuing the logic of the exegesis proposed for this text, it should be said that “ten thousand things” is the totality of all the elements of the Universe, in which two principles operate (in a more archaic interpretation, two interpenetrating and complementary spirits) yang And yin bringing everything into harmony with the help of their qi.

This text obviously correlates with the myth of chaos recorded in one of the key Taoist treatises, Zhuang Tzu. From the Taoist perspective, the origin is now existing world is thought of as a tragedy, for it is realized as a result of emanation Tao, and also thanks to the constant multiplication and complication of everything that Tao is happening. The result of this is the separation of every thing and every being from its source. Therefore, to overcome the tragedy of existence, one should become like Tao, the basic categories of which are "emptiness"(Xu) And "simplicity"(gu dan– lit. "great simplicity") In this regard, even chaos is preferable to orderliness and structure, because it is less distant from the universal principle. However, the world is in a constant state of change. This idea is reflected in the concept of the struggle of opposites and their mutual transition. Everything turns into its opposite. Therefore, the author of the Tao Te Ching, referring to the judgments of the ancients, testifies:

“In ancient times they said: the defective becomes perfect, the crooked becomes straight, the empty becomes filled, the old is replaced by the new; by striving for little, you achieve a lot; the desire to get a lot leads to delusions.”

Ways to achieve unity with Tao

How is it proposed to achieve unity with the Tao? If we try to formulate the essence of what is proposed to be done, then we can say that the adept needs to dematerialize his body. To do this, you should weaken the bodily, carnal principle in yourself, refine your body, making it capable of existing in the general rhythm of the Universe, which receives strength for its existence from Tao.

For this purpose, Taoism has developed a whole range of various means. Together they formed a complex system known as "nurturing life"(yang sheng) or more broadly – "arts of Tao"(dao shu).

Anyone embarking on the path to achieving immortality should begin with fasting, which is of a ritual nature and is intended to prepare the adept for subsequent religious actions (as a method of ritual purification). In addition, fasting also performs a nutritional function that regulates body processes.

The literal name of fasting in the Taoist tradition is jue wu gui("giving up the five grains"), that is, abstaining from eating food prepared using grains. The ideal degree of fasting was considered to be complete abstinence from food, at least for the maximum possible time.

There was a theory of feeding exclusively on special extracts prepared using herbs and mineral potions, which should, among other things, sharply increase the endurance and strength of the adept, and give special sharpness to all senses. The listed methods served as a means of acquiring more “subtle”, incorporeal sources of vital energy qi.

In the ultimate state, the Taoist had to master the practice of assimilating qi(read: “nutrition”) through swallowing one’s own saliva, which was considered as a materialized substrate qi, as well as through the respiratory complex ( xing qi) and gymnastic ( daoyin) methods.

A separate topic related to the problems described is the so-called interior art(fanzhong zhi shu). This term meant a special technique of sexual relations. Following it, the adept could not waste his vital energy, the material substrate of which was considered the seed, but direct it to the upper “cinnabar field,” thereby helping to preserve vital forces and even increase them.

In addition, the adept had to master the technique of meditation, denoted in Chinese by the term ching si. It is no easier to convey the exact meaning of this word than the meaning of the term “ qi" Obviously, the optimal translation would be ching si as "concentration of thought."

Taoists distinguished two types of meditative states:

1) Guan(“contemplation”) In a state of guan a person achieves absolute peace of mind,

when all surrounding objects are perceived as the background of waking consciousness;

2) Dean(“fix”), or show and("keeping one")

Probably, by “one” was meant in this case the same thing as in the text from Zhang 42 of the Tao Te Ching: “The Tao gives birth one", that is, a synonym for primordial energy ( qi), generated Tao. In addition, in Taoist texts, “one” often meant the entire cosmos, the entire Universe. At the same time, we should not forget that man was perceived as a microcosm, a small Universe. Meditation was supposed to lead the adept to the awareness of this identity.

A special form of meditation is cun xiang(“visualization technique”) or, in other words, the creation of mental images and interaction with them as if they really existed.

In fact, in this state, the Taoist, who creates mental images, endows them with existence and at the same time realizes the identity of the cosmos and his body, acquired the position of the creator of a new reality in which the achievement of immortality became possible.

So, the second component of Taoist asceticism is performing various psychophysical exercises, described in detail in ancient texts.

The search for the elixir of immortality

Along with the listed methods, the Taoists, who paid great attention to nutritional methods, were actively searching for substances, the consumption of which would be capable of granting immortality. In other words, great efforts were made to obtain the elixir of immortality.

One of the proposed ways to achieve what was desired was to obtain an elixir in the form of herbal potions ( yao), made from special plants (optionally mushrooms) or their fruits.

In particular, it is known that in the IV-III centuries BC. e. some sovereigns, for example, the rulers of the kingdom of Qi - Wei-wang, Xuan-wang, as well as the ruler of the kingdom of Yan - Zhao-wang, organized expeditions to remote mountain islands (Fangzhang, Yingzhou, Penglai), located in the eastern ocean. They live there immortals(Shen Xiang) and grow amazing plants, containing the desired elixir.

However, the expeditions, for obvious reasons, were not successful, because, according to Sima Qian, “those<...>those who did not reach [the mountains] saw them like clouds; when they came closer, these three sacred mountains went under water. When they sailed to that place, the wind suddenly carried the ships away, [and those sent] in the end could not reach [the goal].”

At the same time, attempts to obtain the elixir contributed to the emergence and active development of laboratory alchemy, also called “ external" (wai dan). The period of its heyday dates back to the 3rd-5th centuries AD. e. In the 9th century AD. e. This technique was greatly discredited by the death of several sovereigns who were poisoned by the elixirs they took. It is likely that the products they used contained a significant percentage of mercury and lead.

Inner Alchemy

The above tragic circumstances and the failure of the alchemical “mission” contributed to the rethinking of the categories of “external” alchemy and endowing them with new symbolic meaning. Now the Taoists insisted that all laboratory terms should be understood figuratively. They are nothing more than a figurative reflection of certain states of physiological systems and processes in the body of an adept who practices special methods of psychotechnics (including the breathing techniques described above, gymnastic exercises and the “art of inner chambers”). As a result, the so-called “ inner alchemy" (nay tribute).

The change in understanding of the very object that bestows immortality is indicative. Now this is not a substance or drug external to a person, but something that must be generated inside his body. Thus, an idea is formed about "immortal embryo"(xian tai), which is capable of becoming a new immortal body. The embryo is conceived in the body of a Taoist using hierogamy yang qi And yin qi in the lower cinnabar field thanks to the careful execution of the entire complex of Taoist religious practice.

As soon as "immortal embryo" appeared in the body of an ascetic, it is necessary to abandon breathing exercises and master "embryonic respiration" (tai si). Its essence lies in the ability to breathe without using the lungs. In one of the Taoist treatises on internal alchemy we read: “A person who has mastered embryonic breathing can breathe without using the nose and mouth, like a fetus in the womb.”

This method is mastered by weakening breathing and holding it, correlated with different numbers of heart beats.

After the required period of gestation, the embryo matures, and the crucial moment of “birth” occurs. During the “birth” process, the adept lifts the embryo along the spine to the top of the head, from where it is born.

After this, the newborn baby must return to the ascetic’s gross “mother’s” body in order to finally transform and spiritualize it. Upon completion of this process, the Taoist gains immortality in a completely changed body, completely identical to the body of the baby he generated.

Another option for the development of events is also possible: identifying oneself with the newborn and leaving one’s previous body.

Types of immortals in Taoism

Thus we come to the question of the different types of immortals revered in Taoism. Medieval texts (and the classic here is Ge Hong’s Baopuzi, already cited above) offer the following classification:

1) “heavenly immortals”(tian xian), ascended to heaven and settled in the astral chambers, taking a place in the divine bureaucracy of the heavenly deities;

2) “earthly immortals”(di xian), hiding in the "famous mountains" ( ming shan) or "cave heavens" ( dong tian); some of them continue Taoist practice for ascension to heaven;

3) “immortals freed from the corpse”(shi jie xian), who gained earthly immortality through death and resurrection.

Later, the classification of immortals became even more detailed and widespread.

Life principles and ethical standards of Taoism

The ideal of man in Taoism is expressed by the term "perfectly wise"(sheng) or, more precisely, "perfectly wise man"(sheng ren).

In contrast to the Confucian approach, the sage is by no means humane and fair: he implements in his life the principle of attitude towards people recorded in the Tao Te Ching:

“Heaven and Earth are devoid of humanity, For them all things are like straw dogs. A wise man is deprived of humanity, For him all people are like straw dogs.”

The straw dogs mentioned are ritual figurines brought as offerings to the spirits of ancestors in Confucian ritual, and at the end of the ceremonies they were thrown away or simply burned as unnecessary. In other words, the ideal person, realizing the principle of the existence of Tao, located on the other side of good and evil, treats people with absolute indifference: he is not pleased with their achievements and is not upset by their troubles.

IN socially Taoists generally tried to remove themselves from the life of the human community. Therefore, the classic image of a Taoist is a hermit living outside a city or village, which, however, did not exclude, and in some versions of the tradition even implied, marital status.

According to this, the basic life principle of Taoism is "inaction"(wu wei), a special case of which can be considered "non-utterance"(Bu Yan):

«<...>a wise man devotes himself to the work of non-action and puts into practice a teaching that cannot be contained in words.”

Let us pay attention to the proposed formulation. Inaction presented here as a special case. This paradoxical judgment points to the fact that Taoism does not propose absolute inactivity, detachment from any actions. We are talking about the refusal of purposeful activity, of pragmatically structured goal setting. For as soon as a goal appears, the desire to achieve it arises, and this contradicts the way of existence Tao. Every business should be spontaneous and express an inner impulse, and not follow a well-thought-out algorithm, since complexity, precision, orderliness only removes us from simplicity and naturalness, which are integral attributes Tao.

Accordingly, and non-speaking does not imply silence and a vow of silence, but only the rejection of verbosity and refined, sophisticated speeches according to the principle “don’t say - and there will be nothing left unsaid.”

The described norms of behavior, according to Taoists, reflect the principle of existence Tao, which gives origin to everything, but it itself remains in a state of natural emptiness(Xu).

As an example demonstrating the benefits of emptiness in Zhang 5 of the Tao Te Ching, already cited above, the image of bellows is given, which, the more emptiness they contain, the more effective:

“The space between Heaven and Earth is like a blacksmith’s bellows: Empty - but cannot be eliminated, Push - and even more will come out.”

Nevertheless, the sought-after efficiency is by no means identical to social benefit and is even to some extent the opposite of it. This opposition becomes quite understandable if we consider that the Taoists proclaimed the main goal of human existence to be the embodiment of the thesis "Live long without dying". In its ultimate meaning, this meant the achievement of immortality. However, given the dangers encountered in every person’s life, this is extremely difficult.

Accordingly, in order to implement this principle, it is necessary to live in such a way as not to attract attention to oneself, and learn to be content with little. There are passages in Chuang Tzu that demonstrate usefulness of the useless:

“The trees in the forest themselves attract the ax. The oil in the lamp burns itself. The cinnamon tree gives off a fragrance and is cut down. Lacquer tree useful for people - and they hammer it. Everyone knows the benefits of useful things, but no one knows the benefits of useless things.”

As a counterexample, here is an image of an oak tree and the reason why it could save itself from the woodcutter's ax:

“The branches of the tree are so crooked that neither pillars nor rafters can be made from them. He looked down at its mighty root and saw that it was so tortuous that you couldn’t hollow out a coffin from it. If you lick its leaf, your mouth will ache with bitterness! You inhale the smell it emits and you walk around stupefied for three days. Tzu-Qi [ one of the characters in the book of Chuang Tzu. – Note. prot. OK.] said: “This is a good-for-nothing tree, that’s why it grew so huge. Now I understand why the brightest people in the world are made of material that no one needs!”

The oak itself in the following words testifies to its abilities and successes:

“I have long been striving to become completely useless, and now, in my declining years, I have achieved my goal. My uselessness for others is very useful for myself! Well, if I turned out to be useful to others, would I be able to grow so huge?

So, the above arguments clearly demonstrate the personal benefit of one’s own social uselessness in the context of the Taoist understanding of man and his calling.

At the same time, the above quotes give a clear idea that Taoism, as a religion with very archaic roots going back to the shamanic practices of antiquity, had little interest in ethics. However, for a long time he was forced to withstand fierce competition, first with Confucianism, and then with Buddhism, which came to China.

This forced the Taoists to formulate certain ethical principles in relation to human society. So, in the 12th century AD. e. At school "Teaching of the True Great Tao"(zhen da dao jiao) The following set of moral rules appears:

1 . You should treat others as you treat yourself and avoid bad emotions directed at your neighbors.

2 . One should be loyal to the sovereign, respectful to relatives and sincere with other people. It is necessary to refrain from slander.

3 . You should cleanse your heart from passions and thoughts of depravity.

4 . You should move away from power and wealth and live by your own labor.

5 . You should not become attached to things, because such attachment gives rise to robber thoughts.

6 . One should abstain from drinking wine, be moderate in food and clothing, and be content with little.

7 . One should get rid of egoism, eradicate the idea of ​​​​the independent existence of one’s “I” and strive for unity with other people.

8 . Don't rely on force. Avoid complacency and pride.

9 . The heart must be balanced. Relying only on own strength fails.

The listed norms, with all their obvious simplicity and even some naivety, demonstrate the remarkable claim of Taoism to the role of a moral system that seeks to set moral coordinates for society. However, such a movement never became central to the Taoist tradition.

Liturgical practice and private rites in Taoism

The classical norms of Taoist worship, primarily public, are illustrated by the modern liturgical practice of Taoist communities that exist to this day in Taiwan.

Religious ceremonies are performed here by representatives of the priestly class, which is presented in the form of a two-tier hierarchy. The highest level is occupied dao shi(lit. “guides of the path”), also called u tou(lit. “black-headed”) in accordance with the headdresses befitting their rank. They have the right to commit jiao– Taoist liturgy, which is a ritual act of cosmic renewal. It is held every first and fifteenth day of the month. The service is performed in the ancient Chinese literary language, which only the most educated Chinese can understand. If necessary dao shi They can also perform those rituals that are usually performed by the lower clergy.

The lowest level is occupied fa shi(lit. “teachers of the law”), also called Hong Tou(lit. “red-headed”). They send services to spoken language, dedicated to lower deities, as well as private rituals (for example, exorcism of demons).

Regarding temples, it should be said that many sanctuaries are not actually Taoist, but are sacred buildings in honor of local deities.

Of the services, the most notable is ritual of “cosmic rebirth”, carried out once during the 60-year calendar cycle. Other regular liturgical services are also tied to the cycle of the traditional calendar.

Purification rituals are widespread - zhai jiao(zhai- “post”). Some ceremonies involve multi-day rituals. The most common private services are funeral ceremonies and rites of remembrance of the dead, as well as prayer services on a person’s birthday or memorable dates of a person’s life.

Along with the actual liturgical actions, the Taoists used and are actively using a set of methods and means that can rightfully be called magical or close to such.

In particular, it was very common to make amulets(ugh). It was believed that they were able to save a person from the action of demons and from physical disasters (diseases, wounds). The following practice is also curious: a Taoist initiate would inscribe a sacred symbol on silk, after which the ink would be washed off with water, which was believed to acquire miraculous properties as a result, including the ability to heal diseases.

Along with the use of amulets, Taoists actively practiced astrology, which, however, was not exclusively their responsibility, but was quite widespread in China and was called art “ celestial signs" (tian wen).

In addition, it was extremely important in Taoist communities geomancy(Feng Shui– lit. “wind and water”) is the art of harmonious, symbolic development of space. This term has traditionally been understood as a complex of knowledge about the coordination of the influence of celestial bodies with the energies of the earth. The Chinese name for this esoteric practice has entered many modern languages ​​without translation.

Literature

Vasilyev V. P. Religions of the East: Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. M.: Librocom, 2013. Vasiliev L.S. History of Eastern religions: textbook. manual for universities; 4th ed. M.: University, 1999.

Werner E. Myths and legends of China / trans. from English S. Fedorov. M.: Tsentrpoligraf, 2007. Tao Te Ching // Ancient Chinese Philosophy. Collected texts in 2 volumes. T. 1. M.: Mysl, 1972.

Spiritual culture of China: encyclopedia: in 5 volumes. T. 2. Mythology. Religion / ed. M. L. Titarenko, B. L. Riftina, A. I. Kobzeva, A. E. Lukyanova, D. G. Glaveva, S. M. Anikeeva. M.: Eastern literature, 2007.

Ezhov V.V. Myths of ancient China. M.: Astrel: ACT, 2004. Tao-Te Ching / Lao Tzu; trans., comment. V.V. Malyavina. M.: Feoriya, 2013.

Le Tzu// Ancient Chinese philosophy. Collected texts in 2 volumes. T. 1. M.: Mysl, 1972. Ways of gaining immortality. Taoism in research and translation by E. A. Torchinov. St. Petersburg: ABC-classics - St. Petersburg Oriental Studies, 2007.

The path of gold and cinnabar: Taoist practices in research and translation by E.A. Torchinova. St. Petersburg: ABC-classics - St. Petersburg Oriental Studies, 2007.

Religions of China. Reader / comp. E. A. Torchinov. St. Petersburg: Eurasia, 2001.

Torchinov E.A. Taoism: Experience in historical and religious description. St. Petersburg: Andreev and sons, 1993.

Torchinov E. A. Religions of the world: experience of the beyond. Psychotechnics and transpersonal states. St. Petersburg: ABC-classics-Petersburg Oriental Studies, 2007.

Williams C. Chinese culture: myths, heroes, symbols / trans. from English S. Fedorov. M.: Tsentrpoligraf, 2011.

Feng-Yu-Lan. A Brief History of Chinese Philosophy. St. Petersburg, 1998.

Chuang Tzu. Le Tzu / trans. from Chinese, intro. Art. and approx. V.V. Malyavina. M.: Mysl, 1995.

Life in a Taoist monastery. Conversation with the abbot of the Taoist monastery Liao Shifu

The Taoist theme in Moscow today is perhaps one of the most mysterious and mystified, as a result of which my interest in the life of “real” Taoists was gigantic.

The life of Taoist monks is simple and the untrained eye of a layman will have difficulty distinguishing the life of Taoist monks from the life of Orthodox monks. The temple consists of 2 floors. The earthly floor, the first, is occupied by women, the 2nd floor, the heavenly floor, is occupied by male monks. Taoist monks adhere to strict asceticism and a vegetarian diet.

The monks get up at half past four and carry out morning service, after which the female monks go to prepare food, and the male monks go either to work on a construction site or in the field. With my own eyes, I did not see any mass meditations, qigong, wushu, etc. in the temple. Kostya, who visited China more than 30 times, said that everything is different in each temple, but in general this is how the life of all the monasteries where he was: harsh and simple. The image of a monk meditating between wushu training or tantric exercises is connected with reality very conditionally. And this connection in most cases is determined by economics. Indeed, in China there are monasteries, such as Shaolin, where Wushu is taught (most often to Europeans and Americans), but most of these monasteries are no more than 30 years old and they are usually created like tourist centers.

Each monastery has its own rules. Due to the commercialization of China, there are more and more “hotel type” monasteries in the mountains. There are fixed rates for accommodation and the amenities of a 3-star hotel. Our monastery belonged to a different category. The monks sheltered and fed us, just as they would feed any other traveler. There was no fixed fee. Everyone left as much as they saw fit for the donation.

In addition to money, I left several paintings as a gift to the monastery, which I painted at the monastery. The Chinese were very surprised that the Europeans “can do that too.” Abbot Liao Shifu really liked the paintings and he decorated them with calligraphic inscriptions (Liao Shifu is an excellent calligrapher). Liao Shifu suggested that I come with the seal next time.

As for the monks of our monastery, each monk chose his own type of practice. Here, abbot Liao Shifu, in addition to all his other functions, spent the evenings doing calligraphy, writing prayers and charging amulets. As I already wrote above,

the abbot was a true master of calligraphy; he flawlessly wrote hieroglyphs consisting of dozens of strokes with the tip of a brush. Each hieroglyph was no larger than a quarter of my little finger in area. The Taoists spent their evenings mostly “in their rooms.” Of course, I don’t know what the Taoists were doing in their cells. I'm only saying what I saw. As far as I understand, Taoists adhere mainly to the principle of occupational therapy, like our Orthodox monks.

The second service in the Taoist temple took place at 18.00, at sunset. After dinner, the workers who helped reconstruct the temple gathered around the TV and watched a Chinese television series about civil war. The plot was incredibly drawn out and tortured, worse than in the Mexican 2000-episode dramas, it was filmed terribly, but the Chinese could not take their eyes off the blue screen and heatedly discussed the plot twists. Sometimes Liao Shifu joined the TV viewers.

Liao Shifu is an extremely respected person. On weekends, the monastery was filled with crowds of lay people from the nearby city, eager to have an audience with the abbot, and he accepted everyone. Among the laity there were businessmen and mothers with young children and many others. And yet, despite his high rank, Abbot Liao was very easy to communicate with, open and extremely friendly. On the first morning after our arrival, over tea, I asked Abbot Liao Shifu to answer our questions. He generously agreed. He is over 45 years old and looked at most 30. Liao is the name of the abbot, Shifu, from Chinese - “chief”. But due to the influence of mass cartoon culture on my mind, I didn’t call him anything other than “Master Shifu” (keeping in mind the cartoon “Kung Fu Panda”).

I convey our conversation over tea as truthfully as possible. Although, I can tell you that I communicated with Liao Shifu through the translator Oleg. And Liao spoke one of the southern Chinese dialects and the translator sometimes could not understand Liao's words. Plus, we must take into account that I myself could have distorted some things, because... I recorded this conversation only a week after it took place.

Me: - I heard that there are several types of Taoists, there are those who live alone and there are entire monastic communities, is this true? And what is the difference between them.

Liao Shifu: - Taoism does not in any way tie you to life in a monastic community. Still, everyone practices separately, everyone looks for their own path and practices in their own way. Some people choose to help others as a practice and follow their path of helping others and accepting help from others. These people usually go to a monastery. Other daredevils go to the mountains and live there alone with nature and thus solve their problems themselves, without involving external people in this process. Some of these hermits lived to be 200 years old and are still alive. But in any case, everyone goes their own way, it’s just that different people choose different types of practices.

Me: - Liao Shifu, why did you choose Taoism?

Liao Shifu: - Taoism is the most ancient cultural movement in China and has always been the guiding finger of the development of our country. Taoism helps you find your way in life. (He also said a few more phrases, but alas, the capabilities of our translators were limited)

Me: - Liao Shifu, tell me, what is the principle of Taoist non-action?

Liao Shifu: The principle of non-action is the adequacy of reality. The ability to listen to the outside world and respond adequately without delay, following only your own path, and not your selfish impulses. That is, doing not what you want to do, but what will be adequate to external conditions. For example, when you are driving a car, you can also follow the principle of non-action, that is, react adequately in time to external factors, and don’t press the pedal when you want to push and turn when you want to turn, just don’t cling to the rules of the road. You just need to be attentive and adequate, and then it will be inaction, then you will follow your life path and you won't get lost.

Me: - I heard that non-action is also a type of practice. For example, too much rice and buckwheat, or red beans from white ones. Is it true?

Liao Shifu: - I haven’t heard anything about such practices. But in general, the principle of non-action applies to any activity.

Me: - Liao Shifu, many in Moscow understand Taoism as various types of bodily, tantric and sexual practices. Tell me, do Taoists practice these types of practices?

Liao Shifu: - I heard that in ancient times the Taoists practiced something similar, but these practices, especially those related to sex, were extremely dangerous and those who practiced them rarely avoided falling and in most cases turned away from their path. As far as I can remember, Taoists take a vow of celibacy and do not use sexual practices in order to avoid the disgrace when people pass one thing off as another and as a result do not follow their Tao, but only their ego, as is happening... in your Moscow.

Me: - Here in Moscow, I often heard incredible magical stories about Taoists. Tell me whether Taoism contains a magical, mystical part, for example the magic of talismans.

Liao Shifu: The Path of Tao is one, and ordinary life and the magic of talismans and much more, all this is part of the path and must be harmoniously combined with each other. If one of the parts begins to greatly outweigh, a person goes astray.

Me: - In Moscow they talk a lot about Feng Shui, you can buy a lot of books, but the authors in most cases are Russian or American. What have you heard about Feng Shui, how was Feng Shui used in the construction of this temple, and was it used?

Liao Shifu: - If you want to learn Feng Shui, you need to find a good teacher and follow in his footsteps and avoid reading books on this topic at all costs. The fact is that there is a lot of creativity in Feng Shui, each master has his own understanding of Feng Shui, different from the understanding of another master. For example, this is what happened with this temple: It was founded in the late 70s on the path leading to the holy mountain spring. Initially, they invited a Feng Shui master and asked him if it was possible to build a temple here. He thought, looked and said that there was “no feng shui” here and the place was unsuitable. The construction of the temple was postponed.

A few years later, another master came and said that this place was ideal for a temple, after which they began to build the temple.

Inspired interesting topic, our companion Lena, who was a student of the famous Moscow Feng Shui masters May Bogachikhin and Bronislav Vinogrodsky, began asking Liao Shifu about Feng Shui little things, for example about a coin that oscillates on a string, like a pendulum, and every time Liao Shifu made round eyes and said that there was nothing like that I haven't heard of it before.

Many other topics were touched upon in the conversation, but they were not of particular importance to me.

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Are you able to understand and accept the Tao?

I'm sure everyone is capable of this. But not everyone has thought about it yet. If you are holding this book in your hands, then you already understand what amazing wisdom you are about to touch. And for those who still doubt their abilities, I suggest answering the following questions:

1. Are you ready to open your heart, soul and brain to new information?

2. After a stressful day working day Are you looking for a relaxing holiday?

3. Do you like looking at fire?

4. Do you like to watch moving water (waterfall, river, rain)?

5. Would you enjoy a walk along a shady alley after work?

6. Can you feel comfortable being alone with yourself for some time?

7. Does bustle tire you?

8. Do you like to listen to the sounds of nature?

9. Can you for some time replace the useless switching of TV channels with contemplation from the window of your apartment or house?

10. When you walk down the street, do you look not only at your feet, straight ahead, to the sides, but also up?

If you gave at least three affirmative answers, you will find your path to Tao.

You are on the right track!

In ancient times, there were many different Taoist schools and movements, and each school cultivated its own way of achieving health and longevity. The exercises you will learn about in this book were developed by monks from a school in the Huashan Mountains. Taoist monks passed on this knowledge by word of mouth for many generations, never trusting their secrets to paper. Exercise involves both action and inaction and serves to improve the health of both the external and internal parts of the body. These include qigong(breathing exercises), massage, jujitsu(soft movements), as well as harmonization of vital energy and mouth breathing. These exercises also have a distinctive feature that makes them unlike any other. health complex, is “work xiadan(lower abdomen)."

Why this particular part of the body? Xiadan is a term used by the Huashan Mountains Taoist school. In traditional Chinese medicine, it refers to the kidneys, an internal organ related to the reproductive system.

According to the ancient concepts of Chinese medicine, it is the kidneys that are the internal source where vital energy is accumulated and where, therefore, the source of life is located. The processes of growth, development and aging of the human body are closely related to the functioning of the kidneys. Those who have this organ healthy and working well live longer and get sick less. Anyone whose kidneys are weak and work poorly grows old and dies early. In general, the root cause of health or illness, early or late aging of a person lies in the strength and vitality of his kidneys. That is why Chinese doctors have always emphasized how important it is to take care of the health of this internal organ.

To make the exercises more effective, I suggest combining them with proper Taoist nutrition.

The classic method of nutrition in Taoism is the method of “nine forms of food fasting” - these are nine stages of unity with the Tao. The first form is vegetarianism, when the priority products are grains and cereals. At the same time, Taoists pay great attention to universal human virtues, since deceitful, unkind people will not be able to achieve immortality. Therefore, Taoists try not to violate the five sacred prohibitions: do not kill, do not drink wine, do not lie, do not steal, do not commit adultery. It is true that most religions in the world have common moral principles.

In order to be convinced of this, compare our Taoist good deeds with your Christian commandments: honor your parents, be faithful to your lord and mentor, have compassion for all creatures, help the suffering even to your own detriment, free animals and birds, build bridges, plant trees , build houses and wells along the roads, instruct foolish people.

The second form is eating raw vegetables and herbs.

The third form prescribes strict discipline in the quantity and timing of food intake. The main thing is not to get completely full and have a “fasting” day once a week.

The fourth form is a very specific nutrition - “semen nutrition”. No, it's not eating the seeds. various plants, as you might think. “Semen feeding” is the ingestion of enchanted water, in which the ashes of burnt paper with images of magical hieroglyphs could have been dissolved. That is, it is in some way spiritual food materialized in ashes.

You will probably be curious to know that saliva in Taoism is considered one of the body's nutritious juices, so it should be “conserved,” that is, not spat out in vain, but swallowed as often as possible. Even special exercises and throat massage have been developed to enhance salivation. You probably guessed that the fifth form is “saliva feeding.”

An even higher form of nutrition is the sixth - “nourishing with light” or “radiance.” Absorption of the light of the sun, moon and stars, which was supposed to nourish the human body with the same power and incorruptibility that these luminaries possess.

The seventh form is “Qi nourishment.” This form includes mastery of various breathing exercises and techniques of in-depth meditation.

The eighth stage is feeding on the “primordial Qi,” i.e., the energy from which the three principles of the World are formed. The Adept, as it were, approaches the original state of the World, joins the “great primordial Emptiness.”

And finally, the highest stage is the ninth - “embryonutrition”, or “embryonic respiration”. According to traditional Taoist concepts, the embryo in the womb does not eat anything - but grows and develops, does not breathe - but lives. Thus, “fetal nutrition” actually means giving up food and breathing. The Taoist “replenishes himself from the Tao” without making any effort.

I hope you understand that all nine nutritional methods can only be used by the most enlightened Taoist monks. You, dear readers, may benefit from the first three forms of nutrition for your health and longevity.

How to do Taoist exercises correctly

Be confident in yourself

Some believe that a person can live up to 120 years or even more. Chinese history knows a lot of people who have crossed the hundred-year mark. Sun Simiao, a famous doctor who lived during the Tang Dynasty, lived to be 102 years old. In April 1980, I met with the doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, Luo Mingshan, from Sichuan province, who continues to work, despite his advanced age (he is already 113 years old), and still sees up to 40 patients every day. However, most people do not live to a very old age. The Chinese have a saying: “You cannot say about someone who died at 60: “He died young,” but very few live to see their seventieth birthday.”

Why can’t people live the entire period allotted to them by nature? Mainly because they can't stay healthy. The exercises for maintaining health discussed in this book summarize the entire experience of Chinese Taoist monks and traditional Chinese medicine.

Any person who diligently and regularly performs them can be sure that he will be able to improve his health, prevent various diseases and lay the foundation for a long life. When performing exercises, be confident in yourself - this is the key to success. Please pay close attention to the instructions and try to follow them as closely as possible. Taoist exercises have proven their effectiveness for centuries, but the best results will be achieved by those who combine the power of these exercises and the power of their will.

Do the exercises in order, step by step.

Taoist exercises are fundamentally different from any sports such as basketball, long-distance running, archery or rowing.

All Olympic sports represent some kind of additional activity that can be attributed either to physical labor, or to military action.

In contrast, Taoist exercises were specifically designed to strengthen the internal organs. That is why, when performing exercises, always remember that haste will only harm you, especially at the beginning of classes.

Don't spend too much time or put in too much effort. Do the exercises slowly, in order. As soon as you feel lightness and a pleasant sensation throughout your body, stop.

Avoid anger, control desires

This rule of maintaining health was proclaimed by Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, who advised to “restrain yourself and limit your desires.” Avoiding anger means maintaining a calm, optimistic and free state of mind.

Controlling desires means not wanting anything unattainable. People always get upset and even depressed if they fail to get what they want.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the seven emotions (joy, anger, melancholy, thoughtfulness, sadness, fear and shock) are the internal factors that lead to illness. Western medicine has already established that excitement increases the amount of adrenaline in the blood, and this, in turn, affects the biological functions of the body. Stress, depression, anger also lead to deterioration in physical condition.

Taoist exercises for maintaining health are designed mainly to regulate the functions of the internal secretion organs. If you are prone to frequent attacks of anger, the effect of exercise will be noticeably lower. Remember this and try to control your emotions, at least during classes. Over time, Taoist exercises will help you manage your emotions the rest of the time.

Think about how young you are and smile

This is a special requirement specific to our exercise system. Students of other Taoist schools simply focus their attention on the lower abdomen. The Chinese say: “He who laughs a lot grows younger, and he who cries a lot turns gray early.” If, when you start doing exercises, you think about how young you are and smile, this will create a favorable atmosphere for exercise. At the same time, it is much easier to have a beneficial effect on the central nervous system, breathing will become smooth, arms and legs will move more freely, you will feel lightness and pleasantness of movement.

Movements should be smooth, round and soft

Taoist exercises can be considered a specific type of rhythmic gymnastics. When performing exercises, make sure that all movements are smooth and round. Relax your muscles, imagine that you have no bones at all in your arms or legs and your movements are similar to those of a cat. All this will help improve blood circulation and vital energy.

Anyone can do Taoist exercises

All exercises can be divided into three stages: main, middle and lower (depending on the posture when performing - high, middle and low). In addition, they can be performed at different speeds - quickly, at a normal pace and slowly. When starting classes, determine the optimal position and speed of exercise for yourself (taking into account your age and level of physical fitness).

Taoist exercises can relieve wet dreams in adolescents and enhance sexual function in adult men. In addition, thanks to these exercises, men become stronger, and women become slimmer and more flexible, with firm breasts and soft skin. Exercise will help you get rid of excess weight in middle age and slow down the aging process in old age. They will help healthy people become even stronger and prevent many diseases. They will bring relief to those suffering from various ailments and speed up the healing process.

Taoist exercises can be done at any time of the day, but it is best to do them immediately after sleep or just before bed.

There is one limitation - exercises cannot be done 15 minutes before meals and for an hour after. Otherwise, you are free to choose your own time for classes. However, it will be most effective to perform them immediately before going to bed, or immediately after getting up. However, it is still better to stop studying before bed.

It is enough to do the exercises just once a day. However, if you wish, you can do them in the morning and evening, then they will somehow complement each other. The optimal time for performing exercises is 15 minutes. However, if you are too busy, practice for 3 or 5 minutes.

The ancients believed that best results exercise comes four times a day: from 11 pm to 1 am, from 11 am to 1 pm, from 5 to 7 am and from 5 to 7 pm. In our case, the best time would be between 11 pm and 1 am, since Taoist exercises are best done before bed.

14 LESSONS OF THE TAO. THE PATH TO HEALTH AND LONGEVITY

How to turn ancient secrets to your advantage

The exercises for health and longevity discussed in this book have been secretly practiced by Taoists of the Huashan school for several hundred years. This includes the centuries-old experience of traditional Chinese medicine (many doctors from ancient times right up to the present day). Once upon a time, Taoist monks taught this gymnastics to the imperial family. Emperors, their wives and concubines indulged in excesses and at the same time wanted to maintain their health. In the palace, the exercises were called “Exercises for a Long Life.” They were so effective that they were well paid and became the “jewel of the monastery” for the Taoists.

These exercises cannot be classified as martial arts or qigong. They require no effort or willpower. Their goal is to use calm, gentle movements to stimulate blood circulation in the area of ​​the shadan ( xiadan1
Xiadan is the area that includes the pubic area and the gonad system. Exercise increases the activity of the sex glands. At the same time, a number of biological processes are launched in the human mechanism that increase vitality.

In martial arts, tai chi 2
Traditional Chinese system of slow, gentle exercises that promote health.

And qigong 3
A general term for various types of meditation and therapeutic exercises in China since ancient times.

External results are emphasized and energy is concentrated in the chest or mid-abdomen. While in Taoist exercises the main goal is internal changes, the energy is concentrated in the lower abdomen. As a result of stimulation of the gonads, metabolism improves and the hormonal system is adjusted.

The exercises can be performed in seven different positions: standing, sitting, squatting, kneeling, crawling, rotating and lying down. Each of them, in turn, is divided into seven parts.

The “standing” pose is preparatory, the basis for all other poses. The “lying down” position is the basis and essence of all exercises, while all others (“sitting”, “kneeling”, etc.) are intended for those who have already reached intermediate or higher levels skill. Beginners cannot perform them. However, I want to note that none of the experienced Taoists ever neglects the preparatory or additional pose. The six postures (from standing to rotating) are said to be performed in order, step by step.

Having reached the “rotating” position, you need to begin performing the next cycle of exercises again in the “standing” position. This repetition is reminiscent of climbing a mountain along a serpentine road, when each stage begins a little higher than the previous one. Looking for short and fast ways up is always self-deception.

Despite the fact that all positions except the “lying” pose are not basic, they contain enormous power. For example, the exercises in the standing pose, which I publish first, can help many sick and weakened people gain health and strength. Beginners should clearly understand: these exercises are for maintaining and strengthening health, they have nothing to do with martial arts. The main goal of martial arts is to train a person to fight. Slow, relaxed movements in martial arts lead to failure. Anyone who wants to win a fight must master many tricks and deceptive movements that disorient the enemy. Taoist exercises serve only to strengthen the body. Any tricks and deceptions are useless here. All seven poses are closely related, although they can be performed independently of each other. Each pose distinguishes between two sets of exercises, one for men and one for women, both of which can be performed as a single exercise. You are allowed to do exercises not in all poses, but only using those that are most suitable for your condition, goals or conditions. Beginners should start from a standing position.

This pose is the foundation of all others. First you need to master it and practice for at least 3-5 minutes every day until the body gets used to the exercises and the main results begin to be felt.

In addition to exercises and poses, I want to introduce you to Taoist wisdom: you will read various parables, postulates and advice. This is food for thought for you, not instructions for use. The real path of Tao begins with a combination of physical and mental stress. It is training your mind and body that will protect you from premature aging. Don’t be lazy and choose movement – ​​the path of Tao.

Lesson #1

WISDOM OF THE TAO

The world is in constant change.

Your action

– Learn to recognize and accept change as quickly as possible.

– Think about the fact that everything that happens to you is relative, since everything can change at any moment.

– Be more sensitive to your relationships with others, as these relationships are in constant development.

Your inaction

– Try to treat everything evenly and calmly, do not let emotions take over your heart and your head.

– Don’t let love passion or momentary impulse blind you.

TAOIST PARABLE FOR YOU

Tzu Kui from the Southern Suburb asked Woman Ju:

– You are already many years old, but you still look very young, why?

“I recognized the Path,” answered Woman Ju.

– Is it possible to learn the Way? – asked Tzu-Kui.

- Oh no, you can't. You're not fit for this. I knew one person named Bulyan I. He had the abilities of a true sage, but did not know how to follow the righteous Path. And I know how to walk the righteous Path, but I do not have the abilities of the wise. I tried to teach him the Way, because he really could become a real sage. After all, it is not at all difficult to clarify the path wise to that who is endowed with the powers of a sage. I began to protect him so that the truth would be revealed to him, and after three days he could be outside the Celestial Empire. When he learned to be outside of the Celestial Empire, I again protected him, and after seven days he learned to be outside of things. After he was able to be outside of things, I protected him again, and after nine days he was able to be outside of life. And having learned to be outside of life, in his heart he became like a “clear dawn.” Having become a “clear dawn” in his heart, he was able to see the Lonely One. And having seen the Lonely within himself, he was able to be outside the past and present. Having transcended the difference between past and present, he was able to enter where there is neither birth nor death. For that which kills the living does not itself know death, and that which gives birth to the living does not itself live. What is it? It follows everything that goes away and welcomes everything that comes, everything can destroy, everything can create. That’s why they call it “peace amidst excitement.” “Peace in the midst of excitement” means: everything reaches completion through the constant excitement of life.

- How did you know all this? – asked Tzu-Kui.

Woman Ju replied:

“I received this from the Scribe’s Son, the Scribe’s Son received this from the Reader’s Grandson, the Reader’s Grandson received this from Clear Eyes, Clear Eyes received this from Sensitive Hearing, Sensitive Hearing received this from the Tireless Worker, the Tireless Worker adopted it from the Sweet-voiced, the Sweet-voiced received it from the Deepest Darkness, the Deepest Darkness took it from the Majestic Expanse, and the Majestic Expanse took it from the Doubtful Beginning.

Exercise “Living Spring”

For what:returning youth to the body and strengthening the kidneys.

How to perform

Initial position: stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, arms hanging freely along the body. Relax, look straight ahead. The mind is free from thoughts (Fig. 36).

Complex: inhale deeply while raising yourself onto your toes and straightening your shoulders. For those who are just starting out Taoist exercises, it is better to breathe only through the nose. After some time, with regular practice, even beginners will be able to breathe through both their nose and mouth, and also use their lower abdomen to inhale more air. As you exhale, try to pull in your stomach a little, bend your knees and lower yourself onto your heels. Take 16 breaths.

Rice. 36. “Living Spring”, starting position

Hold your breath for a minute, then shake your whole body. Relax all your muscles, stand straight, arms hanging freely along your body, knees slightly bent. Now begin to shake yourself, vibrating your whole body, every muscle and joint.

Men should wiggle their testicles a little 4
Testicles - testicles.

In the perineum, women – keep the vagina slightly open. Bend your fingers slightly. As you straighten your fingers, you should feel as if they are swelling. You need to shake for about a minute (about 164 vibrations).

Notes

You will be able to perform this exercise correctly only when you feel how all the muscles of the body vibrate.

After shaking, place your feet shoulder-width apart, distribute your weight evenly on the soles of your feet, and bend your knees slightly. Relax and open your mouth slightly. The arms hang freely along the body. Now begin to rotate the shoulder joints: while the left shoulder makes a circular movement forward, up, back and down, the right shoulder at the same time makes a circular movement in the opposite direction - back, down, forward and up - and also makes a full rotation . This must be done 16 times (Fig. 37). Use your entire body to move your shoulders.

The shoulders, in turn, move the arms. Rotation of the upper body leads to compression of the internal organs, due to which they more actively absorb Fresh air and get rid of used ones faster. While rotating your shoulder joints, do not try to breathe in any special way. Trust your body and breathe freely, in time with your movements.

Rice. 37. “Living Spring”, second position

After prolonged training, doing this exercise, you can even hear the sound of air moving in your lungs. Compression of the stomach and intestines can lead to rumbling in the stomach and the release of gas. At first, don't try to do this exercise any more than we recommend here. The “rounder” the shoulder movements are, the stronger the effect will be. Once your body gets used to the exercise, you can put more force into the shoulder movement and increase the range of rotation as much as possible.

results

The purpose of this exercise, the first in our cycle, is to help the body absorb fresh and get rid of used elements, learn to manage internal organs, stimulate energy and blood circulation, which will increase vitality body. This exercise is the basis for all subsequent ones.

In addition, it is indispensable for diseases of the spine and shoulder joints, gastric disorders and painful menstruation. It can be especially recommended to those who want to strengthen their body, improve the functioning of the reproductive system, and change body weight. Beginners should take this exercise very carefully and repeat it twice a day, for 3 to 5 minutes each time.