The Shambala guide to Taoism, pt. 2
So, as I mentioned, I bought this book a few weeks ago, and just finished it a few days ago. Pt. 1 can be found here.
So, I've finished this book, and as I suspected, it was incredibly good at giving a thorough "glossing over" of the spiritual landscape that Taoism encompasses. Eva Wong never goes into too much detail (other wise it would have been multi-volume), but rather teases and tempts by dropping seductive hints at various Traditions, their founders and teachers, and the like.
In the second part, she does an excellent job of drawing certain bounds for the sake of study, and diving headfirst into the topics, which include such chapters as "Magical Taoism: The Way of Power", "Divinational Taoism: the Way of Seeing", and "Alchemical Taoism: the Way of Transformation".
In part 3 ("Taoist Practices"), she boils down the various Taoist meditations, techniques for cultivating the body, and the various rites of ceremony, purification, and talismanic magic. She groups the various Ways of Breathing, Meditating, etc., explaining what they basically represent. Included in part 3 is a brief explanation of a Taoist altar.
Of particular note to me, were the Mudras utilized in some sects that have a Tibetan influence, the preparation of the Talismans, and the popularity of such things as the I Ching.
My few complaints about the book are rather commonplace in this field: and that is the repeated "warnings not to try anything in this book without a personal grandmaster sifu that has an unbroken initiatory lineage", etc. As she specifically stated, she gave much information on rituals, practices, and the like, but always left out just enough information to keep one guessing (a chaote's dream, I might add). I found my mind reeling with potential possibilities, and have even thought about summoning up an immortal or two to help explain the parts she left out.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who wishes a better understanding of this evolution of Chinese thought, called "Taoism".
So, I've finished this book, and as I suspected, it was incredibly good at giving a thorough "glossing over" of the spiritual landscape that Taoism encompasses. Eva Wong never goes into too much detail (other wise it would have been multi-volume), but rather teases and tempts by dropping seductive hints at various Traditions, their founders and teachers, and the like.
In the second part, she does an excellent job of drawing certain bounds for the sake of study, and diving headfirst into the topics, which include such chapters as "Magical Taoism: The Way of Power", "Divinational Taoism: the Way of Seeing", and "Alchemical Taoism: the Way of Transformation".
In part 3 ("Taoist Practices"), she boils down the various Taoist meditations, techniques for cultivating the body, and the various rites of ceremony, purification, and talismanic magic. She groups the various Ways of Breathing, Meditating, etc., explaining what they basically represent. Included in part 3 is a brief explanation of a Taoist altar.
Of particular note to me, were the Mudras utilized in some sects that have a Tibetan influence, the preparation of the Talismans, and the popularity of such things as the I Ching.
My few complaints about the book are rather commonplace in this field: and that is the repeated "warnings not to try anything in this book without a personal grandmaster sifu that has an unbroken initiatory lineage", etc. As she specifically stated, she gave much information on rituals, practices, and the like, but always left out just enough information to keep one guessing (a chaote's dream, I might add). I found my mind reeling with potential possibilities, and have even thought about summoning up an immortal or two to help explain the parts she left out.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who wishes a better understanding of this evolution of Chinese thought, called "Taoism".