The bodily exercises are necessary because it is believed that the mortal body is only a cocoon TB166 and that the spirit needs a vessel „to lodge in“, because if the Taoist can not reach the level of transcendence were the spirit can ascend to heaven and his body dies beforehand, he can not reach immortality, thus the body needs to be preserved. ELT631 and is necessary to survive. ELT 622. Furthermore immortality could also be described as a transcendend state of mind, which due to meditation and high concentration is able to evoke a state of escatic trance and therefore the immortality does not just means the no-death of the body but is more likely to be a state of mind. In particular a state of mind where one is more at home in the transcendence state than in the actual mortal plane. ELT623-624 Which unfolds in a state of total harmony and the forgetting of oneself, with the result of a complete loss of identity. Therefore one can see that there are different definitions of immortality in Daosim, the one of the mind and the one of the body. Or to be more precise one spiritual/ physiological immortality neidan (内丹) as well as a material immortality waidan (外丹). Waidan can be achieved via alchemy.
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There are countless recipes for Taoist immortality elixirs which should prolong ones life, made up from cinnabar, which is believed to contain large amount of solar energies, and mercury are contained within those elixirs. Those „timeless“ entities , like the sun which plays a big role in Taoism, should radiate ones body and revivy it, needless to say that those are indeed highly toxic. The alchemy in Daoism tried to uncover these mysteries of the world with the sole goal to reach immortality. TB175 Due to the refinement of raw ingredients the ultimate essence of the world should be discovored. In general the alchemy served as a metaphor how our existence is linked to the Dao. GC48 Those elixirs should evoke transcendent states of mind and the transformation of the body. Two very important aspects in regard to attain immortality. It is also noteworthy that death was seen as a cureable disease which need to be prevented. ELT 624 Neidan on the other hand focuses on the rectifying of the mind, for example via „a hermit life“ , „making the breath return in circle“, basically the techniques which are already stated at the ming beginning of this chapter. SOC20 Through Waidan one is able to transcend only as an dixian (地仙) an earthy immortal one who obtained longlivity, whom is still bound to the earth, while someone who obtains immortality through neidan becomes a tianxian (天仙), a celestial immortal who can ascend into heaven. SOC20-21 In total there are thirty different states of transcendence based on the method and the recipient. GC48 The concept of waidan and neidan in relation to Ying and Yang is very well exemplified within this quote: „(...) The interior one is inactive (wu wei 无为) because there is nothing it can use for it‘s action; the exterior one is active because there are things on which it can act. The interior one is without form (hsing 形) and substance (chih 质) and yet it fully exists. The exterior one has matter (thi 体) and function (yung 用) and yet it is full of non-existence. The exteri or one is concerned with the affairs of the material body (se shen 色身), while the interior one concerns the affairs of the etherial body( fa shen 法身). The former is the Tao of the earthly immortals, the latter is the Tao of the heavenly immortals. The first improves the life of the Yin parts of the organism (ming 命), the second …show more content…
„(...) The interior one is inactive (wu wei 无为) (...)“ means that the mind is not acting, it is just transforming in accordance to the Tao but doesnt take any kind of initivate. „The interior one is without form (hsing 形) and substance (chih 质) and yet it fully exists (...)“ means that the mind is nothing you can see or grasp, but that fully exists, without the mind the body is just vessel. „ (...) the interior one concerns the affairs of the etherial body( fa shen 法身) (...) “ means that the mind is needed to transcend and to
There are countless recipes for Taoist immortality elixirs which should prolong ones life, made up from cinnabar, which is believed to contain large amount of solar energies, and mercury are contained within those elixirs. Those „timeless“ entities , like the sun which plays a big role in Taoism, should radiate ones body and revivy it, needless to say that those are indeed highly toxic. The alchemy in Daoism tried to uncover these mysteries of the world with the sole goal to reach immortality. TB175 Due to the refinement of raw ingredients the ultimate essence of the world should be discovored. In general the alchemy served as a metaphor how our existence is linked to the Dao. GC48 Those elixirs should evoke transcendent states of mind and the transformation of the body. Two very important aspects in regard to attain immortality. It is also noteworthy that death was seen as a cureable disease which need to be prevented. ELT 624 Neidan on the other hand focuses on the rectifying of the mind, for example via „a hermit life“ , „making the breath return in circle“, basically the techniques which are already stated at the ming beginning of this chapter. SOC20 Through Waidan one is able to transcend only as an dixian (地仙) an earthy immortal one who obtained longlivity, whom is still bound to the earth, while someone who obtains immortality through neidan becomes a tianxian (天仙), a celestial immortal who can ascend into heaven. SOC20-21 In total there are thirty different states of transcendence based on the method and the recipient. GC48 The concept of waidan and neidan in relation to Ying and Yang is very well exemplified within this quote: „(...) The interior one is inactive (wu wei 无为) because there is nothing it can use for it‘s action; the exterior one is active because there are things on which it can act. The interior one is without form (hsing 形) and substance (chih 质) and yet it fully exists. The exterior one has matter (thi 体) and function (yung 用) and yet it is full of non-existence. The exteri or one is concerned with the affairs of the material body (se shen 色身), while the interior one concerns the affairs of the etherial body( fa shen 法身). The former is the Tao of the earthly immortals, the latter is the Tao of the heavenly immortals. The first improves the life of the Yin parts of the organism (ming 命), the second …show more content…
„(...) The interior one is inactive (wu wei 无为) (...)“ means that the mind is not acting, it is just transforming in accordance to the Tao but doesnt take any kind of initivate. „The interior one is without form (hsing 形) and substance (chih 质) and yet it fully exists (...)“ means that the mind is nothing you can see or grasp, but that fully exists, without the mind the body is just vessel. „ (...) the interior one concerns the affairs of the etherial body( fa shen 法身) (...) “ means that the mind is needed to transcend and to