The Seal of the Unity of the Three

Download or read book The Seal of the Unity of the Three written by Fabrizio Pregadio and published by . This book was released on 2011-01-01 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Under an allusive poetical language and thick layers of images and symbols, "The Seal of the Unity of the Three" ("Cantong qi") hides the exposition of the teachings that gave birth to Taoist Internal Alchemy, or Neidan. Traditionally attributed to Wei Boyang and dated to about 150 CE, "The Seal of the Unity of the Three" is concerned with three major subjects - Taoism (the way of "non-doing"), Cosmology (the system of the "Book of Changes"), and Alchemy - and joins them to one another into a unique doctrine. The charm of its verses, the depth of its discourse, and its enigmatic language inspired a large number of commentaries and other works, and attracted the attention not only of Taoist masters and adepts, but also of philosophers, cosmologists, and poets. In addition to a complete translation, this book contains a detailed introduction to the history and the teachings of "The Seal of the Unity of the Three," explanations of each of its sections, and notes on its verses. Also included are several tables and pictures, an index of main subjects, and the complete Chinese text.