ABOUT THE BOOK Taoist living rests on four pillars: the public, the domestic, the private, and the spirit lives. Not only do Taoists strive to live these four aspects fully and in a balanced way, they also believe there is an outlook and an art to each of them. Eva Wong uses the teachings of Taoist masters themselves to explain the essential concepts. She then gives voice to these texts— simplifying them, removing barriers to understanding, and making them completely accessible and relevant to the modern reader. Wong is a clear and enthusiastic guide to this intriguing spiritual Way, and she challenges us to stop, reflect, and ask ourselves: Do we balance the public, domestic, private, and spirit aspects of our lives, or do we emphasize some at the expense of the others? How can we think about unifying worldly and spiritual wisdom in day-to-day living? EVA WONG is an independent scholar and a practitioner of the Taoist arts of the Pre-Celestial Way and Complete Reality lineages. She has written and translated many books on Taoism and related topics, including A Master Course in Feng-Shui; Tales of the Taoist Immortals; and Taoism: An Essential Guide. Sign up to receive news and special offers from Shambhala Publications. Or visit us online to sign up at shambhala.com/eshambhala. Being Taoist Wisdom for Living a Balanced Life Edited and translated by Eva Wong Shambhala Boston & London 2015 Shambhala Publications, Inc. Horticultural Hall 300 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02115 www.shambhala.com ©2015 by Eva Wong Cover art: Miraculous Manifestations of Zhenwu at Wudang Shan (detail). Ming dynasty, 15th century. Used with permission from White Cloud Monastery, Beijing. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Being Taoist: wisdom for living a balanced life / edited and translated by Eva Wong. pages cm ISBN 978-1-61180-241-2 (pbk.) eISBN 978-0-8348-0016-8 1. Spiritual life—Taoism. I. Wong, Eva, 1951–, editor, translator. II. Huainan zi. English. Selections. BL1923.B36 2015 299.5′1444—dc23 2014019273 Contents Introduction PART ONE The Taoist in Public Life The Art of Leadership: The View of Vastness Teachings from the Huainanzi 1. The Natural Way 2. The Nature of Reality 3. The Natural World 4. Sky, Earth, and Humanity PART TWO The Taoist in Domestic Life The Art of Healthy Living: Embracing Simplicity Teachings from Principles of Nourishing Life and Cultivating Longevity, Peng Zu’s Method of Prolonging Life, and Embracing Simplicity 5. Understanding the Energy of Life 6. Healthy Attitude, Healthy Lifestyle 7. Healthy Diet and Eating Habits 8. Healthy Sexual Lifestyle PART THREE The Taoist in Private Life The Art of Concealment: Hidden Sky Teachings from The Great Patriarch Laozi’s Treatise on Internal Awareness, The Great Mysterious Grotto Precious Classic on the Subtle Method of Turning Awareness Inward, and The Nine Cultivations 9. Turning Awareness Inward 10. Heightening Awareness 11. Turning Awareness Outward PART FOUR The Taoist in Spirit Life The Art of Being: Free and Easy Wandering Teachings from the Zhuangzi 12. The Inner Chapters 13. The Outer Chapters 14. The Miscellaneous Chapters E-mail Sign-Up Introduction WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE TAOIST? To be Taoist is to embody the wisdom of Taoism in all aspects of life: public, domestic, private, and spirit. Many Taoists participate in society as leaders, advisers, entrepreneurs, and professionals. Yet others are householders, fully engaged in family and domestic life. The stories of Taoist immortals presented in my Tales of the Taoist Immortals and Tales of the Dancing Dragon highlight the lives of Taoists in and from all walks of life. If there is one thing common among Taoists, however, it is the presence and the balance of each of these aspects of living. Not only do Taoists live these four aspects of life fully, there is also an outlook and an art to moving through each of them. Central to the public life of the Taoist is the art of leadership. Leadership is not about controlling and forcing things to go our way or dragging everybody else behind us. Rather, it is inspiring and leading by example. The outlook that forms the foundation of the art of leadership is known as the view of vastness. Central to the domestic life of the Taoist is the art of healthy living. Healthy living means appreciating the life force of the body and nourishing it with a healthy diet and healthy active lifestyle. It also means not wasting life energy by indulging in extravagances and overworking body and mind. The outlook that forms the foundation of the art of healthy living is called embracing simplicity. Central to the private life of the Taoist is the art of concealment. In Taoism, to conceal does not mean to be aloof and disengaged. Rather, it means not to dazzle or make ourselves the focus of attention. Our modern culture encourages us to brag about our achievements and show off our wealth. Contrary to displaying their talents and abilities, Taoists cloak their knowledge, and even their wisdom, using them only at the appropriate place and time. The outlook that forms the foundation of the art of concealment is called hidden sky, which means concealing the skylike vastness of our wisdom rather than basking in its glory. Central to the spirit life of the Taoist is the art of being. The art of being touches every aspect of our lived experience. The outlook that forms the foundation of the art of being is free and easy wandering, a phrase from the Taoist classic Zhuangzi that refers to the playful journey of a completely liberated consciousness through the