Complete Reality School of Taoism
Prologue
This posting, however long, should still be viewed by the reader as a transient exposition of the intended subject matter, not a complete rendering of possible information. To do so in totality would require far more historical expertise than contained within the author’s knowledge base, and mortality is finite, with respect to time.
The reasoning for this post is simple. There are individuals whose misunderstanding of the subject matter lends them to a mindset that Taoism is comprised only of superfluously ornate and extravagant language, to coddle a student or practitioner into a less than serious philosophical view point of the world and Tao. Add to this the oft heard pretensions of Taoism being based upon majiks and illogical mysticism, and the final assessment becomes ubiquitously negative. Correct information may help to curtail this, or not.
For those who wish to take issue with historical information contained herein, I have neither the interest nor the time, to spend in rebuttal or debate. Academics even to this day continually bicker and moan over authenticities of historicity, to no avail. The pursuit of such would last a lifetime’s lifetime, with still only a muddled outcome.
Throughout, the attempt will be made to maintain as much simplicity of language as the subject matter lends itself to, although not always possible. The Chinese names are as they are, and due to the inherent differences of translations, Pinyin or Wade-Gilles may fall over one another. The lack of consistency rests with the author of the post, not noted informational texts or internets links.
“When the home is empty and peaceful, the spirit naturally resides there.”
Historical Perspective
The precursory information given here, is to simply set the stage, and is more a matter of folklore, concerning the entire great nation of the Chinese people, and not likely common knowledge to most of those of the Western traditions, nations, and educations.
The following will show that the fundamental roots of Taoism, sometimes referred to as “church” or “religious” Taoism are firmly entrenched in the shamanism of the nomadic settlers, before the greatness of the Chinese was solidified into a nation. The forefathers of China are said to be the Three August Ones; Fu Xi (original founder and credited with the first “signs”, technically the trigrams, of the yijing, commonly, The Book of Changes), Shennong (first teacher of agriculture and horticulture), Huang Di (first leader, given to ignorance, and discovering enlightenment through internal self-cultivation and education). Of these, only Huang Di is of particular concern to this writing, for his instrumentality to Taoism, as it has often been called by his name, the Yellow Emperor. To him is attributed what some academic historians claim to be the first literary writing of Taoism, the Yin Convergence Classic, which details the spirituality of strategic living, especially as concerns the internal benefits to health and longevity.
To illuminate the complexities of both Taoism and it’s history, proper mention must be given, generally, to the fusion of Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, (most particularly Pure Land and Chan Buddhism, as being more assuredly Chinese forms, Chan being the predecessor, academically accepted, of Zen Buddhism). How these three survived the many dynasties, emperors, warring factions, social and civil decay and rebirth, is a dynamic of many volumes. Each one was accordingly saved by one or both of the others, at some point historically, and with each defense, the infusion furthered, and even academics agree, to the benefit of all three systems.
Complete Reality School owes Chan Buddhism for its alchemical understanding of the inner workings of the human body and energy, as from the classic Flower Ornament Scripture. It also owes a debt to the Confucian system, for detailed outlines on individual character, and effects upon society. Although the legalism of Confucianism is also academically accepted as a benefit to Taoism, I particularly disagree with said item, as it is concerned with the lower order, matters of social/civil/governmental acceptance/adherence, and the practicality of concerning oneself with matters of society, over matters of cultivation. (It is worth mentioning that the two greatest teachers of Confucianism, Confucius and Mencius, are considered part of the Taoist lineage. Confucius is absorbed for his alleged meeting, and four written references to, Li Er, commonly known as Lao Tzu. Confucian writings do not, in my opinion, reflect Taoist traditional belief, although the influence on Mencius is palpable in his writings).
Although I am still searching, I have not yet been able to trace a direct lineage from the earlier teachers, to the ones that lead to the founding of the Complete Reality School. From the Tang dynasty it falls from Zhangli Quan > Lu Yan > Liu Cao > Zhang Boduan.
Zhang Boduan is the center of my interest, and particularly because of his authored discernment with regards to Taoist esoteric practices, metaphorical meaning, and the aberrations he considered failings with most sects or schools, including the aspect of “secret knowledge”.
Zhang Boduan, founder of the Southern Complete Reality School, is the author of Understanding Reality, which in my readings, is the most succinct and pure of Taoist teachings, and strips away the unnecessary metaphysical baggage, applied mostly from the infusion with Buddhism, from my perspective.
Language
I would like to look at Taoist language through the thoughts and words of this particular Taoist master, along with the corresponding dissemination of information regarding paths and techniques.
Alchemy. Put away your magician’s hat, and cast off the images of the White Witch, we aren’t venturing to Salem or a castle. Alchemy is a matter of the physiological and biochemical processes of the internal microcosm, definitively, the body and mind. The final goal of alchemy is to remove duality of spirit and essence, (read mind and body), because the Taoist belief is that they are one, in the original state.
Source. The archaic character for this is literally “three springs under a cliff”, yuan, and makes the clear distinction of source as a natural instance, not a theological or metaphysical one.
Cosmos. This one is so simple, it hardly needs mention. This means “boundaries moving”, yuzhou, telling us that all is continually changing.
Duality. This means “distance” and “return”. As described, “distance” is the particular object/instance as it becomes increasingly distinguished. “Return” is the same particular object/instance relinquishing the current perspective, to be resolved into other things. This is the interplay from the Dao De Jing, “It is given the makeshift name of ‘the great’, being great it is further described as receding, Receding, it is described as far away, Far away, it is described as turning back.”
Non-action. This does not mean to do nothing. It means to apply deference to all involved players in an instance, allowing the highest degree of individual autonomy, without applying force of will. It is strategically flowing with instance.
Fire. This is directly the fervor and impetuosity of the passionate and volatile human mind.
Water. This describes the calm, thoughtful, logical character of the mind, which tempers the fire, to create balance.
Tiger. This is representative of the physical nature of life, all things of physicality, including the martial practices.
Dragon. This is the internal nature of life, the spirit (mind) activity, ostensibly the cultivation of character through meditation and daily practice of virtue.
Jade Furnace. Jade in the Chinese culture is the epitome of calm serenity and quality of work. Much like jade, serenity and quality are inherently fragile. Furnace is obvious in this instance, a place of depth to slow cook. It means the evolution of qualities comes about slowly, refined character is not made in a day. There is no physiological location of the Jade Furnace.
Medicines. These are not physical substances ingested, as is often wrongly played in many of the aberrant forms of religious Taoism. It refers directly to the internal state of knowledge, correct discernment and continual practice of such, and the fact that correct living, driven from the internal state, corrects many of the ailments of daily living.
Mysterious Pass. In alchemical texts, and throughout Taoist reading, this reference, or one of its variants, will be seen numerous times. It is far too often confused with a physical location in the body. I have even seen the misrepresentations go so far as to apply measurements from the spine, kidneys and navel, to show an exact bodily location. Utter rubbish, bordering on forethought of deceit. The Mysterious Pass is discernment, objectivity, clarity, of the processional wavelength of Tao, whereby the microcosm, the inner you, is a direct reflection of the macrocosm, because you have cultivated your mind out of acculturation and the mendacities of mundane human social life.
Golden Elixir, Golden Embryo, Golden Blossom, Golden Pill. All of these refer to the understanding of time and circumstance for solidifying the reality of spirit and essence, (again, read as mind and body). Gold is even, shining, and quality, which the mind must be to unify with the body it, has forgotten. In actuality, it is the condition of autonomy and non-personal knowing in attainment.
Immortal Embryo, Immortal Infant, Uncarved Block. This refers to the original state of being, brought into physicality. At the time in human existence where we are being born, all the vitality of life is present, and the originality of the mind with respect to such is awe and reverence for life itself, and the spirit and essence are one state. The mental and physical gyrations that many erstwhile practitioners and students go through to return to this state are for me, ludicrous beyond belief. They use the eyes to “look” into the forehead, or chest, stomach, genitals, actually believing that the Immortal Embryo physically resides there. This then, is the monument of their failure.
These are just the examples I have chosen to use, a multitude of linguistic pitfalls await the neophyte, especially in illusionary belief that these things fall under the pretense of the physically attainable.
The reader is likely to ask “why then this use of language?” First, there is a natural prose to the originating language, which comes from it being based upon pictograph, which makes it highly interpretive and dialectical. Imagery and visualization are inherent to the language, and in knowing the linguistic visualizations, the appearance of complexity will force more direct attention and focus. Attention and focus will lead to objectivity, clarity, and conscientious daily practice. This then will lead to the state of encompassing discernment. Secondly, in both historical Taoism and Buddhism, many practitioners were given to the belief that the attainment of correct discernment was a path easily taken, and shortcuts were allowable and usable. This was the cause of many tragic and painful deaths from poisoning, starvation, and other forms of bodily destruction due to ignorance, delusion and ego. The ancient teachers “encoded” the language, in order to facilitate the much lengthier passage of time for character development. Hence the development of labeled “secret knowledge”, which is truly nothing of the sort.
How likely is failure? Considering what is believed in the Complete Reality School, there are a minimum of thirty-six hundred methods, and none lead to the desired end result of harmonically balanced spirit and essence. There are gradient degrees of difference of illusionary practice, which illustrated by Zhang Boduan, translate to thirteen gradations of practice. Only the higher road of discernment and dissolution of distraction and ego meet the requirement. This isn’t to say there is only one way. Many paths, one finality.
“When the home is empty and peaceful, the spirit naturally resides there.”
When one has achieved internal silence, the mind can break free of the compulsions of mundane human conditioning.
Sources:
- The Book of Balance and Harmony, Thomas Cleary, New York, North Point Press © 1989
- Understanding Reality: A Taoist Alchemical Classic, Chang Po-Tauan/Thomas Cleary, Univeristy of Hawaii Press © 1987
- Yuan Dao: Tracing Dao to Its Source, D.C. Lau/Roger T. Ames, New York, The Ballantine Publishing Group © 1998
- Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching, D.C. Lau, London, Penguin Group © 1963
- The Shambhala Guide to Taoism, Eva Wong, Boston, Shambhala Publications, Inc. © 1997
- The Texts of Taoism: Tai Shang Tractate of Actions and their Retributions, James Legge, New York, Dover Publications, Inc. © 1962
- flowinghands.com/mbs_htm/mbs.art.alchemy.htm
- alchemicaltaoism.com/
- egreenway.com/taichichuan/kft1.htm
- acupuncture-hi.com/foundermessage.shtml
