In this episode we talk to Allen Tsaur about his recent translation for Purple Cloud Press, the Complete Compendium of Zhāng Jingyue. This translation covers the first three volumes of the great Míng dynasty master Zhang Jingyue’s monumental work and provides his core doctrines and teachings, including the eight principles pattern identification, the ten diagnostic inquiries, the distinction between earlier and later heavens, and the Mìngmén theory. Zhang Jingyue himself was an influential commentator of the Inner Canon, a vocal medical critic at his time, and a prominent figure of the Mìngmen (the Gate of Life) School of Thought. We delve deep into much of the content of the book, as well as the nuances of translating such a monuments work into English. The work is now available for purchase at Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Compendium-Zhang-Jingyue-Vol/dp/B08MWRNRPB

After a long hiatus we are back! In our first episode for 2020, we talk again to Lindsey Wei who has just published a new book through Purple Cloud Press, Path of the Spiritual Warrior: Life and Teachings of Muay Thai Fighter Pedro Solana. Kru Pedro Solan

The field of Chinese medical dermatology is a fascinating one, no least because the visual component gives the practitioner conspicuous diagnostic information that internal conditions often do not. In today’s podcast we talk to Mazin Al-Khafaji, one of the worldwide leading figures in the treatment of skin and autoimmune conditions with Chinese medicine. We talk about Mazin’s time in China, discuss his thoughts on use of raw herbs vs. granules and delve into the various ways he addresses these disorders, from herbal formulas to external ointments and herbal enemas. We also touch upon Mazin’s fondness for 圍棋 Wei Qi, “Go” or Chinese Chess, and how its philosophy overlaps with that of Chinese Medicine.   Further information about study with Mazin can be found at: https://mazin-al-khafaji.com

Yue Hu is someone who has devoted her life to understanding the Dao of tea. We delve into the history of tea and the changes in its preparation and craftsmanship methods over the years and also discuss how and why to ensure the tea you buy is of the best quality. We also how to go back to the basics when it comes to tasting and enjoying tea, and how to use proper tea tasting terminology such as 澀 roughness. More about tea, including Yue Hu’s in depth tea courses in Yunnan, China, can be found at her website http://theteaqi.com.

In this episode we talk to Robert Coons, Daoist practitioner author of Internal Elixir Cultivation: The Nature of Daoist Meditation, about the various internal practices of Daoism and his own practices and lineages. We also discuss his understanding of the meanings behind the different characters for Qi, namely 氣 and 炁, and how their relate to various Daoist practices, as well as scholar and Daoist practitioner 陳攖寧 Chen Yingning and his theories of the 三元 or “Three Originals”. Robert’s courses and his book can be accessed at his website http://daoistmeditation.com.

Much like Western religious traditions, there is a long history of commentary on seminal texts of Chinese philosophy and religion, most of which has yet to be translated. In today’s podcast interview with Mattias Daly, Chinese medicine practitioner and Daoist scholar, we explore the long tradition of commentary on the Dao De Jing, and go into depth about whether the translation of the well know term often translated as “the mysterious female” 玄牝 is, in fact, in accordance with this tradition of commentary. We also talk about the little known Wenshi Pai 文始派 sect of Daoism, and delve deeply into the Buddhist influences on the poetry of Daoist luminaries Wang Chongyang 王重陽 and Zhang Boduan 張伯端.   Mattias is also working on a translation of the “Ten Discourses on Daoist Alchemy” 丹道十講 by Ge Guolong 戈國龍, if you would like to support him in this admirable pursuit you can contribute funding at https://www.gofundme.com/translation-of-quotten-discourses-on-daoist-alchemyquot .  

There are many arts found under the umbrella of Daoism, including alchemy, medicine, ritual and martial arts to name a few. Many of these are taught to visiting students of all backgrounds at the Five Immortals Temple in Wudang China by Abbott Du Song Feng. Cheng Feng has been a longterm student of the Abbott and has resided at the temple for many years translating and assisting with his teaching as well as furthering her own studies in many of the arts taught there, perhaps most notably her study and recital of the morning and evening Xuanmen ritual scripture. She has also just launched her own project, Feather Beings, which aims at spreading these teachings throughout the world.

China has a long tradition of painting which differs in many ways from traditions in the West, in particular uses of perspective and how painting was intended to be viewed. In this episode of the podcast we talk in depth with artist Dapeng Liu (www.dapengliu.com) about these differences, which can help provide us with a new set of eyes with which to view Chinese painting.

Daoism and healing in China have a long, intertwined history. Beyond the more widely known Chinese therapeutic techniques such as acupuncture and herbal prescriptions, Daoists have incorporated other more esoteric modalities in the healing of illnesses such as incantation and talismans. In this episode, we talk in depth with Josh Paynter, co-founder of Parting Clouds Daoism and Quanzhen Longmen lineage holder , about his experience with these healing traditions, his Parting Clouds organisation and the nature of Daoism in China today.

Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism all have a long history of influence in the development in Chinese medicine, which is perhaps most apparent in the syncretic traditions of the Wen Bu Pai (School of Warming and Tonifying) doctors of the Ming Dynasty. In this episode we talk with Leslie De Vries about one of these doctors, Zhao Xian Ke, and his book the Yi Guan or “The Thread that Runs through All Medicine,” and the theories expounded in this work such as those involving Ming Men or the Gate of life and the potential influence of internal alchemy practices. Later in the conversation there is also a discussion on the influence of these Chinese medical theories on Vietnamese medicine.