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When the King of Chu loses his treasured bow during a hunt, he calmly declares, “A Chu bow lost will be found by a Chu person.” Confucius, upon hearing this, expands the perspective: “A bow lost by a human will be found by a human.” Laozi, learning of both remarks, transcends human-centered thinking altogether, comparing the loss and recovery to drifting clouds and flowing streams—natural cycles beyond gain or loss. This elegant parable reveals three layers of wisdom: from national identity, to human unity, and finally to harmony with the cosmos, offering a profound reflection on possession, belonging, and perspective.
Breath Cultivators (Lianqishi) emerged from the pre-Qin Daoist cultivation tradition, specializing in internal energy refinement. Their core practice, "breath cultivation" (lianqi), involves regulating respiration and guiding intention to gather and refine cosmic Primordial Qi, aiming for longevity and transcendence. Their methods encompass a wide array of techniques, including talismans, external alchemy, sexual arts, visualization, and guided exercises. Theoretically grounded in Primordial Qi cosmology, breath cultivators view the process of refining qi as mirroring the cosmic generative process, seeking ultimate unity with the Dao. This path exemplifies the Daoist integrative wisdom of harmonizing body and spirit with the cosmic order.
The Scripture of Great Peace (Taiping Jing) stands as the first canonical text of pre-Qin Daoism, establishing its theological system with core concepts such as divine immortality and the presence of deities within the human body. Grounded in yin-yang and Five Phases theory, it adopts Huang-Lao’s governance principle of “action through inaction,” emphasizing the unity of heaven and humanity and proposing that human affairs influence cosmic order. The scripture systematically articulates practices like “Guarding the One” for spiritual cultivation, alongside techniques involving talismans, breath regulation, herbal medicine, and sexual arts. It introduces a distinctive moral perspective of “inheritance and retribution,” linking ancestral deeds to the fortunes of descendants. Profoundly influential during the Eastern Han dynasty, The Scripture of Great Peace laid a solid theoretical and practical foundation for the later formal establishment of Daoism, with its recorded methods of healing through ritual water and incantations shaping Daoist traditions of salvation and care.
The Theory of Primordial Qi (Yuanqi Lun) is a cornerstone of ancient Chinese philosophy and medicine, proposing that qi constitutes the fundamental substance from which heaven, earth, and all things arise—a monistic and materialistic framework for understanding cosmic and vital origins. Systematized in the Spring and Autumn period text He Guanzi, it asserts that “life emerges from the gathering of qi, and death follows its dispersal.” Integrated with yin-yang theory, it forms the basis of traditional Chinese medicine, giving rise to applied systems such as visceral qi theory and meridian doctrine. Evolving from the Warring States period through the Song and Ming dynasties, it grew into a pervasive theoretical lens that shaped traditional sciences including medicine, astronomy, and agronomy, offering a holistic paradigm for interpreting nature and human life.
