书城旅游和老外聊文化中国(升级版)
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第55章 道教Daoism(3)

Daoism teaches that all things in the universe have their own spirit (god). In ancient times, people thought that supernatural beings ascend to Heaven, or dwell in far-off beautiful places. During the Warring States Periods, those who sought immortality imagined that there are three divine mountains in the Bohai Sea (渤海)—Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou (蓬莱、方丈、瀛洲). Those mountains are the habitations of immortals and that the drugs of immortality can be found there. According to later Daoist teaching, the habitations of immortals came to include The Ten Continents and The Three Islands (十洲三岛). The continents include Zu (祖洲), Ying (瀛洲), Yan (炎洲) and seven others. The islands are Kunlun (昆仑), Fangzhang (方丈) and Penglai (蓬莱).

The Ten Celestial Caverns (十大洞天) are residences of Daoist immortals on the famous mountains on this earth. They include Wangwu (王屋山洞), Weiyu (委羽山洞), Xicheng (西城山洞), Xixuan (西玄山洞) and six other caverns.

The Seventy-Two Blissful Lands (七十二福地) are also located on famous mountains on the earth, and all managed by perfect beings in accordance with the orders given by deities.

These include Mt. Jun (君山) in Dongting Lake (洞庭湖) and Mt. Damian (大面山) close to Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

Notes:1)celestial神圣的;2)cavern洞穴;3)blissful极乐的;4)habitation居住;5)continent陆地;6)immortal不朽的

8.什么是道家医学观?

What are the medical perspectives of Daoism?

Daoism values human life and stresses the saying“My life depends on my own effort; it is not dictated by Heaven (我命在我,不在天).”Daoist medicine aims at long life and immortality. According to a unique system that borrows from traditional medicine while maintaining particular Daoist characteristics and principle, the concepts of Daoist medicine stress on the Interaction of Heaven and Man (天人合一) and the Correspondence Between Heaven and Man (天人相通). Daoist medical thought teaches that the human body shares the same structure as that of the cosmos, so persons should nurture and preserve their lives in accordance with the law of nature. It recognizes the presence of a vital power and seeks to maintain healthy vitality and eliminate diseased vitality through a balance of the human body’s physiological functions. Daoist medical practices encourage the cultivation of both bodily life and mental tranquility, which will benefit the body and contribute to longevity.

Concretely their practices include herbalism, acupuncture, and various decoctions as well as breathing exercise, abstaining from grains, inward focus in meditation and martial arts.

Notes:1)dictate命令;2)cosmos宇宙;3)preserve保存;4)eliminate消除;5)physiological生理学的;6)mental精神的;7)tranquility平静;8)herbalism草药医术(学);9)acu-puncture针灸疗法;10)decoction煎熬的药;11)abstain避开

9.什么是道家养生观?

What is the underlying philosophy of Daoist health cultivation?

In a narrow sense, Daoist health cultivation aims at a harmonious state of body and mind that can achieve longevity. But in a broader sense, it depends on the Daoist view of life, theory of immortality, and techniques to achieve immortality. Based on the Daoist cosmology, the Dao is thought to be responsible for the creation of the universe and human beings, and human beings can achieve an ideal state of health when they abide by the law of the Dao and maintain harmonious integration with the nature.

According to the book called Collection on Life Cultivation (《养生集》), the key points for life cultivation include the achievement of mental tranquility, the preservation of vitality and body nourishment. According to another book called Scripture of Supreme Peace《太平经》 , persons need to focus on mental tranquility, treasure vitality and worship the Deity.

Notes:1)abide by遵守;2)preservation保藏;3)nourishment滋养