The Role of Ancient Chinese Imagination in Taoist Treatise "Huang T’ing Jing" ("The Book of Yellow Court") and Its Reflection in Life and Works by Huang T’ing-Jian

Abstrakt

The Book of Yellow Court (originated, according to different estimations, in the 2nd cent. BC) is the fundamental Taoist internal alchemy treatise devoted to self-improvement and visualization of spirits. The article highlights some aspects of Taoist adept’s practice on his way towards self-improvement related to ancient Chinese beliefs about the human body and human existence in the universe. The reflection of teachings of The Book in the life and works of the Chinese Song era (960–1279) poet Huang Ting-jian has been also shown; the detailed analysis of some of his poems has been made.

The key idea of this article is the Taoist concept of inner peace, concentration on spiritual resources of the follower and waking up--through the power of imagination--so-called Internal Refulgences (Nei-jing, deities of all the internal organs) which, having found an echo in the outside world (External Refulgences, Wai-jing), contribute to the spiritual growth of the Taoist adept’s organism, nurturing of qi energy and, what is the most important, conception and cultivation of the Taoist immortal embryo, which is aimed to bring immortality to the adept. Taoist adherent’s various manipulations with the imagination, as well as creative imagination of Chinese poets that allowed them different transformations and incomprehensible journeys (e.g., to the Celestials), indicate the infinite possibilities of the human intellect, that Chinese people have already known in those old times.